Help Diane Zinna & her family

Diane Zinna served the Association of Writers and Writing Programs for more than eight years, most recently as Executive Co-Director. Diane created the organization's Writer to Writer Mentorship Program, which matched more than 600 writers over twelve seasons. Her dedication to writers and inclusion will shape literary culture for years to come.

Earlier this month, Diane announced her resignation over the board's decision to hold the large annual conference when concerns over the global public health crisis were mounting. This decision to leave the organization was extremely hard for Diane, but she weighed the public good heavily and called for kindness toward the board and the staff, who work to support literary culture and writers.

Now it's time to return that kindness to Diane and her family. Diane taught college English and creative writing for ten years prior to coming to AWP. She is searching for an academic or nonprofit job during a time when national social distancing makes a search extraordinarily difficult. Her family's health insurance expires on March 31. 

While she is actively looking for other health insurance options and checking deadlines, her COBRA insurance payment would be $2216 per month. Let's work together quickly to provide Diane, her husband, and their daughter with continued health insurance and other medical expenses during this difficult time. If she finds a less expensive option, money raised can be used for basic household expenses during her job search.

Those who want to support Diane but cannot afford to contribute can share the link for donations, send her words of encouragement, and keep an eye out for job opportunities.