Wendy Stuart Kaplan, a board member of the TriVersity Pride Center, has released the following statement:
“I am delighted to announce the winners of the inaugural TriVersity Writer’s Scholarship, allowing a new queer literary voice to attend the Milford Writing Institute’s 2025 Fall Program. The Scholarship Selection Committee were asked to pick from four finalists, a shortlist culled from dozens of submissions. The Committee informs me the finalists displayed such a variety of uniqueness and strengths, they had trouble choosing a single winner. For that reason, TriVersity has decided to award not one but two scholarships this year. The 2025 TriVersity Writer’s Scholarship winners are –
Michael Montoya and his memoir Man Reformed, the moving and enlightening story of a parent transitioning to a man while teaching prisoners in New York State’s penitentiary system. Michael Montoya is a transgender teacher and professional development speaker with 30+ years of experience in both arts and academic education, working with students in public, private, and correctional settings. He has published articles, created teaching materials, and produced a documentary film designed to help teachers support LGBTQIA+ students in arts education. For his expertise in arts education, Michael has been awarded the distinction of New York State Teaching Artist by the New York State Council on the Arts and the New York City Arts in Education Roundtable. He has also received recognition for his work from the Dallas City Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Reel Affirmations LGBTQ Film Festival of Washington, DC.
And Kit L. Kleinow and his novel Unseen Scarlet, a dystopian fantasy of the future where a mentally unstable 16-year-old is trying to survive his controlling parents and a world run by autocratic billionaires. Kit has been writing on an almost daily basis for close to 20 years now, having started with poetry and fiction novels in middle school as a taught coping skill. He studied Creative Writing at both Susquehanna University and Reading Area Community College, where he was invited to present an essay about the history and impact of the Stonewall Riots. He writes the TriVersity Newsletter, and serves in the role of the head researcher and cohost for a queer history podcast.
A warm congratulations to our winners.
I’m happy to report Milford Writing Institute founder Richard Morais has decided to give a private masterclass to the two runners up – Fabrice Houdart and Alex Buda – in the belief they are equally important literary voices in the making and should also be given a leg up.”