Gilman’s newest writer-in-residence Johannes Lichtman stood at the podium in the Alumni Auditorium for the first time on Thursday, September 25, 2025. At the Writers at Work assembly, Upper School English teacher Justin Baker introduced the latest Tickner Writing Fellow, who writes novels, stories, and essays, and whose debut novel, “Such Good Work,” was chosen as a 5 Under 35 honoree by the National Book Foundation.

Lichtman shared with the Upper School students and faculty about the first time he stood up and read in front of a room full of mostly young people, which was when he was in college, reading a piece he had published in the school’s literary magazine. Though the presentation didn’t go quite as planned, he remembers the event fondly because “It was the first time I got to read words that matter to me to people I had never met. And some of them listened, and some of them paid attention, and some of them even related to it in some way… and what a feeling that is. I’ve been hooked on it ever since.”

Then Lichtman read from an essay he published in the Paris Review about his experience visiting the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, titled “Invisible Ink: At the CIA’s Creative Writing Group.” The story largely focused on the time immediately leading up to the actual visit as he navigated the complexities of parking and security at Langley.

After the reading, he explained that deliberate choice. “It’s the everyday stuff that really sticks with readers.” His advice to students: “Pay attention to as much as you can. Memorable writing tends to be built on specific details rather than the unveiling of big ideas.”

He also touched on the meaning of his essay, and on any essay, really. “When you publish something, you stop getting to say what it means; the reader gets to decide what it means.”

He went on to talk about how a lot of writing is trying to answer the question, “What am I doing here?” He admits that he doesn’t know. But he finds comfort in that fact, knowing that he’ll always have more searching to do in his writing.

Watch the assembly

The A. J. Downs Writers at Work series brings professional writers to Gilman for a day to read from their work in an Upper School assembly, visit and work with classes, and meet with faculty members. Johannes Lichtman is the Tickner Writing Fellow for the 2025–2026 and 2026–2027 school years. He teaches a Creative Writing elective at Gilman.