After six years as chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Dana Gioia is stepping down, with plans to spend more time on his writing. Gioia, a poet and literary critic, was especially successful in advancing literacy initiatives. Funding for the NEA has also grown under his leadership. In a statement from the NEA, Gioia said: "It has been a thrilling experience to help rebuild a great American institution. We have created a new national consensus on the importance of public support for the arts and arts education. Six years ago that would have seemed unlikely." He added, "I announce my departure with mixed feelings. I will never have a more interesting job. But I am a writer. If I don't return to poetry soon, the Muse will never have me back."

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