August 27, 2020

Jimmy Arnold, a 20-year-old cultural studies/comparative literature major at the University of Minnesota/Twin Cities, has won the second annual Quatrefoil Library Scholarship.

Arnold (they/them), a junior at the U, receives $1,000 to help with tuition.

This year for the first time, Quatrefoil also awarded $250 to each of four runners-up from a field of 10 applicants.

Quatrefoil is a community center that cultivates the free exchange of ideas and makes accessible LGBTQ+ materials for education and inspiration.

Arnold grew up in Rochester, Minnesota, where they found a sense of belonging at the public library. “That was the only space where there was space for me and my friends, who were largely other trans youth,” Arnold said in a recent interview. “Now there are more spaces, which is cool. Even in these five years, trans politics and queer politics have come so far, it’s a a totally different world. My relationship to libraries is one of love.”

“We were impressed with Jimmy’s combination of library experience and zine work,” said Paul Kaefer, chair of Quatrefoil’s scholarship committee. “Among a very impressive applicant pool, Jimmy stood out as representative of our mission in both prior experience and aspirations.”

Between classes in queer and critical theory, film and literature, Arnold works at the U’s Wilson Library. They also have been busy this year organizing to assist those lacking shelter or in need of food, at the Grease Pit free store in Minneapolis’ Phillips neighborhood and at Sister Camelot, a free organic-food truck.

A poet, Arnold has published a chapbook and has another one coming out, and has been a creator of zines since they were 12.

Arnold names punk as an important ethic, and Jean Genet as a favorite author. They cite Genet’s Querelle as a favorite novel and Cruising Utopia as a favorite non-fiction book.

Since the age of 15 or so, Arnold figured on becoming a librarian, but remains open to other post-college pursuits. “I’m really committed to the mutual aid work that I’ve been doing, and that might hinder going into academia,” they said.

“It’s been a complicated path,” Arnold said when asked to comment on gender and sexual identity. “I transitioned initially when I was 14. Before that I thought I might be a lesbian, and that didn’t work out because now I’m a queer man, so…. I don’t know what else there is to say. It informs the way I move through the world.”

Each of these four Quatrefoil Scholarship runners-up receives a $250 award:

Chris Danner (he/him), also a student at the University of Minnesota, showed an impressive dedication to volunteer work and a commitment “to creating more opportunities for BIPOC, LGBTQ+ individuals, and other historically marginalized groups by focusing on ‘front-line’ workers in farms, processing plants, distributors, and food service/retail.”

Miki Schumacher (they/them) is a poet and aspires to teach ESL and work for a publisher or a literary magazine that centers historically underrepresented writers.

Natividad Herrera (she/her), is majoring in social work at St. Catherine University, and demonstrated both a financial need and a strong commitment to community.

Sophie Warrick (she/her), will graduate next May from Hamline University, and expressed a desire to use the scholarship for a photography project of queer people in rural Minnesota.

Applications for the next Quatrefoil Scholarship are due at the end of June 2021. Visit qlibrary.org for more information.