Three Minnesota literary organizations receive major national grant 

Three Minnesota literary organizations are among the first recipients nationwide of new grants aimed at closing a gap in arts funding.

The Literary Arts Fund announced Thursday that the Loft Literary Center, Graywolf Press and the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop are among 40 recipients that will share $7.7 million.

Traditionally in the arts world, literary arts organizations receive the least philanthropic funding — dramatically so. Of the roughly $5 billion given privately to arts and culture groups in the U.S., only...