Boston Globe columnist Ellen H. Goodman '63 and novelist Pat O'Brien will serve as Radcliffe's first ever writers in-residence this semester, Radcliffe announced yesterday.

"It's a pilot program right now," said Radcliffe spokesperson Lilli Leggio, who added that making the post permanent "is certainly the goal."

Goodman and O'Brien will spend the semester collaborating on a book about women's friendships.

Goodman said the book will draw on the two women's personal friendship, which began 25 years ago when O'Brien and Goodman were Neiman fellows at Harvard.

While at Radcliffe, they will also interview a number of other women about their friendships.

The duo will also teach a workshop on memoir writing and read from their work during their semester at Radcliffe.

Goldman is an associate editor at The Boston Globe and won a Pulitzer Prize for her syndicated column, which is featured on 440 op-ed pages nationwide.

O'Brien has written five novels and has spend 20 years working as a political journalist.

She was also the press secretary for Michael Dukakis' 1988 presidential campaign.

The position is unpaid, but the honorees will receive office space and access to Radcliffe's resources and libraries.