Emory's Jericho Brown wins MacArthur "genius grant"

Why it matters: Commonly known as the "genius grant," the annual award gives a diverse group of scholars, scientists and artists — plus the occasional woodworker, puppeteer and farmer — the funding and freedom to fuel their work and lives.

Catch up quick: Brown, who came to Emory in 2012, learned he had joined the exclusive club while driving home from the doctor's office.

Zoom in: His work uses a form he created called "the duplex," which "melds the formality of a sonnet, the inline rhyme and repetition of the ghazal, and duality of the American blues, all in nine to eleven syllables per line," according to Emory.

What they're saying: "I always expect good things to happen; I just don't know what the good things are going to be," Brown told Emory. "And this was a really great thing."

How it works: There's no application process; the foundation names the fellows based on the input of an external nominating board.

Good company: The family of fellows named since the early 1980s includes writer Ta-Nehisi Coates, choreographer Twyla Tharp and clean energy champion Amory Lovins, among many other well- and lesser-known names.

What's next: The grants are no strings attached. Brown plans to use the funding to help support his aging parents and pursue his creative work.