amherst college mfa creative writing

News & Events Creative Writing at Amherst

Section navigation, creative writing at amherst college.

Judith Frank talks about what it takes to succeed as a writer and touches on what students can expect from the creative writing program at Amherst College.

Transcript of “Creative Writing at Amherst”

Students often ask me what makes a good writer, or if I think they can be a writer, and what they're usually asking me is: Am I gifted enough to be a writer?

And it's true that a lot of our students have lavish gifts. They really do. But the thing that I want them to know is that your gift is about a third of what it's going to take to be a good writer. One is going to be just sitting down and doing this, day after day. You have to sustain yourself, your own energy. You have to sustain your commitment to the project for a really long time. 

And then if you can do that, you have to be able to take disappointment and failure. I think those things combined are what makes a good writer. 

So we teach creative writing in Amherst within the English department, and the reason we do that is because we believe that reading widely is a key part of being a writer. We have courses in fiction and poetry and then if you want to write something long and sustained in your senior year, you can do a senior thesis in English. And people do write novellas, they write collections of short stories, collections of poetry. They write memoirs, and we actually had a student who did a graphic novel for their senior thesis, and I think got summa cum laude for it well.

We have writers like myself who are tenured and who stay for a very long time. We also have a writer-in-residence who comes in for a six-year term, and also a visiting writer who has a two to three-year term. But they're here long enough to see students through the major but also short enough for it to turn over and to get people with a variety of viewpoints and skills.

Teaching creative writing is really special for a few reasons. Students are writing about things that are really important to themselves. And in fiction, they're both revealing things about themselves and they're also able to conceal certain things about themselves. So we focus on the work that they're writing but everybody knows how invested we all are in that work, so they read extremely well for each other. They read generously for each other. Their investment is so strong. They know that they're going to be read really hard and vigorously. You really get to create a community.

Creative writing is, for me, the forum where that happens incredibly beautifully.

Writing Center About Us

Section navigation, writing center staff.

The Writing Center's professional staff is here to support you both in specific projects and in your development over time. We have specialists in public speaking, STEM, multilingual writing, and creative writing. But fundamentally, we are generalists. We are all are ready to support and collaborate with you in any field, at any point in the process, during any phase of your development. This page provides information to help you choose an associate to work with. But the best way to find out about us, as a center and as individuals, is to come on in and meet us. We look forward to getting to know you!

Jessica F. Kem

Director of the Writing Center

As director, Jessica coordinates the programs and operations of the Writing Center. She also consults with students on writing and reading, teaches workshops on writing and research processes, and supports faculty writing pedagogy. She contributes to campus-wide efforts to cultivate justice and equity in teaching, learning, and collaboration. 

Jessica has been holding one-on-one consultations with Amherst students since 2008.  She understands writing can be a messy creative process, and also that deadlines are real. In sessions with students, she seeks to strike a balance between exploration, digressions, and rabbit holes on the one hand, and practical strategies for organizing time and ideas so writers know their next steps at the end of a session. She also enjoys supporting students in writing concisely; visual design (of documents, research posters, and slides); blending research and original insights in writing; and citation and formatting. She has master’s degrees in English and Library Science and loves to make things by hand.   Pronouns: she/her. Hear my name .

Roy H. Andrews

Writing Associate

Roy received his B.A. from Amherst College in English and Economics and earned an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Virginia. He has been working in writing centers for over thirty years, including more than ten at Amherst College.  In college, Roy played three varsity sports, and sometimes while doing writing consultations with athletes he shares ways that the act of writing might correlate with practicing a sport. Roy supports students in both academic and creative writing. Roy is known for his gentle humor and kindness. He particularly enjoys helping students fulfill their professors’ requests while also putting forth their own voices.   Pronouns: he/him.

Wesley A. Blixt

A longtime news reporter, investigative journalist, and teacher of journalism, Wesley earned an MFA in Fiction at UMass Amherst, and continues to take joy in the sense of discovery that comes with all kinds of writing, including creative non-fiction and more academic genres.  Wesley is a member of the faculty of the Institute for Writing and Thinking at Bard College, where he wrote extensively about his experience teaching writing in the prison system.  In writing consultations, Wesley aims to build students' confidence and pride in authorship; he is committed to fostering writers' unique voices and their enthusiasm for and engagement in their own work. Pronouns: he/him

Kristen Brookes

Associate Director of the Writing Center

Kristen is a teacher, writer, and improviser who holds a PhD in Literature. Her scholarly interests include race, gender, sexuality, and colonization, and she has supported Amherst College writers in all fields for 15 years. Kristen particularly enjoys both sharing strategies for reading and—as a mostly-reformed anxious writer—helping students reduce procrastination and writing anxiety. Kristen reads in both English and Spanish.  

As an associate director, Kristen helps lead the department in professional development. She also develops pedagogical materials and supports faculty in the teaching of writing and reading.   Pronouns: she/her. Hear my name .

Susan G. Daniels

Associate in Public Speaking

Susan has more than 30 years’ experience as a professor, professional actor and public speaking coach.  In her role at Amherst, she works with students, faculty and staff  to become more relaxed, focused and engaged speakers. Her enthusiastic, empathetic and affirming style supports speakers as they plan, revise or rehearse a presentation.  Through in-class workshops, individual appointments, and trainings for speaking events, Susan helps build skills, encourages practice, and celebrates the power of public speaking at Amherst College. Pronouns: she/her.

Emily T. Merriman

Emily, an associate director of the Writing Center,  has been a teacher of writing for over thirty years. She has an academic background in English, French, education, creative writing, multilingual writing, religion, and literature.  Emily offers in-class writing workshops and supports faculty as teachers of writing. She particularly values her engagement with the linguistic diversity on the Amherst College campus. Aiming to make sessions relaxed, warm, enjoyable, and productive, Emily encourages a keen focus on the relationship between thinking and writing.   Pronouns: she/her. Hear my name.  

Ethan C. Myers

Associate in Science Communication

Ethan Myers, associate in science communication, works with all students in any stage in the writing process, and is especially interested in supporting writers in STEM fields. With over 20 years of experience teaching in college and high school classrooms, Ethan has academic backgrounds in Environmental Studies, Geology, American Studies, and English. With a special fondness for brainstorming, he is likely to bring out notecards, sticky notes, and whiteboards during an appointment. Ethan hopes for writers to take ownership of their compositions so that they may use writing as a site for exploration, discovery, and knowledge production. In addition to holding individual consultations, Ethan facilitates writing workshops and frequently consults with faculty on writing activities and assignments. When he's not in the Writing Center, you can find Ethan hiking the woodlands of Western Massachusetts. Pronouns: he/him.

Jade Y. Onn

Jade is a Composition and Rhetoric PhD student and College Writing instructor. She enjoys learning from various fields through her students' unique perspectives while helping them develop transferable critical reading and writing skills, and she is always excited to share new digital literacy tips and tricks. She can converse with students in Mandarin Chinese in addition to English. Pronouns: she/her.

Lydia Peterson

Lydia has advanced degrees in English and Education and over 25 years of experience as an editor, advisor and teacher at the college and high school levels. She greatly values the multiplicities within languages and endeavors to support students as they work within and outside of writing conventions. She especially welcomes international students and multilingual learners and their capacities to bring a wide range of linguistic proficiencies into their writing. Lydia enjoys sharing reading strategies and is always happy to share a laugh.   Pronouns: she/her. Hear my name.

Levi Pulford

In addition to his work at Amherst College, Levi is a lecturer of junior-year writing in the Manning College of Information & Computer Sciences at UMass Amherst. He recently earned his MFA in creative writing from UMass Amherst, while teaching courses in the UMass Writing Program and English Department, and at University Without Walls. As a writing associate and instructor, Levi acknowledges that students already know how to write and that they bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to their sessions. He strives to help students use writing to learn, often thinking of sentences as stories in and of themselves.   Pronouns: he/they.

Chandler Steckbeck

Supporting all students as they progress towards their writing goals drives Chandler's work in the Writing Center.  As a neurodivergent person, they are especially aware of how difficult it can be to "just write"; as a result, Chandler works to create an open and supportive environment for all writers to explore and find their own strengths. Consultations with Chandler are likely to involve discussions of what does and doesn’t work for you as a writer, so that we can tailor strategies to your individual process. Chandler has a bachelor’s and a master’s in English and is currently working on their PhD in early modern drama. When they aren't reading for their dissertation (or for fun), you can usually find Chandler experimenting in the kitchen. Pronouns: she/they

Thakshala Tissera

Thakshala Tissera is a PhD candidate at UMass Amherst. She has taught courses in writing, literature, and the environmental humanities. As a Writing Associate she enjoys working collaboratively with students on both crafting specific texts as well developing reading and writing skills. Thakshala is competent in English, Sinhalese, and French and stumbles her way through German and Tamil when compelled to do so. She received her MA in English from UMass Amherst and her BA from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. Pronouns: she/her

Franchesca Viaud

Franchie holds a BA in English literature from Boston University and recently earned her MFA in creative writing from UMass Amherst, where she also teaches critical and creative writing. In addition to her work Amherst College and UMass, she’s an editorial assistant at Guernica Magazine and an assistant editor at The Massachusetts Review. As a writing associate, Franchesca is particularly interested in helping first-time writers expand their perception of what it means to be a "good" writer. She is more than willing to meet you where you are and to tailor each consultation to meet your specific academic needs. Pronouns: she/her. 

• For Students
• For FCI Staff

About the Five College Consortium

• Campus Admissions
• FCI Staff Contacts
• News & Events
• Racial Justice & Equity/DEI Programs
• Risk Management
• Student Opportunities
• Five College Committees
• Meeting Spaces on the Campuses
• Visiting and Meeting

• Associates Program
• CISA Seminar
• Celebrating Student Work
• Cross Registration Guidelines
• Faculty Exchange
• Faculty Seminars
• Funding Opportunities
• Hawley Bog and Field Reserves
• Joint Faculty Appointments
• Mellon Faculty Leadership Development Programs
• Women's Studies Research Center

• America Reads/Counts
• Center for East Asian Studies
• Holyoke Bound
• Land Acknowledgements
• New England Arabic Teachers’ Council
• Partnership Programs
• Plus One Network
• Springfield Bound

Creative Writing

Five College Creative Writing supports collaboration and community among writers on all five campuses.

The Five Colleges have always been home to a vibrant literary community, counting legendary figures like James Baldwin, Emily Dickinson, and Sylvia Plath as some of their own. That tradition continues today, stronger than ever, through bountiful writing course offerings, celebrated faculty, and a wide variety of resources, events, and opportunities for community. 

On this page, you will find information about current faculty in creative writing, upcoming courses, events calendars, and resources for those hoping to learn more about creative writing on the campuses and in the greater Valley area.

On This Page

Faculty and staff, amherst college.

Judith Frank , English, Creative Writing Center Kirun Kapur , English, Director of the Creative Writing Program Shayla Lawson , English, Creative Writing Center Min Jin Lee , English, Writer-In-Residence Thirii Myint , English, Creative Writing Center Catherine Newman , Department Coordinator - Creative Writing Center Rebecca Olander , English Dennis Sweeney , English, Creative Writing Center

Hampshire College

Faune Albert , Writing Instructor Nathalie (Nell) Arnold , Anthropology, Literary Arts, African Studies Alejandro Cuellar , Director of the Writing Program Nathan McClain , Creative Writing, African American Literary Arts  

Mount Holyoke College

Rachel (Afua) Ansong , Africana Studies Lucas de Lima , English Anna Maria Hong , English Andrea Lawlor , English, T Kira Madden , English Elliot Montague , Film Production  

Smith College

Jennifer Blackburn , Program & Outreach Coordinator - Boutelle-Day Poetry Center Leila Chatti , Writer-In-Residence 2022-23 Floyd Cheung , English Language and Literature, American Studies Arda Collins , English Language and Literature Carole DeSanti , English Language and Literature Matt Donovan , English Language and Literature, Director - Boutelle-Day Poetry Center Andrea Hairston , Theater, Africana Studies Sarah London , English Language and Literature Art Middleton , English Language and Literature Ruth Ozeki , English Language and Literature Susan Stinson , English Language and Literature  

UMass Amherst

Abigail Chabitnoy , English, MFA for Poets & Writers CA Conrad , MFA for Poets & Writers Martin Espada , English Peter Gizzi , English, MFA for Poets & Writers John Hennessy , English Noy Holland , English, MFA for Poets & Writers Jennifer Jacobson , Associate Director - MFA for Poets & Writers Francis Lo , Coordinator - MFA for Poets & Writers Edie Meidav , English, MFA for Poets & Writers Hoa Nguyen, MFA for Poets & Writers Jeff Parker , English, Associate Director - MFA for Poets & Writers Jordy Rosenberg , English, MFA for Poets & Writers Betsy Wheeler , Director - Juniper Summer Writing Institute, Institute for Young Writers, and Juniper Young Writers Online  

Annual Events

Five college prose & poetry prize.

Formerly Five College PoetryFest, the Five College Prose and Poetry Prize celebrates the quality and range of student creative writing, with two writers representing, respectively, Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke and Smith colleges, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and the Care Center/Bard Micro-College. PoetryFest was created in 2003 by Lorna Peterson, former executive director of Five Colleges, Inc., and Ellen Doré Watson, former director of the Smith College Poetry Center, and originally recognized student poets chosen by faculty nomination. 

In 2022, a collaborative decision by creative writing faculty and staff on each of the campuses reimagined the event, the Five College Prose and Poetry Prize, as a celebration of all genres of creative writing, with an open submission call and winners chosen by a panel of judges from the MFA for Poets and Writers at UMass Amherst. 

This year's reading and reception will take place at 7pm on April 18th, 2024, at the Harold F. Johnson Library, Hampshire College.

Amherst’s annual literary festival celebrates the College’s literary life by inviting distinguished authors and editors to discuss the pleasures and challenges of verbal expression — from fiction and nonfiction to poetry and spoken-word performance.

View the 2023 schedule.

Glascock Poetry Competition

The Glascock Intercollegiate Poetry Contest honors Kathryn Irene Glascock, a promising young poet who died of pneumonia. 

Poet-contestants from invited institutions are nominated or chosen by their own schools. The poetry contest is judged by a panel of three distinguished poets. 

The competition weekend includes a series of public events over the course of a weekend: a Conversation With the Judges, the Student Poetry Competition, and the Judges’ Reading and Announcement of the Contest Winner. 

Many Glascock contestants have gone on to literary renown, such as Muriel Rukeyser, James Agee, James Merrill, Kenneth Koch, Diana Chang, Sylvia Plath, Donald Hall, Katha Pollit, and Maggie Nelson. 

The Care Center/Bard Micro-College

Bard Microcollege Holyoke is a tuition-free college for women, inclusive of trans and non-binary students, whose education has been interrupted by parenting, financial challenges, and other family responsibilities. Developed in partnership between Bard Prison Initiative and The Care Center in Holyoke, the unique program allows students to earn a Bard College Associate in Arts Degree by taking courses at The Care Center, a community-based organization with a long tradition of bringing higher education to young mothers and their families. They also provide the necessary support services such as transportation and childcare. 

With its curricular emphasis on writing and the humanities, Bard Microcollege Holyoke extends The Care Center’s tradition of placing liberal arts at the center of the student experience. Students from both Bard Microcollege and The Care Center benefit from workshops in poetry and creative writing, and publishing opportunities such as Nautilus II Magazine. Through dedicated arts and literary programming, The Care Center brings poet laureates and awarded authors, both internationally and nationally, to read, speak, and work with young writers in the program. 

In 2012 The Care Center was selected as one of twelve in the country to receive the Presidential Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award.  In 2019 The Care Center was awarded the Commonwealth Award, the highest honor given to cultural organizations in Massachusetts.  

Five College faculty often take part in readings and other literary programming at the Care Center, and Bard Microcollege and Care Center students participate in the Five College Prose and Poetry Prize.

Learn more.

Ray Rennard, Director of Academic Programs [email protected]

Jump to navigation Skip to content

Search form

• P&W on Facebook
• P&W on Twitter
• P&W on Instagram

Find details about every creative writing competition—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, grants for translators, and more—that we’ve published in the Grants & Awards section of Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it in the Writing Contests database, the most trusted resource for legitimate writing contests available anywhere.

Find a home for your poems, stories, essays, and reviews by researching the publications vetted by our editorial staff. In the Literary Magazines database you’ll find editorial policies, submission guidelines, contact information—everything you need to know before submitting your work to the publications that share your vision for your work.

Whether you’re pursuing the publication of your first book or your fifth, use the Small Presses database to research potential publishers, including submission guidelines, tips from the editors, contact information, and more.

Research more than one hundred agents who represent poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers, plus details about the kinds of books they’re interested in representing, their clients, and the best way to contact them.

Every week a new publishing professional shares advice, anecdotes, insights, and new ways of thinking about writing and the business of books.

Find publishers ready to read your work now with our Open Reading Periods page, a continually updated resource listing all the literary magazines and small presses currently open for submissions.

Since our founding in 1970, Poets & Writers has served as an information clearinghouse of all matters related to writing. While the range of inquiries has been broad, common themes have emerged over time. Our Top Topics for Writers addresses the most popular and pressing issues, including literary agents, copyright, MFA programs, and self-publishing.

Our series of subject-based handbooks (PDF format; $4.99 each) provide information and advice from authors, literary agents, editors, and publishers. Now available: The Poets & Writers Guide to Publicity and Promotion, The Poets & Writers Guide to the Book Deal, The Poets & Writers Guide to Literary Agents, The Poets & Writers Guide to MFA Programs, and The Poets & Writers Guide to Writing Contests.

Find a home for your work by consulting our searchable databases of writing contests, literary magazines, small presses, literary agents, and more.

Poets & Writers lists readings, workshops, and other literary events held in cities across the country. Whether you are an author on book tour or the curator of a reading series, the Literary Events Calendar can help you find your audience.

Get the Word Out is a new publicity incubator for debut fiction writers and poets.

Research newspapers, magazines, websites, and other publications that consistently publish book reviews using the Review Outlets database, which includes information about publishing schedules, submission guidelines, fees, and more.

Well over ten thousand poets and writers maintain listings in this essential resource for writers interested in connecting with their peers, as well as editors, agents, and reading series coordinators looking for authors. Apply today to join the growing community of writers who stay in touch and informed using the Poets & Writers Directory.

Let the world know about your work by posting your events on our literary events calendar, apply to be included in our directory of writers, and more.

Find a writers group to join or create your own with Poets & Writers Groups. Everything you need to connect, communicate, and collaborate with other poets and writers—all in one place.

Find information about more than two hundred full- and low-residency programs in creative writing in our MFA Programs database, which includes details about deadlines, funding, class size, core faculty, and more. Also included is information about more than fifty MA and PhD programs.

Whether you are looking to meet up with fellow writers, agents, and editors, or trying to find the perfect environment to fuel your writing practice, the Conferences & Residencies is the essential resource for information about well over three hundred writing conferences, writers residencies, and literary festivals around the world.

Discover historical sites, independent bookstores, literary archives, writing centers, and writers spaces in cities across the country using the Literary Places database—the best starting point for any literary journey, whether it’s for research or inspiration.

Search for jobs in education, publishing, the arts, and more within our free, frequently updated job listings for writers and poets.

Establish new connections and enjoy the company of your peers using our searchable databases of MFA programs and writers retreats, apply to be included in our directory of writers, and more.

• Register for Classes

Each year the Readings & Workshops program provides support to hundreds of writers participating in literary readings and conducting writing workshops. Learn more about this program, our special events, projects, and supporters, and how to contact us.

The Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award introduces emerging writers to the New York City literary community, providing them with a network for professional advancement.

Find information about how Poets & Writers provides support to hundreds of writers participating in literary readings and conducting writing workshops.

Bring the literary world to your door—at half the newsstand price. Available in print and digital editions, Poets & Writers Magazine is a must-have for writers who are serious about their craft.

View the contents and read select essays, articles, interviews, and profiles from the current issue of the award-winning Poets & Writers Magazine .

Read essays, articles, interviews, profiles, and other select content from Poets & Writers Magazine as well as Online Exclusives.

View the covers and contents of every issue of Poets & Writers Magazine , from the current edition all the way back to the first black-and-white issue in 1987.

Every day the editors of Poets & Writers Magazine scan the headlines—publishing reports, literary dispatches, academic announcements, and more—for all the news that creative writers need to know.

In our weekly series of craft essays, some of the best and brightest minds in contemporary literature explore their craft in compact form, articulating their thoughts about creative obsessions and curiosities in a working notebook of lessons about the art of writing.

The Time Is Now offers weekly writing prompts in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction to help you stay committed to your writing practice throughout the year. Sign up to get The Time Is Now, as well as a weekly book recommendation for guidance and inspiration, delivered to your inbox.

Every week a new author shares books, art, music, writing prompts, films—anything and everything—that has inspired and shaped the creative process.

Listen to original audio recordings of authors featured in Poets & Writers Magazine . Browse the archive of more than 400 author readings.

Ads in Poets & Writers Magazine and on pw.org are the best ways to reach a readership of serious poets and literary prose writers. Our audience trusts our editorial content and looks to it, and to relevant advertising, for information and guidance.

Start, renew, or give a subscription to Poets & Writers Magazine ; change your address; check your account; pay your bill; report a missed issue; contact us.

Peruse paid listings of writing contests, conferences, workshops, editing services, calls for submissions, and more.

Poets & Writers is pleased to provide free subscriptions to Poets & Writers Magazine to award-winning young writers and to high school creative writing teachers for use in their classrooms.

Read select articles from the award-winning magazine and consult the most comprehensive listing of literary grants and awards, deadlines, and prizewinners available in print.

• Subscribe Now

University of Massachusetts, Amherst

• Printable Version
• Log in to Send
• Log in to Save

MFA Program

Poetry: Desiree C. Bailey, Abigail Chabitnoy, Peter Gizzi Prose: Edie Meidav, Sabina Murray, Jeff Parker

Visiting faculty for 2023–2024 are Monica Brashears, Bianca Stone, and Hannah Brooks-Motl.

The program offers full funding through teaching associateships or one-year, non-teaching scholarships. Teaching associateships include a full tuition waiver, health benefits, and a stipend of approximately $24,800. Some students receive non-working Rose Fellowships or MFA Fellowships, which carry stipends of approximately $26,000. Since 2019, 100 percent of matriculated students have received either associateships or fellowships for the duration of the three-year program. Paid internship opportunities are also available.

Massachusetts Review , Paperbark Literary Magazine , University of Massachusetts Press

The program hosts a visiting writers series, the Writers Work career forum series, the Juniper Literary Festival, and the Juniper Summer Writing Institute, in which students have the opportunity to participate as instructors at the Juniper Institute for Young Writers and Juniper Young Writers Online teen programs.

Sarah Ghazal Ali, Callum Angus, Mira Bartok, Gabriel Bump, Madeline ffitch, Rachel B. Glaser, Nathan Hill, Jeannie Hoag, Vida James, Joy Ladin, Dorothea Lasky, Andrea Lawlor, Okey Ndibe, Lisa Olstein, Seth Parker, Greg Purcell, Lev Raphael, Andrew Michael Roberts, Karen Skolfield, Natasha Trethewey, Arisa White, Wendy Xu, Jung Yun, Matthew Zapruder, Leni Zumas

English Department Will Launch New Creative Writing Concentration for Fall 2023

The University of Massachusetts Amherst Department of English will launch its new undergraduate creative writing curriculum in fall 2023 highlighted by a new Concentration in Creative Writing for English majors and a revamped Letter of Specialization for non-majors. The curriculum prepares students to enter a variety of professional fields, including publishing, marketing, project management, journalism, copywriting, education, and more. 

Both the creative writing concentration and specialization lead students through a sequence of five introductory, intermediate, and advanced courses taught by esteemed poets and writers. Students work in various forms, styles, and modes, and are trained in the elements of prosody and the craft of storytelling.  

Students will workshop their original stories, novel chapters, poems, and essays; study the craft of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction with a focus in one genre; and learn to read like writers. This curriculum equips students with valuable skills in creativity and in expressive written communication, qualities prized among employers across professions and applicable in any career.  

“The creative writing faculty and the undergraduate offerings at UMass have been first rate for many years,” said Jeff Parker, associate professor and director of the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing, who teaches prose. “The new curriculum is more robust and tiered—introductory, intermediate, advanced—which will support young writers in learning the crafts of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. We hope the five-course sequence is attractive to majors and to non-majors seeking an area of study and a credential in creative writing.” 

The Concentration is pending final approval by the UMass Faculty Senate, but students can begin enrolling for courses when Fall registration opens on April 19. See a listing of Fall courses counting toward the Concentration and Specialization here.  

For more information, contact the Director and Professor of Creative Writing John Hennessy at jjhennes [at] english [dot] umass [dot] edu (jjhennes[at]english[dot]umass[dot]edu) . 

Global footer

• ©2024 University of Massachusetts Amherst
• Site policies
• Non-discrimination notice
• Accessibility
• Terms of use

Mona Awad, Chanelle Benz, Jonathan Dee, Matt Grzecki, Sarah Harwell, Brooks Haxton, Mary Karr, Christopher Kennedy, George Saunders, Bruce Smith, Dana Spiotta

The MFA program in Creative Writing at Syracuse has long been regarded as one of the best in the country. Each year six students are admitted in poetry and six in fiction to work closely in small workshops with an accomplished group of writers. Coursework includes a strong emphasis on the study of literature. Six semesters are usually needed to complete the M.F.A.

Applicants must upload a sample of fiction or poetry with their online application through CollegeNet no later than December 15, as well as complete the online graduate application for graduate study.  Admission is based primarily on the writing sample, but also upon the academic record. Thus, letters of recommendation should address not only the student’s creative work, but also his or her general preparedness for advanced graduate study. Likewise, in their personal statements on the application for graduate study, students should state their reasons for pursuing an M.F.A. in creative writing as well as describe their own backgrounds as writers.

Submit online Graduate Application via ApplyWeb by DECEMBER 15th. 

• FICTION APPLICANTS: UPLOAD your 20 page maximum writing sample with your CollegeNet application by DECEMBER 15.
• POETRY APPLICANTS: UPLOAD your 10-12 POEMS with CollegeNet application by December 15 . Do NOT mail in your poetry writing sample.

Candidates must complete 48 credits of coursework, which includes 9 credits of workshop, a minimum of 9 credits in forms courses, a 3-credit second-year essay seminar, 12 to 15 credits in other English department courses, 6 to 9 credits of electives outside the department, and 6 credits for the preparation of the thesis (a collection of poems or stories or a novel).

For more information about our graduate programs, visit our department web site at english.syr.edu .

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Writing, editing and revision in student’s primary literary genre, leading to a creative manuscript of publishable quality

2. Reading in ways that contribute to a student’s writing

3. Analyzing and writing with care about literary texts

4. Responding thoughtfully and critically to work by other MFA students

5. Demonstrate writerly discipline by accepting criticism from professionals and rewriting accordingly, writing regularly, and developing a life-long reading list

6. Place their own work in the context of a broad range of issues and activities associated with a literary writer and the communities in which the writer lives and works

7. Teach composition and research writing to undergraduates and conduct one-on-one tutoring sessions in a Writing Center

MFA Graduate Awards

First year MFAs come in on a Creative Writing Fellowship award which carries no teaching duties. The award comes with a stipend and a 24 credit hour tuition scholarship.

Second and third year students are funded by teaching assistantships. Teaching assistantships include a 24 credit hour tuition scholarship and a stipend of $20,000. Second year TAs will have full responsibility for teaching/consulting in the department of Writing Studies, Rhetoric, and Composition. They are expected to attend regular staff meetings and workshops and participate in a mentoring group. There is a review of each teaching assistant’s performance as a teacher. Third year students will teach in the English Department, courses to be determined on an as needed basis.

Order of Lenin Moscow Air Defence District

Ордена Ленина Московский округ ПВО

Military Unit: 64178

Commanders:

• Marshal of the Soviet Union Kirill Semenovich Moskalenko, 1948 - 1953
• Colonel-General Nikolay Nikiforovich Nagornyy, 1953 - 1954
• Marshal of the Soviet Union Pavel Fedorovich Batitskiy, 1954 - 7.66
• Colonel-General Vasiliy Vasilevich Okunev, 7.66 - 8.70
• Marshal of Aviation Aleksandr Ivanovich Koldunov, 8.70 - 1975
• Colonel-General Boris Viktorovich Bochkov, 1975 - 1980
• Marshal of Aviation Anatoliy Ustinovich Konstantinov, 1980 - 1987
• Colonel-General Vladimir Georgievich Tsarkov, 1987 - 1989
• General of the Army Viktor Alekseevich Prudnikov, 1989 - 8.91
• General of the Army Anatoliy Mikhaylovich Kornukov, 8.91 - 1998
• Colonel-General G.B. Vasilev, 1998 - 2002
• Colonel-General Yuriy V. Solovev, from 2002

Activated 1948 in Moscow, Moscow Oblast, as the Moscow Air Defence Region , from the North-Western Air Defence District.

1950 renamed Moscow Air Defence District .

Organisation 1955:

• 37th Fighter Aviation Corps PVO (Morsansk, Tambov Oblast)
• 56th Fighter Aviation Corps PVO (Yaroslavl, Yaroslavl Oblast)
• 78th Guards Fighter Aviation Corps PVO (Bryansk, Bryansk Oblast)
• 88th Fighter Aviation Corps PVO (Rzhev, Kalinin Oblast)
• 151st Guards Fighter Aviation Division PVO (Klin, Moscow Oblast)
• 38th independent Reconnaissance Aviation Squadron (Rzhev, Kalinin Oblast)
• 182nd independent Reconnaissance Aviation Squadron
• 90th independent Transport Aviation Squadron (Stupino, Moscow Oblast)
• 1st Guards Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division (Maryino-Znamenskoye, Moscow Oblast)
• 52nd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division (Biryulevo, Moscow Oblast)
• 74th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division (Mytishchi, Moscow Oblast)
• 76th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division (Skolkovo, Moscow Oblast)
• 78th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division (Gorkiy, Gorkiy Oblast)
• 80th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division (Moscow (Lenin Hills), Moscow Oblast)
• 96th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division (Panki, Moscow Oblast)
• 48th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment (Yaroslavl, Yaroslavl Oblast)
• 80th Guards Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment (Tula, Tula Oblast)
• 108th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment (Voronezh, Voronezh Oblast)
• 387th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment (Sarov, Gorkiy Oblast)
• 389th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment (Bezhitsa, Bryansk Oblast)
• 393th Guards Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment (Elektrostal, Moscow Oblast)
• 532nd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment (Smolensk, Smolensk Oblast)
• 1225th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment (Gorkiy, Gorkiy Oblast)
• 1287th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment (Shcherbaki, Kalinin Oblast)
• 92nd independent Regiment for Radar Countermeasures (Moscow, Moscow Oblast)

Organisation 1962:

• 118th Communications Center (Moscow, Moscow Oblast)
• 6th independent Radio-Technical Regiment (Klin, Moscow Oblast)
• 436th independent Transport Aviation Regiment (Stupino, Moscow Oblast)
• 103rd independent Communications and Radio-Technical Support Company (Stupino, Moscow Oblast)
• 2367th independent Radio-Relay Battalion (Nemchinovka, Moscow Oblast)
• 52nd independent Airfield Engineer Battalion (Kosterevo, Moscow Oblast)
• 1470th independent Engineer Battalion (Elektrostal, Moscow Oblast)
• 193rd independent Transport Battalion (Moscow, Moscow Oblast)
• 1st Air Defence Army for Special Use (Balashikha, Moscow Oblast)
• 2nd Air Defence Corps (Rzhev, Rzhev Oblast)
• 3rd Air Defence Corps (Yaroslavl, Yaroslavl Oblast)
• 7th Air Defence Corps (Bryansk, Bryansk Oblast)
• 18th Air Defence Division (Gorkiy, Gorkiy Oblast)

Awarded the Order of Lenin 22.6.68.

Organisation 1970:

• 16th Air Defence Corps (Gorkiy, Gorkiy Oblast)

Organisation 1980:

• 712th Data Center (Moscow, Moscow Oblast)

Organisation 1988:

1998 renamed Moscow Air Force and Air Defence District.

2002 renamed Special Purpose Troop Command.

• Moscow, Moscow Oblast, 1948 - today [55 45 59N, 37 38 22E]

Subordination:

• GK PVO, 1948 - 7.98
• GK VVS and PVO, 7.98 - today

• Αρχική Σελίδα
• Επικοινωνία
• Νέα από Κύπρο
• Ώρες Εργασίας

Προξενικές Υπηρεσίες

• Φιλική Εκτύπωση
• Κυβερνητική Πύλη
• Συνήθεις Ερωτήσεις
• Αρχική Σελίδα  
• Χάρτης Πλοήγησης  
• Συνδέσεις  
• Κυβερνητική Πύλη Διαδικτύου
• Αποποίηση  
• Επικοινωνία  
• Υπεύθυνος Διαδικτυακού Τόπου

• Yekaterinburg
• Novosibirsk
• Vladivostok

• Tours to Russia
• Practicalities
• Russia in Lists

Rusmania • Deep into Russia

Out of the Centre

Savvino-storozhevsky monastery and museum.

Zvenigorod's most famous sight is the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, which was founded in 1398 by the monk Savva from the Troitse-Sergieva Lavra, at the invitation and with the support of Prince Yury Dmitrievich of Zvenigorod. Savva was later canonised as St Sabbas (Savva) of Storozhev. The monastery late flourished under the reign of Tsar Alexis, who chose the monastery as his family church and often went on pilgrimage there and made lots of donations to it. Most of the monastery’s buildings date from this time. The monastery is heavily fortified with thick walls and six towers, the most impressive of which is the Krasny Tower which also serves as the eastern entrance. The monastery was closed in 1918 and only reopened in 1995. In 1998 Patriarch Alexius II took part in a service to return the relics of St Sabbas to the monastery. Today the monastery has the status of a stauropegic monastery, which is second in status to a lavra. In addition to being a working monastery, it also holds the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum.

Belfry and Neighbouring Churches

Located near the main entrance is the monastery's belfry which is perhaps the calling card of the monastery due to its uniqueness. It was built in the 1650s and the St Sergius of Radonezh’s Church was opened on the middle tier in the mid-17th century, although it was originally dedicated to the Trinity. The belfry's 35-tonne Great Bladgovestny Bell fell in 1941 and was only restored and returned in 2003. Attached to the belfry is a large refectory and the Transfiguration Church, both of which were built on the orders of Tsar Alexis in the 1650s.  

To the left of the belfry is another, smaller, refectory which is attached to the Trinity Gate-Church, which was also constructed in the 1650s on the orders of Tsar Alexis who made it his own family church. The church is elaborately decorated with colourful trims and underneath the archway is a beautiful 19th century fresco.

Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is the oldest building in the monastery and among the oldest buildings in the Moscow Region. It was built between 1404 and 1405 during the lifetime of St Sabbas and using the funds of Prince Yury of Zvenigorod. The white-stone cathedral is a standard four-pillar design with a single golden dome. After the death of St Sabbas he was interred in the cathedral and a new altar dedicated to him was added.

Under the reign of Tsar Alexis the cathedral was decorated with frescoes by Stepan Ryazanets, some of which remain today. Tsar Alexis also presented the cathedral with a five-tier iconostasis, the top row of icons have been preserved.

Tsaritsa's Chambers

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is located between the Tsaritsa's Chambers of the left and the Palace of Tsar Alexis on the right. The Tsaritsa's Chambers were built in the mid-17th century for the wife of Tsar Alexey - Tsaritsa Maria Ilinichna Miloskavskaya. The design of the building is influenced by the ancient Russian architectural style. Is prettier than the Tsar's chambers opposite, being red in colour with elaborately decorated window frames and entrance.

At present the Tsaritsa's Chambers houses the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum. Among its displays is an accurate recreation of the interior of a noble lady's chambers including furniture, decorations and a decorated tiled oven, and an exhibition on the history of Zvenigorod and the monastery.

Palace of Tsar Alexis

The Palace of Tsar Alexis was built in the 1650s and is now one of the best surviving examples of non-religious architecture of that era. It was built especially for Tsar Alexis who often visited the monastery on religious pilgrimages. Its most striking feature is its pretty row of nine chimney spouts which resemble towers.

Plan your next trip to Russia

Ready-to-book tours.

Your holiday in Russia starts here. Choose and book your tour to Russia.

REQUEST A CUSTOMISED TRIP

Looking for something unique? Create the trip of your dreams with the help of our experts.