umich creative writing mfa

5 Uncommon Tips on Your MFA Creative Writing Application

A couple of years ago, I made the decision to apply to MFA programs in creative writing. Compared to medical school or law school, the application process for an MFA can sometimes feel like a crapshoot, with the odds of getting into a fully-funded program hovering somewhere below four or five percent (and some programs like Iowa, Michigan, Michener—gulp—even less!). Still, it seems that every year, a few applicants manage to get admitted to a handful of programs, which brings up the question of whether the process is as random as one might initially think.

As a caveat, I’ve never served as a reader for any programs’ admissions committee (for a genuine insider look, follow Elizabeth McCracken’s twitter and listen to everything she says!), but I happen to have been lucky enough to get accepted to several fully funded schools on my first try. Whenever someone asks me for advice, I get a little queasy, because I barely knew what I was doing back then. However, I’d like to think that I’ve had some time to reflect on the process and have spoken to many people, including students who’ve been accepted and faculty members. I’ve since graduated from my MFA and hold (at the time of writing) a Zell postgraduate fellowship in fiction at the University of Michigan.

I’ll skip the general consensus—polish the writing sample, apply to more than one school, get feedback on your materials, etc. Instead, I’ll offer some less common ones that I thought worked for me. I hope they help with your application, and I’m certainly indebted to many writers who came before me and similarly shed light on their own experiences.

Presenting yourself . Most of us writers tend to dislike being pigeonholed, or to accept the idea that there are certain themes or styles we keep reverting to again and again. I definitely struggled with this (and continue to) but for the application process, presenting ourselves in a way that is unified and meaningful can sometimes spell the difference between sticking out in the pile or not. I write a lot about the Philippines, where I grew up, and this location not only influences the setting of my stories, but also informs my thematic sensibility as well as my identity. My personal statement talked about my background growing up in a predominantly Christian and Chinese-Filipino family, the conflicts at the dinner table as a result of our ethnic and religious upbringing, and how these issues are explored in my work. My fiction samples were chosen with this in mind (of course, they also happened to be my best work at the time), and I imagine my recommendation letters further attested to my experience as an immigrant. As a result, I believe I demonstrated myself as someone who deeply cares about what I write and has something important to say about the world around me. A place or region might not be the element that binds your application materials together. It might be a style, philosophy, or occupation—but whatever it is, it should resonate meaningfully in all aspects of your work (you can even ask your recommenders to talk about it). If readers can come away with the feeling that they know you and what motivates you to write, then you only need to show that you also can write.
Range and length of sample . This might sound like a contradiction to the above, but it really isn’t. Rather, this is the part where you get a chance to display your skill and flexibility as a writer. For my sample, I chose three stories with varying styles: fabulist, comedic, and straight realist. They also differed in their lengths: short, medium, and long. What kept them all together was the setting of the Philippines, which again referred back to my personal statement and kept them from feeling haphazardly chosen. You might wonder if this is a good idea, since schools often just ask for 25 to 30 pages of creative sample, and might even say something to the effect that they’re looking for “a demonstration of sustained, quality work.” I debated with myself on the correct approach, and you might not agree with my conclusions: If programs clearly ask for just a single story, and if they feel more traditional in their aesthetics, then perhaps sending a longer story is better. However, the risk of sending one story is the risk of increasing subjectivity, and has to do more with the practical reality of the selection process than anything else. We all know that readers have different tastes, and if for some reason they don’t connect with the first few pages of your work, they most likely won’t read on. If you present them with a shorter work first, they might be willing to read the beginning of the second story, and if they still don’t like that, then the third. If each story is different stylistically, you’re increasing the chances that one of these would be appealing to the readers, and they might reconsider the stories that they passed on the first read.
Potential . I’ve heard anecdotes of applicants being turned down because the admission committee thought they were “overqualified” to be studying in an MFA program. This probably doesn’t apply to most of us, but the principle remains: administrators are looking for people they believe can get something out of the two-to-three-year experience. In other words, they’re looking for writers’ potential as much as writers’ ability. I can certainly speak to this. When I applied, I’d barely taken any creative writing workshops. I’d just started writing literary fiction and I was unpublished. I took screenwriting as an undergrad (a related field, I know) but I still emphasized the things I anticipated learning from an MFA, including the benefit of being in a community. I did not downplay my background in screenwriting (and as it happened, also journalism), but I was able to articulate how each tradition influenced me as a writer. You might be someone who’s majored in creative writing as an undergrad and knew for a long time that you want to write literary fiction. That’s okay (in fact I think that’s great!). But you still have to find a way to communicate your limitations while playing to your strengths. To a large extent, it seems to me more of an attitude check: nobody wants to be with the writer who feels privileged and entitled to a seat at the MFA table.
Preparedness . Sometimes, perhaps because I got in on my first try, I wonder if my acceptance was a fluke, and if I was really ready for the MFA experience. Of course, I’ve heard many people who felt similarly, some who even have a lot of creative writing background under their belt. The impostor syndrome aside, I do think that it’s good to gain as much exposure to the literary world as possible before applying to an MFA program. This not only gives you a better sense of why you write and what you write (going back to my first point), but moreover it increases the likelihood that once you are accepted, you’ll know how to make the most out of your time and the resources being offered. I had a wonderful experience at the University of Michigan—indeed, I’ve never read or written more in my life than I did at that point, and I could not have asked for a better set of cohort or mentors. I have grown exponentially as a writer. Rightly or wrongly, though, I did consciously set myself apart as someone who was a beginner, who had the most to learn about writing literary fiction. This attitude has enabled me to develop in leaps and bounds. At the same time, I could see how—had I been further along in my progress—I could’ve used the MFA in a different way: writing that novel I’ve always wanted, giving more thought to the direction of my career, the business side of the industry, finding an agent, etc. I think there’s something valiant and admirable about finding yourself as a result of experimenting during the MFA years, but it might also be worth considering and being aware of the different trajectories in entering a program. As a suggestion for preparing yourself pre-MFA-application, I highly suggest going to a conference (the Napa Writers’ Conference, Wesleyan Writers Conference, and the Key West Literary Seminar being some of the more well-known ones I’ve personally attended and recommend).
On success . My final note on the application process is less of a tip and more of a reminder. When the time comes around to February or March, and should you find yourself not getting into the programs of your choice, recuperate from the rejections and take them in stride. View the result both as a sobering reminder of the odds stacked up against anyone applying for an MFA, and also as an opportunity to become better prepared, so that if you do get in later, you will be in an improved position. Similarly, should you be fortunate enough to get into your top programs, view the achievement as the means to an end, and not the end in itself. If a study were to be conducted on MFA admittances, I’m almost sure that the findings would show that acceptances to programs are in no way predictive of future success in publishing. Only diligence and perseverance are positive indicators of writerly success, and in this sense, we all can take comfort in the fact that all of us have a fair shot if we’re in it for the long haul.

Image: The Hopwood Room, where some workshops are held at the Helen Zell Writers’ Program, University of Michigan.

You are what you eat., 1 thought on “5 uncommon tips on your mfa creative writing application”.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this post. It’s exactly what I dd in my sample. Anyone who wants to see real successful samples of statements of purpose should read this post: 10 Statement Of Purpose Examples: How To Wow The Admission Committees Of Fully-Funded MFA Programs (Guide + Samples +Tips) https://www.creativewritingnews.com/statement-of-purpose-examples-2/

5 Uncommon Tips on Your MFA Creative Writing Application

Presenting yourself . Most of us writers tend to dislike being pigeonholed, or to accept the idea that there are certain themes or styles we keep reverting to again and again. I definitely struggled with this (and continue to) but for the application process, presenting ourselves in a way that is unified and meaningful can sometimes spell the difference between sticking out in the pile or not. I write a lot about the Philippines, where I grew up, and this location not only influences the setting of my stories, but also informs my thematic sensibility as well as my identity. My personal statement talked about my background growing up in a predominantly Christian and Chinese-Filipino family, the conflicts at the dinner table as a result of our ethnic and religious upbringing, and how these issues are explored in my work. My fiction samples were chosen with this in mind (of course, they also happened to be my best work at the time), and I imagine my recommendation letters further attested to my experience as an immigrant. As a result, I believe I demonstrated myself as someone who deeply cares about what I write and has something important to say about the world around me. A place or region might not be the element that binds your application materials together. It might be a style, philosophy, or occupation—but whatever it is, it should resonate meaningfully in all aspects of your work (you can even ask your recommenders to talk about it). If readers can come away with the feeling that they know you and what motivates you to write, then you only need to show that you also can write.
Range and length of sample . This might sound like a contradiction to the above, but it really isn’t. Rather, this is the part where you get a chance to display your skill and flexibility as a writer. For my sample, I chose three stories with varying styles: fabulist, comedic, and straight realist. They also differed in their lengths: short, medium, and long. What kept them all together was the setting of the Philippines, which again referred back to my personal statement and kept them from feeling haphazardly chosen. You might wonder if this is a good idea, since schools often just ask for 25 to 30 pages of creative sample, and might even say something to the effect that they’re looking for “a demonstration of sustained, quality work.” I debated with myself on the correct approach, and you might not agree with my conclusions: If programs clearly ask for just a single story, and if they feel more traditional in their aesthetics, then perhaps sending a longer story is better. However, the risk of sending one story is the risk of increasing subjectivity, and has to do more with the practical reality of the selection process than anything else. We all know that readers have different tastes, and if for some reason they don’t connect with the first few pages of your work, they most likely won’t read on. If you present them with a shorter work first, they might be willing to read the beginning of the second story, and if they still don’t like that, then the third. If each story is different stylistically, you’re increasing the chances that one of these would be appealing to the readers, and they might reconsider the stories that they passed on the first read.
Potential . I’ve heard anecdotes of applicants being turned down because the admission committee thought they were “overqualified” to be studying in an MFA program. This probably doesn’t apply to most of us, but the principle remains: administrators are looking for people they believe can get something out of the two-to-three-year experience. In other words, they’re looking for writers’ potential as much as writers’ ability. I can certainly speak to this. When I applied, I’d barely taken any creative writing workshops. I’d just started writing literary fiction and I was unpublished. I took screenwriting as an undergrad (a related field, I know) but I still emphasized the things I anticipated learning from an MFA, including the benefit of being in a community. I did not downplay my background in screenwriting (and as it happened, also journalism), but I was able to articulate how each tradition influenced me as a writer. You might be someone who’s majored in creative writing as an undergrad and knew for a long time that you want to write literary fiction. That’s okay (in fact I think that’s great!). But you still have to find a way to communicate your limitations while playing to your strengths. To a large extent, it seems to me more of an attitude check: nobody wants to be with the writer who feels privileged and entitled to a seat at the MFA table.
Preparedness . Sometimes, perhaps because I got in on my first try, I wonder if my acceptance was a fluke, and if I was really ready for the MFA experience. Of course, I’ve heard many people who felt similarly, some who even have a lot of creative writing background under their belt. The impostor syndrome aside, I do think that it’s good to gain as much exposure to the literary world as possible before applying to an MFA program. This not only gives you a better sense of why you write and what you write (going back to my first point), but moreover it increases the likelihood that once you are accepted, you’ll know how to make the most out of your time and the resources being offered. I had a wonderful experience at the University of Michigan—indeed, I’ve never read or written more in my life than I did at that point, and I could not have asked for a better set of cohort or mentors. I have grown exponentially as a writer. Rightly or wrongly, though, I did consciously set myself apart as someone who was a beginner, who had the most to learn about writing literary fiction. This attitude has enabled me to develop in leaps and bounds. At the same time, I could see how—had I been further along in my progress—I could’ve used the MFA in a different way: writing that novel I’ve always wanted, giving more thought to the direction of my career, the business side of the industry, finding an agent, etc. I think there’s something valiant and admirable about finding yourself as a result of experimenting during the MFA years, but it might also be worth considering and being aware of the different trajectories in entering a program. As a suggestion for preparing yourself pre-MFA-application, I highly suggest going to a conference (the Napa Writers’ Conference, Wesleyan Writers Conference, and the Key West Literary Seminar being some of the more well-known ones I’ve personally attended and recommend).
On success . My final note on the application process is less of a tip and more of a reminder. When the time comes around to February or March, and should you find yourself not getting into the programs of your choice, recuperate from the rejections and take them in stride. View the result both as a sobering reminder of the odds stacked up against anyone applying for an MFA, and also as an opportunity to become better prepared, so that if you do get in later, you will be in an improved position. Similarly, should you be fortunate enough to get into your top programs, view the achievement as the means to an end, and not the end in itself. If a study were to be conducted on MFA admittances, I’m almost sure that the findings would show that acceptances to programs are in no way predictive of future success in publishing. Only diligence and perseverance are positive indicators of writerly success, and in this sense, we all can take comfort in the fact that all of us have a fair shot if we’re in it for the long haul.

Image: The Hopwood Room, where some workshops are held at the Helen Zell Writers’ Program, University of Michigan.

You are what you eat., leave a comment cancel reply.

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Editor’s Top Selections – Best Creative Writing MFA Programs

Created by CreativeWritingEDU.org Contributor

Editors Choice Best Master of Fine Arts Badge

Once few and far between, master’s degrees aimed specifically at teaching creative writing have ballooned to meet demand in recent years. As of 2022, there were more than 300 of them.

Each MFA offers a distinctive experience and comes with its own theories and techniques for fanning the creative spark in students.

Some come with exquisite and carefully curated libraries exhibiting the finest selection of literature for study.
Others offer a fully-funded education , covering tuition and offering a stipend to give you the free time you need to write to your fullest potential.
Many have well-known authors serving as guest lecturers or even permanent presenters, offering a kind of access to genius you can’t find anywhere else.

It’s nice to have choices, but having choices also means making hard decisions. We’re here to help take some of the pain out of that process by presenting our own select choices for the very best universities offering MFA Creative Writing programs today.

How We Made Our Selections for the Finest Creative Writing MFA Programs

Schools that only teach creative writing at the master’s level have made a conscious choice to focus on a high level of training in the craft of writing. It’s completely appropriate to hold them to high standards.

It’s notoriously difficult to weigh any kind of artistic education program against another, however. Every writer is different. The process and program that you will get the most out of may be completely different from what the next author would benefit from.

So we look at the kinds of factors these degrees deliver that don’t revolve around process. Regardless of how an advanced level of creative writing is being taught, there are just some things that offer a better education no matter how they are applied. In our view, those include:

Top-notch Instructors With Genuine Writing and Publication Expertise

There’s no substitute for professors who have been there and done that in creative writing. Competition for top writers to teach at creative writing MFA programs is intense, and for good reason: when you are trying to master the muse, you want to hear about it from someone who already has.

But literary success is no guarantor of teaching ability. You wouldn’t want to be in a class taught by brilliant sci-fi author Harlan Ellison, for example, who has a whole section on his Wikipedia entry titled “Temperament.” Mentoring and the gentle art of delivering critical feedback to boost and not hinder students are key skills.

So, the best MFA in creative writing degrees employ professors with the rare combination of literary and academic talent—which is what you will find at each of the schools on this list.

The Resources To Support Your Writing Vision

Writers only float in a sea of ideas. The top MFA programs in creative writing have the resources to fill that ocean:

Expansive libraries for conducting research
Endowments to help fund student fellowships
Visiting writer and other lecture and reading series to develop broad visions and connections
School-run or affiliated literary journals or publishers to open up publication opportunities
International or other off-campus programs to broaden your literary experiences
Calm and inspiring writing residency options to put you in the right frame of mind to write
Small class sizes and workshops to foster intimacy and feedback

Although not all these programs will check every one of those boxes, each of them has a wealth of different resources to offer to help get students off the ground in both their creative exercises and their publishing careers.

A Track Record of Educational Success in Creative Writing

Most MFA programs are quick to acknowledge that you can’t teach talent—but you can foster and hone it.

That leads to demonstrable results in the form of graduates who have attracted top-dollar publishing deals, industry awards and recognition, and who have gone on to critical acclaim or even become instructors themselves.

This kind of reputation is golden in the literary world and all of these schools will have people sitting up and taking note when their name pops up in your author bio.

Strong Publishing Industry and Literary Community Connections

When you produce successful writers and hire well-known authors to instruct classes, important industry connections are an asset included in the deal. Those industry ties prove to be among the most important characteristics of the best creative writing MFA programs.

Each of these programs has developed connections to major publishers, agencies, and trade groups that help lay the groundwork for you to launch your writing career. There is fierce competition to land book deals in the publishing industry today. Every editor receives stacks and stacks of submissions and query letters; even the best authors have trouble making it out of the slush piles without a recommendation or introduction.

These schools have the kind of connections that will help get you introduced to decision-makers in big agencies and book publishers. Who you know still isn’t as important as how good your writing is, but with these programs, you’ll get the best of both worlds.

Diverse and Original Coursework in Foundational and Advanced Writing Skills

A Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing puts a clear stamp on your work. It’s designed to get the best out of your native skill and polish it to the finest shine.

That means both ironing out the fundamentals of the writing craft and developing new and advanced skills. All of these degrees have a wide range of courses and workshops that offer a deep background in the knowledge and skills required for solid plotting, character development, and essential technical expertise as a writer. But they also go far beyond those to help you seek new sources of inspiration and experience. Exploring the poetry of science fiction; diving into post-apocalyptic writing; focusing on the art of telling a joke; comparing Western and Eastern literary forms and storytelling… all these kinds of classes and more offer you an edge in taking your writing to the next level with a degree from these schools.

Helping You Choose From Among the Finest Creative Writing MFA Programs in the Nation

All those features are what make these programs the best. But the real question you need to answer is which one will actually be the best for you ?

We can help you figure that out, too. Although each of these schools comes in on top of the pack of master’s-level creative writing programs in the country in general, each also has unique features that will determine how they fit in with your personal goals and style.

So for each listing, we give you plenty of additional information to help you make your decision. That includes data on:

You’ll also get a thumbnail sketch of what makes the school a great one, outlining many of the supporting facts behind the criteria we evaluated them on. But you’ll also get some of the highlights, the things that really make them stand out, such as:

Whether the school also offers undergraduate and doctoral degrees
Which concentration or specializations are offered
The formats in which the program is available
Whether the school is public or private
Rankings by respected third-party evaluators like The Princeton Review
Exemplary student-published literary magazines
Super low student-to-faculty ratios
Unique workshops or internship opportunities offered
Generous fellowship opportunities

It’s easy access to the kind of information that will help make your decision easy… all in one place.

State-By-State: Top Selections for the Best Creative Writing Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Programs in the U.S.

Competition to get into these elite MFA creative writing programs can be stiff. But if you are determined to get the finest graduate education in creative writing available today, then choosing from among these schools offers your best chances.

Find the Best MFA Creative Writing Programs in Your State

Connecticut.

District of Columbia

Massachusetts

Mississippi, new hampshire, north carolina, pennsylvania, rhode island, south carolina, university of arizona (public).

COLLEGE OF SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES

MFA in Creative Writing (on-campus)

Fully funded through graduate teaching assistantships

Also offers: BA in Creative Writing (on-campus)

Both programs allow students to focus on fiction, nonfiction, or poetry
MFA program is ranked among the top programs in the nation
Fully funded MFA offered through graduate teaching assistantships
MFA features unparalleled opportunities to write and research at the US-Mexico border through the Southwest Field Studies on Writing Program

The University of Arizona offers a BA and MFA in Creative Writing, both of which are part of one the top-ranked creative writing programs in the nation! Choose the BA in Creative Writing and you’ll learn from award-winning writers as you refine your skillset in writing, research, critical thinking, and literary analysis and explore the genres of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry (you’ll choose one genre as a focus after your first year of study). You’ll also be encouraged to take a variety of courses in professional and technical writing, the study of literature, writing and publishing, writing and community, and language, making this a truly well-rounded course of undergraduate study. The University of Arizona’s MFA in Creative Writing has been producing award-winning writers for 50 years and is regarded as one of the top programs of its kind in the nation. This fully funded, three-year program features your choice of fiction, poetry, or nonfiction concentration and a dynamic classroom experience that includes a world-class faculty and small, workshop-style courses.

University of Arkansas (Public)

FULBRIGHT COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Fayetteville, AR

MFA in Creative Writing & Translation (poetry, fiction, literary translation) (on-campus)

Fully funded MFA with absolutely no tuition costs for students accepted into the program

Highly selective program admits up to five students each year in each genre (poetry, prose, and literary translation)
Outstanding opportunities to learn from established writers through the Walton Reading Series
Consistently ranked among the top MFA programs in the country by Poets & Writers
Named among the “Top Five Most Innovative” programs of its kind by Atlantic Monthly

The University of Arkansas’ MFA in Creative Writing & Translation is a unique course of graduate study that’s personalized with your choice of concentration in poetry, fiction, or literary translation. This program is among the nation’s oldest MFA programs, yet never fails to impress with its dynamic, forward-thinking curriculum. In fact, it was named among the “Top Five Most Innovative” programs of its kind by Atlantic Monthly ! For more than 50 years, the university’s MFA in Creative Writing & Translation has produced some of the country’s top writers – and it’s little wonder why. The robust curriculum of this program is built on a solid foundation of coursework in craft and literary studies and complemented with a superb, student-centered learning environment that boasts small class sizes and a dedicated faculty.

University of California-Davis (Public)

COLLEGE OF LETTERS AND SCIENCES

Also offers: BA in English-Creative Writing emphasis (on-campus)

Full funding guaranteed in the second year of the MFA program in exchange for undergrad teaching positions
Ranked among the top five public universities in the nation by the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education
MFA students choose a single genre – fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, or a multi-genre focus

The University of California – Davis offers both an undergraduate and graduate program in creative writing that are designed to inspire the emerging or established writer! Focused on the mastery of craft with a solid foundation in literary traditions, the BA in English with a Creative Writing emphasis is designed to expand your knowledge and refine your writing skills in preparation for a variety of careers in areas like publishing, marketing, journalism, advertising, and more. The innovative Creative Writing MFA program features a nice blend of studio and literature courses in your choice of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or multi-genre. In the second year, you’ll teach creative writing courses to undergrad students as you prepare to become a successful practitioner in your own right. All students of the MFA are guaranteed full funding in their second year!

University of California-Irvine (Public)

SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES

MFA in English-Creative Writing (Fiction, Poetry) (on-campus)

Full funding available through graduate teaching assistantships

UCI named a Fulbright Hispanic-Serving Institution (HIS) Leader
Your choice of poetry or fiction concentration/emphasis
Superb student engagement and feedback through the Graduate Writers’ Workshop

The University of California – Irvine is home to the esteemed MFA in English with a Creative Writing emphasis, an exciting course of graduate study that allows students to explore poetry or fiction through dynamic workshops and seminars. Designed to bring together a talented group of writers with plans on a writing-intensive career, the MFA program is rich in close mentorship from accomplished visiting writers. This highly selective program admits just 12 new students each year to ensure one-on-one guidance and support from the program’s faculty. This program is built on the Graduate Writers’ Workshop, a group that meets each quarter to share and critique one another’s writing. Throughout the course of the program, students participate in the Graduate Writers’ Workshop and attend graduate-level seminars.

San Diego State University (Public)

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND LETTERS

San Diego, CA

Competitive graduate teaching associate positions available
Exciting Fulbright Fellowships available to study in places like Austria, Brazil, and Poland.
Your choice of focus in fiction, poetry, or cross-genre

San Diego State University’s MFA in Creative Writing offers is innovative, personalized, and designed to arouse your creative skillset. As one of the oldest MFA Creative Writing programs in the nation, this course of graduate study enjoys a long history of producing skilled, inspired writers. But don’t expect a stale, rote curriculum. Instead, you’ll immerse yourself in a dynamic program that includes your choice of concentration in fiction, poetry, or cross-genre as you work toward producing a manuscript of your original work. Students of this program also enjoy studying under internationally acclaimed visiting writers from around the world, and many students receive Fulbright Fellowships to study in places like Austria, Brazil, and Poland.

California College of the Arts (Private)

San Francisco, CA

MFA in Writing (on-campus)

Also offers: BA in Writing and Literature (on-campus)

Superb faculty of accomplished scholars, writers, poets, and playwrights
Outstanding internship opportunities with Bay Area literary organizations available

For aspiring and emerging writers, the California College of the Arts offers a BA in Writing and Literature and an MFA in Writing! The BA offers a foundation in literature and critical inquiry and dynamic workshops in prose, poetry, drama, screenwriting, graphic novels, improvisation, and more. You’ll refine your skills in literary journalism, hybrid narratives, lyric essays, and much more as you conduct close readings and analyses of writing across time. BA students learn from acclaimed authors through the HearSay Reading Series… they contribute their talents to Humble Pie , the undergraduate journal… and they enjoy outstanding internship experiences with Bay Area literary organizations. The MFA program is offered at the Writers’ Studio, where students participate in workshops, readings, and craft talks and learn from accomplished authors through the famed Tuesdays Talk series. Here students explore nonfiction, fiction, and poetry in a close, supportive atmosphere that naturally elicits creativity and inspiration.

Saint Mary’s College of California (Private)

SCHOOL OF LIBERAL ARTS

MFA in Creative Writing (Creative Non-Fiction, Fiction, Poetry, Book Manuscript) (on-campus)

Also offers: BA in English – Creative Writing (on-campus)

Ranked among the top five regional universities in the West by U.S. News & World Report
All MFA students receive partial funding and opportunities to apply for teaching fellowships, assistantships, and paid internships
Exciting selection of undergraduate internship opportunities available
Two-year MFA also includes the option of completing a third year in an additional genre or taking a fifth semester Book Manuscript Intensive course

Saint Mary’s College offers both undergraduate and graduate programs for the creative writer in a supportive private school setting that’s heralded for its academic rigor and plentiful hands-on learning experiences. The BA in English with a Creative Writing emphasis offers a foundation in the creative writing process and options to focus on a specific genre of creative writing like poetry, fiction, nonfiction, dramatic writing, or screenwriting. All students of this program also participate in the Creative Writing Reading Series, which includes attending events and meeting with visiting writers. On-campus internship opportunities include working with the Office of Marketing and Communications or the Center for Writing Across the Curriculum and contributing to riverrun , the undergraduate literary journal, while off-campus internship opportunities include organizations and publications like Counterpoint Press, Diablo Magazine , No Starch Press, Sierra Magazine , and more! The MFA in Creative Writing is a two-year course of study that features an award-winning faculty (including visiting writers in residence); opportunities to contribute to the MFA journal, MARY: A Journal of New Writing ; and your choice concentration in creative nonfiction, fiction, or poetry. Students may also complete a third year in an additional genre or take a fifth semester Book Manuscript Intensive course.

Western Colorado University (Public)

COMMUNICATION ARTS, LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE (CALL) DEPARTMENT

Gunnison, CO

MA/MFA in Creative Writing (low-residency)

Supportive, student-centered learning environment features an average class size of just 16
BA students gain valuable experience by editing a book published by Western Press Books and preparing their own work for submission
MFA offers convenient and flexible online study complemented with one-week on-campus residencies
MFA offers your choice of one of five genre concentrations: nature writing, genre fiction, poetry, publishing, or screenwriting

Western Colorado University is home to not one, but two creative writing programs that are designed to meet you wherever you are in your career. The BA in English with a Creative Writing emphasis is ideally designed for emerging writers who seek a comprehensive course of study delivered within a supportive community. Students of this program enjoy a strong foundation in English literature traditions, theory, and criticism with advanced courses in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and scripts. You’ll also enjoy flexing your creative skills by contributing to WordHorde, the Creative Writing student organization, and lending help to other students through the Writing Center. Before you graduate, you’ll edit a book published by Western Press Books and prepare your own work for submission. The MFA Creative Writing program here provides an advanced course of study in one of five genres: nature writing, genre fiction, poetry, publishing, or screenwriting. This program comes complete with a dedicated faculty of award-winning writers and a low-residency model that delivers outstanding convenience and flexibility.

Western Connecticut State University (Public)

MACRICOSTAS SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Danbury, CT

MFA in Creative and Professional Writing (low-residency)

Outstanding record of graduate success: 87% of all graduates go on to publish books and/or work full-time as professional writers
Convenient and flexible program features a low-residency model that combines online study with dynamic residencies, either on-campus or abroad
Competitive graduate assistantships available

Western Connecticut State University offers the MFA in Creative and Professional Writing, which comes complete with a dynamic curriculum that’s delivered in a low-residency model for outstanding convenience and flexibility. We love this program because it offers a comprehensive graduate course of study in multiple genres (students here take workshops and course in all genres and styles), thereby preparing students as well-rounded, versatile writers who find success in both creative and professional writing fields. We also love this program’s exciting residency opportunities that now include options to study in Dublin, Ireland (during the Bram Stoker Festival) and at the Highlights Foundation Retreat Center in the Poconos!

Fairfield University (Private)

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Fairfield, CT

MFA in Creative Writing (poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, screenwriting) (low-residency)

Also offers: Major in English-Creative Writing concentration (on-campus)

Options to focus the MFA on poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, or screenwriting
Ranked among the top national universities by U.S. News & World Report
Low-residency model features dynamic, engaging residencies on Ender Island in Mystic, CT

Fairfield University’s MFA in Creative Writing offers your choice of focus in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, or screenwriting and a low-residency model that’s sure to fit well into your busy schedule. The program’s flexible and challenging curriculum is ideally designed to allow students to design a course of study that best aligns with their professional goals and personal interests. It’s also home to the CT Writing Project, which is home to outstanding opportunities to learn from visiting writers; attend writers’ retreats; and more. Choose Fairfield for your creative writing master’s program and you’ll enjoy opportunities to complete an internship in journalism, public relations, business writing, publishing, and more.

District of Columbia - DC

American university (private).

Washington, DC

Competitive Merit Awards (tuition and stipends) available
Exciting opportunities to study in an intimate learning environment that encourages constructive feedback and support
Your choice of focus on a single genre or multiple genres

American University’s MFA in Creative Writing has been producing the next generation of creative writers for more than 30 years! The only program of its kind in our nation’s capital, the MFA in Creative Writing is your opportunity to explore the art and craft of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. The flexible design of this program allows students to pursue a single genre or multiple genres, and the tightknit, supportive learning environment encourages superb guidance and feedback from peers and faculty. Students of this program contribute to Folio , the College of Arts and Sciences’ nationally recognized literary journal and Café MFA , the online journal of the Creative Writing program.

Florida State University (Public)

Tallahassee, FL

Also offers: Major in Creative Writing (on-campus)

Ranked among the top national public universities by U.S. News & World Report
Home to a nationally and internationally renowned, award-winning faculty
Superb internship opportunities available

Florida State University offers both undergraduate and graduate programs in creative writing within one of the top writing programs in the country! Just some of the reasons why emerging creative writers flock to FSU include an award-winning faculty (many are recipients of the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, the Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship and more)… opportunities to complete a teaching apprenticeship program through graduate teaching assistantships… and an Editing Internship, your chance to gain valuable, hands-on experiences with a magazine, newspaper, publishing house, television station, marketing firm, nonprofit organization, and more. FSU’s English Department is also home to the Southeast Review , a national literary magazine, and The Kudzu Review , the undergraduate literary magazine, both of which are great sources of hands-on learning experiences.

Florida International University (Public)

ARTS, SCIENCES, AND EDUATION

North Miami, FL

Program graduates have published 200+ books
Ranked among the Best Colleges in the nation for social mobility and innovation by U.S. News & World Report
Home to a dedicated faculty of award-winning, working writers

Florida International University’s MFA in Creative Writing is where you’ll advance your understanding of professional standards and expectations as you hone your creative skillset in your chosen genre. Ideal for future endeavors in teaching, editing, publishing, the arts, and more, this illustrious program of study comes complete with an intimate learning environment; a curriculum of seminar-style courses, workshops, and form and theory courses; outstanding, one-on-one mentoring; and a dedicated faculty of award-winning, working writers. As you progress throughout the program, you’ll work toward the completion of a publishable, book-length creative thesis.

Stetson University (Private)

MFA in Creative Writing (low-residency)

Program features a concentration in poetry and prose in the expanded field
Outstanding guidance and mentorship found here – residency workshops include a low, 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio
Exciting, low-residency model features online study combined with two residencies annually
Named among the nation’s Best Colleges by U.S. News & World Report

Stetson University’s MFA in Creative Writing offers an outstanding course of graduate study that’s delivered in a low-residency format to accommodate your busy schedule. Choose this program and you’ll enjoy intensive, dynamic mentorship and engagement marked by small workshop groups, individual mentoring sessions, craft lectures, translation workshops, and more. This program is innovative and dynamic, allowing students to explore the many political, social, aesthetic, and cultural factors that are reflective of your work. The low-residency model features online courses that are complemented with two, ten-day residencies where students gather to learn from accomplished writers and exchange their work with faculty mentors. Residencies are held at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, and at various international locations! Past residencies were held in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil!

Georgia State University (Public)

Atlanta, GA

MA/MFA in English-Creative Writing concentration (on-campus)

Also offers: BA in English-Creative Writing (on-campus)

Ranked among the top innovative universities in the nation by U.S. News & World Report
Also offers: PhD in English, Concentration in Creative Writing, which is ranked among the top programs of its kind in the nation by Poets & Writers
Exciting international exchange and study abroad programs available to places like England, France, Italy, Germany, and China

Two creative writing programs, one world-class university—Georgia State University is where emerging writers head for outstanding instruction and inspiration! Choose the BA in English with a Creative Writing concentration and you’ll complete undergraduate study in British and American literature and culture alongside courses focused on the craft and art of creative writing and the poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction genres. The MA/MFA in English with a Creative Writing concentration features your choice of focus on poetry or fiction and a superb curriculum that prepares students for further study at the PhD level or for careers in a variety of writing-intensive fields. We love the English Department’s award-winning faculty of poets, and authors and the exciting opportunities to hone your craft by contributing to the award-winning Five Points: A Journal of Literature and Art and the student-edited literary magazine, New South .

University of Idaho (Public)

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

Fully funded MFA for all students through graduate teaching assistantships
Ranked among the top 8% best colleges in the nation by the Princeton Review
Ranked among the top 15% of American National Universities by U.S. News & World Report
Three MFA students are awarded fellowships to write in residence at the Taylor Ranch Research Station in the Frank Church Wilderness Area of the Selway-Bitterroot Mountains

The University of Idaho’s creative writing programs are part of the Department of English’s vibrant community where you can always find inspiration in the form of literary readings, scholarly lectures, conferences, student gatherings, and more. The BA in English with a Creative Writing emphasis boasts engaging courses in fiction, creative fiction, and poetry; esteemed professors who offer one-on-one mentorship; and outstanding opportunities to flex your creative writing skillset and gain valuable, hands-on experiences. The MFA offers a fully funded, three-year course of graduate study in nonfiction, poetry, and fiction. We love the mix of genre workshops, technique studios, and traditional seminars that provide students with an outstanding blend of study in the craft. And the practicum in literary magazine and editing production provides students with an expanded skillset upon graduation.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Public)

COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES

MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction, Poetry) (on-campus)

Fully funded program

Also offers: BA in Liberal Arts and Sciences-Creative Writing (on-campus)

Also offers a PhD in Writing Studies
Fully funded MFA offered through full tuition waivers, guaranteed teaching assistantships, and fellowships
MFA features your choice of focus on fiction or poetry and extensive study in literary publishing and editing

Two creative writing programs at one nationally renowned university – the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is where you want to be! The undergraduate creative writing major, which is one of the oldest programs of its kind in the country, is built on small, workshop-style courses in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction that are ideally designed to prepare students for exciting careers in a number of fields or for future graduate study. Students of this program edit and publish the Montage Arts Journal , the university’s undergraduate literary arts journal, which offers outstanding, hands-on learning experiences. The MFA Creative Writing program is a three-year, rigorous course of study in creative writing and literature that offers students the option of specializing in fiction or poetry. You’ll study under the program’s distinguished and dedicated graduate faculty as you take four workshops in your chosen genre and work toward producing a book-length, publishable manuscript. You’ll also receive extensive, hands-on experience in literary editing and publishing in this fully funded graduate program!

Northwestern University (Private)

WEINBERG COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES

Evanston, IL

MFA in Creative Writing (program is combined with a simultaneous MA in English) (low-residency)

Fully funded through fellowships and graduate assistantships

MFA is fully funded through fellowships and graduate assistantships
MFA allows students to work in one genre (poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction) and also explore a second genre

Northwestern University’s creative writing programs are home to an accomplished faculty of award-winning authors and offered in a supportive, creative community where inspiration naturally flourishes. The Creative Writing major enjoys an outstanding record of graduate success and a reputation as one of the finest undergraduate programs of its kind in the nation. Through this program, you’ll explore poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as other courses that explore hybrid genres. Students of this program enjoy a lively curriculum that includes learning from guest writers-in-residence through the Annual Writers’ Festival; participating in the Undergraduate English Association; and contributing their talents to the award-winning student literary magazines, Helicon and Prompt. The MFA + MA in Creative Writing and English program is a unique dual graduate program that provides students with the opportunity to pursue both creative and critical writing. This program boasts intimate classes; close mentorship from a renowned faculty of writers; and a variety of writing workshops in poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction. And while students of this program are admitted in one genre, they enjoy opportunities to explore a second genre. This program is fully funded through fellowships and graduate assistantships. During the program’s two funded summers, students serve as part-time editorial assistantships for the prestigious online literary journal, TriQuarterly !

School of the Art Institute of Chicago (Private)

Chicago, IL

MFA in Writing (low-residency)

Also offers: BFA in Writing (on-campus)

Named as “the most influential art college in the United States” by a Columbia University’s National Arts Journalism survey
Consistently ranked among the top graduate fine arts programs in the nation by U.S. News and World Report
BA program emphasizes writing across genres, including interdisciplinary and hybrid genres
Low-residency MFA combines online study with engaging, on-campus summer residencies

Whether the BFA or MFA is what you seek, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago has what you need! The BFA features a dynamic course of study that emphasizes writing across genres, including interdisciplinary and hybrid genres, and producing a creative project of your choice. Students also enjoy the many immersive, hands-on learning experiences available here that include contributing to Mouth , the student-run literary journal and F newsmagazine , the award-winning student newspaper; attending readings and workshops through the Visiting Writer and Artist Lectures; and attending Publishing Panel presentations. The low-residency MFA is a three-year program that’s designed for 21 st century artists and writers. This flexible program engages students and prepares them across various teaching platforms, with much of the curriculum focused on writing and studying other artists’ writings. The low-residency model features online study complemented with three, consecutive summer residencies where you’ll connect with your peers on campus to create and critique work.

Indiana University-Bloomington (Public)

Bloomington, IN

Fully funded program through fellowships and teaching assistantships

Highly selective MFA enrolls just eight students each year (four in fiction, four in poetry)
Outstanding reputation for its focus on a diverse student body
Fully funded program offered through fellowships and assistantships

Indiana University – Bloomington’s MFA in Creative Writing features three years of fully funded graduate study at IU’s flagship campus! This dynamic program is focused on honing craft concepts and workshopping original student poetry and fiction under an award-winning faculty as you work toward the completion a book-length manuscript in the genre of your choice. This highly selective program enrolls just eight new students each year (four in fiction, four in poetry) to ensure an intimate learning environment of top emerging writers.

University of Notre Dame (Private)

Notre Dame, IN

Fully funded through tuition scholarships and fellowships

Consistently ranked among the top 25 institutions of higher learning in the nation by esteemed publications like U.S. News & World Report, Forbes , and Niche
Exciting study abroad experiences available to the University College Dublin, Oxford, Cambridge, the University of East Anglia, Trinity College (Dublin), St. Andrews (Scotland), and Galway, Ireland
All students of the fully funded MFA program gain teaching, editorial, and publication experience

The University of Notre Dame offers both an undergraduate and graduate program in creative writing – your opportunity to explore and refine your craft within a world-renowned university. The Major in English with a Creative Writing concentration allows students to study the many ways in which literature shapes the human experience. Through small class sizes (just 15-17 students), students here connect with one another and engage with the distinguished faculty while honing their critical thinking, public speaking, and writing skills. The creative writing faculty, which is ranked among the best in the nation, teaches 15-20 creative writing classes ranging from fiction to poetry to nonfiction prose to playwriting/screenwriting. Students here often round out their undergraduate experience by engaging in internship, service learning, and study abroad experiences and by contributing to the university’s student-run publications. Notre Dame’s MFA in Creative Writing boasts a two-year, fully funded course of study that’s marked by a rigorous, self-directed learning experience and a diverse, international body of students. All students of this program gain teaching, editorial, and publication experience; participate in outreach programs with community partners; engage with visiting writers and artists; and conduct their own reading series.

University of Kansas (Public)

COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS

Overland Parks, KS

MFA – Tracks in Fiction, Poetry, Playwriting (on-campus)

Also offers: BA, BGS (Bachelor of General Studies) Literature, Language and Writing-option to earn a Creative and Analytical Writing certificate (on-campus)

Also offers: PhD in Creative Writing
Competitive graduate teaching assistantships available for MFA students
Home to an esteemed faculty of published authors
BA/BGS in Literature, Language and Writing offers a nice selection of afternoon, evening, online, and hybrid courses
MFA offers concentrations in fiction, poetry, or playwriting

The University of Kansas boasts both undergraduate and graduate programs for the creative writer! The innovative BA/BGS in Literature, Language and Writing provides students with a versatile foundation in technical writing, editing, marketing, writing, and authoring, while the Creative and Analytical Writing certificate provides a deep dive into the craft of creative writing. Just some of the highlights of the BA/BGS in Literature, Language and Writing include an outstanding selection of afternoon, evening, online, and hybrid courses… an experienced, published faculty… and unmatched student engagement and mentorship. The MFA program features a three-year course of study and options to focus on fiction, poetry, or playwriting. You’re sure to love learning from the widely published faculty here that have been recipients of distinctions like the Hugo Award, the Gertrude Stein Award, the Nebula Award, and more. The MFA is ideally positioned within a university that’s home to esteemed centers like the J. Wayne & Elsie M. Gunn Center for the Study of Science Fiction (dedicated to research and education in science fiction) and the Project on the History of Black Writing (research unit focused on literary recovery work in black studies).

Western Kentucky University (Public)

POTTER COLLEGE OF ARTS AND LETTERS

Bowling Green, KY

Ranked among the top public universities in the nation by U.S. News & World Report
Competitive MFA teaching assistantships available
MFA tracks include fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, or scriptwriting; secondary concentration in literature, composition & rhetoric, or teaching English as a second language
Exciting undergraduate experiential learning opportunities available

Western Kentucky University offers both undergraduate and graduate programs in creative writing to meet students wherever they are in their academic and professional journey! The undergraduate Creative Writing program features a curriculum that’s grounded in the study of literature and marked by an exciting blend of courses in creative nonfiction, fiction, play/screenwriting, and poetry. Learning outside of the classroom is also standard fare here. You’ll find students learning from esteemed, visiting writers through the Readers Series; contributing to Zephyrus , the school’s literary publication; connecting with their peers through the English Club, the annual Senior Reading, and through the many open-mic nights and coffeehouse gatherings; and attending the annual Undergraduate Conference on Literature, Language, and Culture. The MFA in Creative Writing features a three-year course of study; tracks in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and scriptwriting; and secondary areas in literature, composition & rhetoric, or teaching English as a second language.

Eastern Kentucky University (Public)

COLLEGE OF LETTERS, ARTS, AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

Richmond, KY

Low-residency model offers optimal convenience and flexibility for working adults
Superb summer residency offered in Lisbon, Portugal
Real-time online workshops ensure superb engagement and communication with faculty and peers

Eastern Kentucky University’s MFA in Creative Writing – Bluegrass Writers Studio features a low-residency model that’s designed with flexibility and convenience in mind. Students of this program study in a close-knit, supportive community alongside other emerging writers in both literary and genre-writing. The Bluegrass Writers Studio is an innovative program that offers students an optimal blend of online courses and workshops complemented with intensive residency workshops and unparalleled international literary and cultural experiences. The program’s Domestic Summer Residencies, which are held in Richmond and in Lisbon, Portugal, are rich in intensive workshops, lectures, and readings and focused on individual writing.

McNeese State University (Public)

Lake Charles, LA

Also offers: BA in English-Writing (on-campus)

All MFA students are offered teaching assistantships that include a partial tuition waiver and stipend
Ranked as one of the top regional universities in the South by U.S. News & World Report
MFA in Creative Writing is the oldest program of its kind in Louisiana and one of the oldest in the southeast
Option to add an MA in English to the MFA in Creative Writing without adding any additional hours or costs

McNeese State University offers both undergraduate and graduate programs in creative writing, making it a sure bet for emerging writers like you! The BA in English with a Writing concentration offers a firm foundation in classic and contemporary literature alongside courses and hands-on learning experiences designed to hone your creative writing skills and elevate your knowledge and skills in the areas of editing, rhetorical writing, and technical writing . Students of this program enjoy small class sizes and a highly engaging learning environment that’s marked by high-quality instruction from a widely published, dedicated faculty. The MFA in Creative Writing is the oldest programs of its kind in Louisiana and among the oldest in the southeast! Offering outstanding, hands-on instruction through a host of creative writing programs, this program is where poetry and fiction writers flock to elevate their creative writing skills and produce a book-length manuscript. McNeese’s MFA is one of the only programs in the country to offer students the opportunity to concurrently earn an MA in English without adding any additional hours or costs!

University of Baltimore (Public)

YALE GORDON COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Baltimore, MD

Named as one of the most distinctive programs of its kind in the nation by Poets & Writers Magazine
Competitive graduate fellowships and teaching assistantships available
Your choice of focus in fiction, nonfiction, or poetry
Exciting internship and study teaching opportunities available

The University of Baltimore’s MFA in Creative Writing is one of the top programs of its kind in the nation and a dynamic, inspiring hub for emerging writers in the genres of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Students of this program hone their creative voice and elevate their skillset in writing , editing, and publishing as they gain valuable, hands-on experience through internships and student teaching opportunities. Just some of the places where students here intern include the Baltimore City Paper , Baltimore Magazine , Baltimore Jewish Times , and Baltimore Style Magazine !

Johns Hopkins University (Private)

KRIEGER SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

MFA in Writing Seminars-Creative Writing (on-campus)

Fully funded through teaching fellowships

Also offers: Major in Writing Seminars-Creative Writing concentration (on-campus)

Fully funded MFA features a generous teaching fellowship
The Writing Seminars program is the second-oldest creative writing program in the country
BA program features a focus on fiction and poetry
Home to a nationally and internationally renowned faculty and acclaimed visiting writers

John Hopkins University offers both an undergraduate and graduate program in their famed Writing Seminars program! Undergraduate students here enjoy a solid liberal arts framework that’s complemented with courses in fiction and poetry and seminars on literature and the history and technique of poetry and prose. The Writing Seminar’s MFA program offers an advanced exploration of fiction and poetry. This program boasts a nationally and internationally renowned faculty; acclaimed visiting writers; and a curriculum that’s rich in intensive literary seminars and small workshops. Students complete a first-year portfolio and then round out their graduate course of study with a second-year thesis. This highly selective, fully funded program includes a generous teaching fellowship!

Hampshire College (Private)

Amherst, MA

MFA in Writing for Film and Television (low-residency)

Student-designed learning environment features personalized, independent work, close collaboration with faculty, and exciting hands-on experiences
MFA in Creative Writing features your choice of focus on poetry, fiction, or nonfiction
MFA Writing for Film and Television combines online study with weeklong residencies at the college’s Boston or Los Angeles campus
Hampshire is part of the Five College Consortium that allows students to explore academic offerings at Amherst College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst

Hampshire College offers no less than three, outstanding creative writing programs for emerging and practicing writers alike! The Major in Creative Writing offers a well-rounded exploration of fiction, literary journalism, and poetry through dynamic, workshop-style courses that feature intensive writing, active reading, and constructive feedback. Students of this program enjoy engaging with their peers and sharing ideas through writers’ coffeehouses; learning from acclaimed visiting writers; and flexing their creative skillset through one of the school’s publications. The low-residency MFA in Writing for Film and Television offers a convenient and flexible blend of online courses with week-long residencies at the Boston or Los Angeles campus at the beginning of each semester. This program features an esteemed faculty of filmmakers, producers, and screenwriters and the opportunity to produce a professional-caliber portfolio of original feature, pilot, and short screenplay samples. The Creative Writing MFA program is one of the longest-running programs of its kind in the nation. Some of the highlights of this program include an esteemed, published faculty; two award-winning literary journals; and close ties with the Boston publishing community.

Boston University (Private)

Ranked among the top 5% of all creative writing programs in the nation by The Atlantic for the distinction of its faculty and alumni
Superb opportunity to study and travel abroad through the Global Fellowship
Small cohorts ensure an outstanding, student-centered learning environment

Boston University’s MFA in Creative Writing is built on the university’s legacy of academic excellence and the Creative Writing Program’s reputation as one of most prestigious programs of its kind in the country! This program features your choice of fiction or poetry and a one-year course of study that’s highlighted by creative writing workshops and literature courses. It’s designed in small cohorts that accept just ten fiction writers and eight poets annually, and it’s fully funded, covering all tuition costs and offering a stipend for all students. All students of this program teach at least one course and fulfill a foreign language requirement during their MFA. Students are also eligible to receive a Global Fellowship for travel and study anywhere outside of the U.S. upon successful completion of their coursework and submission of their thesis.

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (Public)

RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE

Ann Arbor, MI

Also offers: Major in Creative Writing and Literature (on-campus)

Outstanding study abroad opportunities available (University of Michigan has the most students studying abroad among the Big Ten universities)
Ranked among the top public national universities by U.S. News & World Report
Highly selective, fully funded MFA program accepts just nine poets and nine fiction writers annually
Undergraduate major in Creative Writing and Literature includes your choice of focus on fiction/creative nonfiction, poetry, or digital storytelling

Whether you’re interested in pursuing undergraduate or graduate study in creative writing, the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor has what you’re looking for! Undergraduate students in the Creative Writing and Literature program study fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction (and choose a focus on fiction/creative nonfiction, poetry, or digital storytelling) in a student-centered learning environment that features dedicated faculty mentors and small, engaging writing seminars. Whether your plans include graduate study or a career in an area like education, editing, journalism, publishing, or beyond, this program is designed with you in mind! The fully funded Creative Writing MFA program features two years of study and options to focus on fiction or poetry. We love the program’s esteemed faculty of published poets and fiction writers and the many opportunities to learn from acclaimed writers through the Zell Visiting Writers Series. This highly selective program accepts just nine poets and nine fiction writers annually.

Western Michigan University (Public)

Kalamazoo, MI

MFA in Creative Writing

Also offers: BA in English-Creative Writing option (on-campus)

Superb record of student success: 9 out of 10 students are employed and working quickly in their fields upon graduation
Outstanding study abroad opportunities – more than 100 programs in 40 countries available
Engaging workshop-style courses ensure outstanding opportunities to hone your creative skillset

Western Michigan University is home to both BA and MFA programs in creative writing for the emerging writer! The BA in English with a Creative Writing option is built on a foundation in British and American literature and the English language and complemented with dynamic, creative writing workshops that vary from introductory to advanced. Students of this program explore writing poetry, plays, fiction, and creative nonfiction alongside focused study in news, feature, and professional writing. The MFA in Creative Writing program offers a streamlined path to writing-intensive careers in poetry, fiction, or drama or future PhD study within prestigious programs.

University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (Public)

Minneapolis, MN

Fully funded program through teaching assistantships and/or fellowships
Exciting program features an exploration of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction
Consistently ranked among the top graduate creative writing programs in the country

The University of Minnesota – Twin Cities offers an esteemed MFA in Creative Writing – a three-year course of graduate study that features a dynamic deep dive into writing, language, and literature, along with study in a related field. This exciting program, which has long been ranked among the top ten graduate creative writing programs nationally, offers a well-rounded exploration of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. In fact, students of this program are encouraged to experiment and write across genres as they work toward honing their own creative voice. Housed within the flagship institution of the University of Minnesota System, which enjoys a reputation as being among the most prestigious public research universities in the nation, this program comes with full funding for all MFA students and exciting opportunities to conduct research, intern with major corporations and organizations, and study abroad.

Hamline University (Private)

Saint Paul, MN

MFA in Creative Writing (on-campus)

Also offers: BFA in Creative Writing (on-campus)

BA in English-Creative Writing concentration (on-campus)
Exciting, undergraduate faculty-led research opportunities available
Home to a nice variety of internship experiences
Superb faculty of accomplished writers
MFA features your choice of focus on poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction

Hamline University is home to three different creative writing programs that are designed to meet you wherever you are in your career! Offering two undergraduate creative writing programs – one in creative writing and the other in English with a creative writing concentration, Hamline offers students the opportunity to hone their creative writing skillset and prepare for exciting careers in publishing, journalism, marketing, business, education, and beyond! The BFA in Creative Writing provides students with a well-rounded exploration of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, literary traditions, textual analysis, and the opportunity to refine your skillset in any number of genres. The BA in English with a Creative Writing concentration offers a journey in literature as you explore the process of writing a novel, script, or other creative work. We love their undergraduate creative writing programs here because they come complete with exciting opportunities to participate in faculty-led research; contribute to one of the many student-led publications like Runestone , the award-winning undergraduate online literary magazine; and complete internships with major names like Graywolf Press, the Minnesota Historical Society, and the Loft Literary Center. The MFA in Creative Writing boasts an in-depth course of study that’s marked by your choice of focus in poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction; an esteemed faculty of accomplished writers; and a curriculum that prepares you for in-demand teaching and publishing careers.

Augsburg University (Private)

DIVISION OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

MFA in Creative Writing (Teaching, Translation, Publishing) ( low-residency )

MFA program features a low-residency model that combines convenient, flexible online study with summer residencies
Exciting study abroad opportunities to Denmark and Iceland for undergraduate students
Undergraduate creative writing students may qualify for the MFA Masterclass option – an opportunity to participate in a single summer residency that includes a creative writing workshop

Augsburg University’s undergraduate and graduate programs in creative writing are exactly what emerging and practicing writers are looking for! The BA in English with a Creative Writing concentration offers a nice blend of both English literature and the creative writing process. Through this course of study, students explore the craft under the guidance of a dedicated faculty of working writers. Students also enjoy plenty of opportunities to flex their creative skillset outside of the classroom, with opportunities to participate in the Many Voice Project – a series that brings together students, professors, and staff to explore successful communication among diverse readers and writers; contribute to Thó Win Magazine , the campus literary, visual, and musical arts publication; and study abroad to Denmark and Iceland. The low-residency Creative Writing MFA program offers students a deep dive into writing in multiple genres and features a convenient and flexible format that blends online study with summer residencies. Students of this program hone their skillset in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, screenwriting, and playwriting over the course of three years to prepare for exciting careers in fields like teaching, publishing, and translation. Are you an undergraduate creative writing student with future graduate study in your sights? You may qualify for the MFA Masterclass option, which allows undergrad students to enroll in a single summer residency that includes a creative writing workshop.

University of Mississippi (Public)

University, MS

MFA in English (on-campus)

Also offers: Ph.D. in English with Creative Writing Concentration
Outstanding visiting scholars and creative writers - past visitors have included filmmaker, Spike Lee, Pulitzer Prize winner Jeffery Eugenides, and National Book Award winner Mark Doty
MFA in English named among The Atlantic Monthly’s “Top Five Up and Coming Programs”

Creative writing is part of the fabric of the University of Mississippi, and it shows! The BA in English with a Creative Writing emphasis boasts a curriculum that brings together study in literature from all time periods and through diverse perspectives, along with a close examination and exploration of the craft of creative writing. The MFA in English, which has been consistently ranked among the top programs of its kind in the nation, offers your choice of concentration in poetry & fiction or creative nonfiction. This highly selective program (accepting between 6-8 students each year) is supportive, engaging, and fully funded!

Washington University in Saint Louis (Private)

St. Louis, MO

Fully funded program available through fellowships

Also offers: BA in English-Creative Writing concentration (on-campus)

Small, student-centered learning environment boasts first-year seminars of 15 or fewer students
Highly competitive program accepts just 15 students (five each in fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction)
Fully funded MFA program is offered through fellowships

Regardless of where you are in your academic journey or your career, Washington University in St. Louis has the creative writing program for you! The BA in English with a Creative Writing concentration brings together emerging writers in a small, student-centered learning environment that boasts engaging poetry and fiction writing workshops. Small, first-year seminars of 15 students or less transition nicely to second semester workshops that take students to the next level in their writing journey and guide them to become outstanding readers and critics of literature. Interested in adding an international dimension to your undergraduate creative writing program? Many students study abroad at some of the top universities like Oxford, Edinburg, Trinity College in Dublin, the King’s College in London, and the University of Sydney. The Creative Writing MFA is a two-year program that allows students to refine their craft in fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. A distinguished, world-renowned faculty oversees dynamic and engaging workshops and craft courses, while the school’s reading series brings some of the most acclaimed authors and poets to the department for unmatched learning opportunities.

New England College (Private)

Manchester, NH

Low-residency MFA features a studio/research academic model that combines online study with on-campus residencies at the beginning of each semester
MFA features your choice of track in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, writing for stage and screen, or dual genre
MFA students may also pursue specialized study in areas like translation, editing & publishing, new media, performance, or cross-genre/hybrid forms
Competitive MFA teaching assistantships and scholarships available

New England College offers both a BA and MFA in Creative Writing to meet students wherever they are in their academic journey and career path! The BA in Creative Writing is supported by a dedicated faculty of published writers who are committed to providing students with close mentorship and support, while the program’s focus on individual transformation encourages students to explore many areas and genres. Through this program, students complete genre workshops in fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction and courses focused on literary movements for a well-rounded course of study. The Creative Writing MFA is offered in a low-residency model that combines convenient and flexible online study with lively residencies at the beginning of each semester. Students here pursue a highly individualized program that features close mentorship by an award-winning faculty of writers and their choice of track in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, writing for stage and screen, or dual genre. Students may also pursue additional study in areas like translation, editing & publishing, new media, performance, or cross-genre/hybrid forms.

Rutgers University-Camden (Public)

GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Competitive teaching assistantships available
Multi-genre approach to learning includes workshops in your choice of genre (fiction, poetry, or nonfiction) and at least one other genre
Exciting opportunities to complete a writing residency at the Rutgers University Pinelands Field Station
Exciting study abroad opportunities available

Rutgers University – Camden offers an MFA in Creative Writing that features an in-depth exploration of the theory and practice of writing for poets, fiction writers, and nonfiction writers. This dynamic course of graduate study allows students to focus their work on a single genre yet still explore other genres. An outstanding faculty of esteemed writers and poets guides this esteemed program. Students here enjoy superb inspiration from a host of visiting writers and poets; they contribute to the university’s award-winning literary magazine, StoryQuarterly ; and they participate in inspiring writing residencies at the Rutgers University Pinelands Field Station. And if your academic goals include an international experience, you’ll be pleased to know that students here often study abroad in Europe, Asia, and South America.

Rutgers University-Newark (Public)

SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Home to an outstanding, award-winning faculty of writers
Program enjoys exciting connections to big regional names for superb learning experiences
Fully funded, highly selective program accepts 14-16 full-time students per year—half in Fiction and half in Poetry

Rutgers University – Newark offers an established, dynamic, and nationally ranked MFA in Creative Writing that features your choice of fiction or poetry writing track. We love the many connections this program has to big names like the Newark Museum, the New Jersey Historical Society, and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, all of which offer students unique opportunities for hands-on learning experiences. This fully funded course of study provides students with an unmatched opportunity to explore their craft, while the esteemed, award-winning faculty (many of whom are the recipients of awards like the Guggenheim, the National Endowment of the Arts, National Book Awards, and more) ensure outstanding support and mentorship.

Monmouth University (Private)

THE WAYNE D. MCMURRAY SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

West Long Branch, NJ

MA/MFA in Creative Writing Dual Degree (on-campus)

Ranked among the best regional universities in the North by U.S. News & World Report
Exciting undergraduate internship experiences available
Exciting MFA course options include opportunities to study themes like thrillers, romance, and fantasy

Whether you’re seeking an undergraduate or graduate creative writing program, Monmouth University has what you need! The BA in English with a concentration in Creative Writing features a well-rounded liberal arts core alongside an in-depth exploration of creative writing, including fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Students of this program enjoy studying under esteemed visiting writers; contributing to The Monmouth Review ; and completing exciting internship opportunities with big names like Penguin, Random House, and St. Martin’s Press, and with organizations like the National Geographic Society and the Monmouth County SPCA. The MA/MFA is an innovative and unique dual degree in Creative Writing that boasts a published, award-winning faculty; outstanding course options in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry; and exciting options to explore themes like thrillers, romance, and fantasy. Students of this program begin by completing the 30-credit MA in English with a Creative Writing concentration and then complete an additional 18 credits of intensive creative writing study that culminate in a book-length creative thesis.

Columbia University in the City of New York (Private)

SCHOOL OF THE ARTS

New York, NY

MFA in Writing (Nonfiction, Fiction, Poetry, Literary Translation) (on-campus)

Home to an outstanding, internationally acclaimed faculty of writers and editors
Major in Creative Writing offers your choice of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, or multi-genre concentration
MFA offers your choice of fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction concentration

Columbia University in the City of New York is where you’ll find both undergraduate and graduate programs in creative writing! These outstanding courses of study are housed in the famed School of the Arts, which enjoys a legacy of unmatched literary creation. Did you know that J.D. Salinger enrolled in a short story course here in 1939? Choose the Major in Creative Writing and you’ll study under an acclaimed, world-class faculty as you elevate your creative skillset in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, or multi-genre (combination of two genres). This program comes complete with writing workshops at all levels and exciting seminars that are sure to inspire and excite. The esteemed MFA Writing program is renowned for its faculty of acclaimed writers and editors; its focus on literary instruction; and its artistic and literary diversity. Students of this program choose a concentration in fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction. They study in intimate workshops (just 7 to 12 students) and regularly present their work, receive constructive feedback from their peers, and meet with faculty for one-on-one conferences.

Sarah Lawrence College (Private)

Bronxville, NY

Also offers: Major in Writing (on-campus)

Home to one of the largest writing faculties in the country
Workshop-style courses offer unmatched support, guidance, and constructive feedback
Exciting research and teaching opportunities available to MFA students
MFA concentrations in poetry, creative nonfiction, or speculative fiction

Whether you’re interested in an undergraduate or graduate degree in creative writing, Sarah Lawrence College has what you need to prepare for an exciting career or future graduate school! One of the first things you’ll notice is the vibrant artistic and writing community at Sarah Lawrence. It’s home to one of the largest writing faculties in the country; an outstanding selection of courses in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry; and engaging workshop-style courses that offer unmatched support and guidance. Thanks to a prime location near NYC, creative writing students enjoy access to opportunities in a vibrant, second-to-none arts and culture scene. The MFA program here boasts a dedicated faculty of distinguished writers; concentrations in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, or speculative fiction; and a versatile curriculum that allows students to explore writing that transcends genres. Some of the features of the MFA we’re particularly fond of include frequent meetings with faculty; small, intimate classes; and exciting graduate teaching and research opportunities.

Syracuse University (Private)

Syracuse, NY

Highly selective MFA program admits just six poets and six fiction writers annually
Outstanding record of student success – 94% of graduates are employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation
Ranked among the best national universities by U.S. News & World Report

Syracuse University offers a BA and MFA in Creative Writing and a storied legacy of producing acclaimed writers. From Stephen Crane to Joyce Carol Oates, Syracuse has long been where emerging and practicing writers flock for intensive study and unmatched inspiration! The BA program offers a balanced blend of literary study, workshop-style writing courses, and craft classes in creative nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. The renowned MFA in Creative Writing program is a three-year, highly selective course of graduate study that admits just six poets and six fiction writers each year.

Pratt University-Main (Private)

SCHOOL OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES

Brooklyn, NY

BFA features your choice of specialization in fiction, poetry, or nonfiction
MFA boasts exciting opportunities to participate in guided fieldwork residencies with an outside community organization, nonprofit, or activist group
MFA offers superb faculty mentoring

Pratt University boasts a BFA and MFA in Writing – your pathway to outstanding careers in publishing, editing, journalism, marketing, business, education, and beyond! Undergraduate creative writing students here study in a studio-based learning environment that includes specializing in fiction, poetry, or nonfiction and exploring contemporary genres like playwriting, screenwriting, children’s book writing, and young adult writing. The MFA in Writing program offers a highly rigorous, engaging program of study that’s built to address the needs of today’s contemporary writer in changing times. Some of the features of this program that you’re sure to love include The Writing Studio, a weekly critiquing forum; outstanding, one-on-one faculty mentoring; and guided fieldwork residencies with an outside community organization, nonprofit, or activist group.

North Carolina State University at Raleigh (Public)

COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

Raleigh, NC

Outstanding, student-centered learning environment features a low, student-to-faculty ratio of just 15:1
Named the top public university in North Carolina by Money Magazine
MFA in Creative Writing is the only one of its kind in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill region
MFA is fully funded through graduate teaching assistantships

North Carolina State University at Raleigh is home to both an undergraduate and graduate degree in creative writing! The BA in English with a Creative Writing concentration features a solid English foundation alongside courses in several genres, including fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and screenwriting. Intensive writing workshops here are designed to create an engaging, tightknit learning environment where students are encouraged to hone their creative voice. The MFA in Creative Writing boasts a two-year intensive course of graduate study that’s rich in workshops and interdisciplinary coursework and culminates in a final thesis of your original work. Students of this graduate course of study apprentice under master writers and learn from an experienced faculty of working writers and poets.

Warren Wilson College (Private)

THE MFA PROGRAM FOR WRITERS AT WARREN WILSON COLLEGE

Asheville, NC

Home to the first and one of the most prestigious low-residency MFA programs in the nation
Originally founded in 1976 by Ellen Bryant Voigt, and in residence at Warren Wilson College since 1981
Superb faculty of award-winning authors and poets (many of whom are recipients of the Pulitzer Prize, Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellowships, National Book Awards, and more)
Low-residency MFA effortlessly combines individualized mentorship with on-campus residencies for maximum convenience and flexibility
MFA features a superb standard student-to-faculty ratio of just 3:1

The MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College enjoys a national reputation as a top-ranked MFA program and features a prime learning environment that’s marked by extensive one-one-one exchanges between faculty mentor and student as well as on-campus residencies every six months. Well regarded for its craft-based rigor as well as its fostering of a supportive and noncompetitive environment, the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College prepares its graduates for a lifetime of writing.

Warren Wilson College’s undergraduate program in Creative Writing is designed to allow students to focus their undergraduate course of study on two genres (choose from fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry). It’s also home to the Writing Studio, a place where students hone their creative voice and explore new ideas and techniques. Outstanding student and faculty feedback and exciting opportunities to engage in hands-on learning round out this comprehensive course of study.

The undergraduate program benefits from presence of Warren Wilson’s highly-regarded MFA program through twice-yearly visits by MFA Writers in Residence: faculty members who provide a class and reading. They also have the opportunity to attend January residency lectures and readings and work with MFA Mentors as part of an undergraduate “Residency Class.”

Miami University-Oxford (Public)

Outstanding record of student success – 96% of all graduates are employed or continuing their education
Ranked among the top 50 public universities in the nation by U.S. News & World Report
Fully funded MFA provides graduate teaching assistantships to all MFA students; non-teaching assistantships may also be available

Miami University – Oxford is home to both a BA and MFA in Creative Writing – your opportunity to refine your creative skillset and become a successful writer in any number of fields! The BA program boasts a full-time creative faculty of eight award-winning writers who provide unmatched learning opportunities for a select group of students (usually between 20-25) in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and screenwriting. Intensive, engaging workshop-style courses ensure outstanding collaboration, communication, and constructive feedback, while visiting authors offer readings and craft talks that are guaranteed to inspire. The MFA brings some of the most talented, emerging writers from across the country to participate in a close-knit, rigorous course of study in creative nonfiction, poetry, fiction, multimedia, and performance writing. Some of the highlights of this program include four, practice-oriented workshops and seminars in literature; close mentorship from faculty; and the opportunity to create a publishable, full-length work of fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction by the end of the program. This fully funded program provides graduate teaching assistantships to all MFA students; non-teaching assistantships may also be available. And each year, two MFA students are awarded creative writing internships in China!

Kent State University at Kent (Public)

Northeast Ohio MFA in Creative Writing (on-campus)

Program is a superb consortium of four universities - Kent State University, Cleveland State University, the University of Akron, and Youngstown State University
The program is marked by outstanding faculty guidance and mentorship
Students enjoy exciting opportunities to participate in regional and national events and programs
Full and partial funding opportunities available

Kent State University’s Northern Ohio MFA in Creative Writing (NEOMFA) offers a superb course of graduate study for the emerging creative writer! This program is a consortium program between Kent State, the University of Akron, Cleveland State University, and Youngstown State University. It boasts an award-winning faculty of fifteen and unmatched opportunities to hone your craft in plays, poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. This program brings together a diverse group of students for superb instruction, hands-on learning, faculty mentorship, and individual attention. Students here enjoy access to exciting programs and events like the Juniper Institute of Massachusetts, the Imagination Writers Conference in Cleveland, and the annual Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference.

University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus (Public)

DODGE FAMILY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

MA in English-Creative Writing (on-campus)

Competitive graduate teaching assistantships available
Versatile and flexible programs give students the freedom to choose courses and create a personalized course of study that best reflects their personal interests and career goals
Option to round out your program by creating a thesis of your original work in fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction

The University of Oklahoma Norman is home to the esteemed MA in English with a Creative Writing emphasis – a superb graduate course of study for those with a love of creating the written word! We love the flexible and versatile design of this program that gives students the freedom to choose courses that best reflect their personal interests and professional goals. As a student of this program, you’ll work alongside a departmental advisor to design a personalized program of study. You’re also sure to appreciate the tightknit, engaging academic environment here that features small, seminar and pro-seminar courses and close mentorship from an internationally recognized faculty. You’ll also enjoy the option of rounding out your creative writing graduate program by creating a thesis of your original work in fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction.

Eastern Oregon University (Public)

COLLEGE OF ARTS, HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

La Grande, OR

MFA in Creative and Environmental Writing (low-residency)

Also offers: BA/BS in English-Writing (on-campus, online)

Outstanding, student-centered learning environment features small class sizes and a low, student-to-faculty undergraduate ratio of just 17:1
Flexible BA/BS degree offers your choice of on-campus or online study
Low-residency MFA blends convenient, online study with on-campus summer residencies
Specialty, one-of-a-kind Wilderness, Ecology, and Community MFA program, which connects students to the Pacific Northwest’s rich tradition of writers

Eastern Oregon University is where emerging creative writers flock for unmatched academic opportunities at the undergraduate and graduate level! The BA/BS in English – Creative Writing program boasts small class sizes; superb support from a dedicated faculty; and an opportunity to complete your degree 100% online! The online program features a fully online course delivery and options to study on a part- or full-time basis for outstanding convenience and flexibility. The MFA in Creative and Environmental Writing offers an in-depth exploration of the craft; a low-residency curriculum model that ensures superb convenience for working adults; genre focus options in fiction, poetry, or young adult literature; and a superb opportunity to specialize your program through the one-of-a-kind Wilderness, Ecology, and Community program, which connects students to the Pacific Northwest’s rich tradition of writers such as Gary Snyder, William O. Douglas, Kathleen Dean Moore, Annie Dillard, Robert Michael Pyle, and more.

University of Oregon (Public)

DIVISION OF GRADUATE STUDIES

Each MFA student is offered a teaching appointment in return for a full tuition waiver and stipend.

Opportunity to fully fund your MFA through a teaching appointment
Ranked a top-tier public research university and the top public university in Oregon by U.S. News & World Report
Highly selective program accepts just 10 students annually – five in poetry, and five in fiction

The University of Oregon’s MFA in Creative Writing features two years of study; your choice of focus in poetry or fiction; and a rich curriculum that’s highlighted by engaging, workshop-style courses and craft seminars. This rigorous course of study, which is one of the oldest and most distinguished programs of its kind in the nation, boasts unmatched opportunities to hone your craft and enjoy career success in a variety of fields. This highly selective program admits just 10 applicants each year (five in fiction and five in poetry) to ensure an intimate, highly engaging graduate experience.

University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus (Public)

KENNETH P. DIETRICH SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Pittsburgh, PA

Also offers: BA in Writing (Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction) (on-campus)

Ranked as the top university in the Northeast U.S. by the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education
Outstanding opportunities to learn from esteemed, visiting writers through the Pittsburgh Contemporary Writers Series
MFA features your choice of focus in fiction, nonfiction, or poetry

The University of Pittsburgh is home to a BA in Writing and an MFA in Writing, both of which are housed in the university’s famed Writing Program – a large and diverse community of artists who explore both traditional and emerging media. It’s where you’ll find students lending their talents to esteemed literary journals and digital publications and where visiting writers come to educate and inspire through the Pittsburgh Contemporary Writers Series. At the graduate level, the Writing Program admits nine students across the genres each year for a fully funded course of study in fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. We love the many exciting opportunities to expand your college experience through internships and study abroad experiences to places like London, Sydney, Berlin, Dublin, Paris, and Madrid.

Cedar Crest College (Private)

DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY, LANGUAGES AND LITERATURE

Allentown, PA

Pan-European Creative Writing MFA (low-residency)

Options to focus on poetry, fiction, nonfiction, or travel writing
Home to the first pan-European graduate-level writer’s program offered by an American university
MFA boasts an award-winning internationally acclaimed faculty of writers
Exciting European residencies are complemented with online study for a flexible, versatile course of study

Cedar Crest is where you’ll find a superb course of graduate study in creative writing that comes complete with your choice of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, or travel writing focus… a low-residency model that delivers outstanding flexibility and convenience… and an unmatched opportunity to be inspired as you travel across Europe! The MFA in Creative Writing features an in-depth exploration of the craft of creative writing that culminates in the creation of your own original work of literature. Choose a focus (or two) and learn to refine your skillset under the guidance of an award-winning faculty of writers. This truly unique course of study brings together talented writers from around the world for three, 15-day intensive workshops held in superb European locations that are sure to spark your creativity. Residencies here are held in July and rotate between Dublin, Ireland; Barcelona, Spain; and Vienna, Australia. You’ll complete the rest of your program requirements through convenient online study.

Brown University (Private)

THE COLLEGE

Providence, RI

MFA in Literary Arts (on-campus)

Also offers: BA in Literary Arts (on-campus)

Outstanding, student-centered learning environment features a low, 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio
Superb record of student success – 96% of all graduates are employed or in grad school within six months of graduation
Home to exciting, dynamic creative writing workshops for outstanding, hands-on learning

Brown University’s undergraduate and graduate programs in Literary Arts offer a deep dive into the craft of writing. Choose the undergraduate program and you’ll develop your skills in one or more genres through four creative writing workshops and six, reading-intensive courses. This unique course of undergraduate study (it’s one of just a few in the nation) is where emerging writers in fiction, poetry, electronic writing (hypertext), and mixed media gather to elevate and refine their creative skillset. The MFA program welcomes just 12 graduate student writers annually for an in-depth exploration of creative writing and a choice of focus in fiction, poetry, or digital-cross-disciplinary. This innovative program is focused on student-centered learning and features a rigorous curriculum that’s delivered by a faculty of internationally acclaimed writers.

University of South Carolina-Columbia (Public)

Columbia, SC

Also offers: BA in English-Writing concentration (on-campus)

Fully funded, highly selective MFA program accepts just eight students annually – four poets and four fiction writers
Ranked among the nation’s institutions with the best first-year experience by U.S. News & World Report
Highly versatile BA allows students to create a personalized program through their choice of writing courses

The University of South Carolina – Columbia’s BA and MFA programs are designed to inspire the emerging writer for an exciting pathway to careers in publishing, journalism, editing, marketing, business, and beyond! The BA in English with a Creative Writing concentration features a core of literature courses that are complemented with creative writing courses. Under the guidance of a faculty advisor, you’ll create a personalized course of study that best matches your personal interests and professional goals. We love the small class sizes and the superb faculty that’s dedicated to your success. The fully funded MFA program here is chocked full of features that are sure to align with your career goals. You’ll appreciate the intimate learning environment that comes complete with an award-winning faculty of writers, world-class visiting writers, and plenty of exciting opportunities to flex your creative skillset through hands-on experiences. The highly selective Creative Writing MFA accepts just four poets and four fiction writers each year and caps workshops at just 12 students for a truly engaging, dynamic program of study. Interested in pursuing education after you graduate? You’ll love the MFA program’s signature writing outreach program, Split P, which allows MFA students to hone their teaching skills in local public elementary schools.

Vanderbilt University (Private)

Nashville, TN

Ranked among the top 15 MFA programs in the country by Poets and Writers magazine
All MFA students receive a three-year, 12-month funding package
Highly selective MFA accepts students in poetry and prose

Vanderbilt University offers emerging and practicing writers their choice of an undergraduate or graduate-focused course of study in creative writing, both of which are built on the university’s longstanding reputation as a world-renowned institution. Both programs are delivered in small, seminar-style classes that encourage creativity, collaboration, and outstanding constructive feedback. The Creative Writing MFA program, which has been part of Vanderbilt’s fabric for nearly a century, features a three-year, fully funded course of graduate study that brings together emerging writers of fiction and poetry. This highly selective program is home to just 18 students at any time (nine in poetry and nine in prose), which ensures a truly tightknit, supportive learning environment. Just some of the unique opportunities available to students of the MFA include serving on the editorial board of the Nashville Review ; studying under distinguished, visiting writers-in-residence; and teaching introductory creative writing workshops.

University of Texas at Austin (Public)

New Writer’s Project – MFA in Creative Writing (on-campus)

Michener center for writers – mfa in writing (on-campus).

*Both MFA options are fully funded with absolutely no tuition costs for students accepted into the programs

Home to the Oxford Summer Program – an exciting exploration of life and literature at Oxford University in England
Features two, world-class MFA programs – one in creative writing and one in writing – both offer fully funded programs of study
Outstanding opportunities to learn from esteemed, working authors, attend events, and become immersed in the writing community, both on-campus and throughout Austin

The University of Texas at Austin plays host to both undergraduate and graduate programs in creative writing that are expertly designed to inspire and prepare emerging writers for a host of outstanding professional opportunities in fields like marketing, publishing, business, editing, education, and beyond! The Major in English with a Creative Writing concentration features a solid foundation in British, American, and world literature alongside focused courses in the art and craft of creative writing. The New Writer’s Project – MFA in Creative Writing and the Michener Center for Writers – MFA in Writing boast fully funded programs of study that are delivered in tightknit learning environments under close faculty mentorship. The three-year studio MFA in Creative Writing program features opportunities to study and practice fiction and poetry and connect with students and faculty of its partner MFA program, the Michener Center for Writers. This MFA in Writing program features a three-year program of study that admits writers in a primary genre (fiction, poetry, playwriting, or screenwriting) yet also provides them with ample opportunities to study a second genre. While the MFA in Creative Writing offers teaching experiences, the MFA in Writing funds students through fellowships alone, thereby requiring no teaching requirements.

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Public)

COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND HUMAN SCIENCES

Blacksburg, VA

Exciting, study abroad opportunities include a faculty-led trip to London (offered through an exchange program with Loughborough University)
Fully funded MFA provides equal funding to all students
MFA program has been consistently ranked among the top 30 programs in the nation by Poets & Writers magazine
Highly selective MFA program admits just 4-5 students annually in each genre (fiction and poetry)

Virginia Tech is home to both a BA and MFA in Creative Writing and a rich learning environment that opens the door to a superb exploration of your creative interests. The BA program features an examination of major writers and literary traditions and a faculty of published writers that provide unmatched support and guidance as you work toward producing a portfolio of your own creative work. Explore your interests by choosing among the program’s more than 100 English courses (you’ll have 36 credits of free electives to personalize your course of study); study modern and contemporary literature; and dive deep into playwriting, nonfiction, or writing fiction for young people! The three-year, fully funded MFA features your choice of focus in poetry or fiction, a faculty of esteemed, published writers and scholars, and plenty of opportunities to explore your craft across genres.

Hollins University (Private)

JACKSON CENTER FOR CREATIVE WRITING

Roanoke, VA

Also offers:

BA in Creative Writing (on-campus)
Superb undergraduate record of success – 95% of all graduates are employed or in graduate school within a year of graduating
MFA program features a personalized curriculum and outstanding faculty support
Hollins’ Creative Writing MFA has one of the highest publishing records of any graduate school in the nation
Hollins University has long been called “Pulitzer U” for its award-winning faculty and alumni

Hollins University’s Jackson Center for Creative Writing is where you’ll find exciting pathways to rewarding, writing-intensive careers in a variety of fields! Hollins’ multi-genre approach allows students to study and explore their craft in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction while also gaining a valuable foundation of knowledge in literature. Creative writing here is supported by a faculty of esteemed, award-winning writers and scholars and marked by outstanding, hands-on learning experiences both within and outside the walls of the classroom. At the undergraduate level, you’ll choose from a Major in Creative Writing or an English Major with a concentration in Creative Writing, while at the graduate level, you’ll have the opportunity to pursue the two-year MFA program, which is home to a versatile and personalized curriculum and the type of support that creates the most successful writers. This small program enrolls just 20-24 students at any given time, thereby keeping the learning environment small and highly engaging. This program includes funding opportunities that include travel and research funding.

University of Washington-Seattle Campus (Public)

Seattle, WA

MFA in Creative Writing (Poetry, Prose) (on-campus)

Fully funded MFA – students funded through teaching assistantships, fellowships, and through the Amazon Literary Partnership
Home to an esteemed faculty of award-winning authors
Highly selective MFA program admits just 8-10 students annually

Creative writing is part of the fabric of the University of Washington – Seattle’s English Department, long offering outstanding courses of undergraduate and graduate study to produce competent, talented writers with skills that transcend career fields. The English major with a Creative Writing option is your opportunity to grow as a communicator and artist! This program features a small, student-centered learning environment that’s marked by writing workshops that are designed to spark your creativity and hone your skills. The MFA in Creative Writing is a two-year program of poetry and prose that boasts an outstanding faculty of award-winning writers (many of whom have been awarded fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts). This highly selective, fully funded course of study admits just 8-10 students each year, thereby ensuring outstanding support and collaboration. Students here participate in literary seminars and workshops and round out their graduate study by completing a creative manuscript of original work.

University of Washington-Bothell Campus (Public)

SCHOOL OF INTERDISCIPLINARY ARTS AND SCIENCES

Bothell, WA

MFA in Creative Writing and Poetics (on-campus)

Versatile and flexible MFA encourages writing across the genres and exploring hybrid genres
Evening courses accommodate the lives of today’s busy, working students
Lively, on-campus gatherings bring together students, faculty, and renowned writers and artists

The University of Washington (Bothell campus) offers an esteemed MFA in Creative Writing and Poetics – a program rich in exploration and discovery. This uniquely structured program is structured according to areas of inquiry instead of genres, which allows students to explore and experiment across genres. You’re free to hone your craft here as you see fit, with experimentation with hybrid genres encouraged. Each year, students meet at the Fall Convergence, which brings together internationally renowned writers and artists. And the school year closes with the Spring Festival, a place for students to share their thesis work and get inspired by a student-nominated speaker. This program features evening courses that are designed to accommodate the busy lives of working students.

Prospective Students
Current Students
Faculty/Staff

MFA Research & Creative Work

View creative work and research projects by Stamps MFA in Art students.

Shane Darwent: The Garden (detail)

Link to work »

Ruth Burke: Gopi

Shania, the barren heifer, refuses to be a symbol and bucks the object off her. Documentation of ...

Carolyn Clayton: DeCORE Sample (video still)

Emily Schiffer: untitled

My great-grandparents left Guardiagrele, Italy for the United States in 1909, and a powerful long...

Jon Verney: thermophile

Nate Morgan: Mouth at All Ends

Alisa Yang: Please Come Again

Carolyn Clayton: Chain of Contagion

Molly Dierks: Untitled

Mia Cinelli: Untitled

Katie St. Clair: Untitled

Molly Dierks: home/Body

The sculptures in home/Body deal with the mother-daughter bond, gendered role-play, and self and ...

Parisa Ghaderi: Only an Inch Away

Using research in American Culture, Social Work and Public Health, Parisa uses video and audio in...

Ann Bartges: Holding Still

Working with the School of Music, Theater and Dance, Holding Still uses video projection and live...

John Gutoskey: Shaman Johnny’s Pop-Up Shop and Gallery

LGBTQ studies, women’s studies and art history inform this project, featuring artist and healer "...

Juliet Hinely: Per Mr. Handy

Per Mr. Handy is a site-specific audio-walk and performance installation in the Jam Handy Buildin...

Siyang Chen: Untitled

Emilia Javanica: Red Blob Massacre

Maddy Blitz is a young woman with horrendous-looking teeth. Maddy’s nightmares about not fitting ...

Collin McRae: Untitled

Jessica Joy London: Phenomena

Each painting is an artifact of chance, conscious decision-making, fixed laws of natural phenomen...

Amanda Lilleston: Animal

Meghan Reynard: One Year Daylight: Ann Arbor

Investigating the experiences of daylight, latitude and time, and how the daylight phenomenon can...

Charles Fairbanks: Untitled

Charles is a filmmaker and wrestler whose work focuses on Lucha Libre in Mexico. He fights as the...

MFA Video Profiles

Simranpreet Kaur Anand: 2024 MFA Profile

Living with the Eternal: Rethinking Sacred Materials Embark on a thought-provoking journey with S...

Leah Crosby: 2024 MFA Profile

Tender's Tender: Exploring Caregiving Dynamics Delve into the intricate world of caregiving relat...

Abigail Lowe: 2024 MFA Profile

Paper Mother Printer Daughter: Unveiling the Theater of Domestic Life Immerse yourself with Abiga...

Stéphanie Morissette: 2024 MFA Profile

Bird of Prey: Exploring the Evolution of Future Biology with Animals and Objects Stéphanie Moriss...

Krista Sheneman: 2024 MFA Profile

Krista Sheneman explores home and the weight we carry throughout our lives with her thesis projec...

Oksana Briukhovetska: Profile

Emerson granillo: profile, michelle hinojosa: profile, nicholas lamarca: profile, sebastian llovera: profile, peter stack: profile, thesis work & exhibitions.

2024 MFA Thesis Exhibition

As Far As There , the 2024 MFA Thesis exhibition, features the work of Simranpreet Kaur Anand, Leah Crosby, Jessie Karlsberger, Abigail Lowe, Stephanie Morissette, and Krista Sheneman.

Poster for Seven for a Secret Never to be Told: the 2023 MFA Graduate Thesis Exhibition

2023 MFA Thesis Exhibition

Seven for a Secret Never to be Told , the 2023 MFA Thesis exhibition, presents culminating projects by Oksana Briukhovetska, Emerson Granillo, Michelle Inez Hinojosa, Nicholas La Marca, Sebastian Llovera, Barbara Pearsall, and Peter Matthew Stack.

2022 MFA Thesis Exhibition

Close but Not Touching: The 2022 MFA Thesis Exhibition brings together culminating projects by second-year graduate students Nick Azzaro, Martha Daghlian, Razi Jafri, Natalia Rocafuerte, Ellie Schmidt, Kristina Sheufelt, and Georgia b. Smith.

2021 MFA Thesis Exhibition

Heartened Surfaces: The 2021 MFA Thesis Exhibition brings together culminating projects by second-year graduate students Christine Bruening, Nathan Byrne, Rey Jeong, and Benjamin Winans.

News: MFA Research & Creative Work

Learn more about recent graduate research and creative work in these feature stories.

click here to read it now

Read this week's magazine

What You Won’t Learn in an MFA

An mfa can teach you skills, but will it prepare you for a writing career.

By 2018, I had written five books and decided to pursue an MFA in creative writing with a concentration in fiction. For me, earning an MFA gave me the time and space I needed to quit my day job and transition to writing full-time, but that was something I had been building toward for over a decade. Of course, I can’t speak to all MFA programs, but in many cases, they focus almost exclusively on writing skills and don’t give writers the concrete skills they need to make money writing and publishing. I often found myself answering questions for my classmates about what publishing was really like. It simply wasn’t being taught, sometimes because faculty themselves were struggling with how to navigate writing as a business.

An MFA program may be the right choice to help you become a better writer, or because you want the qualification to teach writing at a college; it may not give you insights into navigating the publishing landscape.

Here are some of the professional development skills you may need to gain outside of the classroom on your writing journey.

Getting published

Many MFA programs don’t talk to authors about the good, the bad, and the ugly in both traditional publishing and self-publishing. There is often an assumption that if you’re in an MFA program, you’ll be seeking a traditional publishing deal. But most programs also don’t teach writers the skills to query small presses or agents who can query large presses. Even as self-publishing has become an increasingly popular publishing choice, many MFA programs aren’t giving students a clear picture of what it involves.

Contracting

My MFA program was great, but never once during my studies did I hear anyone talk about how to read, negotiate, or understand a contract. As an indie author, you’ll have fewer contracts to interact with than authors who choose to traditionally publish their work, but contracts will still come up—contracts with designers who are working on your books, contracts with podcasts or magazines publishing excerpts of your work. In my MFA program, students who were publishing were left to talk with each other to try to understand how contracts work. Most writers aren’t legal experts, and we benefit from having either a private attorney or an attorney through an organization such as the Author’s Guild review our contracts. I would love to see MFA programs better prepare writers to navigate these business interactions, to negotiate writing rates, and to understand what rights we may be signing away with a particular contract.

Writing to market

The culture of MFA programs often shames or diminishes the idea of writing to market, and instead prioritizes creating literary art for the sake of art. This is a completely valid way to approach your writing life. However, if your goal is to publish your work and sell books, understanding the market and how to write books that appeal to readers is important. There’s nothing wrong with writing books with mass-market appeal, but, depending on the program you attend, you may not hear that in classes. Especially for writers considering the self-publishing route, learning how to understand current trends and how to write books that connect to them is invaluable.

Writing is your passion, and seeing your name in print might be your dream, but when it happens, your writing also becomes a business. Understanding how to manage a writing business is something that most new writers won’t have a lot of experience with. For example, when you get paid from book sales, speaking arrangements, or most anything to do with your books, taxes aren’t going to be withheld. Instead, you’ll need to put money aside to pay your taxes. MFA programs generally don’t cover these details or highlight the importance of hiring an accountant or tax professional to help you with setting up your writing business. You may need to form an LLC for your self-publishing business, open a business bank account, and file taxes appropriately for your writing work. As a self-published author, you also may need to keep records tracking orders and inventory.

Most authors are not able to make a living from books alone. Many writers are balancing a variety of different content creation and income streams. This may include teaching at a college or university (for which a terminal degree such as an MFA is required), freelance writing, and independent teaching, to name a few possibilities. The more writing programs can give MFA students the tools they need to understand the business side of their work, the more successful they will be.

Sassafras Lowrey writes fiction and nonfiction and was the recipient of the 2013 Lambda Literary Award for emerging LGBTQ writers.

You are a subscriber but you have not yet set up your account for premium online access. Contact customer service (see details below) to add your preferred email address and password to your account.
You forgot your password and you need to retrieve it. Click here to retrieve reset your password.
Your company has a site license, use our easy login. Enter your work email address in the Site License Portal.

Creative Writing Program Marks Three Decades of Growth, Diversity

Black and white photo shows old American seaside town with title 'Barely South Review'

By Luisa A. Igloria

2024: a milestone year which marks the 30 th anniversary of Old Dominion University’s MFA Creative Writing Program. Its origins can be said to go back to April 1978, when the English Department’s (now Professor Emeritus, retired) Phil Raisor organized the first “Poetry Jam,” in collaboration with Pulitzer prize-winning poet W.D. Snodgrass (then a visiting poet at ODU). Raisor describes this period as “ a heady time .” Not many realize that from 1978 to 1994, ODU was also the home of AWP (the Association of Writers and Writing Programs) until it moved to George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

The two-day celebration that was “Poetry Jam” has evolved into the annual ODU Literary Festival, a week-long affair at the beginning of October bringing writers of local, national, and international reputation to campus. The ODU Literary Festival is among the longest continuously running literary festivals nationwide. It has featured Rita Dove, Maxine Hong Kingston, Susan Sontag, Edward Albee, John McPhee, Tim O’Brien, Joy Harjo, Dorothy Allison, Billy Collins, Naomi Shihab Nye, Sabina Murray, Jane Hirshfield, Brian Turner, S.A. Cosby, Nicole Sealey, Franny Choi, Ross Gay, Adrian Matejka, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Ilya Kaminsky, Marcelo Hernandez Castillo, Jose Olivarez, and Ocean Vuong, among a roster of other luminaries. MFA alumni who have gone on to publish books have also regularly been invited to read.

From an initial cohort of 12 students and three creative writing professors, ODU’s MFA Creative Writing Program has grown to anywhere between 25 to 33 talented students per year. Currently they work with a five-member core faculty (Kent Wascom, John McManus, and Jane Alberdeston in fiction; and Luisa A. Igloria and Marianne L. Chan in poetry). Award-winning writers who made up part of original teaching faculty along with Raisor (but are now also either retired or relocated) are legends in their own right—Toi Derricotte, Tony Ardizzone, Janet Peery, Scott Cairns, Sheri Reynolds, Tim Seibles, and Michael Pearson. Other faculty that ODU’s MFA Creative Writing Program was privileged to briefly have in its ranks include Molly McCully Brown and Benjamín Naka-Hasebe Kingsley.

"What we’ve also found to be consistently true is how collegial this program is — with a lively and supportive cohort, and friendships that last beyond time spent here." — Luisa A. Igloria, Louis I. Jaffe Endowed Professor & University Professor of English and Creative Writing at Old Dominion University

Our student body is diverse — from all over the country as well as from closer by. Over the last ten years, we’ve also seen an increase in the number of international students who are drawn to what our program has to offer: an exciting three-year curriculum of workshops, literature, literary publishing, and critical studies; as well as opportunities to teach in the classroom, tutor in the University’s Writing Center, coordinate the student reading series and the Writers in Community outreach program, and produce the student-led literary journal Barely South Review . The third year gives our students more time to immerse themselves in the completion of a book-ready creative thesis. And our students’ successes have been nothing but amazing. They’ve published with some of the best (many while still in the program), won important prizes, moved into tenured academic positions, and been published in global languages. What we’ve also found to be consistently true is how collegial this program is — with a lively and supportive cohort, and friendships that last beyond time spent here.

Our themed studio workshops are now offered as hybrid/cross genre experiences. My colleagues teach workshops in horror, speculative and experimental fiction, poetry of place, poetry and the archive — these give our students so many more options for honing their skills. And we continue to explore ways to collaborate with other programs and units of the university. One of my cornerstone projects during my term as 20 th Poet Laureate of the Commonwealth was the creation of a Virginia Poets Database, which is not only supported by the University through the Perry Library’s Digital Commons, but also by the MFA Program in the form of an assistantship for one of our students. With the awareness of ODU’s new integration with Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) and its impact on other programs, I was inspired to design and pilot a new 700-level seminar on “Writing the Body Fantastic: Exploring Metaphors of Human Corporeality.” In the fall of 2024, I look forward to a themed graduate workshop on “Writing (in) the Anthropocene,” where my students and I will explore the subject of climate precarity and how we can respond in our own work.

Even as the University and wider community go through shifts and change through time, the MFA program has grown with resilience and grace. Once, during the six years (2009-15) that I directed the MFA Program, a State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) university-wide review amended the guidelines for what kind of graduate student would be allowed to teach classes (only those who had already earned 18 or more graduate credits). Thus, two of our first-year MFA students at that time had to be given another assignment for their Teaching Assistantships. I thought of AWP’s hallmarks of an effective MFA program , which lists the provision of editorial and publishing experience to its students through an affiliated magazine or press — and immediately sought department and upper administration support for creating a literary journal. This is what led to the creation of our biannual Barely South Review in 2009.

In 2010, HuffPost and Poets & Writers listed us among “ The Top 25 Underrated Creative Writing MFA Programs ” (better underrated than overrated, right?) — and while our MFA Creative Writing Program might be smaller than others, we do grow good writers here. When I joined the faculty in 1998, I was excited by the high caliber of both faculty and students. Twenty-five years later, I remain just as if not more excited, and look forward to all the that awaits us in our continued growth.

This essay was originally published in the Spring 2024 edition of Barely South Review , ODU’s student-led literary journal. The University’s growing MFA in Creative Writing program connects students with a seven-member creative writing faculty in fiction, poetry, and nonfiction.

Enhance your college career by gaining relevant experience with the skills and knowledge needed for your future career. Discover our experiential learning opportunities.

Picture yourself in the classroom, speak with professors in your major, and meet current students.

From sports games to concerts and lectures, join the ODU community at a variety of campus events.

Israel-Hamas War

My Writing Students Were Arrested at Columbia. Their Voices Have Never Been More Essential

O n April 30, 56 years after Columbia sent the police in to arrest student protesters who had taken over Hamilton Hall in protest of the Vietnam War—protests the school loves to promote—I was walking my 12-year-old daughter home after her choir performance. We had gone an extra stop on the subway because the stop at 116th, Columbia’s stop, was closed. Instead, we had to walk back to our apartment from the 125th stop. When we got within sight of Columbia, a line of dozens of police blocked our path. I asked them to let us through; I pointed to our apartment building and said we lived there. As a Columbia professor, I live in Columbia housing.

“I have my orders,” the cop in charge said.

“I live right there,” I said. “It’s my daughter’s bedtime.”

“I have my orders,” he said again.

“I’m just trying to get home,” I said.

We were forced to walk back the way we came from and circle around from another block. Luckily, our building has an entrance through the bodega in the basement. This is how I took my daughter up to her room and sent her to bed.

Read More: Columbia's Relationship With Student Protesters Has Long Been Fraught

A week earlier, I had brought some food for the students camping out on Columbia’s West Lawn and had met with similar resistance. Security guards asked whether I was really faculty; I had already swiped my faculty badge that should have confirmed my identity. They asked to take my badge, then they said I hadn’t swiped it, which I had, two seconds earlier, as they watched. They said their professors had never brought food to them before. I didn’t know what to say to this—“I’m sorry that your professors never brought you food?” They called someone and told them the number on my badge. Finally, they were forced to let me through. They said again that their professors had never brought them food. “OK,” I said, and walked into campus. I reported their behavior and never received a reply.

On April 30, after I had got my daughter to bed, my partner and I took the dog down to pee. We watched the protesters call, “Shame!” as the police went in and out of the blockade that stretched 10 blocks around campus. Earlier that day, we had seen police collecting barricades—it seemed like there would be a bit of peace. As soon as it got dark, they must have used those barricades and more to block off the 10 blocks. There were reports on campus that journalists were not allowed out of Pulitzer Hall, including Columbia’s own student journalists and the dean of the School of Journalism, under threat of arrest. Faculty and students who did not live on campus had been forbidden access to campus in the morning. There was no one around to witness. My partner and I had to use social media to see the hundreds of police in full riot gear, guns out, infiltrate Columbia’s Hamilton Hall, where protesters had holed up , mirroring the 1968 protests that had occupied the same building.

In the next few days, I was in meeting after meeting. Internally, we were told that the arrests had been peaceful and careful, with no student injuries. The same thing was repeated by Mayor Adams and CNN . Meanwhile, president Minouche Shafik had violated faculty governance and the university bylaws that she consult the executive committee before calling police onto campus. (The committee voted unanimously against police intervention .)

Read More: Columbia Cancels Main Commencement Following Weeks of Pro-Palestinian Protests

Then, Saturday morning, I got an email from a couple of writing students that they had been released from jail. I hadn’t heard that any of our students had been involved. They told me they hadn’t gotten food or water, or even their meds, for 24 hours. They had watched their friends bleed, kicked in the face by police. They said they had been careful not to damage university property. At least one cop busted into a locked office and fired a gun , threatened by what my students called “unarmed students in pajamas.”

In the mainstream media, the story was very different. The vandalism was blamed on students. Police showed off one of Oxford Press’s Terrorism: A Very Short Introduction . (This series of books offers scholarly introductions that help students prepare for classes, not how-to pamphlets teaching them to do terrorism.)

“I feel like I’m being gaslit,” one of my students said.

I teach creative writing, and I am the author of a book about teaching creative writing and the origins of creative-writing programs in the early 20th century. The oldest MFA program in the country, the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, was funded by special-interest groups like the Rockefeller Foundation and, famously, the CIA, and was explicitly described by director Paul Engle as a tool to spread American values.

Read More: 'Why Are Police in Riot Gear?' Inside Columbia and City College's Darkest Night

The way we teach creative writing is essential because it shapes what kinds of narratives will be seen as valuable, pleasurable, and convincing. Today’s writing students will record how our current events become history. One of the strategies Columbia took with its police invasion was to block access of faculty, students, and press to the truth. It didn’t want any witnesses. It wanted to control the story.

For weeks, Columbia administration and the mainstream media has painted student protesters as violent and disruptive—and though there have been incidents of antisemitism, racism, and anti-Muslim hatred, including a chemical attack on pro-Palestine protesters , I visited the encampment multiple times and saw a place of joy, love, and community that included explicit teach-ins on antisemitism and explicit rules against any hateful language and action. Students of different faiths protected each other’s right to prayer. Meanwhile, wary of surveillance and the potential use of facial recognition to identify them, they covered their faces. Faculty have become afraid to use university email addresses to discuss ways to protect their students. At one point, the administration circulated documents they wanted students to sign, agreeing to self-identify their involvement and leave the encampment by a 2 p.m. deadline or face suspension or worse. In the end, student radio WKCR reported that even students who did leave the encampment were suspended.

In a recent statement in the Guardian and an oral history in New York Magazine , and through the remarkable coverage of WKCR, Columbia students have sought to take back the narrative. They have detailed the widespread support on campus for student protesters; the peaceful nature of the demonstrations; widespread student wishes to divest financially from Israel, cancel the Tel Aviv Global Center, and end Columbia’s dual-degree program with Tel Aviv University; and the administration’s lack of good faith in negotiations. As part of the Guardian statement, the student body says that multiple news outlets refused to print it. They emphasize their desire to tell their own story.

In a time of mass misinformation, writers who tell the truth and who are there to witness the truth firsthand are essential and must be protected. My students in Columbia’s writing program who have been arrested and face expulsion for wanting the university to disclose and divest, and the many other student protesters, represent the remarkable energy and skepticism of the younger generation who are committed not only to witnessing but participating in the making of a better world. Truth has power, but only if there are people around to tell the truth. We must protect their right to do so, whether or not the truth serves our beliefs. It is the next generation of writers who understand this best and are fighting for both their right and ours to be heard.

More Must-Reads from TIME

The New Face of Doctor Who
Putin’s Enemies Are Struggling to Unite
Women Say They Were Pressured Into Long-Term Birth Control
Scientists Are Finding Out Just How Toxic Your Stuff Is
Boredom Makes Us Human
John Mulaney Has What Late Night Needs
The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time

Accessibility Options:
Skip to Content
Skip to Search
Skip to footer
Office of Disability Services
Request Assistance
305-284-2374
High Contrast
School of Architecture
College of Arts and Sciences
Miami Herbert Business School
School of Communication
School of Education and Human Development
College of Engineering
School of Law
Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science
Miller School of Medicine
Frost School of Music
School of Nursing and Health Studies
The Graduate School
Division of Continuing and International Education
People Search
Class Search
IT Help and Support
Privacy Statement
Student Life

University of Miami

Division of University Communications
Office of Media Relations
Miller School of Medicine Communications
Hurricane Sports
UM Media Experts
Emergency Preparedness

Explore Topics

Latest Headlines
Arts and Humanities
People and Community
All Topics A to Z

Summer guide to the arts at the U

Yi-Mei Ciou, percussion student at the Frost School of Music

By Brittney Bomnin Garcia [email protected] 05-16-2024

The summer months bring a change of pace to the University’s campuses, including events and programs available to the public. Be sure to check the full calendar of events to stay in-the-know this summer as we take a break from publishing the monthly arts guide.

Learn more about The U Creates —the University’s digital hub for the arts, culture, and creative expression.

Saturday, May 18, 10:30 a.m. | in person, free event

Family Art Workshop: Spanish Musical Storytime with Imago

Experienced artists and/or curious beginners can join the Lowe Art Museum for an artmaking experience working with various mediums, colors, and techniques. Part of a monthly program designed for intergenerational groups, this family workshop has been developed in collaboration with Imago Por Las Artes, facilitated by Adriana Díaz from Marimba Music for Kids, and Trina Oropeza from Imago Por Las Artes. Register for the workshop .

Lowe Art Museum, 1301 Stanford Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146

On view through Friday, May 31 | in person, free entry

Mariana Espindola: ‘Saudade’

Created by Mariana Espindola, Master of Fine Arts candidate, “Saudade” presents a documentation of the artist’s experience with death, grief, the loss of her father, and the changing dynamics of her family. The exhibition is a series of large-scale photographs, along with three narrative photobooks and a circular photo-based sculpture depicting landscapes, people, and fabric. By showcasing the works in the exhibition, Espindola hopes to create an opportunity for people to understand the realities of the grieving process as well as a space where viewers may feel comfortable discussing their own sentiments. Learn more .

University of Miami Wynwood Gallery, 2750 NW Third Ave., Suite 4, Miami, FL 33127

Sunday, June 9, through Sunday, June 16 | in person, purchase tickets

Frost Chopin Festival

The sixth annual Frost Chopin Festival brings unforgettable world-class music performances to the University’s Maurice Gusman Concert Hall and Newman Concert Hall. Guests will experience leading artists performing alongside rising star virtuoso students of the Frost Chopin Academy.

All attendees are invited to sit in enlightening workshops. The finale concert will shed a spotlight on Chopin’s works with orchestral accompaniment, where the concerto competition winners will perform with an orchestra led by David Kim, New York Philharmonic concertmaster and violinist.

Maurice Gusman Concert Hall, Frost School of Music, 1314 Miller Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146

Newman Recital Hall, Knight Center for Music Innovation, 5513 San Amaro Dr, Coral Gables, FL 33146

Classic and modern films at the Bill Cosford Cinema

Sundays at 1 p.m. through Aug. 11.

Selected films will explore different facets of culture, race, humor, history, and the art of filmmaking. Tickets are $5 per screening. University students can use the code UMSTUDENT at checkout and present a valid CaneID at the door to gain free admission to each screening. View the calendar and purchase tickets .

June 2 - True Love (1989)
June 9 - Umberto D. (1952)
June 16 - Rumble Fish (1983)
June 23 - The Handmaiden (2016)
July 14 - Nights of Cabiria (1957)
July 21 - Playtime (1967)
July 28 - City of God (2002)
Aug. 4 - Wild at Heart (1990)
Aug. 11 - Diva (1981)

Bill Cosford Cinema, Dooly Memorial 225, 5030 Brunson Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146

Explore exhibitions at the Lowe Art Museum

June 21 through Sept. 14 | in person

‘A Collector's Journey: Susan Grant Lewin and the Art Jewelry World’

Preeminent collector Susan Grant Lewin traces her passion for art jewelry back to her work in the 1980s and 1990s as a journalist and communications executive. Author of one of the premier books on then-rising American jewelry artists, Lewin has followed the careers of these artisans as well as those of their international counterparts and emerging talents for four decades. Although it is not the only exhibition to feature Lewin’s impressive holdings, this exhibition is the first to survey Lewin’s long-standing commitment to this phenomenon, which has evolved from isolated pockets of artists creating conceptual, mostly wearable statements made from mundane materials into today’s global movement. Find out more about the exhibition .

‘She's a Knockout: Sport, Gender, and the Body in Contemporary Art’

This exhibition features works by eleven contemporary artists from around the globe to explore how they engage with topics such as resilience, strength, labor, women’s rights, and queer aesthetics through athletic imagery. It also queries preconceived notions of femininity through a range of conceptual approaches, be they celebratory, humorous, or critical. Learn more about the exhibition .

Coral Gables , FL 33124
305-284-2211 305-284-2211
UM News and Events
Alumni & Friends
University Hotline

Tools and Resources

Academic Calendar
Parking & Transportation
social-facebook
social-twitter
social-youtube
social-instagram

Individuals with disabilities who experience any technology-based barriers accessing the University’s websites or services can visit the Office of Workplace Equity and Inclusion .

Celebrating the Spring 2024 MFA Graduates

Writers' Workshop

Jayne anne phillips wins 2024 pulitzer prize for fiction.

Written by Sara Epstein Moninger

Phillips, who earned an MFA in 1978, was recognized for her novel Night Watch . The Pulitzer judges described the book as “a beautifully rendered novel set in West Virginia’s Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in the aftermath of the Civil War where a severely wounded Union veteran, a 12-year-old girl, and her mother, long abused by a Confederate soldier, struggle to heal.”

Yiyun Li, who graduated with a Master of Science in 2000 and two MFAs (fiction and nonfiction) in 2005, was a finalist in fiction for her book of short stories Wednesday’s Child . Li’s short stories and novels have won numerous awards, including the PEN/Hemingway Award for A Thousand Years of Good Prayers and the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction for The Book of Goose . She currently serves as director of Princeton University’s creative writing program.

Additionally, two alumnae were recognized as finalists for the 2024 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry:

Jorie Graham, who graduated with an MFA in 1978 and won a Pulitzer in 1996 for The Dream of the Unified Field , was named a finalist for To 2040 . Graham, one of the most celebrated poets of her generation, is a former longtime faculty member in the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Among her poetry collections are The End of Beauty , Place , and Sea Change . She currently is the Boylston Professor of Oratory and Rhetoric at Harvard University.

Robyn Schiff, who graduated with an MFA in 1999, was named a finalist for Information Desk: An Epic , a book-length poem in three parts set in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Schiff, who has been a visiting faculty member in the UI Department of English, also is the author of Worth , Revolver , and A Woman of Property , which was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. She teaches at the University of Chicago and co-edits Canarium Books.

Pulitzer Prizes are awarded annually to honor achievements in journalism, literature, and music. See the full list of 2024 Pulitzer winners .

Palm Desert Low-Residency MFA

Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts

Spring 2024 Residency Schedule Announced

Below is the daily schedule for our upcoming Spring 2024 Residency. If you're interested in applying and would like to visit for a day, please contact Kathryn McGee at [email protected] or 760-834-0939.

Daily Schedule

Friday, June 7 3:00 – Check In 4:00 – Faculty & Staff meeting in Salon 6 5:00 – New Student Orientation in Salon 5 *Required for New Students 6:00 – Opening celebration on Sunrise Terrace.

Saturday June 8 8:00 Breakfast 9:00: All Student Orientation in Salon 5 *Required for ALL students & faculty & staff

10:30: Guest Faculty Lecture: Boris Kachka & Amara Hoshijo in conversation with David Ulin (All) The Book Industry: In Peril or Perpetuity? Join the former books editor of the LA Times Boris Kachka and Saga senior editor Amara Hoshijio in this discussion about where the industry is headed. (Salon 4)

10:30:Guest Faculty Lecture: Celeste Holben Pecar in Conversation with Joshua Malkin (S) Writing for A Director What’s it like developing a project for a top director? How does that relationship work? What kinds of projects are right or wrong? In this conversation, we’ll get down to the bottom of all these big questions from a development exec working directly with a big name director. (Salon 5)

10:30: Faculty Lecture: Jill Alexander Essbaum (P/F) In Pursuit of Style and Substance or, Jill's Top-Ten List of Shit You Should Either Fix or Do or Stop Doing or Push Against or Experiment With or Even Just for One Freaking Nanosecond CONSIDER Fixing or Doing or Whatevering That Will Make Your Writing About One Trazillionty Times Better. (Salon 6)

1:15 Main Genre Workshops Birnbaum -- Plumeria Crane/Ulin – Begonia Essbaum/Roberge -- Gardenia Goldberg – Lavender Malkin – Hibiscus Pochoda – Lantana Rabkin – Jasmine Schimmel - Iris Smith – Primrose Ulin/Crane -- Begonia

4:30: Graduate Lecture: Chris Lacroix (F) Lights, Camera, Disatisfaction! Hollywood: the ultimate frontier for those seeking fame, fortune, love, and validation. Hollywood is also the ultimate setting for writers looking to explore the pitfalls of the American Dream. Join Chris Lacroix, a true Hollywood geek, as he looks at the work of literary stars like Nathanael West, F.Scott Fitzgerald, Joan Didion, Jacqueline Susann, Matthew Specktor, and others as he attempts to answer the questions "Why is everyone in Hollywood such a hot mess?" and "Why are these books so freaking good?"

5:15: Graduate Lecture: J Schuberth (F) You Kill Like a Girl: Crime Fiction’s “Violent Woman Problem” Crime fiction has seen a proliferation of female characters who commit violence, and while some authors challenge the gender binary, many reinforce it by falling into crime fiction’s tropes of the violent woman as victim, sociopath and/or fighting fuck toy. I will look at how these generic tropes rob female characters of their agency, and the literary techniques some authors use to subvert these tropes and give their female characters the same narrative freedom to express themselves through violence as is given to male characters.

8:00: Special Evening Program: Alex Espinoza in conversation with Tod Goldberg Followed by a booksigning. Join us for the return of Alex Espinoza on the occasion of the release of his first novel in a decade, The Sons of El Rey!

Sunday June 9 8:00: Breakfast

9:00-10:30: Guest Faculty Lecture: Sarah Tomlinson (F/NF) The Art of the Ghost In this talk, we’ll learn all about the business of ghost-writing – from how to get the jobs to how to do the work and how not to lose your mind in the process. (Salon 4)

9:00-10:30: Guest Faculty Lecture: Susan Straight (F) The Polyphonic Novel: Writing in Multiple Points of View Along with some of my favorite writers, Louise Erdrich, Ernest J. Gaines, Helena Maria Viramontes, and Dennis Lehane, my novels are set in complicated communities, with many characters. How do we make our people vivid, including main and secondary characters? How do we create dialogue and narrative voices to carry the plot or memoir forward? (Salon 5)

9:00-10:30am Guest Faculty Lecture: Adam Deutsch (P/F/N) Forms as a Tool for Revision Sometimes when we’re in the process of editing, rewriting, and revising, we can get stuck with pieces that sprawl and meander in all kinds of ways. One practice we might consider is taking a draft that’s still trying to find direction, and placing it into a form. Whether working on poetry or prose, processing our writing through the fresh framingss of a traditional structure can give us new ways to look at the work we’re shaping and trying to discover. Please be sure to bring some work—a poem, story, whatever—to tinker with in a communal conversation. (Salon 6)

10:30-12:00 Guest Faculty Lecture: Rachel Howzell Hall (F) What I Did Last Summer (and last fall, last winter and just yesterday) or Ten Things I Learned Writing My First Romantasy Believe it or now, fantasy novels are more than dragons, magic and lore, and require following real-life rules. Learn how to write otherworldly pages—from worldbuilding and character creation to theme and pacing—in your quest to write explosive and page-turning, cinematic stories that reach a wide audience of readers. Bestselling mystery-crime novelist Rachel Howzell Hall shares all the lessons she learned while writing The Last One, the first of her romantasy series with Red Tower, publisher of the No. 1 international bestselling romantasy series in the world, Fourth Wing and Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros. (Salon 4)

10:30-12:00 Faculty Lecture: Mickey Birnbaum (PL) To Dream the Impossible Dream If your play calls for a rabid boar to eat the protagonist, is that an impediment to production? Probably not. We'll look at a series of impossible characters, settings and stage directions in several fantastic plays and try to figure out how they did it, why they did it, and what inventive theatre artists are capable of accomplishing. Then we'll try to come up with some our own impossible characters, settings and stage directions to excite directors and actors and give artistic directors heart attacks. No more kitchen sink theatre, kids, unless the kitchen sinks are dancing and talking! (Salon 5)

10:30-12:00 Guest Faculty Lecture: David Holben Pecar with Joshua Malkin (S) The Importance of Audience A Q&A with David Pecar about the importance of Audience (with a capital ‘A’) and approaching the audience from the studio’s perspective. Also, how considering the audience can/should matter to a screenwriter too. (Salon 6)

12:00-1:00pm: Lunch

1:15-4:15 Cross-Genre Workshops Birnbaum – Plumeria Crane – Begonia Essbaum – Gardenia Malkin – Hibiscus Pochoda -- Lantana Rabkin – Jasmine Roberge – Lavender Schimmel – Iris Smith -- Primrose Ulin – Larkspur

4:30: Graduate Lecture: Hailey Schneider (PL) Exploring the Evolution of Theatrical Form Through Female Perspectives We are witnessing a shift in our perceptions of what theatrical form can be. But what is the driving force behind these shifts? In this lecture, we’ll unravel the dynamic interplay between societal influences and the evolution of theatrical form, using the feminine perspective to guide us. From the pioneering works of female playwrights in the early 20th century to contemporary masterpieces, we'll delve into how their bold perspectives have revolutionized the theatrical landscape, and take a look at how the diverse voices of today are working to shape the future of theatre. Come listen as we explore the exciting landscape of creative innovation in theatrical form and how we can use our own unique perspectives to create new, bold work.

Special Event! A staged reading of Hailey Schneider’s play directed by Katie Gilligan 7:00: Doors (with lite refreshments!) 7:30: Performance UCR Palm Desert 75080 Frank Sinatra Drive Palm Desert, CA 92211

Monday June 10 8:00: Breakfast

9:00-10:30: Guest Faculty Lecture: David Martinez (NF) Utilizing your MFA toolbox for writing after grad school What you do and how you interact with your writing after grad school can depend in part on how you utilize the tools given to you through what you learn, your friendships, and your mentors. I thought the novel I was working on as a grad student was my only shot at a writing career. I was wrong. I was terrified that without deadlines and workshops I’d stop writing. I was wrong again. What I learned as an MFA student taught me to recognize when my novel wasn’t working and gave me the foundation I needed to write my memoir that ultimately was published seven years after I graduated. The friends I met in the program helped give me the courage to write and helped me through some of my most difficult moments on my path. My mentors, along with guidance and support, have helped me navigate post publication. The program is set up to help you after you time here is done. Here’s my perspective on how. (Salon 4)

9:00-10:30 Guest Faculty Lecture: Guest Faculty Lecture: Chanda Prescod-Weinstein (NF/F) Hard to Explain How do you take big, weighty topics – like, say, theoretical physics? – and make it easy to digest for the average reader? In this talk, Dr. Prescod-Weinstein, whose book on theoretical physics won the LA Times Book Prize, will show you how to tell any tale in a way that gets through to the audience that needs it most. (Salon 6)

9:00-10:30 Guest Faculty Lecture: Duncan Birmingham (S) PRE-WRITING YOUR SCREENPLAY or YOUR LOGLINE AS YOUR ROAD MAP. I'll teach a method to use the classic pithy two or three sentence Hollywood logline (often utilized AFTER you write your screenplay to try to sell it) as a way to START, brainstorm, refine and organize the idea for your screenplay. It’s a great way to come up with a new idea for a screenplay or rethink a screenplay you're stuck on. This working logline will act as your road map or north star as you journey into the heart of screenplay darkness! We'll go through different components of a strong logline (starting simple with stuff like a "hero" and a "goal" and getting into more complex concepts like “irony” and “stakes” and “why now”) and students will craft their own new loglines/screenplay summaries as we go along. It can be interactive with me calling on volunteers to read out their in-progress loglines or not. I'll reference popular movies, indie films and my own journey with my film, Who Invited Them. (Salon 5)

10:30-12:00 Faculty Lecture: Bill Rabkin (S) THE NEW TELEVISION MARKETPLACE: HOW TO SURVIVE THE CREATIVE APOCALYPSE The last decade has been a golden age for television writers. For the first time in history, when they said they wanted new voices and new visions, they really meant it. And then the strikes hit. And Wall Street hit. And now everybody’s afraid to buy anything from anyone. But of course, they still need new shows. They’re going to have to buy something. It’s just that what they want to buy may not match up with what you want to write. And the days when buyers care about what you want to write are gone, maybe forever. I’ve been a TV writer for close to forty years, and I’ve never seen a market for new projects as bad as it is now. If you want to have any chance at all to set up a project anywhere, you need to understand what the studios, streamers and networks are willing to buy in this suddenly panic-driven marketplace. This lecture will explore the kinds of shows that have a chance to be bought, the genres that are going to be thriving in the next couple of years, and how to take your own stories, characters and themes and adapt them into concepts that can fly in the current market. (Salon 5)

10:30-12:00 Guest Faculty Lecture: Gideon Pine & Jud Laghi (F/N) Secret Agents We’ll sit down with two agents and find out the deep dark secrets required to get their attention. (Salon 4)

10:30-`12:00 Tiffany Colli Moon (PL) Tiffany Colli-Moon & Mickey Birnbaum in conversation Tiffany Colli-Moon, literary manager of the Ojai Playwrights Festival, and program producer for the Library Foundation, will talk with Mickey Birnbaum about the current state of plays and playwriting, including best strategies for emerging playwrights to get their work read, what theatres and audiences want and need in the post-pandemic theatrical landscape, how to combine grand theatrical gestures with emotional depth, and what's next in the evolution of theatre. (Salon 6)

12:00pm-1:00pm: Lunch

1:15-4:15: Main Genre Workshops

4:30: Graduate Lecture: Jesenia Chavez (NF) Latine Memoirs: Remembering as an act of resistance! We will explore how recent Latine Memoir writers, are expanding the narrative of what it means to be Latina/e/x in this country. Some weave their personal stories providing history and context. All of them show how our bodies are sites of battles, how our stories are erased, yet if we can remember collectively, we can build something new where we can thrive in community. Some make you laugh; some make you cry, and most make your rage bubble up, inspiring you to take action. There is room on the page for “speaking non-English” y todo. As Maria Hinojosa eloquently writes, “this hatred and suspicion of the other is a sickness that is spreading everywhere. Every one of us is responsible for trying to stop its expansion and dissemination; that much is within our control.” These writers urge us to remember look beyond what is in front of us and imagine a place where our stories and our bodies matter

5:10 Graduate Lecture: Brian Hooper (F) NAVIGATING BLACK STEREOTYPES IN FICTION: "I ain’t afraid of no trope." Look, I am not saying you should finish writing that Magical Negro story that has been in your drafts. And that white-identified non-threatening, asexual, black ,domestic worker character in your book? She’s a Mammy. We certainly don’t need another book-to-screenplay idea where the white person comes to the ‘hood and fixes all the poor, helpless black folk.But when is it ok to engage with black tropes? Is it even possible to avoid writing them? Where do they come from in the first place? If there ever was a reason to buy a ticket to the black part of Tropetown (Shoutout to Redlining) and, if you do, how do you not wind up on the express train to Cancel City (Population 1 Million and counting). Brian Hooper invites all you jive turkey suckas (black, white, brown, and yellow) to participate in this kinda uncomfortable conversation.

8:00: Evening Program: The Student Reading in the R Bar hosted by the Coachella Review with featured reader Alex Reiser!

Tuesday June 11 8:00 Breakfast

9:00-10:30: Faculty Lecture: Yennie Cheung (All) The Coachella Review Editors Meeting & Info Session (Salon 4)

9:00-10:30 Guest Faculty Lecture: Jennie Webb (PL) Is This a Play? Pushing the Boundaries of What Belongs Onstage What makes us want to put a story on stage? How do we take advantage of the open space that is theater? Why do audiences need to invest in a character’s dramatic journey? And while there’s certainly a place for “well made plays” and traditional, Aristotelian structural demands (conflict, climax, resolution), let’s talk about the unique, collaborative nature of live theatre. And the fact that it sometimes cries out for breaking the rules and, perhaps, even investigating the potential of… multiple climaxes? (Yes, Aristotle was a man.) (Salon 5)

9:00-10:30 Guest Faculty Lecture: Maggie Downs (NF) Writing the Nonfiction Proposal You have a brilliant idea for a nonfiction book. But do you need to actually…write it in order to sell it? Yes. And no. Sometimes. Much of the time, what you’re going to need is a kick-ass proposal that will get you the book deal and the money and time to write. (Salon 6)

10:30-12:00 Guest Lecture: Blaise Zerega (F/NF) The Elements of Classic Magazine Writing ...with a dash of the cross-over between creative writing and reporting. In this talk with Alta’s editor Blaise Zerega, we’ll examine the elements that make for a great feature story in the magazine and also how to leverage your creative skill set to truly make their piece shine.

10:30-12:00 Guest Faculty: Chris Wiley (PL) Writing the Short Play You won’t always have two hours to tell a great story. You might only have fifteen minutes. In this talk, we’ll examine the elements needed to pull off that most elusive beast: the short play. (Salon 6)

10:30-12:00 Guest Faculty: Natashia Deon (F) Launching Your Story From Line One Your first line is your gold; not spare change, or a warmup to riches. Worth more than your last line, it’s your contract with readers, your promise. Don’t waste it. (Salon 4)

1:15-4:15 Cross-Genre Workshops

4:30: Graduate Lecture: Liz McClintock (S) Breaking In is an Inside Job: How Accomplished Screenwriters Master the Mental Game of Navigating Hollywood’s Career Labyrinth. Come discover the common mindset traits shared by acclaimed screenwriters like Julia Cox, Don Handfield, and Nancy Fichman. Through in-depth analysis of screenwriter interviews, I’ve mapped the psychological traits successful screenwriters develop as they navigate the notoriously unpredictable world of working in the entertainment industry. In this interactive lecture, you’ll not only get the opportunity to learn about these traits, but discover your own psychological strengths and limitations as an aspiring screenwriter. You’ll leave with a personal mindset roadmap to help guide you on your own career path.

5:10: Graduate Lecture: Melinda Lee Holm (NF) When Words Aren’t Enough. In the opening of her memoir The Argonauts, Maggie Nelson tries and fails to find adequate language to describe her identity. She laments “How can the words not be good enough?” then goes on to fill in the gaps where words fail her using other means. We’ll talk about how Nelson accomplishes this and then look at how other memoirists solve similar issues around the limitations of language to find how we can discover our own ways of expressing what cannot be spoken, and see how we already are.

8:00: Evening Program: A special screening of The Great 14th: Tenzin Gyatso, The 14th Dalai Lama In His Own Words produced by John Schimmel. “Through intimate conversation and previously unreleased archival footage and images, the Dalai Lama reveals his story and experience of the personal, political, spiritual, and historical events that shaped his life. From childhood to adulthood, in his quest for democracy, The Great 14th offers an extraordinary, unprecedented insight into the complexities of his life-from past lives of the 5th and 13th Dalai Lamas to his current life as the spiritual and former political leader of Tibet and as a tireless Nobel Peace Laureate.”

Wednesday June 12 8:00: Breakfast

9:00-10:30: Guest Faculty Lecture: Emily Ziff Griffin (NF/F) THE REAL: the myth of overnight success and how to play, and win, the long game When our daily scroll presents an endless stream of peers’ book deals, published essays, and greenlit movies, it can feel like success comes easily to everyone but ourselves. Or, perhaps we imagine it will be just that effortless when we bring a project to market—a solid polish on that first draft, a little prayer over the tarot, and boom, NYT bestseller. Screenwriter, producer, author, and essayist Emily ZIff Griffin will explore, and debunk, the notion that any writer prevails without rigorous work and copious failure, while providing tangible and inspiring tools for becoming energized, empowered, and successful in the pursuit of our literary dreams. (Salon 4)

9:00-10:30: Guest Faculty Lecture: Rosemary King (All) Speechwriting: Your Next Side Hustle? School is expensive, period. To pay the tuition bill, some of you juggle full-time work along with your studies. Others must cobble together various part-time positions or find work in the gig economy. This session will introduce you to speechwriting, a side hustle that lets you do what you love (write!) and has the potential to put extra cash in your pocket. Great speeches tell a story, use precise language, captivate the audience, tap into metaphor, and all the other tricks of the writing trade that you’re learning in this program. During this discussion, we’ll talk about practical ways to “break in” to the field and what to do after landing your first gig. You’ll come away knowing how to become a speechwriter, a career that’ll enable you to write even more compelling films, books, and plays. (Salon 5)

9:00-10:30: Guest Faculty Lecture: Jaime Parker Stickle (All) Creating the True Crime Podcast Writing, producing, and releasing a True Crime Podcast - let’s talk about it. How do you get from concept to execution, and how do you get the world to listen? With five million podcasts streaming in the world, and the most saturated genre being True Crime, it’s important to know how to effectively transform real-life mysteries into gripping audio experiences. We’ll talk about narrative building, sound design and editing, interviewing, ethical reporting, and the production timeline from beginning to end. (Salon 6)

10:30-12:00: Faculty Lecture: Elizabeth Crane (NF) Close Read Seminar In this discussion, we will do a close read on Carly Rae Jepsen Loves You Back by Hanif Abdurraqib, endeavoring to unpack his brilliance and see if there are techniques we can borrow to level up our own brilliance! Please read the piece in advance and then we will read it together bit by bit. I will also include a few other short pieces by Abdurraqib from They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us to consider in the event that we have time to do so. (Salon 4)

10:30-12:00 Guest Faculty Lecture: Olivia Taylor Smith (All) A Life in Publishing Olivia Taylor Smith has held every job as she has worked her way up the ladder in both indie and now corporate publishing. In this talk, she’ll give you insights on what the jobs are really like and how to get and keep them. (Salon 6)

10:30-12:00 Faculty Lecture: John Schimmel & Joshua Malkin (S) Openings Professors Malkin and Schimmel will take a look of some of the best damn movie openings ever written and analyze what makes them so great. (Salon 5)

4:30: Graduate Lecture: Shawna Pancharian Yaley (F) Women In War: Using War as Setting in Historical Fiction Setting a novel during a world war naturally heightens tension and conflict between female characters and the world by disrupting the gender binary, affording women greater opportunity for self-expression and empowerment. We will look at how certain authors used WW1 & WW11 as setting to explore, and deepen female character development.

5:10: Graduate Lecture: Karen Parker (F) My Black Bodhisattvas: How African Speculative Literature Resists Through Resonance What turns a good story into a great story? What makes certain literary works resonate with us long after we've turned the final page and put the book back on the shelf? In this lecture, we'll be exploring these questions with a focus on the African speculative literary diaspora and its ever-evolving conversation with both African oral storytelling traditions and Western storytelling conventions. Storytellers who identify as BIPOC, marginalized, and otherwise underrepresented in literary spaces are strongly encouraged to attend this lecture!

Thursday June 13 8:00: Breakfast

9:00:-10:30 Guest Faculty Lecture: Rider Strong (S) Writing for the Team Writing ensemble movies with a group quest – think everything from the Oceans 11 films, to Goonies, to Top Gun, to the Hunger Games, to every war and heist film ever made – have been a staple of Hollywood filmmaking since the very beginning. But how do you actually do it? We’ll delve into it here. (Salon 5)

9:00-10:30 Guest Faculty Lecture: Matt Horwitz (S) How to Land the Perfect Manager You’ve written an amazing script. You’ve written several amazing scripts. How do you get them from your computer into the hands of the people that can make or break your career? (Salon 6)

10:30-12:00 Guest Faculty Lecture: Ben Winters (S) Secrets from the Most Successful New Show On TV Ben Winters created the hit CBS show Tracker, currently the #1 scripted show on TV. After a year on the air, what has he learned? We’ll sit down with Ben and have a candid conversation on what it’s like at the top…and what he’ll need to do to keep his show there. (Salon 5)

10:30-12:00 Guest Faculty Lecture: Mike Sonksen (P) The Poetry of Geography It is an interdisciplinary lecture about how geography can enliven fiction, creative nonfiction or poetry. Using the idea of geographic literacy as a starting point, I talk about how the many different aspects of geography can be applied to deepen a piece of writing or even just as a catalyst for inspiration. I will cite examples from multiple genres and recite a few of my own poems along the way. (Salon 6)

12:00-1:00 Lunch

1:00-2:00 Faculty Lecture: Kathryn McGee (F) Writing for Emotional Impact And by “emotional” we mean: stuff that scares the shit out of your reader. Looking at examples from contemporary horror, we’ll examine how to manipulate your readers to your will... (Salon 4)

1:00-2:00 Guest Faculty Lecture: Karam Abulhusn (S) Follow the Money How do independently financed movies come together successfully? And how knowing this can help guide your writing? (Salon 5)

2:00-3:30: Super Special Film Screening: Late Bloomers starring Karen Gillan and produced by Alexandra Barreto! “An aimless 28 year-old Brooklynite lands in the hospital after drunkenly breaking her hip. An encounter with a cranky elderly Polish woman who speaks no English leads to a job caring for her. Neither likes it, but it's time to grow up.” Premiers in theaters June 7th…you’re getting it right here at residency. (Salon 6)

3:30: Graduate Lecture: Tim Chambers (NF) The Transformational Memoir: Memoirs That Bring Us Together Tim will lecture on memoir's power to rewrite narratives, both individual and societal. With trauma and loneliness at all-time highs, Tim shares from personal experience how memoir is the genre with the unique ability to transform lives on a deep level. Memoir reminds us we are not alone and can help us be more empathetic, inclusive, and kind.

4:15: Graduate Lecture: Kumar Mann (F) GTFO: Exorcising White Supremacist Patriarchy from the International Action Thriller We’ll explore how and why the international action thriller genre has reinforced a worldview that denigrates the minoritized, especially melanated people and women. And then we’ll talk about how to fix it with craft.

4:50 Graduate Lecture: Francesca Jimenez (F) Characterization, Interpersonal Relationships, and World-Building Through Multi-POV Narratives. Do you wonder what's beyond main character syndrome? What happens when we imagine our voices and stories also as threads within the greater collective? In this lecture, we'll explore intergenerational, cultural, and filial expectations and setting and world-building in novels with multiple perspectives, human and nonhuman.

8pm: Special Screening: Kevin Morales’s film Shadow Vaults. 82 minutes of cozy-horror. “During the quarantine, a close group of New York theater friends gather for their weekly online Dungeons & Dragons campaign. They set the mood for a new gothic adventure by sharing ghost stories and welcome a lonely young woman who is joining them for the first time. Drinks flow and tongues loosen and it's clear the new girl is bothered by something. When she shares her tale, it is more than anyone is ready for.”

Friday June 14 8:00: Breakfast

9:00-10:30: Guest Faculty Lecture: Alexandra Barreto (S) Producing Indie Features: Lessons from The Years Long Journey To Get One 92 Minute Movie Made “Late Bloomers” was released on the festival circuit in 2023, premiering at SXSW. In March of 2024, Vertical acquired it for distribution. Before and after all of that…was just a few years of hard, arduous, tireless work to get a movie everyone believed in onto the screen. What are the lessons you can take from the “Late Bloomers” success? Come and find out. (Salon 5)

9:00-10:30: Guest Faculty Lecture: Oscar Villalon (All) From Slush to Best American Zyzzyva is one of the top literary magazines on the planet…and has been for a very long time, by only accepting the best work in the world. In this talk with editor Oscar Villalon, we’ll learn how to move from the slush-pile to the print edition and then maybe into Best American Short Stories, how you don’t need to seek validation from NY, and how to keep your eyes on the prize, not the scoreboard. (Salon 4)

10:30-12:00: Faculty Lecture: David Ulin (NF) The Art of Leaving Things Out Nonfiction is an art of selection. It has to be because you can't put everything in. Even the most faithful rendering is not written of life but from it, a matter of moments that add up, in the writer's imagination, to form a piece of narrative. The selection is where the suspense comes in. The selections is where the essayist discovers the essay, it's movement and its pulse. Sometimes the most essential essays are the sparest. Sometimes it only takes a little to do a lot. (Salon 6)

10:30-12:00 Guest Faculty Lecture: Ioannis Argiris (F/S) Adapting a Short Story into a Short Film Have an amazing cinematic short story that simply can’t be turned into a feature? You’re in luck. There’s a vibrant showcase for the short story adaptation – the short film circuit. We’ll view Ioannis’ short film “Blends” and talk about how it went from print to screen. (Salon 5)

10:30-12:00 Faculty Lecture: Tod Goldberg (F) Writing The Series Character How do you know if you have a character that you can sustain for a decade at a time? And once identified, how do you write that character in a belieavable way, even if they’re in highly unbelievable situations? In this talk, we’ll look at writing continuing characters from both a genre and literary perspective. (Salon 6)

12:00: Lunch

1:15-4:15 Main Genre Workshops

4:30: Melinda Lee Holm Presents…A Very Special Live Reading! Melinda will bring her tarot cards, you bring yourself and your spiritual questions…

8:00pm: Special Screening: Cambria Matlow’s Why Dig When You Can Pluck, 51 minutes. “A filmmaker seeking inspiration for her next movie brings her volatile husband and defiant young son camping on the Oregon coast. When her competing desires to be a good mother and creative artist come to a hilt, she reaches a painful but powerful breakthrough.”

Saturday June 15 8:00: Breakfast

9:00-10:00 Fall Graduating Student Meeting: ALL STUDENTS GRADUATING Fall 2024 MUST ATTEND (Salon 6)

9:00-10:30 Faculty Lecture: Rob Roberge (F/NF) TURN OFF THE MOVIE IN YOUR HEAD …how to fully use POV and the unique gift a character(s)’ interior is and how to use it. (Salon 5)

10:00-11:30 Faculty Lecture: Ivy Pochoda (F) Writing the Victim Forward Narrative In this lecture, we will discuss how to reframe traditional crime stories so they center around the victim, not the perpetrator. We will look at how putting the victim at the forefront opens up the narrative to a wide range of perspectives and possibilities. (Salon 6)

11:30 Private Graduate Lunch

11:30: Lunch

7:30: Graduation & Farewell Party in Grand Ballroom Presentation of Graduates Desserts, drinks, and dancing!

Sunday, June 16 8:00: Breakfast

9:00am-12:00: Main Genre Workshops & Final Meetings

12:00: Sad Lunch….and then why don’t you come back in December for our last hurrah at the Rancho Las Palmas…

Guest Faculty

Karam Abulhusn is currently a partner at Boo Pictures and has over 15 years of industry experience in film finance, production, and development. His passion for filmmaking has led him to work in finance at major studios throughout his career including NBC Universal, Paramount Pictures, and Sony Pictures Entertainment. At Boo Pictures, Karam spearheaded the production of many critically acclaimed films- most notably, the Oscar-nominated film CAPERNAUM, which follows the heart-wrenching struggles of a marginalized minority in Beirut, Lebanon. CAPERNAUM went on to break barriers as one of the first female produced, female directed, and female-led Lebanese films to receive international accolades in 2018. Other films include COSTA BRAVA LEBANON, 1982, SONG OF BACK & NECK, UNDER THE SILVER LAKE, and JOSIE. Karam's values are based on the belief that filmmaking thrives from diversity, inclusion, and gender equality. He is proud to uphold these standards through on and off-screen representation of women and minorities in every area across Boo Pictures' body of work -- from selecting narratives, to storytelling, production, and casting. In 2022, Boo Pictures established a partnership with the WGA’s Middle Eastern Writers Committee to continuously support their efforts to boost visibility and employment of under-represented writers in the entertainment industry. Karam's goal is to tell human stories that push boundaries and are universally inspiring. He continues to empower the next generation of storytellers with the confidence to nurture their creativity. Karam lives in LA with his wife and two young daughters. In his free time, he's playing basketball and coaching girls’ soccer.

Ioannis Argiris is a first generation Greek American writer. He is driven to tell stories about working class immigrants, crime, and mental health. He shows symbolism of larger themes through surrealism because the world is mysterious and abstract. He expresses his stories with lots of color and offbeat visuals–blending his love of Rothko with the weirdness of Cronenberg. ioannis’s short film Blends is making its way through the film festival circuit, picking up multiple wins and selections. He is working on new short stories for his collection Encinal Nights. His work has been featured in the Kelp Journal, Coachella Review, and his zines are in many bookstores across the country (Powells, Silver Sprocket, spectators). He holds a MFA in Creative Writing from UCR Palm Desert. You can find him urban cycling through Oakland while he thinks of new tattoos to add to his sleeves.

Alexandra Barreto has been working on sets for over twenty years as an actress, writer, producer and director. Alexandra’s directorial debut, “Lady Hater,” premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival, and was named “Top 5 Not-to-be Missed Shorts from the Tribeca Film Festival,” by FORBES. She recently directed the Audible Original Series, “Cut and Run,” starring Meg Ryan, Rachel Bloom and Sam Richardson. She wrote and directed a horror/comedy short film, “Welcome to the 90s,” for the follow up to the popular Shudder anthology, “Scare Package.” Alexandra recently produced the Sundance supported feature film, LATE BLOOMERS, starring Karen Gillan, Margaret Sophie Stein, Jermaine Fowler and Kevin Nealon. An earlier feature she produced, TOO LATE, starring Academy Award Nominees John Hawkes and Robert Forster was released theatrically in over thirty cities and secured a worldwide deal with Netflix. Past projects include writing and directing the first political commercial to air on Comedy Central, and she’s produced seven short films including “The Dungeon Master” which won the Best Short at the Tribeca (Online) Film Festival, and “F*ck the Parents,” starring Pamela Adlon and Rob Delaney.As an actress she’s guest starred and/or recurred on television shows spanning all genres from “Justified” to “Parenthood” to, most recently, recurring on CW’s “All American, a five year run on “The Fosters,” and recurring on the FX breakout hit, “Mayans MC.” She is a Film Independent, IFP and Sundance Institute Creative Producing Fellow.

Duncan Birmingham is a writer and filmmaker based in Los Angeles. His short films have premiered at various festivals including Sundance and his feature directorial debut "Who Invited Them" was named one of the best horror films of the year by The Hollywood Reporter. His screenplay Swingles was bought by Paramount and appeared on The Black List. He was the writer and executive producer of the Marc Maron IFC comedy "Maron" and has worked as a writer-producer on various shows including the Starz comedy "Blunt Talk" starring Patrick Stewart and David Fincher's "Videosyncrazy" for HBO. The title story of his short story collection, "The Cult in My Garage" (Maudlin House, 2021), was chosen for the Selected Shorts radio show.

Natashia Deon is a two-time NAACP Image Award Nominee for Outstanding Literature, practicing criminal attorney and author of the critically acclaimed novels, GRACE andThe Perishing. GRACE was named a Best Book of the Year by the New York Times and awarded Best Debut Novel by the American Library Association’s Black Caucus. A Hurston/Wright Foundation Legacy Award Nominee for Outstanding Fiction and a PEN America Fellow, Deón has also been awarded fellowships and residencies at Yale, Prague’s Creative Writing Program, and the Virginia Center for Creative Arts. She is a professor of creative writing at UCLA and Antioch University. Her personal essays have been featured in The New York Times,Harper’s, The Los Angeles Times, Harper’s Bazaar, American Short Fiction, Buzzfeed and other places.

Adam Deutsch is the author of a full-length collection, Every Transmission (Fernwood Press 2023). He has work recently in Poetry International, Thrush, Juked, AMP Magazine, Ping Pong, and Typo, and has a chapbook called Carry On (Elegies). He teaches in the English Department at Grossmont College and is the publisher of Cooper Dillon Books. He lives with his spouse and child in San Diego, CA

Maggie Downs is an award–winning writer based in Palm Springs, California. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Palm Springs Life, and McSweeney’s, where she writes a monthly column, and has been anthologized in The Lonely Planet Travel Anthology: True Stories from the World’s Best Writers and Best Women’s Travel Writing. Braver Than You Think, her first book, was an instant Amazon bestseller. Her latest book 50 Things to do Before You’re 5 has just been released.

Emily Ziff Griffin is the author of the critically-acclaimed novel, LIGHT YEARS which she developed for television with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment. Currently, she's writing LAST DANCE, a feature for Fifth Season based on her New Yorker essay “The Last Dance With My Dad” with The Hunger Games’ Rachel Zegler set to star, as well as original TV series EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD for Fat City and Anonymous Content, and feature HERE I GO AGAIN for Heyday Films. Previously, she served as a writer on Apple TV+’s miniseries based on the life of legendary screen actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr and developed a teen eco-activist heist show for Makeready and Joey Soloway. Her essays have appeared in The New Yorker, the LA Times, the Yale Review, Self, Culture Trip, Rookie, Refinery29, and beyond. Formerly, she co-founded Cooper’s Town Productions with the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, a company she ran for ten years. There, she developed and produced numerous projects, including CAPOTE and Hoffman’s directorial debut, JACK GOES BOATING. She is the Co-Founder of the Industry Professional Mentorship Program at Cal State University, Dominguez Hills where she frequently guest lectures. She has run three marathons, slowly, and holds a degree from Brown University in art-semiotics, the study of how images make meaning.

Rachel Howzell Hall is the New York Times bestselling author of The Last One; What Never Happened; We Lie Here; These Toxic Things; And Now She's Gone; They All Fall Down; and, with James Patterson, The Good Sister, which was included in Patterson's collection The Family Lawyer. A two-time Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist as well as an Anthony, Edgar, International Thriller Writers, and Lefty Award nominee, Rachel is also the author of Land of Shadows, Skies of Ash, Trail of Echoes, and City of Saviors in the Detective Elouise Norton series. A past member of the board of directors for Mystery Writers of America, Rachel has been a featured writer on NPR's acclaimed Crime in the City series and the National Endowment for the Arts weekly podcast; she has also served as a mentor in Pitch Wars and the Association of Writers & Writing Programs. Rachel lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter.

Matt Horwitz is a a manager at Echo Lake Entertainment. He got his start at Sleeping Giant Entertainment before joining Echo Lake in 2013 focusing on writers and directors in all aspects of TV and film. His clients have worked on such hit shows as AMERICAN DAD, CALL YOUR MOTHER, TACOMA FD, MAGNUM PI, THE YOUNG ROCK, ARROW, THE FLASH, STRANGER THINGS, and THE CONNERS just to name a few. He has set up client projects at just about every network or streamer that you can think of, (and several that you probably didn’t even know existed). Originally from the Washington DC area, he attended Indiana University and has had a passion for TV and Film since a young age when he discovered that people actually made the things he was watching every day, and that passion has helped him guide and build the careers of creative people from the lowest levels all the way to the top.

Amara Hoshijo a senior editor at Saga Press. Her authors include #1 New York Times bestseller Chloe Gong, USA TODAY bestseller Kemi Ashing-Giwa, Sascha Stronach, M. J. Kuhn, Rin Chupeco, and Matt Wallace. She loves science fiction and fantasy with a focus on world-building and complex systems, as well as stories with a unique cultural lens. Originally from Honolulu and a graduate of the University of Southern California, Amara moved to New York City over a decade ago, then returned to Los Angeles this summer. Prior to joining Saga Press, she was an editor at Soho Press, where she published Chana Porter’s The Seep, Clarissa Goenawan’s Rainbirds, and Chris McKinney’s Midnight, Water City. She also managed the company’s subrights initiative and is a former Frankfurt Fellow.

Jud Laghi Launched in 2010, The Jud Laghi Agency is a full-service literary agency that represents fiction and non-fiction at every stage of the publishing process. Jud’s hands-on style includes significant editorial guidance on proposals and manuscripts for the strongest possible publisher submission, and an exploration of all potential opportunities for boosting the marketing and publicity of his clients’ books once they have been published, as well as licensing foreign and translation, audio, serial, film, television, and other digital and online rights. His clients include Jaime Lowe, Peter Zeihan, Dakin Campbell, Davy Rothbart, Brian Raftery, Tim Layden, Jason Turbow, Farah Pandith, Sally Hogshead, Justin and Sydnee McElroy, Portlandia star and Sleater-Kinney guitarist and vocalist Carrie Brownstein, all-time Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings, and rock legends Gene Simmons and Kenny Loggins.Jud has represented, developed and launched a broad spectrum of trendsetting and bestselling books throughout his career, by authors of narrative nonfiction, journalism, cultural criticism, memoir, popular culture, prescriptive nonfiction and business, as well as select fiction, middle grade and YA. Before forming JLA, Jud worked as a literary agent at LJK Literary Management and at ICM, where he began his agenting career. He is a graduate of Trinity College with a B.A. in English and creative writing.

Boris Kachka is the former books editor of the Los Angeles Times. Previously, he was an editor and writer at New York magazine for two decades. He has written profiles of authors including Joan Didion, Toni Morrison and Harper Lee; investigated turmoil at various cultural and media institutions; expanded books coverage across the publication’s many verticals; and covered film, television, theater and book publishing. He is also the author of “Hothouse,” a cultural history of the publisher Farrar, Straus and Giroux; “Becoming a Veterinarian”; and “Becoming a Producer.”

Rosemary King is an award-winning speechwriter who has worked directly for the Secretary of Defense as well as executives of Fortune 500 companies and national nonprofits. Her speeches have been quoted in the New York Times, Washington Post, Financial Times, and USA Today and reached international audiences in Taiwan, Russia, Hungary, Belgium, Mexico, Colombia, Estonia, Macedonia, and Kosovo among others. Rose holds degrees from Arizona State University, Harvard University, and the Air Force Academy. In December, she earned an MFA/screenwriting from the University of CA/Riverside. She was recently accepted to The Veterans Writing Project, a mentorship program run by the Writers Guild of America. Rose is obsessed with stories about underdogs, outsiders, and rebels – characters who are part of a tribe yet feel like they don’t belong.Rose serves on the Advisory Board of the Professional Speechwriters Association, a worldwide network of leadership communication professionals. She is also on the Board of Directors of Rose City Hockey Club, a nonprofit she co-founded in 2013 for girls ages 5-18. Rose lives in Portland, OR, with her wife, Kristin, and their feisty cat, Piper.

David Martinez earned his MFA from University of California, Riverside, Palm Desert, and previously taught English and creative writing at Glendale Community College in Arizona. He is a dual citizen of the United States and Brazil and has lived in both countries as well as in Puerto Rico. His work has appeared in The Coachella Review, the Los Angeles Review of Books, Broken Pencil, and Automata Review. He lives in Glendale, Arizona. His debut memoir, Bones Worth Breaking, has just been released and was already named a best book of the year by Esquire.

Tiffany Colli Moon is a producer, dramaturg and theatre manager devoted to the development and production of new works. She has been an active member of the Los Angeles and Southern California theatre community for the last decade, working with companies such as Center Theatre Group, South Coast Repertory, the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Greenway Arts Alliance, California Repertory Company, and Rogue Artists Ensemble; and previously spent six years in NYC working in various capacities at theatres such as BAM, Summer Play Festival, and Theater for the New City. Tiffany is currently the Literary Manager of Ojai Playwrights Conference, where she has been a staff member since 2012, most recently completing two seasons (2015 and 2016) as Managing Director. Tiffany holds an MFA/MBA in Theatre Management from CSULB, a BFA in Theatre Performance from Chapman University and a Certificate in Musical Theatre Performance from Circle in the Square Theatre School.

Celeste Holben Pecar is Director of Development for filmmaker Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, with whom she is producing several film and TV projects, including an adaptation of Jonathan Lethem’s bestselling novel, The Fortress of Solitude.

David Holben Pecar is a Sr. Director of Development & Strategy at 101 Studios (producer of major series such as Yellowstone, Tulsa King, and Mayor of Kingstown). His journey from the pastoral fields of Indiana to the garbage-ridden thoroughfares of Los Angeles was first marked by an untimely stint at The Weinstein Company, followed by the birth of 101 Studios. David is involved in the development, production, and marketing of 101 Studios’ wide content slate. Much of his work revolves around bridging the gap between studios and their audiences, better connecting viewers to the content they consume through a spectrum of emerging channels - immersive experiences, interactive e-commerce, fanbase engagement, and more.

Gideon Pine is interested in representing writers in the nonfiction space with a focus on historical narrative nonfiction, true crime, health and wellness, and long form investigative journalism. He is also looking for voice-driven debut novels, including but not limited to the following genres: thriller, mystery, horror, or literary fiction. Whether a book is destined to be the next book club bestseller or a cult classic that will live on forever, he wants to read it. Gideon has a B.A in Political Science from Indiana University. Prior to working in publishing, he worked in commercial production and advertising.

Olivia Taylor Smith is a Senior Editor at Simon & Schuster where she acquires literary fiction, narrative non-fiction, and memoir. She is looking for emerging voices with a profound literary talent, inventiveness, and humor, groundbreaking international authors, works of literary suspense, mystery and adventure, and literary fiction that is surprising and unexpected, evocative and hilarious, emotionally impactful and occasionally, unhinged. She is actively seeking to expand her non-fiction list, and is interested in literary memoir, progressive issues, current affairs, and geopolitics. Titles Olivia has acquired and are forthcoming at S&S include Heartwood by Amity Gaige, Paradise Logic by Sophie Kemp, At Last by Marisa Silver, Blackcurrant by Kerry Cullen, Oddbody by Rose Keating, and What Hunger by Cat Dang.

Mike Sonksen is a 3rd-generation Los Angeles native that teaches several course in the Interdisciplinary Studies Department including Conflicts, Journeys, Knowledges, LA Stories, Natures and PPDV. Sonksen earned his Bachelors’ Degree at UCLA in 1997. In June 2014, he completed an Interdisciplinary Master of Arts in English and History from the California State University of Los Angeles. Following his graduation from U.C.L.A. in 1997, he has published over 500 essays and poems with publications and websites like the Academy of American Poets, KCET, Poets & Writers Magazine, BOOM, Wax Poetics, Southern California Quarterly, LA Weekly, OC Weekly, Lana Turner, The Architect’s Newspaper, LA Alternative Press, Los Angeles Review of Books, Cultural Weekly, Angel’s Flight, Angel City Review, Entropy, LA Taco, Lummox and many others. Most recently, one of his KCET essays was Awarded for Excellence by the Los Angeles Press Club. Sonksen’s prose and poetry have been published on a building at 7th and Olive in Downtown Los Angeles and on banners on Santa Monica and Venice Boulevards and included in programs with the Mayor’s Office, the Los Angeles Public Library’s “Made in LA,” series, Grand Park, the Music Center, the Friends of the Los Angeles River and Glendale Central Library. On three separate occasions, the City of Los Angeles has awarded Sonksen “Certificates of Commendation” for his poetic contributions to the city. In May 2018, Sonksen was awarded by the Associated Students Organization of Woodbury University for Excellence in Teaching. He has also been a guest speaker at over 80 universities and high schools.

Jaime Parker Stickle a writer, actor, podcaster, and college professor, and holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of California, Riverside. She is the creator and host of the true crime investigative podcast, The Girl with the Same Name as well as the hilarious and popular podcast, Make That Paper. She is the recipient of the Virginia G. Piper Desert Nights Rising Stars Fellowship. She teaches L.A. Media Studies, Podcasting, and Creative Writing for Montclair State University.

Susan Straight’s most recent novel, Mecca, was a Finalist for the Kirkus Prize and named by The New York Times as a Top Ten California Book of the Year, one of the Best Ten Books of 2022 by The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times, and the best book of 2022 by NPR. Her 2019 memoir, In the Country of Women, was a national bestseller, named the best book of the year by NPR and CodeSwitch, and longlisted for the Carnegie Medal for Excellence. She has published eight previous novels, including the bestseller Highwire Moon, a Finalist for the National Book Award, and A Million Nightingales, a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. Her stories and essays have appeared in O Henry Prize Stories, Best American Short Stories, Best American Essays, The New York Times, The New Yorker, Granta, Harpers, and elsewhere. Her awards include the Lannan Prize for Fiction, the Edgar Award for Best Mystery Story, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. Her work has been translated into Italian, French, Spanish, German, Turkish, Arabic, Swedish, Polish, and Japanese. She was born in Riverside, California, where she lives with her family; she has taught at the University of California, Riverside, since 1988.

Rider Strong After being cast as Gavroche in Les Miserables at nine years old, Rider Strong began his career as an actor, becoming best known for his roles on Boy Meets World and the cult horror film, Cabin Fever. Moving behind the camera, Rider wrote and directed short films that have played over 60 festivals worldwide and won both audience and juried awards. He returned to his roots, this time as a director, for three seasons of the Emmy-nominated Girl Meets World. In addition to his screenwriting, Rider’s writing has appeared in The Los Angeles Times, The Believer, Bullet Magazine, Shondaland, and more. His play Never Ever Land premiered at Theatre Unleashed in Los Angeles in the fall of 2019. Since 2022, he’s cohosted the immensely popular Pod Meets World podcast, alongside Danielle Fishel and Will Friedel, and previously co-hosted Literary Disco for a decade. He graduated magna cum laude from Columbia University and received his M.F.A. in Fiction and Literature from Bennington College. He’s taught screenwriting at both Chapman College and UC Riverside.

Sarah Tomlinson is a Los Angeles-based writer and the author of The Last Days of the Midnight Ramblers. She has more than 15 years of experience as a journalist, music critic, writer, ghostwriter, and editor. She has ghostwritten or co-written fourteen books, including the New York Times bestseller, Fast Girl, with Suzy Favor Hamilton, and two uncredited New York Times-bestsellers. Her father-daughter memoir, Good Girl, was published by Gallery Books (Simon & Schuster) in April 2015. She has extensive experience serving as a bridge between the creative minds and personalities of her clients and the rigorous attention-to-detail and deadline-oriented demands of the publishing world. She has long turned her passion for music, literature, and pop culture trends into cutting-edge coverage and cultural criticism. Her personal essays have appeared, or are forthcoming, in publications including Marie Claire, MORE, Salon.com, Publishers Weekly, The Los Angeles Review of Books, and The Huffington Post. Her fiction has appeared on Vol. 1 Brooklyn. Her articles and music reviews have appeared in publications including The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, Boston magazine, Spin.com, Billboard.com, Alternative Press, Swindle, Preen, Rockpile, The OC Weekly, and The Willamette Week. She wrote a weekly local music column, “Notes,” for The Boston Phoenix. She has written bios for bands on Virgin, Red Ink/Columbia, and MySpace Records and contributed to the electronic press kits for artists on Warner Bros. Records. After growing up in Maine, Sarah attended the early college, Bard College at Simon’s Rock, and then earned a BA in Creative Writing at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. After four years spent writing and buying records in Portland, Oregon, she earned an MA in Journalism at Northeastern University in Boston. While in Boston, she launched her journalism career. Sarah currently writes novels, memoirs, screenplays, TV pilots, personal essays, short stories and online dating profiles for her friends. She has read at Los Angeles literary happenings including Sit ‘n Spin, Vermin on the Mount, Tongue and Groove and Little Birds. Her favorite band is T. Rex. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr.

Oscar Villalon is the editor of ZYZZYVA, a recipient of the Whiting Literary Magazine Prize. His work has been published in several publications, including The Believer, Stranger’s Guide, Alta, and Lit Hub, where he is a contributing editor. He lives in San Francisco with his wife and their son.

Jennie Webb is an independent Los Angeles writer, dramaturg and playwright. Her plays, including Currency, Yard Sale Signs, Remodeling Plans, Unclaimed Assets, GreenHouse, On Tuesday, Brand New Script, It’s Not About Race, Buying a House, About What Matters, Reach, Smiling Cat Candy Heart and Carry On have been produced locally (by Inkwell Theater, Santa Monica Rep, Rogue Machine Theatre, The Road Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse’s WOW Festival, EST/LA and others), at colleges and universities across the country and in India, Iceland, Canada and the UK. She has been a part of The Playwright Center’s PlayLabs, Great Plains Theatre Conferences, Little Black Dress INK Female Playwrights ONSTAGE Festivals, Protest Plays Project, the Virginia Avenue Project, 365 Women a Year, National Winter Playwrights Retreat, The Road Theatre Company Summer Playwrights Festivals and Under Construction 1, PlayGround-LA, Moving Arts MADlab, Blank Theatre’s Living Room Series and Rogue Artists Ensemble’s inaugural Rogue Lab with plays including The Complete Story of the War, Rebecca on the Bus, Seperate Loads, Crazy Bitch, Jilt, Into the Gobpile, Not Cake, adaptation.resilience and Footprint; her work is published by Heinemann Press, Smith & Kraus, Next Stage Press and ICWP. Her plays have been named finalist (O’Neill Playwrights Conference, Gulfshore Playhouse New Play and City Theatre National Short Play Awards) and semi-finalists (PlayPenn, Athena Project, Trustus Theatre Festival, O’Neill) in numerous competitions and she is a two-time winner of a Max K. Lerner Playwriting Fellowship. She is currently a member of the Playwrights Union, EST/LA, Honor Roll!, Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas and the Dramatists Guild. She is the recipient of a Women in Theatre Red Carpet Award and is co-founder and editor-at-large of the Los Angeles Female Playwrights Initiative.

Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein is an associate professor of physics and astronomy and core faculty in women’s and gender studies at the University of New Hampshire. Her research in theoretical physics focuses on cosmology, neutron stars, and dark matter. She is also a researcher of Black feminist science, technology, and society studies. She was a co-convener of Dark Matter: Cosmic Probes in the 2021 Snowmass particle physics community planning process, and she is a member of the National Academies Elementary Particles: Progress and Promise decadal committee. She is the creator of the Cite Black Women+ in Physics and Astronomy Bibliography. Nature recognized Dr. Prescod-Weinstein as one of 10 people who shaped science in 2020, and Essence magazine has recognized her as one of “15 Black Women Who Are Paving the Way in STEM and Breaking Barriers.” A co-creator of the Particles for Justice letter against sexism in particle physics and 2020 Strike for Black Lives, she received the 2017 LGBT+ Physicists Acknowledgement of Excellence Award for her contributions to improving conditions for marginalized people in physics and the 2021 American Physical Society Edward A. Bouchet Award for her contributions to particle cosmology. Dr. Prescod-Weinstein is also a columnist for New Scientist and Physics World. Her first book The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred (Bold Type Books) won the 2021 Los Angeles Times Book Prize in the science and technology category, the 2022 Phi Beta Kappa Science Award, and a 2022 PEN/Oakland Josephine Miles Award. It was named a Best Book of 2021 by Publishers Weekly, Smithsonian Magazine, and Kirkus and was a finalist for multiple awards including the 2022 PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. The Disordered Cosmos was also longlisted for the OCM Bocas Prize in Caribbean Literature. In 2022, Dr. Prescod-Weinstein was the inaugural top prize winner in the mid-career researcher category of the National Academies Eric and Wendy Schmidt Award for Excellence in Science Communication. She is now working on her second book for general audiences, The Edge of Space-Time (Pantheon Books), and an academic book, The Cosmos is a Black Aesthetic (Duke University Press). Originally from East L.A., she divides her time between the New Hampshire Seacoast and Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Chris Wiley is a California poet and playwright. He has published two chapbooks of poetry: Some Men and Stillness After Thrashing. Some of his recent poetry has been published in Bending Genres and Peculiar. He co-founded Theater Bobo in the 1980s, the first openly queer theater in Washington, D.C. Several of his stage plays have been produced in San Francisco, California; Washington, D.C.; Long Island, New York; Memphis, Tennessee, Boston, Massachusetts and St. Louis, Missouri. He has a BA in English Literature from James Madison University and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of California Riverside.

Ben Winters is the New York Times best-selling, Edgar Award–winning, and Philip K. Dick Award–winning author of Big Time, The Quiet Boy, Golden State, Underground Airlines, the Last Policeman trilogy, and the mash-up novel Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. Ben has also worked extensively in television. He is the creator of the smash-hit CBS show TRACKER and has served as a writer/producer on the FX cult hit Legion as well as Manhunt on Apple TV+. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, three kids, and one large dog.

Blaise P. Zerega is Alta Journal's editorial director. His journalism has appeared in Conde Nast Portfolio (deputy editor and part of founding team), WIRED (managing editor), the New Yorker, Forbes, and other publications. Additionally, he was the editor of Red Herring magazine, once the bible of Silicon Valley. Throughout his career, he has helped lead teams small and large to numerous honors including multiple National Magazine Awards. He attended the United States Military Academy, New York University, and received a Michener Fellowship for fiction from the Texas Center for Writers.

MFA Faculty

Mickey Birnbaum’s play Big Death & Little Death inaugurated Woolly Mammoth’s new Washington D.C. theatre in 2005. It has been produced subsequently at Perishable Theatre in Providence, Rhode Island; Crowded Fire in San Francisco; the Road Theatre in Los Angeles; and the Catastrophic Theater in Houston. The play was nominated for a 2006 Helen Hayes/Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play, and was a 2006 PEN USA Literary Awards Finalist. His play Bleed Rail premiered at the Theatre@Boston Court in Los Angeles in 2007, and won a 2008 Garland Award for Playwriting. Mickey spent two months living in playwright William Inge’s boyhood home in Independence, Kansas as the recipient of a 2006 Inge Fellowship. He has written numerous children’s plays for L.A.’s celebrated non-profit organization, Virginia Avenue Project. He is a founding member of Dog Ear, a Los Angeles collective of nationally-renowned playwrights (visit www.dogear.org), as well as The Playwrights’ Union, and was a member of the 2008-2009 Center Theatre Group Writer’s Workshop. Over a thirty year career, Mickey has written screenplays for Universal, Paramount, Columbia/Sony, Interscope, Warner Brothers, and Leonardo di Caprio’s Appian Way Productions. He collaborated with director Steven Shainberg (Secretary, Fur) on the screenplay for The Big Shoe and recently adapted the John Irving novel The Fourth Hand in collaboration with Shainberg. He wrote The Tie that Binds (1995), starring Keith Carradine and Darryl Hannah, for Interscope/Hollywood Pictures. Mickey received his MFA in Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts from the University of Riverside, Palm Desert in 2013. He teaches screenwriting at Santa Monica College as well. Mickey plays bass accordion for the Accordionaires, an accordion orchestra. Hs most recent play, Backyard, was a finalist for the 2015 PEN Center USA Award for Drama.

Yennie Cheung is the Executive Editor of the Coachella Review and co-author of DTLA/37: Downtown Los Angeles in Thirty-seven Stories. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from UC Riverside-Palm Desert, and her writing has been published in such places as The Los Angeles Times, Writers Resist, Angels Flight • Literary West, The Rattling Wall, and The Best Small Fictions.

Elizabeth Crane is the author of four collections of short stories, When the Messenger is Hot, All this Heavenly Glory, You Must Be This Happy to Enter, and Turf, and the novels The History of Great Things and We Only Know So Much. Her work has been translated into several languages and has been featured in numerous publications including Other Voices, Ecotone, Guernica, Catapult, Electric Literature, Coachella Review, Mississippi Review, Florida Review, Bat City Review, Hobart, Rookie, Fairy Tale Review, The Huffington Post, Eating Well, Chicago Magazine, the Chicago Reader and The Believer, and anthologies including Altared, The Show I’ll Never Forget, The Best Underground Fiction, Who Can Save Us Now?, Brute Neighbors and Dzanc’s Best of the Web. Her stories have been featured on NPR’s Selected Shorts. She is a recipient of the Chicago Public Library 21st Century Award, and her work has been adapted for the stage by Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theater company. A feature film adaptation of her debut novel, We Only Know So Much, won Best Feature at the Big Apple Film Festival in 2018. Her debut memoir, This Story Will Change (Counterpoint), was released in 2022 and was a New York Times Editor’s Choice.

Alex Espinoza was born in Tijuana, Mexico to parents from the state of Michoacán and raised in suburban Los Angeles. In high school and afterwards, he worked a series of retail jobs, selling everything from eggs and milk to used appliances, custom furniture, rock T-shirts, and body jewelry. After graduating from the University of California-Riverside, he went on to earn an MFA from UC-Irvine’s Program in Writing. His first novel, Still Water Saints, was published by Random House in 2007 and was named a Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers Selection. The book was released simultaneously in Spanish, under the title Los santos de Agua Mansa, California, translated by Lilliana Valenzuela. His second novel, The Five Acts of Diego León, was also published by Random House in March 2013. Alex’s fiction has appeared in several anthologies and journals, including Inlandia: A Literary Journey Through California’s Inland Empire, The Southern California Review, Flaunt, and the Virginia Quarterly Review. His essays have been published at Salon.com, in the New York Times Magazine, in The Other Latin@: Writing Against a Singular Identity, in The Los Angeles Review of Books, and as part of the historic Chicano Chapbook Series. He has also reviewed books for the LA Times, the American Book Review, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and NPR. His awards include a 2009 Margaret Bridgeman Fellowship in Fiction to the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, a 2014 Fellowship in Prose from the National Endowment for the Arts, a 2014 American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation for The Five Acts of Diego León, and a 2019 Fellowship from MacDowell and inclusion in Best American Mystery & Suspense. His newest book is Cruising: An Intimate History of a Radical Pastime, which was published by The Unnamed Press in December, 2019. An active participant in Sandra Cisneros’ Macondo Workshop and the Community of Writers, Alex is also deeply involved with the Puente Project, a program designed to help first-generation community college students make a successful transition to a university. Alex is the Tomás Rivera Endowed Chair of Creative Writing at UC Riverside. His next book, Sons of El Rey, will be on Saturday night!

Jill Alexander Essbaum is the New York Times bestselling author the novel Hausfrau, which was translated into 26 languages, and several prize-winning collections of poetry, including Heaven (winner of the Katherine Bakeless Nason prize), Necropolis, Harlot, and most recently, Would-Land. Her work has appeared in dozens of journals including Poetry, The Christian Century, Image, and The Rumpus, and has been included in textbooks and anthologies including The Best American Erotic Poems and two editions of the annual Best American Poetry anthology. A two-time NEA fellow, Jill lives and writes in Austin, Tx.

Tod Goldberg is the New York Times-bestselling author of over fifteen prize-winning books, including the acclaimed Gangsterland trilogy – Gangsterland, a finalist the Hammett Prize, Gangster Nation, a Times of London Best Book of the Year, and Gangsters Don’t Die, named both an Amazon Best Book of the Year and Southwest Book of the Year – the novels The House of Secrets, which he co-authored with Brad Meltzer, and Living Dead Girl, a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and three acclaimed collections of short fiction, most recently The Low Desert, named a Southwest Book of the Year and the finalist for numerous literary awards. His short fiction has been widely anthologized, including in Palm Springs Noir, Las Vegas Noir, and Best American Mystery & Suspense, where he has also twice received Distinguished Story of the Year citations. His nonfiction appears regularly in the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, and Alta and has been widely anthologized as well, including in Best American Essays, and has won five Nevada Press Association Awards for excellence. For his body of work, Tod was honored with the Silver Pen Award from the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame. Tod Goldberg holds an MFA in Creative Writing & Literature from Bennington College and is a Professor of creative writing at the University of California, Riverside where he founded and directs the Low Residency MFA Program in Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts.

Gabino Iglesias is a writer, journalist, professor, and book critic living in Austin, Texas. He is the author of Zero Saints, Coyote Songs, The Devil Takes You Home, and House of Bone and Rain. His work has won the Bram Stoker Award, the Shirley Jackson Award, and the Wonderland Book Award, among others. His reviews appear regularly in places like NPR, Locus Magazine, and the Boston Globe and he is the horror fiction columnist for the New York Times. Iglesias teaches creative writing at the UC Riverside Palm Desert Low-Residency MFA program. You can find him online talking books on X at @gabino_iglesias.

Joshua Malkin has written feature projects for Sony, Fox, Universal Pictures among more than a dozen other companies. He also wrote and produced three documentaries: two about the art of puppetry, and the other about underground comics. In 2008 he wrote Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever for Lionsgate. Joshua co-authored top-selling fantasy comic book series The Source (Scout Comics, Publisher – top title, 2018) and the upcoming YA graphic novel, Unikorn. The book and screenplay for Unikorn have been acquired by Armory Films and is slated to be the directorial debut of Marvel editor Debbie Berman (Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Spiderman Homecoming.) Joshua is a professor of screenwriting at the University of California Riverside, an occasional story architect for the video game industry, and the proud – if bewildered - father of twins.

Kathryn E. McGee is the Program Manager for and a graduate of the UC Riverside Palm Desert MFA Program in Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts. Her horror stories have appeared in Kelp Journal, Ladies of the Fright, Scoundrel Time, Gamut Magazine, and the Bram Stoker Award-nominated Chromophobia anthology. Her story, “Mondays Are for Meat,” was recently optioned for film. “The Creek Keepers’ Lodge” (Horror Library Vol. 6) was an honorable mention in Ellen Datlow’s Best Horror of the Year Vol. 10. She writes about horror books and film for The Lineup. She also co-authored a book about downtown Los Angeles, DTLA37: Downtown Los Angeles in Thirty-seven Stories (Enville Publishing). Kathryn is an Active Member of the Horror Writers Association and represented by Dara Hyde at Hill Nadell Literary Agency. For more information, visit www.kathrynemcgee.com.

Ivy Pochoda holds a BA in Classics and Literature, with a focus on Dramatic Literature, from Harvard, where she graduated cum laude, and an MFA in fiction from Bennington College. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels These Women, Wonder Valley, Visitation Street, and The Art of Disappearing, and has won or been a finalist for the Edgar Award, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize (twice!), the California Book Award, the International Thriller Award, the Strand Critics Award, the Southern California Independent Booksellers Award, the Macavity Award, and others too numerous to list. Ivy is also the author of the YA/fantasy series created by the late Kobe Bryant, Epoca: The Tree of Ecrof, an immediate New York Times bestseller, and Epoca: The River of Sand, and is an in-demand ghost writer as well. Her nonfiction and criticism appears regularly in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Review of Books, and Wall Street Journal, among others. Her latest novel, Sing Her Down, was released last summer and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.

William Rabkin creator and writer of HBOAsia’s science fiction series Dream Raider, has written and/or produced hundreds of hours of dramatic television. He served as show runner on the long-running Dick Van Dyke mystery series “Diagnosis Murder” and on the action-adventure spectacle “Martial Law” and is currently creating series in Asia and Europe. He has also written a dozen network TV pilots. His work has twice been nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Television Episode from the Mystery Writers of America. He has written four books on writing for television, “Writing the Pilot” (2011), “Writing the Pilot: Creating the Series” (2017), Writing the Pilot: Streaming and, with Lee Goldberg, “Successful Television Writing” (2003) and seven novels. He is the co-creator and co-editor of “The Dead Man,” a 28-book series of supernatural action thrillers published by Amazon’s 47 North imprint. Rabkin is part of the core faculty of UCR-Palm Desert’s M.F.A. in Creative Writing & Writing for the Performing Arts. He is currently co-writing the miniseries Estonia: The Last Wave for the Nordic Entertainment Group and ITV.

Rob Roberge is the acclaimed author of several books, including the memoir Liar, named a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers pick and best of the year selection by Powell’s and Entropy, the novels The Cost of Living, More Than They Could Chew, and Drive, and the short story collection Working Backwards from the Worst Moment of My Life. His short fiction and essays have been widely published and anthologized, most recently in Palm Springs Noir and Silver Waves of Summer, and acclaimed by media outlets such as the New York Times Book Review, NPR, and the LA Times. In addition to writing and teaching, he is a guitarist and singer/songwriter in The Hitchcock Brunettes and the seminal LA art punk band, The Urinals, who’ve shared bills with Mudhoney, Sonic Youth, Yo La Tengo, The Dream Syndicate, and the Go-Go’s, and whose songs have been covered by Yo La Tengo, The Minutemen, The Gun Club, No Age, and many others. He also wrote and directed the short film This Regrettable Event. He holds an MFA from Vermont College is an assistant professor and core faculty member of the Low Residency MFA at UC Riverside. He is at work on a new novel and several music projects and lives in Chicago with his wife and fellow Hitchcock Brunette, the writer Gina Frangello, along with their daughter and two astonishingly overweight cats.

John Schimmel is in the middle of an extraordinarily diverse career as a writer/producer. He’s been the President of Michael Douglas’ Furthur Films and President of Production at Ascendant Pictures, an executive at Douglas-Reuther Productions, Belair Entertainment, and Warner Bros, co-penned the Tony-nominated musical “Pump Boys And Dinettes,” published fiction and nonfiction, including his first book, Screenwriting Behind Enemy Lines: Lessons from Inside the Studio Gates. He currently works as Executive Producer for Cloud Imperium Games which is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest crowd funding effort in history. He recently executive produced the films Shaquile O’Neal Presents Foster Boy with Matthew Modine and Lou Gossett Jr., written and produced by his student Jay Paul Deratany; and The Great 14th: Tenzin Gyatzo, The 14th Dalai Lama, In His Own Words. John is also part of the core screenwriting faculty at the University of California at Riverside’s Low Residency MFA Program in Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts, providing not just an insight into how to write screenplays, but how to write screenplays that sell.

Mark Haskell Smith is the author of six novels with one word titles including Moist, Baked, and Blown; and the nonfiction books Rude Talk In Athens: Ancient Rivals, the Birth of Comedy, and a Writer’s Journey through Greece, Naked at Lunch: A Reluctant Nudist's Adventures in the Clothing-Optional World and Heart of Dankness: Underground Botanists, Outlaw Farmers, and the Race for the Cannabis Cup. He has written extensively for film and television. His work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, The Independent, Vulture and others. His next book, Memoir: a Novel, was just released in France.

David L. Ulin is the author or editor of more than a dozen books, including Sidewalking: Coming to Terms with Los Angeles, shortlisted for the PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay, and Writing Los Angeles: A Literary Anthology, which won a California Book Award. He has received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Lannan Foundation, and Black Mountain Institute at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The former book editor and book critic of the Los Angeles Times, he has written for Harper’s, The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Paris Review, and Virginia Quarterly Review; his essay “Bed” was selected for The Best American Essays 2020. He is a professor of English at the University of Southern California, where he edits the literary journal Air/Light. Most recently, he has edited Didion: The 1960s and 70s and Didion: The 1980s and 90s for Library of America. His most recent book, Thirteen Question Method, was released this fall.

COMMENTS

MFA in Writing
MFA in Writing. Graduate Programs. Programs. PhD in English Language and Literature. PhD in English and Women's and Gender Studies. PhD in English and Education. MFA in Writing. How to Apply. Prospective Students.
The University of Michigan
Helen Zell Writers' Program. 435 South State Street. 3187 Angell Hall. Ann Arbor, MI 48109. The Helen Zell Writers' Program is part of the English Department at the University of Michigan. Our public events are listed on the English Department's Website and Facebook page. 734.764.6330.
How to Apply
The online application portal will be available in early September, 2024. The application fee for United States citizens and those with permanent resident visa status is $75. The fee for non-U.S. citizens is $90. The application fee for current Rackham students, regardless of citizenship, is $10. This fee is non-refundable and subject to change.
5 Uncommon Tips on Your MFA Creative Writing Application
A couple of years ago, I made the decision to apply to MFA programs in creative writing. Compared to medical school or law school, the application process for an MFA can sometimes feel like a crapshoot, with the odds of getting into a fully-funded program hovering somewhere below four or five percent (and some programs like Iowa, Michigan, Michener—gulp—even less!).
5 Uncommon Tips on Your MFA Creative Writing Application
5 Uncommon Tips on Your MFA Creative Writing Application. A couple of years ago, I made the decision to apply to MFA programs in creative writing. Compared to medical school or law school, the application process for an MFA can sometimes feel like a crapshoot, with the odds of getting into a fully-funded program hovering somewhere below four or ...
15 Best Creative Writing MFA Programs in 2024
The best MFA Creative Writing Programs in 2024 are revealed. We cover everything from online MFAs to fully-funded residential programs. ... University of Michigan. Anne Carson famously lives in Ann Arbor, as do the MFA students in UMichigan's Helen Zell Writers' Program. This is a big university town, which is less damaging to your social life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Visiting a class, connecting with an alum. For any specific, answerable questions that have not been covered here or adderssed elsewhere on our program website, feel free to contact the English Department Office at [email protected]. Helen Zell Writers' Program. 734.764.6330. 734.763.3128.
Considering Michigan for MFA in Creative Writing : r/uofm
Michigan's MFA program is widely regarded as one of the best in the country... In general, MFAs have it great here. You should check out the Hopwood Awards, too, which are prestigious and spectacularly funded (one of my friends just won $9,000, yes, nine thousand dollars, for writing a play). 2.
Best MFA Creative Writing Programs Online and On-Campus
The MFA in Creative Writing is a two-year course of study that features an award-winning faculty (including visiting writers in residence); opportunities to contribute to the MFA journal, MARY: A Journal of New Writing; and your choice concentration in creative nonfiction, fiction, or poetry. Students may also complete a third year in an ...
MFA Research & Creative Work
News: MFA Research & Creative Work. Learn more about recent graduate research and creative work in these feature stories. GRADUATE Leah Crosby Receives U-M Creative Careers Residency They are one of three students receiving a residency that will support their work as a creative…. GRADUATE Michelle Inez Hinojosa selected as 2023 Creative ...
What You Won't Learn in an MFA
By 2018, I had written five books and decided to pursue an MFA in creative writing with a concentration in fiction. For me, earning an MFA gave me the time and space I needed to quit my day job ...
Creative Writing Program Marks Three Decades of Growth, Diversity
By Luisa A. Igloria. 2024: a milestone year which marks the 30 th anniversary of Old Dominion University's MFA Creative Writing Program. Its origins can be said to go back to April 1978, when the English Department's (now Professor Emeritus, retired) Phil Raisor organized the first "Poetry Jam," in collaboration with Pulitzer prize-winning poet W.D. Snodgrass (then a visiting poet at ODU).
My Columbia Writing Students Must Be Able to Tell the Truth
I teach creative writing, and I am the author of a book about teaching creative writing and the origins of creative-writing programs in the early 20th century. ... The oldest MFA program in the ...
Richard Prins
We just got some excellent news today: MFA student Richard Prins has been selected for The Best American Essays 2024.Richard, fresh off the heels of winning an NEA Fellowship, had his essay "Because: An Etiology" selected by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and acclaimed New York Times critic Wesley Morris.. The Best American series selects twenty essays out of thousands of nominations ...
Summer guide to the arts at the U
The summer months bring a change of pace to the University's campuses, including events and programs available to the public. Be sure to check the full calendar of events to stay in-the-know this summer as we take a break from publishing the monthly arts guide.. Learn more about The U Creates—the University's digital hub for the arts, culture, and creative expression.
Prospective Students
The Helen Zell Writers' Program is a two-year, fully-funded graduate program in creative writing leading to the Master of Fine Arts degree. During their two years of coursework, students concentrate in either fiction or poetry. Students come to the Helen Zell Writers' Program in preparation for a lifetime of writing, professional publication and artistic growth.
Celebrating the Spring 2024 MFA Graduates
One of the most rewarding times of the year in the Creative Writing program at WVU is the end of the spring semester, when graduating MFA students get to read from their theses to a crowd of family, colleagues, and English department faculty. On Thursday, April 25, at 7:30 p.m. in the Milano Reading Room of the Downtown University Library, the ...
Jayne Anne Phillips wins 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
She currently serves as director of Princeton University's creative writing program. Additionally, two alumnae were recognized as finalists for the 2024 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry: Jorie Graham, who graduated with an MFA in 1978 and won a Pulitzer in 1996 for The Dream of the Unified Field, was named a finalist for To 2040. Graham, one of the ...
Program Overview
Thank you for your interest, and good luck with your own writing! Sincerely, Linda Gregerson. Director of the Helen Zell Writers' Program. Please direct admissions and academic inquires to [email protected] and Helen Zell Writers' Series, author/agent inquires to Julie Cadman-Kim ([email protected]).
Spring 2024 Residency Schedule Announced
Tod Goldberg holds an MFA in Creative Writing & Literature from Bennington College and is a Professor of creative writing at the University of California, Riverside where he founded and directs the Low Residency MFA Program in Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts. Gabino Iglesias is a writer, journalist, professor, and book ...
Funding
The Helen Zell Writers' Program is a fully-funded MFA Program. In the first year, all MFA students accepted into the program are offered a full tuition waiver, a stipend of $25,980 (currently for '23-'24), as well as $6,000 in summer funding, and health care benefits. Applicants may also be considered, where appropriate, for Rackham Merit ...
Program Requirements
Program Requirements. The Helen Zell Writers' Program is a two-year, fully-funded graduate program in creative writing leading to the Master of Fine Arts degree. A third-year post-MFA Zell Fellowship will be available to six qualifying graduates of our program. HZWP students concentrate in either fiction or poetry and must complete 39 total ...
How to Apply
The English Department will be closed December 24th through January 1st, although the deadline is January 1st. Make sure you receive an electronic confirmation of your submitted application. Click here to proceed to the online application. Email admissions questions to [email protected] or call 734.763.4139.
MFA Faculty
[email protected]. Helen Zell Writers' Program; English MFA ; Graduate Faculty; English Language and Literature; MFA Faculty. Peter Ho Davies. Charles Baxter Collegiate Professor. [email protected] 3139 Angell Hall 734-647-6769.
Creative Writing & Literature Major
The Residential College's Creative Writing and Literature Major combines the sustained, disciplined practice of writing with the serious study of literature. The main goal of the program is to help students develop their creative abilities through a continuous, interrelated cycle of writing, rewriting, and literary analysis.
Creative Writing and Literature (Major)
The Creative Writing and Literature Major is open to ALL LSA students. Creative Writing and Literature Majors write fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction under the close guidance of faculty mentors, and may workshop their writing with other student writers in small writing seminars. Majors also study the art of writing through the study of ...
Creative Writing Minor
The Creative Writing Minor course sequence is: 223 - Creative Writing. 323 - Creative Writing: Fiction OR 324 - Creative Writing: Poetry OR 325 - Art of the Essay. 423 - Advanced Fiction Writing* OR 424 - Adv. Poetry Writing* OR 425- Adv. Essay Writing*. *423, 424, and 425 will satisfy the ULWR. 9 additional credits of English Language or ...
Capstone Program in Creative Writing
Director, Undergraduate Program in Creative Writing [email protected]. or. English Undergraduate Studies Office 3187 Angell Hall (734) 764-6330. English Language and Literature Hours: M-F 8 am - 4:30 pm. 435 S. State Street 3187 Angell Hall Ann Arbor, MI 48109 [email protected].
English Department Writing Program
The majority of students at the University of Michigan fulfill the first-year writing requirement through our three 100-level courses: English 124, English 125 and English 126. ... 125 or 126, many students also choose to take our 200-level courses in creative writing, argumentative writing, and professional writing. Advanced students may be ...

5 Uncommon Tips on Your MFA Creative Writing Application

Related Posts

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

5 Uncommon Tips on Your MFA Creative Writing Application

Related Posts

Editor’s Top Selections – Best Creative Writing MFA Programs

How We Made Our Selections for the Finest Creative Writing MFA Programs

Top-notch Instructors With Genuine Writing and Publication Expertise

The Resources To Support Your Writing Vision

A Track Record of Educational Success in Creative Writing

Strong Publishing Industry and Literary Community Connections

Diverse and Original Coursework in Foundational and Advanced Writing Skills

Helping You Choose From Among the Finest Creative Writing MFA Programs in the Nation

State-By-State: Top Selections for the Best Creative Writing Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Programs in the U.S.

Find the Best MFA Creative Writing Programs in Your State

Massachusetts

MFA in Creative Writing (on-campus)

University of Arkansas (Public)

MFA in Creative Writing & Translation (poetry, fiction, literary translation) (on-campus)

University of California-Davis (Public)

University of California-Irvine (Public)

MFA in English-Creative Writing (Fiction, Poetry) (on-campus)

San Diego State University (Public)

California College of the Arts (Private)

MFA in Writing (on-campus)

Saint Mary’s College of California (Private)

MFA in Creative Writing (Creative Non-Fiction, Fiction, Poetry, Book Manuscript) (on-campus)

Western Colorado University (Public)

MA/MFA in Creative Writing (low-residency)

Western Connecticut State University (Public)

MFA in Creative and Professional Writing (low-residency)

Fairfield University (Private)

MFA in Creative Writing (poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, screenwriting) (low-residency)

District of Columbia - DC

Florida State University (Public)

Florida International University (Public)

Stetson University (Private)

MFA in Creative Writing (low-residency)

Georgia State University (Public)

MA/MFA in English-Creative Writing concentration (on-campus)

University of Idaho (Public)

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Public)

MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction, Poetry) (on-campus)

Northwestern University (Private)

MFA in Creative Writing (program is combined with a simultaneous MA in English) (low-residency)

School of the Art Institute of Chicago (Private)

MFA in Writing (low-residency)

Indiana University-Bloomington (Public)

University of Notre Dame (Private)

University of Kansas (Public)

MFA – Tracks in Fiction, Poetry, Playwriting (on-campus)

Western Kentucky University (Public)

Eastern Kentucky University (Public)

McNeese State University (Public)

University of Baltimore (Public)

Johns Hopkins University (Private)

MFA in Writing Seminars-Creative Writing (on-campus)

Hampshire College (Private)

MFA in Writing for Film and Television (low-residency)

Boston University (Private)

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (Public)

Western Michigan University (Public)

MFA in Creative Writing

University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (Public)

Hamline University (Private)

MFA in Creative Writing (on-campus)

Augsburg University (Private)

MFA in Creative Writing (Teaching, Translation, Publishing) ( low-residency )

University of Mississippi (Public)

MFA in English (on-campus)

Washington University in Saint Louis (Private)

New England College (Private)

Rutgers University-Camden (Public)

Rutgers University-Newark (Public)

Monmouth University (Private)

MA/MFA in Creative Writing Dual Degree (on-campus)

Columbia University in the City of New York (Private)

MFA in Writing (Nonfiction, Fiction, Poetry, Literary Translation) (on-campus)

Sarah Lawrence College (Private)

Syracuse University (Private)