university of kansas creative writing mfa

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University of Kansas

Kansas, united states.

The University of Kansas' MFA is a three-year program with tracks in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and playwriting. Typically, students in the program take course work for the first two years of the program and then write for the third year on their creative thesis. Students may take up to 15 credit hours to complete the thesis, and by the time they graduate they will have produced a book-length manuscript.

In addition to the Master of Fine Arts degree, the University of Kansas offers a PhD in Creative Writing, a rigorous program that combines creative writing and literary studies and prepares graduates for both scholarly and creative publication and teaching. After two years of coursework, students prepare for the comprehensive oral examination covering three areas of focus. Upon successful completion of the comprehensive exam, candidates will begin work on the creative writing dissertation, which includes a book-length work of creative writing and a scholarly research component.

The University of Kansas' English Department offers graduate assistantships to incoming students in the MFA and Ph.D programs in creative writing. A GTA appointment includes a tuition waiver for ten semesters plus a stipend of $12,250 the first year. In the first year, GTA appointees teach English 101 (first-year composition) and English 102 (a required reading and writing course. MFA and Creative Writing PhD students have the opportunity to teach an introductory course in creative writing in their third year, and opportunities are available for advanced GTAs to teach in the summer.

Contact Information

1445 Jayhawk Blvd. 3001 Wescoe Hall Lawrence Kansas, United States 66045 Phone: 785.864.2500 Email: [email protected] http://englishcw.ku.edu/

Bachelor of Arts in English/Literature +

The English Department at KU offers students interested in creative writing an opportunity to learn and practice their craft by writing poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and drama, while at the same time obtaining a BA, although many students take creative writing courses for other reasons: to test their abilities, to explore the creative process, to prepare for other types of writing or for teaching, or to increase their sensitivity to language.

Minor / Concentration in Creative Writing +

Master of fine arts in creative writing +, graduate program director.

The University of Kansas' MFA is a three-year program with tracks in fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Each year the admissions committee admits approximately four poets and four prose writers from a pool of applicants that last year numbered between sixty and seventy. Typically, students in the program take course work for the first two years of the program and then write for the third year on their creative thesis. Students may take up to 15 credit hours to complete the thesis, and by the time they graduate they will have produced a book-length manuscript of poetry or prose.

The University of Kansas' English Department offers six to eight graduate teaching assistantships each year to incoming students in the MFA and Ph.D programs in creative writing. A GTA appointment includes a tuition waiver for ten semesters plus a stipend of $12,250 the first year. In the first year, GTA appointees teach English 101 (first-year composition) and English 102 (a required reading and writing course. MFA and Creative Writing PhD students have the opportunity to teach an introductory course in creative writing in their third year, and opportunities are available for advanced GTAs to teach in the summer.

PhD in Creative Writing +

The University of Kansas' English Department offers six to eight graduate teaching assistantships each year to incoming students in the MFA and Ph.D programs in creative writing. A GTA appointment includes a tuition waiver for ten semesters plus a stipend of $12,250 the first year. In the first year, GTA appointees teach English 101 (first year composition) and English 102 (a required reading and writing course. MFA students have the opportunity to teach an introductory course in creative writing in their third year, and opportunities are available for advanced GTAs to teach in the summer.

Antiphonal and Fall to Fall, Call Steps, Orexis

http://englishcw.ku.edu/kenneth-irby

Darren Canady

Darren Canady hails from Topeka, KS. His play, False Creeds, was named the winner of the Alliance Theater’s Kendeda Graduate Playwriting Competition and was also workshopped at the O’Neill Playwright’s Conference in 2006. False Creeds was also a

finalist for the Abingdon Theatre Company’s Christopher Brian Wolk Award and the Goldberg Prize in Playwriting. Another play, Brothers of the Dust, has received recognition in the Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Competition, the Theodore Ward Prize for African-American Playwriting, the James W. Rodgers Playwriting Competition and was produced by Congo Square Theatre (Black Excellence Award, Black Theatre Alliance Award, ATCA Osborn Award, Jeff Award nom.). How Theo Changed His Name, an opera for which Darren provided the libretto, was premiered through the Pittsburgh (PA) Symphony Orchestra. His play You’re Invited appeared in The Best American Short Plays 2010-2011. His work has been seen at the Quo Vadimus Arts’ ID America Festival, the Fremont Centre Theatre, Chicago’s Congo Square Theatre, and the BE Company. Darren is an alum of Carnegie Mellon University, New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and the Juilliard School. He is a former member of Primary Stages’ Dorothy Strelsin New Writers Group. He is a member of the Old Vic Theatre’s Old Vic New Voices Network, where he participated in the T.S. Eliot US/UK Exchange.

http://englishcw.ku.edu/darren-canady

Guys Like Us, Serious Living

http://englishcw.ku.edu/tom-lorenz

Laura Moriarty

Laura Moriarty earned her M.A. in creative writing at the University of Kansas. In 2000, she was selected as the Writer-in-Residence at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. She is the author of four novels: The Chaperone (Riverhead Books 2012), While I'm Falling (Hyperion 2009),The Rest of Her Life (Hyperion 2007), and The Center of Everything (Hyperion 2003).

http://www.lauramoriarty.net/

Joseph Harrington

Joseph Harrington is the author of Things Come On (an amneoir) (Wesleyan Poetry 2011), a mixed-genre work relating the twinned narratives of the Watergate scandal and his mother's cancer. Things Come On was chosen by American Book Award winner Camille Dungy as a Rumpus magazine Poetry Book Club selection. Harrington is also the author of the chapbooks Earth Day Suite (Beard of Bees Press 2010 - available as free PDF) and Of Some Sky (Bedouin, forthcoming); as well as the critical study Poetry and the Public: The Social Form of Modern US Poetics (Wesleyan UP 2002), excerpts from which appeared in Poetry and Cultural Studies: A Reader (Illinois UP 2009). His creative work has appeared or is forthcoming in Bombay Gin, Colorado Review, Hotel Amerika, BathHouse, 1913: a journal of forms, No Tell Motel, With+Stand, Otoliths, Fact-Simile, and P-Queue, among others. He has published articles on documentary poetry, modernism, political philosophy, and the cultural history of poetry in journals such as Jacket2, American Literary History, and American Literature. Harrington was Walt Whitman Chair of American Literature and Culture at the University of Groningen, The Netherlands, in 2005, under the auspices of the Fulbright Distinguished Chairs Program; he was also awarded a Millay Colony for the Arts fellowship, a Mayers Fellowship at the Huntington Library, and both research and creative work fellowships from the Hall Center for the Humanities.

http://englishcw.ku.edu/joseph-harrington

Megan Kaminski

Megan Kaminski is a poet and essayist. She also specializes in ecopoetics, 20th and 21st Century anglophone poetry and poetics, and contemporary nonfiction. Her first book of poetry is Desiring Map (Coconut Books, 2012). She is also the author of nine chapbooks, most recently Sigil and Sigh w/ Anne Yoder (Dusie Kollektiv, 2015). Her poems and essays have recently appeared or are forthcoming in The Atlantic, Barrelhouse, The New Orleans Review, and Sink Review. Her second book Deep City (forthcoming, Coconut Books fall 2015) explores the body and the city as architectures in crisis. She also curates the Taproom Poetry Series in downtown Lawrence.

http://www.megankaminski.com/

Kij Johnson

Since her first sale in 1987, Kij Johnson has sold dozens of short stories to markets including Amazing Stories, Analog, Asimov's, Duelist Magazine, Fantasy & Science Fiction, and Realms of Fantasy. She won the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award for the best short story of 1994 for her novelette in Asimov's, "Fox Magic." In 2001, she won the International Association for the Fantastic in the Art's Crawford Award for best new fantasy novelist of the year. Her short story "The Evolution of Trickster Stories Among the Dogs of North Park After the Change" was on the final ballot for the 2007 Nebula Award and the World Fantasy Award, and it was a nominee for the Sturgeon and Hugo awards. In 2009, she won the World Fantasy for "26 Monkeys, Also The Abyss," which was also a finalist for the Hugo and Nebula. She won the 2010 Nebula for "Spar," the 2011 Nebula for "Ponies" (also a finalist for the Hugo and World Fantasy). In 2012, she won both the Nebula and Hugo for "The Man Who Bridged The Mist." Her novels include two volumes of the Heian trilogy Love/War/Death: The Fox Woman and Fudoki. She's also co-written with Greg Cox a Star Trek: The Next Generation novel, Dragon's Honor. Her short story collection, At the mouth of the river of bees is available from SmallBeer Press in August 2012. She is currently researching a third novel set in Heian Japan; and Kylen, two novels set in Georgian Britain.

http://www.kijjohnson.com/

Publications & Presses +

Beecher's Magazine

Visiting Writers Program +

Sponsored by the KU Department of English, the Hall Center of the Humanities, and the University of Kansas, recent visiting writers include Eula Biss, CA Conrad, Sarah Vowell, Nikky Finney, Mary Oliver, Ben Percy, Kevin Prufer, Chris Albani, Amiri Baraka, Christopher Howell, Clancy Martin, Lyn Hejinian, Salvador Placencia, Carmen Giménez Smith, Salman Rushdie, and Rita Dove

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This is an attempt at creating an objective ranking of graduate creative writing programs.

For further and more detailed information on how the scores are generated see the methodology page.

Lists of authors without graduate creative writing degrees or whose degree status is unknown are available. Send questions, comments and corrections to [email protected] .

Disclaimer: No endorsement of these ratings should be implied by the writers and writing programs listed on this site, or by the editors and publishers of Best American Short Stories , Best American Essays , Best American Poetry , The O. Henry Prize Stories and The Pushcart Prize Anthology .

How to Become a Writer in Kansas with a BFA, MFA or Similar Creative Writing Degree

Created by CreativeWritingEDU.org Contributor

Kansas is inexorably linked with the literary world. For starters, the state is forever linked with L. Frank Baum’s timeless The Wonderful Wizard of Oz . Rumors have it that Baum chose Kansas as a setting because of its prominence in the national consciousness at the time of its publishing in 1900.

Around the time Baum was working on his classic, a generation of women writers were just starting out. Their careers would go on to create new benchmarks for professional women and new inroads for women’s suffrage.

Also around this time, Langston Hughes, before becoming the legendary playwright, poet, and novelist, was growing up in Lawrence. Hughes would go on to be a leading figure in New York’s Harlem Renaissance of the ‘20s and ‘30s, part of the blossoming of literary arts and cultural expression that would fundamentally impact the direction of African American culture throughout the world.

Kansas’ influence on shaping the world of literature continues to the present day with some of the nation’s top writers hailing from America’s heartland. The torch of this noble tradition is within reach, and with serious discipline and a degree in creative writing, it could be yours to grab and carry forward.

Some of the Most Impactful Women in Literature Hailed from Kansas

Lawrence-native Alice Rohe, born in 1876, worked as a United Press journalist bureau chief in Rome during World War One, the first woman to hold such a high position. Throughout her career she published in the New York Times , Washington Post , National Geographic , and other well-known outlets of her day.

Rohe got her big start in writing as a kind of Carrie Bradshaw of Sex and the City fame, albeit an early-20th-century version. In the year 1900 Rohe, her sister, and their mother moved to New York City. There she landed a job at a tabloid newspaper, even getting her own column called, “The Girl from Kansas,” where she wrote about the lives of professional women trying to make it in the Big Apple.

Dorothy Canfield Fisher is another of Lawrence’s well known authors. In her adult life, which spanned the first half of the 20 th century, she wrote more than 40 books and was known for her advocacy of women’s rights. Eleanor Roosevelt named her one of the 10 most influential women in the United States.

Feminist and socialist Anna Marcet Haldeman-Julius was born in Girard, Crawford County in 1887. In 1919 she and her husband bought a printing press and would go on to publish 500 million tomes, known as, “Little Blue Books.”

Widely available for a few cents, authority-challenging classics from Shakespeare, H.G. Wells, Jack London, and many philosophers were printed on pocket-sized paper note cards. To the chagrin of her critics, Haldeman-Julius was known to change the titles of classics to more sensationalist ones so they would have a wider appeal to the masses.

Today successful authors like Scott Heim and Lauren Drain have ties to Kansas; Hutchinson and Olathe, respectively.

Heim earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in English in Lawrence, and soon after published his hit novel Mysterious Skin in 1996 which would be made into an award-winning film just under a decade later.

Lauren Drain hit the national spotlight in 2013 with her New York Times best-seller book, Banished , a first-person account of her real-life experience as a member of the Westboro Baptist Church and how she was expelled from her family and religious community at the age of 21 for the crime of questioning doctrine.

Whether it’s off-the-wall ideas like Heim’s, a harrowing personal story like Drain’s, or something altogether different, your masterpiece could be next on the list beside today’s most noteworthy Kansas authors. Launching your writing career can start with earning a BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) or MFA (Master of fine Arts) in creative writing or similar degree.

Kansas’ Creative Writing Classes, Courses, and Workshops Can Prepare You for a Creative Writing Degree

Like any expressive form of art, creative writing is also part science. There’s no set formula or magic trick for how to inspire creativity. However, there is a guaranteed way you can hone your skills and grow in maturity as a writer, and that is by simply doing it – writing.

Fortunately, Kansas is chalk full of places where you can develop your writing skills. Places like writing groups and poetry readings in bookstores or coffee shops are ideal venues where you can practice your craft and receive valuable feedback from your like-minded peers.

The Kansas Writers Association holds monthly meetings in the Wichita area. It’s open to writers in all genres and is a hub for resources about local conferences, workshops, and writing contests. Every year it also publishes an anthology of stories that members contribute. This year’s is titled, Writers & Werewolves .

KS Writers, Inc. holds meetings at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library once per month. These 4.5-hour events include a critique session, workshop, discussion, lunch, and a business meeting. It publishes a monthly newsletter that will keep you up to date on everything writing-related that’s happening in the local area.

If you’re near Olathe, check with the city’s public library for regional writing events. It just hosted an open mic poetry workshop that ran for five days and was hosted by a local artist, exploring how poetry performance can be restorative.

Kansas is also home to a number of publishing houses. Writers groups and conferences are a great place to mingle with these professionals, who are always looking for good material to promote:

• Ascend Books – Overland Park, specializing in children’s books
• Brigids Gate Press – Bucyrus, specializing in romance, horror, poetry, and dark fantasy
• Hadley Rille Books – Overland Park, specializing in sci-fi, fantasy, and historical fiction

Writing groups and associations can be a lot of fun and helpful in developing your skills, with some writers spending decades refining and learning in the same writing group.

But it’s also beneficial to change things up and try something new, especially if you feel like your tires are spinning in the mud. This is where earning a degree in creative writing comes into the picture.

Writing Colleges in Kansas Offering Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Creative Writing Provide a Path to Becoming a Writer

The difference between amateur and professional comes down to a degree in creative writing, whether in English or through a BFA or MFA in creative writing. It’s one thing to be a hobby writer; it’s another to do it for a living. In a degree program you’ll be surrounded by like-minded colleagues who all share a common goal and learn from the best: published authors with decades of industry experience.

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and Other Bachelor’s Degrees in Creative Writing in Kansas

Southwestern college.

Accreditation: HLC

Degree: Bachelor – BA

Private School

• English-Writing emphasis

Sterling College

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

• Writing and Editing-Creative Writing concentration

University of Kansas

COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS

Degree: Bachelor – BA, BGS

Public School

• Literature Language and Writing-option to earn a Creative and Analytical Writing certificate

Wichita State University

FAIRMOUNT COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES

• Creative Writing

Master of Fine Arts (MFA) and Other Master’s Degrees in Creative Writing in Kansas

Degree: Master – MFA

• Tracks in (Fiction, Poetry, Playwriting), option for PhD in Creative Writing

So, You Want an MFA?

Whether you are curious about or actively planning to pursue an MFA in Creative Writing, we welcome you to attend this virtual panel! Creative Writing faculty and recent MFA graduates will share their experiences completing graduate degrees in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and translation. You'll get to ask about application tips, hot takes, whether the MFA path is right for you, and more! 

Daniel Raeburn  is the author of  Chris Ware,  a book of art criticism, and  Vessels :  A Memoir of What Wasn’t.  His essays have also appeared in  The New Yorker, The Baffler, Tin House,  and in  The Imp , his series of booklets about underground cartoonists. He’s been awarded fellowships from the MacDowell Colony, the Vermont Studio Center, the Howard Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. He teaches nonfiction writing at the University of Chicago and received his MFA in Writing & Literature from the Writing Seminars at Bennington College, a 24-month low-residency program.

Stephanie Soileau's collection of short stories  LAST ONE OUT SHUT OFF THE LIGHTS is forthcoming from Little, Brown & Co. in Summer 2020. Her work has also appeared in  Glimmer Train, Oxford American, Ecotone, Tin House, New Stories from the South , and other journals and anthologies, and has been supported by fellowships from the Wallace Stegner Fellowship Program at Stanford University, the Camargo Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown. She earned her BA in English at the University of Chicago and MFA at the Iowa Writers' Workshop. She teaches fiction at the University of Chicago.

Will Boast is the author of a story collection,  Power Ballads , a memoir,  Epilogue , and a novel,  Daphne.  His short fiction, reporting, and essays have appeared in  The New York Times Magazine, The New Republic, The Guardian, Glimmer Train,  and the  Virginia Quarterly Review,  among other publications. His first attempt at an MFA was at Indiana University. He completed the task at the University of Virginia. He then did even more workshopping through a Stegner Fellowship at Stanford and a Charles Pick Fellowship at the University of East Anglia. He's also been a Literature Fellow at the American Academy in Rome. He's taught fiction and non-fiction at Chicago since 2014. 

Lina M. Ferreira C.-V.  graduated with both a creative nonfiction writing and a literary translation MFA from the University of Iowa. She is the author of  Drown Sever Sing  from Anomalous press and  Don’t Come Back  the co-editor of the forthcoming anthology  The Great American Essay  and the editor and translator of the forthcoming  100 Refutations  from Mad Creek Books . She’s been the recipient of the Best of the Net award and the Iron Horse Review’s Discovered Voices award, has been nominated for two Pushcart Prizes and is a Rona Jaffe fellow. She moved from Colombia to China to Columbus to Chicago, where she works as an assistant professor for the University of Chicago.

Korey Williams earned his MFA in Creative Writing from Cornell University—a full-residency and fully-funded 2-year program that offers 1- to 2-year Lectureship Appointments post-graduation. Although his concentration was in poetry, he pursued a cross-genre project and, thus, his thesis committee included faculty in both poetry and fiction. In addition to Cornell, Williams has studied at Illinois Wesleyan University and the University of Oxford. He is currently a doctoral student at the University of Chicago, and his work appears or is forthcoming in The Offing, Narrative Magazine, Spoon River Poetry Review, Furious Flower: Seeding the Future of African American Poetry, and elsewhere. 

Julie Iromuanya is the author of  Mr. and Mrs. Doctor  (Coffee House Press), a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award, the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction, the Etisalat Prize for Literature (now 9 Mobile Prize for Literature), and the National Book Critics Circle John Leonard Prize for Debut Fiction. Her scholarly-critical work most recently appears in  Meridians: Feminism, Race, Transnationalism,   Callaloo: A Journal of African American Arts and Letters,  and  Afropolitan Literature as World Literature ( Bloomsbury Publishing) .  She is a 2020 George A. and Eliza Gardner Howard Foundation fellow, and she was the inaugural Herbert W. Martin Fellow in Creative Writing at the University of Dayton. Iromuanya earned her B.A. at the University of Central Florida and her M.A. and Ph.D. at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Up until 2019, she taught in the MFA in Creative Writing program at the University of Arizona. She is currently an assistant professor in the Program in Creative Writing at the University of Chicago. 

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Our MFA in Creative Writing

Our three-year MFA program provides students with graduate study and professional training in the writing of fiction and poetry with our distinguished graduate faculty.

The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing is a terminal degree awarded by the University of Illinois. Our three-year MFA program provides students with graduate study and professional training in the writing of fiction and poetry with our distinguished graduate faculty :  Ángel García , Janice Harrington , Amy Hassinger , Christopher Kempf ,  Ted Sanders , Alex Shakar , Corey Van Landingham,  and David Wright .

The primary goal of the MFA in Creative Writing is to give literary artists time and space to work on perfecting their art. Students will teach creative writing and produce a book-length, publishable manuscript. Students will also gain extensive experience in literary editing and publishing while enrolled in the program.

Teaching Assistantships, Fellowships, and Tuition Waivers

The MFA program at the University of Illinois is fully funded. Students accepted into the program will receive full tuition waivers, guaranteed teaching assistantships, and partial-fee waivers for the duration of the program, as long as they remain in good standing and make reasonable progress toward their degree.

Stipends for MFA students are competitive and the low cost of living in the area is quite reasonable. In their first year, all entering MFA candidates will receive a 1/1 teaching assistantship (one class each semester). In their second year, students will receive a 2/1 assistantship, with opportunities for teaching-load reduction in the form of publishing-job-training graduate assistantships with our award-winning literary magazine,  Ninth Letter.  In their third year, students will again receive a 1/1 teaching assistantship.

Most semesters, teaching assignments will be in the undergraduate rhetoric program. MFA students will also teach at least one undergraduate creative-writing workshop, with an opportunity to teach additional undergraduate classes in creative writing. In recent semesters, MFA students have taught CW 104 Fiction Writing I, CW 106 Poetry Writing I, and CW 200 Reading for Writers, among other courses. 

For application requirements and instructions, please visit  Application Requirements for Prospective Students .

Life in Champaign-Urbana

Life in C-U combines some of the best aspects of life in a city with the benefits of a small-town environment.

Accessibility :

• Low cost of living, affordable housing, and green spaces within half a mile of every home
• Free, award-winning mass transit for all U of I students
• Proximity to major cities with Chicago, St. Louis, and Indianapolis only a few hours away

Arts & Culture:

• Krannert Center for the Performing Arts and Krannert Art Museum
• Vibrant local live music scene
• Public art and murals throughout the area, seasonal fairs and festivals

Food & Drink:

• A food scene reflecting the diversity of the country’s second largest international population at a public university
• A wide range of bars and local breweries to suit anyone’s taste

The faculty of the Creative Writing Program represent a diverse range of writing and teaching styles and interests. Faculty members work and teach actively in a wide variety of genres and media, including poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, juvenile fiction, theater, and film. Faculty members have received numerous awards and fellowships, including the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in Fiction, the O’Henry Prize in fiction, the Pushcart Prize, the A. Poulin Jr. Poetry Prize, the Kate Tufts Discovery Prize, the Levis Prize, the William Peden Prize, the FC2 National Fiction Competition, the Academy of American Poets Award, the Bakeless Prize, the Wallace Stegner fellowship, and fellowships from the NEA, Guggenheim Foundation, Yaddo, MacDowell, CantoMundo, Bread Loaf, Sewanee, and many others.

Follow the links below to learn more about our MFA program's core faculty members:

Ángel García

Janice N. Harrington

Amy Hassinger

Christopher Kempf

Ted Sanders

Alex Shakar

Corey Van Landingham

David Wright

Ninth Letter

Ninth Letter , the University of Illinois's award-winning literature and arts magazine, is a semi-annual publication featuring emerging and established writers of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and other genres undefined, as well as visual artists   working in a variety of mediums. This collaborative energy comes together in a highly-designed format, both in print and on the web.

Ninth Letter  is dedicated to providing educational opportunities to all interested MFA candidates. Students may enroll in the  Ninth Letter - based literary publishing course and will have the opportunity to work as assistants on the editorial staff alongside the journal’s faculty editors: Amy Hassinger (Fiction Editor), Ja nice N. Harrington  (Poetry Editor) and Christopher Kempf  (Creative Nonfiction Editor).

Students in UIUC's MFA in Creative Writing program hail from a wide range of educational and cultural backgrounds, and their work in prose and poetry explores an extensive range of literary styles. While enrolled in the program, students past and present have published writing in  AGNI ,  Alaska Quarterly Review ,   The Believer ,  Cincinnati Review ,  Colorado Review ,  Copper Nickel ,  Georgia Review ,  Kenyon Review ,  Missouri Review ,  Paris Review , and elsewhere.  Additionally, recent MFA book publications include Laura Adamczyk's  Island City  (Macmillan, 2023); Lillian-Yvonne Bertram's  Negative Money  (Soft Skull, 2023); Chekwube Danladi's  Semiotics  (University of Georgia Press, 2020), winner of the 2019 Cave Canem Poetry Prize; Katherine Gaffney's  Fool in a Blue House  (University of Tampa Press, 2023), winner of the 2022  Tampa Review  Prize; Matthew Minicucci's  DUAL  (Acre, 2023); and Jess Tanck's  Winter Here  (University of Georgia Press, 2024), winner of the 2022 Georgia Poetry Prize.

Carrie Johnson (Poetry)

Deon Robinson (Poetry)

Nina Sannes (Fiction)

Andrea Sielicki (Fiction)

Zach Simon (Poetry)

Second Year

Matthew Fash (Poetry)

Justine Mercado (Poetry)

David Miller (Fiction)

Jason Pfister (Fiction)

Erin Stoodley (Poetry)

Hannah Thorpe (Fiction)

Isabella Escamilla (Poetry)

David Foley (Poetry)

Gabriella Hoggatt (Fiction)

Callan Latham  (Poetry)

Tyler Moore (Fiction)

Garrett Stack (Fiction)

• MFA Course Requirements 
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Low Residency MFA in Creative Writing

Master of fine arts in creative writing and poetics (low-residency).

Our low-residency MFA provides the structure, support, and professional development you need to take your writing to the next level .

Program Overview

Naropa’s Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing is designed for writers ready to hone their craft and earn their Master of Fine Arts degree through rigorous, cross-genre study. Students who can’t relocate to our Colorado Campus can acquire a quality asynchronous education with in-person residencies.

Whether you have a novel in progress, are preparing for a PhD program, or looking to strengthen your prose, poetry, and hybrid writing, our low-residency creative writing MFA program provides you with resources, accountability, and inspiration that fit your schedules.

Naropa takes traditional low-residency MFA programs a step further with our history of experimental and innovative writing, critical study, and cross-genre publishing. Our unique cross-genre online writing courses, generative residencies, and one-on-one mentorship provide students with a writing community, no matter where they live.

Cross-Genre Curriculum

Unlike other Creative Writing MFA programs, our low-residency MFA is open-genre. This means that writers can work in fiction, poetry, prose, non-fiction, playwriting, and hybrid forms throughout their degree program. Students experiment with narrative structures and forms that fit their unique voices. Writers develop their unique style, critical ear, and vast knowledge of contemporary trends across literary genres.

One-on-One Mentorship

One-on-one mentorship and small online writing classes help writers develop their style, refine their editing skills, and publish their work. Each writer dedicates their final semester to a thesis manuscript. Working one-on-one with their thesis mentor and workshopping with classmates through written exchange, students finish their MFA with a completed manuscript in the genre of their choice.

Generative Residencies

Every semester, our Low-Residency MFA students gather in Boulder, Colorado, for enriching and energizing residencies. MFA students meet one-on-one with mentors, enjoy master classes with guest writers, attend readings, and bond with writers. Residencies also overlap with our spring and fall symposiums, providing students with a rich 4-days of community and inspiration. Each academic year culminates in a week-long writing intensive at Naropa’s Summer Writing Program. This annual festival brings over 60 artists, writers, and thinkers to Boulder, for workshops, readings, panels, and professional development.

Quick Facts

• Fifteen annual days of residency in Boulder, CO
• Open-genre curriculum
• One-on-one mentorship with accomplished faculty
• Unique Experimental Approach
• Participation in the Summer Writing Program
• Cohort model developing a strong sense of community among MFA students
• Several Scholarship and Financial Aid Opportunities
• Applications open for August 2024

Program Format

Naropa’s Creative Writing MFA is a rigorous, generative, low-residency two-year program with 4 writing residencies in beautiful Boulder Colorado. The program combines asynchronous craft courses with on-campus residencies. 

Annual fall and spring residencies allow writers to connect with other writers and faculty , deepen their craft, and participate in symposium readings and panels with other MFA students in Boulder, CO. Spring and Fall Residencies run from Saturday through Tuesday during the Spring and Fall JKS Symposiums.

The summer residency immerses writers in a full week of the Jack Kerouac School’s world-renowned Summer Writing Program . Here, students attend workshops, lectures, panels, and readings by numerous visiting writers to hone their craft, make connections, speak on student panels, and prepare for the next step in their writing career.

Course Spotlight

Craft of writing: rooting in the archive.

This course delves into the Naropa University Archive and its rich offerings to explore traditions, movements, and/or schools of writing that inform or extend the aesthetic vision of the Jack Kerouac School toward mindful writing. Possible recent historical examples include New American Poetry, the Beats, San Francisco Renaissance, the New York School, Black Mountain Poetics, the Black Arts Movement, and Language poetry, among others.

Degree Requirements

Unlike many online creative writing MFA programs, our asynchronous classes build community through writer-to-writer feedback and a structured curriculum.

Low Residency MFA in Creative Writing Requirements

26 credits of online asynchronous craft courses.

Students work one-on-one with a mentor, exchanging packets —consisting of letters, bibliographies, contemplative reflections, creative manuscripts, and critical essays—throughout the semester.

• WRI-631E Craft of Writing: Rooting in the Archive(6)WRI-648E Craft of Writing: Contemplative Experiments(6)
• WRI-678E Craft of Writing: Cultures & Communities(4)
• WRI-735E Craft of Writing: Contemporary Trends(6)
• WRI-755E Craft of Writing: Professional Development(4)

6 credits of MFA Thesis

6 credits of MFA Thesis (faculty mentorship on a book-length creative manuscript)

4 credits of the Summer Writing Program

Two eight-day summer residencies are completed at Naropa’s Boulder campus. Choose two of the following:

• WRI-751 Summer Writing Program(2)
• WRI-752 Week Two Summer Writing Program(2)
• WRI-753 Summer Writing Program(2)

4 credits of fall and spring residencies in Boulder, CO.

• WRI-789WE Fall Residency(1)
• WRI-791WE Spring Residency(1)

Why Choose Naropa?

Strong writing tradition.

Founded in 1974 by Allen Ginsberg and Anne Waldman, the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics encourages experimental forms across genres , pushing for innovation inside and outside the classroom.

Career Readiness

Whether a student plans to teach, write, edit, or work in publishing, our low-residency program provides the framework they need to develop their professional skills alongside a vibrant and supportive writing community.

In-house Publishing

The Kerouac School’s student-run Bombay Gin literary journal publishes work from promising students and distributes it nationally through Small Press Distribution. Students interested in fine-craft letterpress printing can learn at Naropa’s Harry Smith Print Shop and Kavyayantra Press.

How this Program Prepares You

Professional dossier.

Graduates from our low-residency Creative Writing MFA emerge from the program with a solid record of written work . The pieces that make up their dossier are workshopped with peers and perfectioned with guidance from their tutor.

Critical Analysis

You’ll emerge from the program with critical analysis skills that go beyond reading between the lines of a written work. The program will teach you to recognize the role of intersectionality in the literary arts, looking at the wider spectrum that surrounds a piece, and identifying bias, assumptions and stereotypes.

Unleashing creativity

Our workshops, classes and Summer Writing Program encourage students to harness their creativity by exploring experimental forms . Low-residency students receive on-on one mentoring to help them develop their creative writing skills to the fullest, as well as feedback from their writing community, be it online or during their residency.

What You'll Learn

Highly developed writing craft.

Hone your voice in every step of the writing process.

Skill in Critical Analysis

Learn to discuss literary works through a variety of critical lenses.

Contemplative Writing Practice:

Use your writing practice as a tool for self-inquiry and discovery.

Social and Cultural Awareness

Recognize the role of race, class, and gender in literary history and works.

Career Preparedness

Graduate with a publishable manuscript and/or professional dossier.

Career Opportunities with a Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing

• Lyricist: write words for songs, matching melody and rhyme.
• Poet: use language to creatively express emotion, ideas and experiences.
• Proofreader: check written work for errors and inconsistencies.
• English Teacher: teach at the postsecondary level.
• Author: craft and publish original material.
• Editor: review and improve written work for publication.

Hear from a Graduate

Jackie henrion, faqs about the low-residency mfa in creative writing, what is a low residency mfa in creative writing, why choose a low residency mfa creative writing program, how long does it take to complete a low residency mfa in creative writing, how is naropa’s low residency mfa in creative writing different from other programs, what types of funding are available.

Funding includes the Allen Ginsberg, Anne Waldman, and Anselm Hollo Graduate Fellowships.

The fellowships are awarded annually to three incoming MFA Creative Writing and Poetics students (residency program). Allen Ginsberg, Anne Waldman, and Anselm Hollo fellowship recipients will receive full funding (tuition and fees), plus an additional $5,000 scholarship as well as a $4,500 stipend. Fellowship recipients may not simultaneously hold a Graduate Assistantship.

Additionally, partial funding is provided for students who have applied for and been offered graduate assistantships with the Naropa Writing Center.

Visit our Graduate Scholarship page to read more about funding, fellowships and scholarships for the Low-Residency Creative Writing & Poetics MFA and other degrees.

Learn More About the Program

Connect with your counselor

Olivia phipps.

Graduate Admissions Counselor

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Ready to Apply?

Admission requirements.

Naropa University values both academic excellence and critical self-reflection . Our application process not only evaluates academic performance but also candidates’ openness and willingness to engage in contemplation.

Learn more about admission requirements and the application process for our Low-Residency Creative Writing MFA.

Graduate Students

Prospective students who have completed an undergraduate degree are welcome to apply to Naropa. When applying, candidates must submit a transcript of their undergraduate coursework, a statement of interest, a resume, two letters of interest and a creative writing sample. They may also apply for financial aid at this stage. Discover all admission requirements.

International Students

If you obtained your undergraduate diploma from a non-US university, we require additional documentation to review your application. Learn how to apply to Naropa as an international student.

Costs and Financial Aid

Naropa University students have access to several financial aid opportunities and scholarships – over 75% of our graduate students receive some sort of financial support to pursue their studies. Use our calculator to estimate your tuition, housing, materials and other costs.

Undergraduate Scholarship Opportunities

Interested in our Low-Residency Creative Writing MFA?

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• COVID-19 Updates

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Naropa campuses closed on friday, march 15, 2024.

Due to adverse weather conditions, all Naropa campuses will be closed Friday, March 15, 2024.  All classes that require a physical presence on campus will be canceled. All online and low-residency programs are to meet as scheduled.

Based on the current weather forecast, the Healing with the Ancestors Talk & Breeze of Simplicity program scheduled for Friday evening, Saturday, and Sunday will be held as planned.

Staff that do not work remotely or are scheduled to work on campus, can work remotely. Staff that routinely work remotely are expected to continue to do so.

As a reminder, notifications will be sent by e-mail and the LiveSafe app.  

Regardless of Naropa University’s decision, if you ever believe the weather conditions are unsafe, please contact your supervisor and professors.  Naropa University trusts you to make thoughtful and wise decisions based on the conditions and situation in which you find yourself in.

MFA Degree Program

The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing provides studies in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, along with a variety of options for either a studio degree in Creative Writing, or a degree combining work in either the Department of English or other departments in which course work, or independent study, seems particularly pertinent to the student’s creative thesis. A book-length thesis of publishable quality is required; it will be directed by a member of the MFA faculty. The MFA requires 48 graduate semester hours, with a 3.00 grade point average in all graduate courses.

Admission Requirements

• An overall minimum grade point average of 2.75 at the undergraduate level.
• An official undergraduate and if applicable graduate transcript sent to Graduate Admissions.
• A portfolio of published or unpublished writing samples in the applicant’s chosen genre (at least 20-25 pages of fiction, 10 poems, or 25 pages of nonfiction), demonstrating a potential for development to a professional standard of writing, should be submitted to the English Graduate Office along with two letters of recommendation and a cover letter stating the candidate’s choice of genre and reasons for pursuing the degree. The writing sample will be evaluated by a committee of MFA faculty. The committee will recommend admission of those applicants with the highest demonstrated talent.
• Students who wish to change genres after being accepted in one genre, even if they are already registered and enrolled in the program, must submit a new portfolio of work in the new genre and be approved by the MFA faculty for admission in the new genre.
• Bachelor’s degree in English or if BA is in another field, twelve (12) semester hours in upper division literature or creative writing courses with a minimum grade point average of 2.75 in these courses.
• Deadlines: for best consideration apply by March 1 for the following fall semester admission and October 15 for following spring semester. Applications may be considered later but prospective students applying by those dates have first priority.

Any applicant who holds an MA degree in English may apply up to a maximum of 24 semester hours in English earned for that degree toward the MFA degree, with the approval of the graduate coordinator. A student’s advisor will insure that the combination of MA credits and courses taken in the program has appropriate breadth. Credit previously earned at another institution must be presented for evaluation not later than the end of the student’s second semester of enrollment.

Program Requirements

All students must fulfill the 48-hour degree requirement from the Core Requirements in section 1 in combination with one area of specialization under the Additional Requirements in section 2: the Studio Option, the Literary Studies Option, The Creative/Professional Option, the TESL/TEFL Option, or the Cross-Disciplinary Option.

Core Requirements

Writing workshops and forms courses.

A total of 6 courses (18 hours) required:

Four Workshop courses, at least three of which must be in chosen genre:

• ENGL 7601 - Creative Nonfiction Wkshp Credit Hours: (3)
• ENGL 7602 - Fiction Workshop Credit Hours: (3)
• ENGL 7603 - Poetry Workshop Credit Hours: (3)

One Forms course in chosen genre:

• ENGL 7470 - Forms Creative Nonfict Credit Hours: (3)
• ENGL 7471 - Forms Of Fiction Credit Hours: (3)
• ENGL 7472 - Forms Of Poetry Credit Hours: (3)

One Cross-Genre Course:

For Poetry Students

• ENGL 6610 - Creative Writing/Translation Credit Hours: (3)
• ENGL 7602 - Fiction Workshop Credit Hours: (3) for poets

For Fiction and Creative Nonfiction students:

Cross-genre course.

ENGL 6610    may serve as a cross-genre course if the focus was on a cross-genre, but the student must submit a portfolio of cross-genre work from the course and get written approval from the Creative Writing Coordinator.

Creative Writing Colloquium

At least two sections of ENGL 7900    must be taken (6 hours).

NOTE: Students should familiarize themselves with the Thesis/Dissertation Preparation Guide before starting to write.

• ENGL 7996 - Thesis Credit Hours: (1-6) (3 hours)

Comprehensive Exam

A Comprehensive Exam based on a reading list formed by the student and the student’s thesis director.

Oral Review of Thesis

Although it is not a core requirement for the degree, all students receiving a Teaching Assistantship must take ENGL 7003    either before they become a teaching assistant or during their first semester of teaching. It is included as an alternative course in each of the options for additional requirements below.

Specialization Requirements:

Studio option:.

7 courses, 21 hours, chosen from the following:

• ENGL 7475 - Literary Publishing Credit Hours: (3)
• ENGL 7485 - Lit Arts Programming Credit Hours: (3)
• ENGL 7604 - Creative Writing Wkshp Credit Hours: (3)

Students may take, as an alternative to replace up to 3 of these courses, an equivalent number of other courses (of 3 hours each) from other disciplines within the Department of English (this includes ENGL 7003   , which is a requirement if the student receives a Teaching Assistantship). Note: as stated in the course descriptions, ENGL 7475    and ENGL 7485    can only be counted for a maximum of 6 hours each toward the degree requirements.

Literary Studies Option:

7 courses, 21 hours, made up of the following:

At least 9 hours of Literature Courses

At least 3 hours of theory of writing and english language/linguistics courses, selected from:.

• ENGL 7020-7049 - Special Topics in English Credit Hours: (3) through
• ENGL 7003 - Thry/Prac Tchng Comp Credit Hours: (3)
• ENGL 7501 - History English Lang ** Credit Hours: (3)
• ENGL 7511 - Survey of Linguistics ** Credit Hours: (3) through
• ENGL 7517 - Discourse Analysis Credit Hours: (3)
• ENGL 7531 - Theory and History of ESL ** Credit Hours: (3) through
• ENGL 7537 - Issues in Second Language Reading ** Credit Hours: (3)
• ENGL 7590 - Appl/Theory Linguistics Credit Hours: (3)
• ENGL 7801 - History Composition Credit Hours: (3)
• ENGL 7805 - Foundations of Writing Studies Credit Hours: (3)

Literary Editing

Up to 6 hours of

Literary Arts Programming

Forms courses.

Up to 9 hours of

Creative/Professional Writing Option:

At least 9 hours of professional writing courses:.

• ENGL 6618 - Document Design ** Credit Hours: (3)
• ENGL 6619 - Web Design/Online Writing ** Credit Hours: (3)
• ENGL 7013 - Wkshp Hlth Care Writing ** Credit Hours: (3)
• ENGL 7014 - Wkshp Public Hlth Care Writing ** Credit Hours: (3)
• ENGL 7806 - Resch Meth In Writing Credit Hours: (3)
• ENGL 7807 - Wksp/Govmt & Corp Wrtg ** Credit Hours: (3)
• ENGL 7808 - Wksp/Sci & Techn Wrtg ** Credit Hours: (3)
• ENGL 7809 - Technical Editing ** Credit Hours: (3)
• ENGL 7818 - Collaborative Writing ** Credit Hours: (3)

Note: Up to 6 hours of ENGL 7811 - Internship Prof Wrtng    may be counted toward this requirement. All internships must be pre-approved by the coordinator of the Creative Writing program along with another professor in the student’s primary genre.

Up to 6 hours of:

Tesl/tefl option:.

• 15 hours in the Certificate Program in Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language (TESL/TEFL), including 12 hours in the certificate core:
• ENGL 7530 - Field Experience and Practicum in ESL ** Credit Hours: (3-6)
• ENGL 7531 - Theory and History of ESL ** Credit Hours: (3)
• ENGL 7532 - Principles of Skills Assessment ** Credit Hours: (3)
• ENGL 7535 - ESL Grammar ** Credit Hours: (3)

3 elective hours selected from:

• ENGL 7533 - Methods/Techniques of ESL in K-12 ** Credit Hours: (3)
• ENGL 7536 - Issues in Second Language Writing ** Credit Hours: (3)
• ENGL 7538 - Cultural Issues in ESL ** Credit Hours: (3)
• ENGL 6533 - ESL/EFL in Multicultural Settings Credit Hours: (3)

6 hours of electives in English, Creative Writing, or Foreign Languages

Cross-disciplinary option:.

Up to 9 hours of English courses from any discipline (includes  ENGL 7003   )

At least 12 hours of courses from another department: Art, History, Journalism, Theater, Foreign Languages, or other department in which course work, or independent study, seems particularly pertinent to the student’s creative thesis.

Up to 9 of the 21 hours may be fulfilled by independent study in another department and/or internship hours, but all cross-disciplinary courses/independent studies/internships must be pre-approved by the coordinator of the Creative Writing program along with another professor in the student’s primary genre. Internships must be of a nature that will allow the student to participate in research that will form the basis of the student’s thesis.

Although taking all 12 hours of the cross-disciplinary minimum in only one other department is not required, it is recommended that the student focus primarily on one area or else have a clear rationale for fulfilling the 12-hour minimum in more than one cross-disciplinary area.

Retention Requirements

Upon entering the MFA program, a student chooses an advisor in his or her concentration. The advisor will monitor the student’s progress toward completion of the degree. Each semester the Graduate Studies Committee will examine the academic progress of all students for retention in the program. If a student receives either two C’s, one D, or one F grade in any English graduate level course, that student will be subject to review and could be dismissed from the program. In order to remain in good standing, all graduate students must maintain a 3.0 average in all courses. Students who are on academic probation for two consecutive semesters will not be allowed to continue in the program.

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COLFA Research Conference & Showcase

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View our 2024 COLFA Research Conference and Showcase Photo Gallery

Wednesday, March 20 – Thursday, March 21, 2024

Utsa main campus, heb su ballroom, 2024 colfa research conference and showcase winners: , 3 minute thesis (3mt), digital projects and storytelling, undergraduate, oral presentation, master's , poster presentation, creative writing, music lecture-recital competition, 40th annual juried student exhibition , best in show- rachael duke .

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“The experience and opportunities as a whole were quite rewarding. As an undergraduate planning to go to grad school the chance to do and practice presenting research with critique is priceless.”

“The opportunity to present something I worked so hard on.”

“Very friendly and professional; you feel surrounded by like-minded, academic-oriented people who are passionate about their research and are supportive of yours.”

“I got to share my voice and hearing others share theirs as well.”

“It gave me an opportunity to talk with faculty about graduate school, and graduate students about their own work at UTSA’s graduate school.”

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MFA student Scott Jones

ADCI MFA Spotlight: Scott Jones

By School of Art, Design and Creative Industries

Scott Jones’ work explores masculinity through the plasticity of clay. Originally from Bryan, Ohio, Scott is graduating with his MFA in Studio Art with a concentration in ceramics from Wichita State University’s School of Art, Design and Creative Industries.

What materials and processes do you use to create your work?

I primarily work with clay; however, I also implement other studio practices such as screen printing. I’m currently developing a process relatively new to the field of ceramics: clay-based hydrographic printing. The hydrographic process has this unique ability to stretch, highlighting the plasticity of clay.

What inspires your work?

My current work is an exploration and examination of masculinity through the lens of my own personal experiences—particularly the newness of being a father—especially during graduate school where there can be moments of intensity to work through. It’s all about embracing modern masculinity; a lot of which is rooted in self-empathy. Masculinity has evolved, and the world is establishing new groundwork, my work is trying to catch up to that. It’s not that, “we’re behind,” I think that’s a stretch, it’s just that we weren’t educated. My work is self-reflective; the political aspects aren’t necessarily the inspiration, but the introspective and psychological aspects are.

My work also ties into 60s Abstract Expressionist sculpture and painting - a lot of which was rooted in outdated patriarchal ideology. That’s why I titled my show “Reclaimed,” there’s a lot I’m reclaiming: myself, my own ideas of empathy, but also this form of expression from its past.

Your current work examines your role within your family unit—a role that requires active engagement, healthy communication, and connection. How does your relationship to the properties of clay mirror your relationship with your family?

Clay is so responsive; it sees and hears. Clay is also very impressionable, it has memory—almost as if it has a level of emotional intelligence—so I try to treat clay with the same respect I treat people in general. I try my best not to be aggressive, avoiding cutting or tearing the material. I’m not trying to say that I’m this perfect person – I do mess up. I’m not against trying to let the clay show its other properties, just as I experience more emotions than this gentle passiveness. Those emotions like anger or frustration are still important to feel.

Scott will be exhibiting his terminal project, “ Reclaimed: Exploring Empathy Through Gesture ,”  in the Clayton Staples Gallery from Wednesday, April 10th to Tuesday, April 16th—with a closing reception on Tuesday, April 16th from 5-7 p.m. in the McKnight Art Center.

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Creative Writing Courses Fall 2024

Engl 220: introduction to creative writing.

Instructor: Kevin Mulligan 23860 | TuTh 9:30-10:45 AM | Fraser 223 - LAWRENCE 17315 | TuTh 11:00-12:15 PM | Fraser 223 - LAWRENCE In this course, students will study the practices of creative writing in three genres: short fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. Through rigorous inquiry, discussion, and creative experimentation, students will gain a strong understanding of each genre’s conventions, strategies, and contexts--and then will put that knowledge into practice to produce original writing. Writing assignments in the course will be split between critical work, which analyzes the technique and function of various creative pieces and allows students to read creative works as potential models or sites of learning opportunities, and creative work, which allows students to develop their own creative philosophy as it applies to each genre they work within. In lieu of a final exam, students will submit a portfolio of their revised work, along with a short reflection paper. Instructor: Alex Crayon 26647 | MW 11:00-12:15 PM | Fraser 207 - LAWRENCE 26648 | MW 12:30-1:45 PM | Fraser 207 - LAWRENCE In this course, students will study the craft of creative writing across four genres: poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and playwriting/screenwriting. Throughout the semester, students will first survey these genres, reading and discussing exemplary models of each, and will investigate the conventions that writers follow—and break—when composing their creative work. In addition, students will produce four original creative pieces, one for each genre, to apply their study. This class will then include a workshop component during which students will provide both written and oral feedback to their fellow writers by immersing themselves in a constructive critical atmosphere. At the end of the semester, students will submit a portfolio of their revised creative work and a short reflective essay.

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ENGL 351: Fiction Writing I

Instructor: Adam Desnoyers 17959 | TuTh 11:00-12:15 PM | Wescoe 4023 - LAWRENCE If you have had a life-long interest in writing fiction then this is the course for you. By studying short stories from established writers, students will learn to read “like a writer” and recognize how narrative is constructed. We will study how characters are created and are made sympathetic (or less than sympathetic) by their actions, their words, and their histories. Students will learn how to write scenes, craft dialogue, build conflict, and otherwise learn how to tell a story, which is a skill that has benefit in every field. Students will produce two short stories over the course of the semester. A class period will be allotted to each story you produce, in which you will receive feedback from all of your peers. You will have an opportunity to rewrite these stories based on that feedback before finally presenting them in your final portfolio for the semester. Instructor: Logan Jorgenson 27361 | TuTh 1:00-2:15 PM | Wescoe 4021 - LAWRENCE This course is an introduction to the art of writing fiction. Through the semester, students will engage with many craft elements, including character, dialogue, point of view, details, etc. Students will be expected to produce two pieces of fiction through the semester, including one short story and one other work of their choice. In addition, they will participate in writing exercises, read and respond to exemplar work, present on a literary journal of their choice, and provide feedback to their peers through workshop. The culmination of this class will be a final portfolio that includes a reflection on the student’s work, a revision plan for one work, and a cover letter for a prospective journal submission. Instructor: Tiffany Fritz 26645 | MW 11:00-12:15 PM | Wescoe 4068 - LAWRENCE 26646 | MW 12:30-1:45 PM | Wescoe 1007 - LAWRENCE This course guides new writers of fiction towards developing their own personal writing practice. To support students’ work in drafting at least two original short stories of their own, we will define short fiction, study the short fiction of experts, complete writing exercises, and read short essays on the craft of writing. Students will share their writing in workshops, where they will learn to offer each other useful, analytical feedback and build their skills in self-evaluation and revision. Instructor: Colleen Morrissey 22985 | MW 3:00-4:15 PM | Wescoe 4020 - LAWRENCE In this course, we will explore the timeless and universal craft of storytelling. Through studying published fiction and creating our own, we will experiment with the techniques that make a story compelling, meaningful, and artful. We will discuss what makes for successful plot (or anti-plot), character, conflict, voice, setting, and more. Students will compose their own fiction and practice giving and receiving constructive feedback through small-group and whole-class workshopping. Students will also practice the essential skill of revision.

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ENGL 352: Poetry Writing I

Instructor: Joseph Harrington 22520 | TuTh 1:00-2:15 PM | Wescoe 4020 - LAWRENCE This class will provide you with a “starter kit” of things every poetry-writer should know, along with lots of practice writing and commenting on poetry by both class members and published poets. A writing workshop is designed to help people imagine ways they can change their writing to best reach and affect an audience, so emphasis will be on revision and “re-version.” My philosophy: poetry, regardless of subject-matter, is about words. Words are sounds + marks + space. We get to make imaginative compositions out of those things, which can be at least as fun as making pottery, dancing, playing guitar, or finger-painting. Instructor: Meagen Youngdahl 27362 | TuTh 2:30-3:45 PM | Fraser 224 - LAWRENCE Instructor: Brian Daldorph 15681 | M 4:10-7:00 PM | Best 310 - EDWARDS English 352/552 gives you the opportunity of writing your own collection of poems over the course of the semester, and working closely with other writers. We will study some of the classic forms of poetry, including sonnets, villanelles, sestinas, drawing on examples by famous and lesser-known poets. Much of class time will be spent “workshopping” student poetry, with the focus on learning together in a writing community. You will write 8 critiques of the work of your peers over the course of the semester. You must submit a short portfolio of poems at midterm, then a longer portfolio of poems (approx.. 15) at the semester’s end.

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ENGL 354: Playwriting I

Instructor: Darren Canady 22365 | MW 11:00-12:15 PM | Location TBA - LAWRENCE

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ENGL 355: Nonfiction Writing I

Instructor: Doug Crawford-Parker 16363 | MW 12:30-1:45 PM | Wescoe 4023 – LAWRENCE When you hear the word “essay,” what comes to mind? School assignments? Five paragraphs? Exams? In this class, we will study and write a very different kind of essay: the essay as a form of literature where writers artfully enact their engagement with the world and with themselves. Our emphasis will be on the art and craft of the personal essay. We will read numerous essays to get a better handle on this often-slippery form. We will spend some time sharpening our sentence style, the material essays are made out of. And we will write essays and read each other’s work. The class employs a workshop format where each student reads and comments on the work of everyone else in the class and receives feedback from everyone else in the class. The workshop format of the course demands a high level of student participation, both in degree and quality. Students will be required to write one short essay and two longer essays, keep a journal, do a presentation, and revise their work for an end of semester portfolio, in addition to reading numerous essays and other assignments. A willingness to read seriously, write, offer feedback, accept feedback, and enjoy oneself is essential for the course.

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ENGL 360: Writing the Science Essay - Making Art out of Science

Instructor: Doug Crawford-Parker 26521 | MW 11:00-12:15 PM | Wescoe 4023 - LAWRENCE Science can sometimes be viewed as dry or impenetrable to the nonscientist, yet there is much writing about science that is lyrical and engaging. This course will introduce students to the essay form and its suitability for writing about science in creative, lively, and insightful ways that engage both the writer and reader. We will read and write to get a sense of the possible and discover new ways to craft essays that are artful and perceptive.

ENGL 360: Queer Ecologies

Instructor: Megan Kaminski 23295 | MW 2:00-3:15 PM | Learned 1136 - LAWRENCE Queer Ecologies is a writing and arts course that uses literature, the arts, and an eco-cultural lens to think about our eco-futures. We’ll consider “queering” as a means to refuse binary thinking and consider expansive interdisciplinary eco-arts practices that have evolved from LGBTQ+ movements, feminist science studies, environmental justice, decolonial thinking, disability studies, and science fiction. In so doing, we will explore how gender, sexuality, race, and species shape understandings of the environment. Through readings, discussion, field work, and creative projects, our work together will orient towards new thinking about the challenges of planetary and climate change. This project-based course welcomes students to explore the themes of the class within and across their own fields of interest, experience, practice, and study. This course is cross-listed with EVRN 420.

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ENGL 551: Fiction Writing II

Instructor: Adam Desnoyers 27061 | TuTh 1:00-2:15 PM | Wescoe 4023 - LAWRENCE 21403 | TuTh 2:30-3:45 PM | Wescoe 4023 – LAWRENCE This course is an intensive exploration of the ideas and techniques of fiction writing within the form of the short story, with primary emphasis on the careful analysis and discussion of student works-in-progress. We will read a variety of published stories each week and discuss narrative structure and style, imagery and metaphor, use of scene and exposition, dialogue, and the various points of view. Requirements: Students will attend class regularly and participate actively in discussion. They will produce three short stories of their own during the semester, which they will submit to the class to be workshopped. They will also provide critiques for their peers’ stories as these are workshopped. Lastly, students will revise their own stories for inclusion in their final portfolio.

ENGL 552: Poetry Writing II

Instructor: Megan Kaminski 26524 | MW 12:30-1:45 PM | Wescoe 4021 - LAWRENCE Instructor: Brian Daldorph 21157 | M 4:10-7:00 PM | Best 310 - LAWRENCE English 352/552 gives you the opportunity of writing your own collection of poems over the course of the semester, and working closely with other writers. We will study some of the classic forms of poetry, including sonnets, villanelles, sestinas, drawing on examples by famous and lesser-known poets. Much of class time will be spent “workshopping” student poetry, with the focus on learning together in a writing community. You will write 8 critiques of the work of your peers over the course of the semester. You must submit a short portfolio of poems at midterm, then a longer portfolio of poems (approx.. 15) at the semester’s end.

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Write of Passage 2024: Creative Writing MFA Student Reading

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This event is part of UCF Celebrates the Arts 2024. 

Write of Passage 2024 showcases the work and talent of the Spring 2024 graduating students of UCF’s creative writing MFA graduate program.

This reading will feature works by Justin Ahlquist, Camila Cal Mello, Fernanda Coutinho Teixeira, Kristi Dao, Colleen Dieckmann, Kianna Greene, Michelle Munoz, Spencer Reynolds, Jessa Santiago, Dani Sarta and Nicholas Stovel.

Arrive early to enjoy a showcase of other projects from the English department, including:

• The Florida Review , UCF’s international literary journal
• The Cypress Dome , UCF’s undergraduate student literary journal
• Writers in the Sun, UCF’s visiting writers’ series
• UCF Creative Writing Faculty Book Display
• Zeppelin Books and Burrow Press Display

One of Central Florida’s favorite new traditions celebrates ten years!   UCF Celebrates the Arts is an immersive and dynamic cultural extravaganza that fuses creativity, innovation and community engagement. This annual festival showcases the artistic prowess of UCF’s faculty and students and invites the broader community to enjoy performances, exhibitions, presentations and interactive experiences. With a focus on accessibility, partnership and diverse offerings, UCF Celebrates the Arts is a unique opportunity for the community to experience the creative side of UCF’s innovative spirit. Events will be held April 3-14 at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Learn more at   arts.cah.ucf.edu/celebrates .

Event Registration

Tickets: FREE

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“The SMSU RN to BSN Program does not have you take a set amount of credits each semester. This flexible scheduling was perfect for me as it allowed me to vary the amount of credits I took each semester. I would have struggled without that flexibility as I am a non-traditional student who is also a wife, mother of four, and worked full time while completing my degree. This program is designed to fit into your life, whether you want to be a full-time or part-time student.” Leah Bittner, '22 Alum

18th Annual Fine Arts Celebration

Published Monday, April 01, 2024

The SMSU Fine Arts and Communications Department with the Creative Writing Program present the 18 th Annual Fine Arts Celebration the entire month of April through May 2, 2024 showcasing creative works from SMSU students and faculty.

The 18th Annual Fine Arts Celebration schedule includes:

Art and design.

• Gold College: Unsung Heroes - Dr. Pat Brace speaking on Rosa Bonheur March 28 at 12:00 to 1:30pm in BA 102
• Art Exhibit "Gender Expression" April 2 to April 15 in the Whipple Gallery, spo nsored by LGBTQ+ and the Art Club with contributions from SMSU students                
• Graduating Senior Art Exhibition April 16 to April 30 in the Whipple Gallery 
• Senior Art Exhibit Reception April 17 at 5:30 to 7:30pm in the Whipple Gallery                                                          

Communication Studies

• Broadcast Digital Media Student Media Showcase May 1 at  4:00 to 6:00pm in BA 102

Creative Writing

• Perceptions Student Literary & Art Journal Reading April 12 at 12:00 to 1:00pm in Whipple Gallery 
• "Stanger Than Fiction: A Fanfiction Celebration of Stanger" April 17 at 12:00 to 1:00pm in Whipple Gallery      
• Telling Women's Stories: Readings from Competition Winners April 24 at 12:00 to 1:00pm in Whipple Gallery   
• SMSU Student Recital April 3 at 1:00 to 2:00pm in the SMSU Fine Arts Theatre       
• Southwest Minnesota Orchestra "Children's Concert" April 10 at 10:00am and 1:00pm at SCCPA
• SMSU Glee Club & Alta Voce "Murmurations" April 13 at 2:00 to 3:00pm at First Lutheran Church 
• SMSU Jazz Ensemble Spring Concert April 15 at 7:30 to 8:30pm in the Fine Arts Theatre
• SMSU Student Recital April 17 at 1:00 to 2:00pm in the SMSU Fine Arts Theatre
• SMSU Music Alumni Weekend April 19-21
• SMSU/Community Concert Band & Symphonic Chamber Winds "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" April 20 at 3:00 to 4:5pm in the SMSU Fine Arts Theatre, also featuring members of the Alumni Band
• Music Alumni Reception April 20 at 5:30 to 7:30pm in the Whipple Gallery
• SMSU Chorale "Flyover Country" April 21 at 2:00 to 3:00pm at First Lutheran Church,  also featuring members of the Alumni Choir
• SMSU Student Recital April 24 at 1:00 to 2:00pm in the SMSU Fine Arts Theatre
• Southwest Minnesota Orchestra & St. Paul Conservatory of Music Orchestra Festival April 27 at 10:00 to 5:00pm, String Festival in the SMSU Fine Arts Theatre April 27 at 5:00 to 7:00pm, Festival Orchestra Joint Concert in the SMSU Fine Arts Theatre
• Southwest Minnesota Orchestra "Mozart Mania"  with guest violinist, Risa Schuchter and artist-faculty from the St. Paul Conservatory April 28 at 4:00 to 6:00pm at Holy Redeemer Church Tickets $12, $5 for students
• An Inspector Calls  public performances in the SMSU Fine Arts Theatre April 10-13 at 7:30pm and April 14 at 2:00pm. Tickets $10 at the door. Free to SMSU students and faculty with valid ID.
• 14th Annual Fashion Runway April 16 at 6:00 to 8:00pm in the SMSU Fine Arts Theatre Lobby
• Stage Management Showcase May 2 at 10:00am to 12:00pm in the Upper FA Hallway

Mustang Ovations

• April 18 at 4:00 to 5:30pm in the Upper Level Conference Center

General Information All events are free and open to the public unless noted.  For more information, call the Fine Arts and Communication  office at (507) 537-7482. Tune in to Marshall Radio for weather-related announcements.

ADA/Section 504 : Individuals with a disability who need a reasonable accommodation to participate, please call SMSU Accessibility Services at 507-537-7318, or the Minnesota Relay Service at 1-800-627-3529.  Please allow 5-7 days advance notice to schedule the accommodation. 

Parking Directions Generally, parking is available without a permit anywhere on campus after 4:30 p.m., except in specified parking areas.  If you are visiting the campus during the day for a Fine Arts event, call the department office, or Security at (507) 537-7252, for parking updates.  We will coordinate free parking for events upon request.

To find event locations, or an adjacent parking lot, visit the SMSU Interactive Campus Map .  Scroll down on the campus map to check the areas you wish to locate on campus.

On-Campus Locations BA - Bellows Academic CC - Conference Center  CH - Charter Hall FA - Fine Arts

Off-Campus Locations First Lutheran Church, 100 Church St, Marshall Marshall-Lyon County Library, 205 C S, Marshall SCCPA: The Schwan Community Center for the Performing Arts at Marshall Senior High School, 400 Tiger Dr

Thank you for your interest and support of the Fine Arts!

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