Spring 2015

M.F.A. Update

P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY . C O M

The

M.F.A. Application Process Explained

AWP 2015 in Minneapolis: Things to See and Do
A Roundup of New Books from Recent M.F.A. Grads
M.F.A. Program Spotlights

S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 M . F. A . U P D AT E

A Literary Season

BY CRAIG MORGAN TEICHER

pring is when college seniors begin thinking about the future, and for some,
that means applying to M.F.A. programs. In this M.F.A. Update, we help
students choose the right program and guide them through the application
process itself. We also look at the upcoming AWP conference, which has
grown to include over 10,000 writers and publishers (large and small), as
well as creative writing program directors, staff members, faculty, and
students.

In spring, college juniors and seniors begin preparing for life

after college; they start thinking about jobs and wonder whether
theyre truly ready to be done with school. For those who dream
of becoming published writers, this might be the time to start
thinking about whether, and where, they should get an M.F.A.,
and how to go about applying.
Its a big decisionone that can involve a significant monetary commitmentand certainly a big commitment of time:
two or three years of classes, teaching, and writing, unless a
writer goes the low-residency route, in which case the degree
will be earned mostly by correspondence. But the choice to earn
an M.F.A. can be a long-term lifestyle choice, a particular set of
goals: to write enough fiction, nonfiction, or poetry to fill one
book and then anotherto commit to the grueling years of
work and rejection that make up a writers life.
In this M.F.A. supplement, we help students choose the right
M.F.A. program and we walk them through the application
itself. We offer tips on all parts of the process, from choosing
schools to getting recommendation letters, and the application
essays and writing sample. Its a lot to do, and weve asked
experienced writers, some former M.F.A. students, to offer their
insights.
Were also taking a good look at this years Association of
Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) conference, one of the
yearly hubs of American literary life, a kind of BEA for the small
press world. This year it runs from April 8 to 11 in Minneapolis,
one of our most literary cities, home to a host of major indie
presses, lots of thriving indie bookstores, and plenty of reading
and literary culture. In addition to conference highlights
panels and readings of interest to publishing professionalswe

34 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y M A R C H 1 6 , 2 0 1 5

also offer a handy guide to places to hang out, meet up, and eat
up in Minneapolis.
Writers are, of course, also readers, and writers interested in
M.F.A.s are interested in successful writers whove recently
graduated from M.F.A. programs. So weve also got a roundup
of new books of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry from recent
graduates of M.F.A. programs, for pleasure reading and hopeful
dreaming.
What would a package like this be without a list? Weve also
got a survey of exciting M.F.A. programs and their unique
features. For more M.F.A. info, check out our online M.F.A.
database at publishersweekly.com/mfa.
See you in Minneapolis!

PW at AWP 2015
In Minneapolis
PW will be all over AWP this year.
Find us at the book fair! Booth 1436.
Our panel, The Other Track: M.F.A.s in the
Book Business, is on Saturday, April 11, at
1:30 p.m., in Auditorium Room 2, Level 1.

S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 M . F. A . U P D AT E

Choices
and
Voices
An in-depth look at the M.F.A.
application process

BY JULIE BUNTIN

ufi Thorpe, author of The Girls from Corona

Del Mar (Knopf), was a senior in college
and touchingly foolhardy when she
began applying to M.F.A. programs.
I applied to John Hopkins, Iowa, and
NYU. I suppose I was not familiar with
the concept of a safety school.
Though she was eventually
accepted from NYUs wait list,
shed recently left New York City, escaping
a pretty torturous love affair, and couldnt
afford to return. The next year, slightly
wiser, she applied to five programs, writing
a separate personal statement for each.

Students at UNLC attend

frequent campus readings.

MFA

http://creativewriting.colostate.edu

W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M

35

S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 M . F. A . U P D AT E
I wrote my applications like love
letters, she says. Eventually, she wound
up at the University of Virginia, where
she studied with Ann Beattie and Christopher Tilghman (the latter was a particular influence) and lay the intellectual
groundwork for her first novel.

Choosing a Program
M.F.A. programs have become as competitive as first-rate medical and law

schools (in some cases more), but many

writers still choose where they apply
based on a combination of intuition, ego,
geography, fandom, and other circumstances. Thorpes application trajectory,
full of emotional asides and gut decisions, doesnt much sound like the kind
of advice published on the Poets & Writers Speakeasy (an online forum where
applicants can exchange advice) or the
M.F.A. Blog. There, youll find experts
who suggest creating spreadsheets to

keep track of supplementary materials,

advise applicants to consider schools
with great funding in remote locales, and
encourage prospective M.F.A.ers to
increase their slim odds of acceptance by
applying far and wide. Tom Kealeys The
Creative Writers M.F.A. Handbook
(Bloomsbury), a comprehensive guide to
tackling the M.F.A. application process,
instructs writers to consider funding,
teaching load, student-run publications,
among other factors.

Students at UNLV
chat with authors
and each other at
an author reception.

M.F.A. programs have become as

competitive as first-rate medical and
law schools (in some cases more so),
but many writers still choose where
they apply based on a combination
of intuition, ego, geography, fandom,
and other circumstances.
36 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y M A R C H 1 6 , 2 0 1 5

NYUs low-res program in Paris

brings students into close contact
with writers like Darin Strauss (l.).

accelerated online
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Publishing:

Sheila OConnor

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Program and application

information at
piper.asu.edu/novel

A unit of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 M . F. A . U P D AT E
Like Thorpe, Matt Sumell didnt get
accepted at UC Irvines competitive
M.F.A. program (graduates include
Joshua Ferris and Michael Chabon) until
his second year of applying to grad
school. When I first applied, I was bumming around San Diego and picking my
schools based on faulty criteria: girl to
guy ratios and was there good surf, he
says. Following a round of encouraging
rejections, he did what M.F.A. forums
expressly suggest you do not do: he pestered faculty at the places where he was
rejected for feedback. The following year,
he was rejected everywhere again, except
UC Irvine, from whom he received a letter, signed by Geoffrey Wolff, explaining
that he was on the wait-list.
Though their strategies ultimately
worked, both Matt Sumell and Rufi
Thorpe do not advise proceeding as they
did. Research is necessary, more so now
than ever, with new programs appearing
every year. Most schools have a wealth of

Saint Marys
College of California
MFA in Creative Writing
Creative
Nonfiction

Fiction

Poetry

Apply by
Jan. 31

stmarys-ca.edu/mfa

NYUs M.F.A.
program is
located in the
Lillian Verson
Creative Writers House in
downtown
New York City.

information on their websites. Online,

prospective students can find out who is
teaching and when (check closely, since
some sites list emeritus faculty members
who never actually enter the classroom),
how much funding is offered, what the
course structure is like (some programs
are more academic than othersone tipoff is often how much importance a
school places on the GRE), whether students are asked to teach, and the size of
the student body. Some programs, like
NYUs, offer live info sessions for applicants who can make it to campus. Would
you go insane in Ithaca, N.Y., trapped
under four feet of snow all winter, stuck
with the same handful of writers for
three years? If so, dont apply to Cornellthough for many, it has been a
focused writerly utopia.
Meghan Daum, author of, most
recently, The Unspeakable, applied only to
programs in New York City. I wanted
to go to Columbia. I didnt care, obviously, if it was funded or not. Her
M.F.A. experience and the debt it left her
with taught Daum to hustle. I learned
how to write for money, she says. That
lesson would keep her afloat, and her
thoughtful writing about moneynot
having it and how she spent ithas
become a kind of anthem for many young
writers and readers. The takeaway is, perhaps, that applying to and attending an
M.F.A. program is a major life decision,
and no matter how prepared applicants
are, there will always be a measure of
unexpected fallout.

38 PPublishers
U B L I S H Weekly
E R S Wad
E E2.125
K L Yx
MARCH 16, 2015
4.75

Jeffrey Alan Lockwood, an instructor

at Wyomings two-year M.F.A. program,
which enrolls roughly three to four students per genre each year, points out how
programs look at applicants holistically.
We do not use a standard or systematized approach to weighting any
element of the application. In fact, the
elements interact in complex ways and
cant be sensibly isolated into parts,
Lockwood says. The writing sample is
the most important element in most
cases... but because all applications are
read by two faculty, idiosyncrasies are
moderated. Unlike law school, where a
student with high LSATs and a perfect
transcript would likely get into all her
top choices, M.F.A. applicants sometimes
get into the most competitive programs
and are rejected from purportedly easier
schools. Theres an element of blind
luckof finding the right reader at the
right time.

The Application
So what are the boxes nearly all M.F.A.
applicants will have to check off? Once
they begin their application? In addition
to transcripts and, sometimes, GRE
scores, almost every M.F.A. program asks
the following of its applicants: a writing
sample thats around 30 pages (usually
slightly less for poetry), a personal statement, and letters of recommendation.
Some schools, like Columbia, also ask for
a critical essay. Guidance regarding the
writing sample tends to be rather hands
off. Iowa asks that students submit

M.F.A.
in
CREATIVE WRITING
Low-residency program with online workshops
Weeklong residency spent abroad in
Edinburgh, Scotland
Manuscript-length thesis and publication plan
Recent Visiting Writers:
Lauren Grodstein (NY Times Bestselling novelist)
Alan Warner (Booker Prize Nominee)
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Prize Winner)

Greater Philadelphia
1-877-ARCADIA (1-877-272-2342)

Apply Now!
www.arcadia.edu/mfacwpw

S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 M . F. A . U P D AT E
3080 pages, but no more than 100
they do not explain how students are to
format this work, other than that it
should be double-spaced, and do not
specify a preference for novels or short
stories, traditional or experimental writing. Browns Literary Arts Program,
widely known as a hotbed for experimentation, obliquely notes that writers may
bypass the double-spaced format if an
alternative format is integral to the
work. Reviewing these guidelines, the
subtext emerges. M.F.A. programs are
seeking talent, and they know that
theres no catchall way to explain exactly
what that is. Again and again, program
administrators encourage prospective
students to focus most of their energy on
their sample. Peter Nelson, an administrator at Brown, says that 99%100%
of the decision is based on writing sample. M.O. Walsh, director of the M.F.A.
program at New Orleans University,
agrees: The writing sample is the most

MFA in

Writing for
Children &
Young Adults

The first.
The best.
vcfa.edu/WCYA

important thing. We are looking for

vision and potential.
Letters of recommendation can come
from writers who know the applicants
work, former teachers, or other close professional mentors or colleagues. Maxine
Chernoff, director of San Francisco State
Universitys M.F.A. program, finds them
important, but not overwhelmingly so:
They help assure us that the applicant
works reasonably well in an academic
setting. Most importantly, the manuscript counts. Walsh places a somewhat
higher premium on letters, and notes
that bad rec letters can definitely throw
up red flags. Well be living with these
people for three years. If the rec letter
says theyre problematic, thats a headache
we can do without. Other peripheral
materials, like GRE scores and past academic records, are also typically valued
well below the quality of the writing
sample. They help shift around rankings and break ties, says Wyomings
Lockwood. Personal statements that
make clear that an applicant lacks collegiality or interest in others will also
count heavily against a person. In general,
administrators seem to agree that factors
beyond the writing sample become
important in later stages of the process,
once promise has been identified and a
student is seriously being considered for
acceptance.
Many prospective applicants who are
daunted by the importance of the writing sample and are struggling to choose
the work that best represents them can
seek out the guidance of professional
consultants (like those at Sackett Street
Writers Workshop or Grub Street), often
M.F.A.-trained writers themselves, to
help get manuscripts in tip-top shape.
There are also a number of non-M.F.A.
workshops (like the UCLA Extension
Writers Program) where writers can get
feedback before attempting to enter an
M.F.A. program. Austin Bunn, a graduate of Iowas M.F.A. program and author
of the forthcoming novel The Brink,
attended workshops in L.A. and a community class in Queens led by Sam
Lipsyte before applying to five schools,
including Iowa. My first response was a

42 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y M A R C H 1 6 , 2 0 1 5

University of Tampa students take advantage of the good weather.

rejection from Minnesota, he says. Two

weeks later I got into Iowa and the
Michener Center, which goes to show
how highly subjective the process is.
An element of chance will probably
always factor into the M.F.A. application
process, in a way that it doesnt in other
areas of study. These are writers were
talking about, from the applicants to the
faculty and often even the administrators.
They are moved by empathy and by
stories: the ones in the personal statement, the ones in the letters of recommendation, the ones in the writing
sample, and the ones that unfold in real
time, over the phone. Matt Sumell
moved off UC Irvines wait-list for a
reason that seems torn straight from a
short story. When Geoffrey Wolff called
one of the accepted students to inform
them of Irvines offer, he overheard the
clanking of dishes in the sink. As Wolff
talked, the student kept washing the
dishes, and Wolff got so annoyed that he
hung up. Lucky for me, Sumell says,
someone got on Geoffrey Wolffs nerves.
And my life changed forever.

APPLICATION DEADLINES:

February 15 & October 1

Award-Winning Core Faculty

FictionCreative NonfictionPoetryYA FictionEnvironmental Writing

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

converse.edu/mfa

Suzanne Cleary

Denise Duhamel

Albert Goldbarth
Rick Mulkey (Director of the MFA Program)

Marlin Barton

Cary Holladay

Robert Olmstead
Leslie Pietrzyk
Jim Minick
Susan Tekulve
Richard Tillinghast
C. Michael Curtis

Recent Visiting Writers, Editors and Agents: C. Michael Curtis of The

Atlantic, Jenny Bent of the Bent Agency, Jillian Weise, Melissa Sarver of
Folio Literary Management, Dorianne Laux, Ed Falco, Chuck Adams of
Algonquin Books, Keith Morris, and Jeff Shotts of Graywolf Press.

The Place
for Your
Next Book
is Here

S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 M . F. A . U P D AT E

Spotlight on New Books by

M.F.A. Grads

BY JULIE BUNTIN AND CRAIG MORGAN TEICHER

e look at Sara Novics

novel about a woman who
grew up during the Yugoslav wars, Matt Sumells
collection of linked stories
about a man dealing with his
mothers death, a collection
from Austin Bunn that takes
readers over the edge, and more.

poetry
young adult literature
creative nonfiction
fiction
literary translation

accepting applications now

study abroad / editorial opportunities

tuition awards up to $7,000
mfa.fdu.edu

low-residency mfa in creative writing at fairleigh dickinson university: campuses in oxfordshire and madison, new jersey

44 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y M A R C H 1 6 , 2 0 1 5

Sara Novic, Girl at War (Random

House, May)
Novic entered Columbias M.F.A.
program with a large portion of the manuscript that would become her first
novel, Girl at War,
already completed.
For her, the novels
structure was the
biggest challenge.
Her aha moment
came during a meeting with Sam Lipsyte.
I explained all the

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SHERMAN ALEXIE+RAMONA AUSUBEL+MARIEHELENE BERTINO+SHERWIN BITSUI+NATALIE DIAZ

MELISSA FEBOS+SANTEE FRAZIER+MANUEL
GONZALES+RACHEL ELIZA GRIFFITHS+GEOFF
HARRIS+LINDA HOGAN+PAM HOUSTON+JOAN KANE
CHIP LIVINGSTON+ISMET PRCIC+EDEN ROBINSON
JAMES THOMAS STEVENS+ELISSA WASHUTA+CLAIRE
VAYE WATKINS+KEN WHITE+ORLANDO WHITE

RECENT & UPCOMING VISITORS

JOHN DAGATA+DEBRA EARLING+GARY FISKETJON+NICK FLYNN

JOY HARJO+DANA LEVIN+CHRISTOPHER MERRILL+N. SCOTT
MOMADAY+SIMON ORTIZ+NANCY STAUFFER+ARTHUR SZE+LUCI
TAPAHONSO+GERALD VIZENOR+JESS WALTER+MICHAEL WIEGERS

Support provided by the University of Wyoming MFA in Creative Writing Program

Institute of American Indian Arts

MFA IN CREATIVE WRITING
www.iaia.edu/mfa

S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 M . F. A . U P D AT E
chunks of the novel, and Sam drew everything out on the back
of a manila envelope, she says. After that, the manuscript
really came together. The story moves back and forth between
1991 and 2001, following Ana Juric from her experiences as a
child in Croatia during the Yugoslav wars, through her life as a
college student in Manhattan, haunted by what she witnessed
as a child. The envelope with Sams drawing still hangs over
Novics desk, a reminder to stay the course when shes struggling with a piece.
Matt Sumell, Making Nice (Holt, Feb.)
Alby, the narrator of Sumells debut, Making Nice, a linked
collection of stories, is a screwup. Struggling to make sense of
the world in the aftermath of his mothers death from cancer,
Alby mostly pisses off peoplein one story he fights with his
sister; in another, he pushes his father off a
boat. Sumell, who attended UC-Irvines
M.F.A. program and has created, in Alby,
one of the most memorable characters of
the year, puts no stock in the argument that
M.F.A.s homogenize writers. The governing
principle at UCI was some version of zeroing in on whats working best in a given
story, and then encouraging the writer to
do more of that; to hold a story to the standard of the best thing in it, says Sumell. They championed
the unique, the exciting, and the alive. Sumells collection, told
by the riveting, hilarious, and sometimes cringe-inducing Alby,
is an example of just that.
Austin Bunn, The Brink (Harper, Apr.)
Bunn considers his peers at University of Iowa the most valuable
part of his M.F.A. experience. They brought their private canons, senses of humor, insane ideas for stories, and wild ambitions
to the table, he says. They taught me invaluable lessons about
what to read, how to read it, and, in our
disagreements, what mattered to me.
They also humbled himand that, he says,
was essential. Three of the stories in The
Brink were born in Iowas workshops; its a
collection that explores what happens at
the end and what lies beyond it. Bunn
engages numerous settings and styles in
this debut (one story is set on the deck of a
conquistadors galleon adrift in the ocean,
while another follows players in an immersive video game), and
has drawn comparisons to Wells Tower and Kevin Wilson.
James Hannaham, Delicious Foods (Little, Brown, Mar.)
Hannaham attended the Michener Center at the University of
Texas, Austin, which, thanks to its competitive full-funding
package (each admitted student receives $27,500 annually, plus
tuition remission) and interdisciplinary focus, is one of the most
46 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y M A R C H 1 6 , 2 0 1 5

coveted programs. Delicious Foods has a bold

premise, following a young mother and her
son, though its narrated by the mischievous,
irreverent voice of Scotty, a personification
of crack cocaine. Hannaham creates a fully
realized character out of the drug that threatens to destroy his protagonists, challenging
traditional concepts of what a novel can be.
Meghan Daum, The Unspeakable (Farrar, Straus and
Giroux, Nov. 2014)
This collection of 10 new essays was published last November,
nearly 15 years after the release of Daums debut essay collection,
My Misspent Youth. Daum attended Columbias M.F.A. , despite
the financial burden. The resulting debt
drove her to become a ravenously hungry
freelancer, and that work helped her hone her
writerly chops. She developed a kind of
scrappy will-write-for-food attitude. The
Unspeakable received glowing blurbs from
Cheryl Strayed, Roxane Gay, Sloane Crosley,
and others. Each essay is written in Daums
distinctive no-holds barred style, and features
thoughtful discourses on the marriage-industrial complex, casseroles, and near-death experiences, among
other subjects.
Megan Kimble, Unprocessed (Morrow, June)
The idea to write her forthcoming chronicle of a year eating only
whole, unprocessed foods came from Kimbles thesis adviser in
the M.F.A. program at the University of
Arizona. He was the one who said, yes,
write a book about that. In the tradition of
Michael Pollans In Defense of Food, Unprocessed follows Kimble as she investigates
what processed food really is, extracts salt
from the sea, mills her own wheat, slaughters
a sheep, and more. She calls enrolling in
Arizonas M.F.A. (which counts David Foster
Wallace as an alum) the best decision I ever made.
Saeed Jones, Prelude to Bruise (Coffee House, Sept. 2014)
Jones had a meteoric rise to literary prominence in the past year.
A graduate of the M.F.A. program at Rutgers Newark, Jones
joined the staff of BuzzFeed as its LGBT
news editor, and also published this second
volume of poetry. A new-media wiz as well
as a powerful poet, Jones had little trouble
generating buzz for his own work, while also
creating new online forums for LGBT writing.
The poems of this book are harrowing and
heartbreaking, treating family, sexuality,

and race with unrelenting intensity.

Considering an MFA program?

The UCLA Extension Writers Program

can help you get there!
Our creative writing students have been accepted into competitive MFA programs
all over the country including:

Antioch University
Bennington College
Boston University
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Iowa Writers Workshop
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16509-15

S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 M . F. A . U P D AT E

PW TALKS WITH

SHERWIN
BITSUI

Poet Sherwin Bitsuis most recent book is Flood Song (Copper Canyon,
2009); he serves on the faculty of the low-residency M.F.A. program
at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe.
What makes the Institute of American Indian Arts different from other
programs?

BY CRAIG MORGAN TEICHER

The Institute of American Indian Arts places priority on Indigenous worldviews in

a contemporary context and attempts to locate its curriculum within that field of
knowledge. The low-residency program is a place where one can meet and learn
from other Native American writers and poets, as well as non-Natives with similar
interests. Mentors include writers and poets
like Sherman Alexie, Eden Robinson, Joan
Kane, Santee Frazier, Natalie Diaz, Manuel
Gonzalez, Linda Hogan, and Pam Houston.

How do the instructors incorporate their

different backgrounds?

f
ust be more t o l i
ere m
Th

av
an h
e th

ing everything
.

Simplicity
is the glory
of expression.

In a mood of faith and

hope my work goes on.
A ream of fresh
paper lies on
my desk
waiting for
the next
book. I am
a writer
and
MFA
in Creative
Writing
I take up my
pen to write.

poetry, creative nonfiction, short-story, novel,

dramatic writing, or writing for children and young adults

at Rosemont College

Suburban Philadelphia

MFA in Creative Writing at Rosemont College

Suburban Philadelphia

poetry, creative nonfiction, short-story, novel,

dramatic writing, or writing for children and young adults

Come Write and Publish

MFA in Creative Writing at Rosemont College
Suburban Philadelphia

MFA in Creative Writing at Rosemont College

Suburban Philadelphia

Now: 60 credit double degree

in creative writing and publishing
MFA in Creative Writing and MA in Publishing

www.rosemont.edu/mfa60
48 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y M A R C H 1 6 , 2 0 1 5

Every instructor brings their own perspective

and pedagogy to the programs diverse
approaches. Experience and focus vary among
the instructors, and this allows the participants to carve their own path and aesthetic
direction. Though its certainly apparent that
students are working in a space that acknowledges Indigenous worldview, philosophy, and
literary history, an aesthetic focus is not forced
upon the students.

What do you tell your students about

how to embark upon a careeras an
artist or as anything elseafter receiving their degrees?
Personally, I am interested in helping the students to realize their full artistic potential.
Though its important they embark upon a
career path after they finish the program, I hope
to also encourage them to look at the importance of creating a body of work that is informed
by their personal artistic and intellectual pursuits.

If someone asked you, Why should I get

an M.F.A.? what would you tell her?
Its a great place for writers to find community
and be encouraged by writers producing serious work.

Any general thoughts about the M.F.A.

scene today?
Ive been a visiting writer at the University of
Wyoming, University of Montana, and San
Diego State University in recent years, and
Ive come to value each of my students decisions and willingness to participate in their
chosen program. Most students Ive spoken
to already know that the field is highly competitive and that jobs in the teaching sector
are quite rare. They dont seem to suffer any
illusions that an M.F.A. degree is a guarantee
for immediate success. Still, they come to
class ready to share their poems and ideas
with each other. I am inspired by these emerging poets and only wish the best for them. The
scene is what we make it. I am rather appreciative that we can build programs for writers
and allow each other an entrance into these
conversations.

An International
Center for Creative
OUNTAIN Writers & Scholars

Beverly Rogers, Carol C. Harter

BLA

UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, LAS VEGAS

C R E AT I VE

WRITING

New MFA and PhD tracks in LITERARY NONFICTION & DRAMATIC WRITING
The biannual Black Mountain Institute LITERARY PRIZE
Thanks to a generous new gift from the James E. & Beverly Rogers Foundation, Black Mountain Institute at UNLV
will soon expand programming to offer MFA and PhD degree tracks in literary nonfiction and dramatic writing, in
addition to our current programs in fiction and poetry. The gift will also support the BMI Literary Prize, a major new
award for writers in any genre.

excellent funding

Assistantships guaranteed
for three years
$13,000 annual stipend
for MFAs
$25,000 annual fellowship
for PhDs
Scholarship opportunities

the magazine of black mountain institute

highly selective

Only five MFAs and one

PhD admitted per genre
each year

international focus

vibrant community

Affiliation with Black

Mountain Institute, including
City of Asylum program for
writers in exile

MFAs receive travel funding, Opportunities on Witness

and Interim magazines
work on translation, and
have option to join the
Peace Corps Masters
International program

vol. xxviii no. i | spring 2015 | $14

Trans/lation
APPLY BY JAN. 15

WWW.BLACKMOUNTAININSTITUTE.ORG

full-time faculty
maile chapman claudia
keelan donald revell
douglas unger

recent visiting faculty

wole soyinka c.d. wright
derek walcott cristina
garca russell banks
robert coover

S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 M . F. A . U P D AT E

Navigating AWP 2015:

A Little Help from Your
Friends at PW

COURTESY OF MEET MINNEAOLIS

BY CRAIG MORGAN TEICHER

he AWP Conference & Bookfair is undoubtedly

amazing: where else can you find most of Americas literary writers, publishers, writing students, and organizations all in one place, plus
readings, panels, talks, and social events? Its
become a mini-BEA just for the literary world.
Its also wildly overwhelming. It could take all of
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday just to make the
rounds of the book fair, but on top of that are the
many other events vying for attendees attention.
Some people come for the craft talks. Others
go to pick up their years worth of new small press books. Still others are looking to make publishing connections or seek out new career opportunities.
Practically everyone hopes to bump into a few far-flung friends.
50 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y M A R C H 1 6 , 2 0 1 5

This years annual

conference of the
Association of Writers
and Writing Programs
will be held in
Minneapolis, at the
Minneapolis
Convention Center
and Hilton Minneapolis
Hotel, April 811

The Association of Writers and Writing

Programs, which organizes the conference, has
a comprehensive list on its site of everything
thats going on (check out awpwriter.org/awp_
conference/schedule_overview). To help our
readers sort through it, we have selected a list of
events that will be of interest to publishing professionals and those looking for the inside scoop
on how the book world works.
Since youve got to take a break from all the
hubbub sometime, our Midwest correspondent
has put together a list of places in the Twin Cities
you can check out to get away from the craziness
of the conference.

WRITING WORKSHOPS ABROAD

IRELAND | ITALY

FULL & LOW-RESIDENCY MFA

FICTION | NONFICTION
POETRY | PLAYWRITING
SCREENWRITING

S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 M . F. A . U P D AT E

Panels
At AWP
2015
BY CRAIG MORGAN TEICHER

AWP / PHOTO BY ROBB COHEN

Below is our list of must-see

publishing-related events at
the 2015 AWP conference. We
hope well see you at PWs panel
on Saturday, April 11 (details
below), and maybe at some of
these great events, too!
THURSDAY, APRIL 9

FRIDAY, APRIL 10

910:15 a.m.
Social Media Secrets for Authors
Room 200 B&C, Level 2
BuzzFeeds Isaac Fitzgerald and others offer insider tips on
building an author platform on social media.

10:3011:45 a.m.
Independent Bookselling: Opportunities for Authors
Room 205 C&D, Level 2
Three Minneapolis bookstores sponsor this discussion on
the power of indie booksellers.

121:15 p.m.
The Business of Publishing Your First Novel:
Author and Publisher Perspectives
Auditorium Room 2, Level 1
Dennis Johnson of Melville House and others discuss the
business of debut fiction.
The Sky Isnt Falling: Publishing and Entrepreneurship
AWP Bookfair Stage, Level 1
Richard Nash, publisher of Red Lemonade, and others
explain their optimistic attitude about the future of
publishing.

121:15 p.m.
Short FictionWriting It, Acquiring It, Selling It
Room 101 B&C, Level 1
Rob Spillman of Tin House and others discuss a genre
undergoing a renaissance.

34:15 p.m.
Women in Publishing:
The Business of Publishing as a Woman Today
AWP Bookfair Stage, Level 1
Ru Freeman and others on the challenges and opportunities
facing women in the book biz.
4:305:45 p.m.
Rise of the Independent Publicist
Room L100 B&C, Lower Level
Michelle Blankenship, Jesmyn Ward, and others discuss this
increasingly important role.

52 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y M A R C H 1 6 , 2 0 1 5

SATURDAY, APRIL 11
10:3011:45 a.m.
The Art of Literary Editing
Auditorium Room 1, Level 1
Brigid Hughes, of A Public Space and Graywolf, and others
discuss the real work of a literary editor.
Self-Publishing Primer: How to Become Your Own Publisher
Room L100 A, Lower Level
Authors and publishing consultants discuss this new
publishing paradigm.
1:302:45 p.m.
The Other Track: M.F.A.s in the Book Business
Auditorium Room 2, Level 1
PWs panel features editors and other publishing
professionals from Graywolf, Riverhead, Coffee House,
and the National Book Foundation on pursuing successful post-M.F.A. careers outside of academia.

The Only Low-Residency

MFA IN FLORIDA
Fiction | Nonfiction | Poetry

A low-residency program designed to deepen your understanding of

writing as an ongoing engagement with discovery and transformation.

Request more information at www.ut.edu/mfa or call

(813) 258-7409.
PAST AND PRESENT GUEST WRITERS AND EDITORS INCLUDE:
Richard Bausch, Michael Connelly, Arthur Flowers, Nick Flynn, Roxane Gay, Hal Hartley, Amy Hill Hearth, Eli Horowitz,
Denis Johnson, Miranda July, Ben Lerner, Susan Minot, Rick Moody, Francine Prose, Karen Russell, George Saunders,
Heather Sellers, Wesley Stace, Deborah Treisman
TEACHING FACULTY INCLUDE:
Jessica Anthony, Sandra Beasley, John Capouya, Brock Clarke, Erica Dawson, Tony DSouza, Mikhail Iossel,
Stefan Kiesbye, Steve Kistulentz (director), Kevin Moffett, Donald Morrill, Josip Novakovich, Jason Ockert,
Alan Michael Parker, Jeff Parker, Corinna Vallianatos, Jennifer Vanderbes

S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 M . F. A . U P D AT E

Take a Bite Out of

the Mini-Apple
Things to see, do, and eat when in Minneapolis

A
BY CLAIRE KIRCH

ttendees at
AWPs 2015
conference
will sometimes want to break out of the
cavernous halls of the convention center.
With Minneapoliss excellent public
transportation system (metrotransit.
org), visiting bookstores and other landmarks is quite easy.
Home to Graywolf Press, Coffee House,
and Milkweed Editions, Minneapolis isnt
just a hub of indie publishingits also
an indie bookstore paradise. Its home to
author Louise Erdrichs store, Birchbark
Books, as well as Magers & Quinn, Moon
Palace, Once Upon a Crime, Ancestry, and
Wild Rumpus. Radio personality Garrison Keillors store, Common Good Books,
is in St. Paul, which is also home to
Micawbers, Subtext/Addendum, and Red
Balloon Bookshop.
Of course, no writer should visit
Minneapolis and not make a pilgrimage
to Open Book (1011 Washington Avenue
Southeast), a 55,000-sq.-ft. building
dedicated to the literary arts. Tenants
include the Loft Literary Center, Milkweed Editions, and the Minnesota Center
for Book Arts. These three, plus several

other local organizations, are hosting a

party for AWP on April 9. A few blocks
in the other direction is one of the Mill
Citys best hidden freebies: a stroll along the
Endless Bridge, an observation deck overlooking
the Mississippi. If all that
natural beauty makes you
hungry or thirsty, Sea
Change, on the theaters
ground floor, is a delicious (and spendy) dining
destination, while the
Target Lounge bar, one
level below the Endless
Bridge, has similarly
amazing views.
Minneapolis has
plenty of great bars.
Kierans Pub (85 North
6th Street) serves a lot
more than beer: Kierans

54 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y M A R C H 1 6 , 2 0 1 5

hosts Poetry SlamMN and

Story SlamMN is held there.
Nyes Polonaise (112 East Hennepin Avenue), in the citys
Nordeast area, is beloved by
Coffee Houses staff. Closer to
the Convention Center, Brits
(1110 Nicollet Mall) is a popular pub where the sun never sets
on the British Empire. The
Local (931 Nicollet Mall) is a
gorgeous vintage Irish bar that
will transport you to Dublin.
And Prohibition is a 1920s-style
speakeasy in the W Hotel in the
famed Foshay Building (821
Marquette Avenue).
Minneapolis is renowned for its restaurants, including the primarily international and mostly affordable places on
Nicollet Ave. S. between
14th and 30th streets. if
one walks along Nicollet
Mall, the News Room
(990 Nicollet Mall),
with a vintage newspapers
theme, is highly recommended, as is Zelo (831
Nicollet Mall) and Hells
Kitchens (80 South 9th
Street). Or head toward
the Stone Arch Bridge to
St. Anthony Main. At
the Wilde Roast Cafe
(65 Main Street Southeast), named after Oscar
Wilde, one can eat or
drink while soaking in
the updated Victorian

mood. 

S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 M . F. A . U P D AT E

M.F.A. Programs to Watch

BY CRAIG MORGAN TEICHER

his roundup of
creative writing
programs includes
some youll surely
have heard of and some that
may be unfamiliar. What
makes them exciting is that
they all have something
unique to offer incoming students, whether its a flexible
schedule, strong funding,
courses open to the community, internationally recognized literary magazines, or
stunning faculty. Check out
our M.F.A. database at publishersweekly.com/mfa for
more programs.

Program:
Arcadia University, Glenside, Pa.
Type: Low-residency M.F.A.
Genres: Fiction, poetry
Faculty: Genevieve Betts, Paul Elwork,
Dorian Geisler, Richard Wertime, and
others
Highlights: Arcadia offers weekly online
workshops so that low-res doesnt mean
working in isolation. The residency is
held in Edinburgh, Scotland.
URL: arcadia.edu/mfa-creativewriting.htm
Program:
Arizona State University Virginia G.
Piper Center for Creative Writing,
Tempe, Ariz.
Type: On-site and online workshops
ranging from one day to several weeks
Genres: Fiction, poetry
Faculty: Matt Bell, Dexter Booth, Paul
Cook, Tara Ison, and others
Highlights: The Piper Center offers a
comprehensive slate of writing classes,
readings, and events, including Your
Novel Year, an 18-month course focused
on developing and revising a complete
novel.
URL: piper.asu.edu

Program:
Colorado State University,
Fort Collins, Colo.
Type: Full-time M.F.A.
Genres: Fiction, poetry
Faculty: Dan Beachy-Quick, Matthew
Cooperman, E.J. Levy, and others
Highlights: Colorado State University

houses the Center for Literary Publishing, a small press that publishes the
magazine Colorado Review and several
books of poetry each year. Students can
intern at the center, gaining in-depth
knowledge of varied aspects of book and
periodical publication.
URL: creativewriting.colostate.edu

Program:
Converse College, Spartanburg, S.C.
Type: Low-residency M.F.A.
Genres: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry
Faculty: Albert Goldbarth, Robert
Olmstead, and others
Highlights: Courses on YA and environmental writing distinguish this program, as does its requirement for a project of criticism, which builds writers
skills in other disciplines, as well as a
book-length creative work.
URL: converse.edu/academics/schooleducation-and-graduate-studies/graduate-programs/graduate-programs-otherfields/m-6

Program:
Fairleigh Dickinson University,
Madison, N.J.
Type: Low-residency M.F.A.
Genres: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, YA,
literary translation
Faculty: Minna Proctor, Eliot Schrefer,
Rene Steinke, and others
Highlights: This program recently
added YA and literary translation
concentrations. Residencies are held
both in New Jersey and in England.
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M

55

S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 M . F. A . U P D AT E
Students also have opportunities to work
on the Literary Review, an international
literary magazine with a six-decade history.
URL: writingfdu.org/wordpress1
Program:
Hamline University, St. Paul, Minn.
Type: Full- or part-time M.F.A.
Genres: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, childrens and YA
Faculty: John Brandon, Deborah
Keenan, and others
Highlights: Hamline offers full, or part
time options, and the program encourages students to write across genres and
to experiment.
URL: hamline.edu/cla/mfa

Program:
Rosemont College,
Rosemont, Pa.
Type: Full-time M.F.A.
Genres: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry,
drama, childrens and YA
Faculty: Anne Kaier, J.C. Todd, Liz
Abrams-Morley, and others
Highlights: This program offers more
concentration choices than many others,
as well as a double degree option,
allowing students to earn an M.A. from
Rosemonts publishing program in addition to an M.F.A.
URL: rosemont.edu/gp/creative-writing-poetry-or-fiction/index.aspx

Program:
St. Marys College,
Moraga, Calif.
Type: Full-time M.F.A.
Genres: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry
Faculty: Brenda Hillman, Lysley Tenorio, Matthew Zapruder, and others
Highlights: St. Marys offers access to
the thriving Bay Area literary scene and
strong connections to literary presses in
California, as well as its own studentedited online literary magazine, Mary.
URL: stmarys-ca.edu/mfa-in-creativewriting

Program:
UCLA Extension Writers Program, Los
Angeles
Type: Open-enrollment online certificate, M.F.A. prep, consultations, mentorships
Genres: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry
Faculty: More than 100
Highlights: UCLA Extensions openenrollment courses are designed to help
students hone their skills in preparation
for an M.F.A. or for pleasure and passion.
With its wide course offerings, theres
something for every writer.
URL: writers.uclaextension.edu

Program:
University of
Houston, Victoria, Tex.
Type: Low-residency M.F.A.
Genres: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry
Faculty: Charles Alexander, Diana
Lopez, Beverly Lowry, Saba Razvi
Highlights: Electives lets students customize their degree. Publishing courses
help equip students for jobs in the changing fields of media.
URL: uhv.edu/catalog/creativewriting.aspx
Program:
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Type: Full-time M.F.A.
Genres: Fiction, poetry
Faculty: Maile Chapman, Claudia Keelan,
Donald Revell, and others
Highlights: This three-year program
has a unique international emphasis.
Students take courses in literature and
creative writing and study abroad; they
can also earn credit for serving in the
Peace Corps.
URL: english.unlv.edu/mfa

Program:
University of
New Orleans Creative
Writing Workshop, New Orleans

56 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y M A R C H 1 6 , 2 0 1 5

Type: Full-time and low-residency

M.F.A.s
Genres: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry
Faculty: Fredrick Barton, Barb Johnson,
M.O. Walsh, and others
Highlights: Full-time and low-residency
options make this program a good pick for
lots of different kinds of students. Low-res
students do their residencies in Ireland and
Italy.
URL: uno.edu/writing

Program:
University of Tampa, Fla.
Type: Low-residency M.F.A.
Genres: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry
Faculty: Sanda Beasley, Tony DSouza,
Kevin Moffett, and others
Highlights: Tampas structurea
10-day residency followed by a semester
of one-on-one correspondence with a faculty memberoffers the best of workshop and individual-mentorship
approaches.
URL: ut.edu/mfacw
Program:
Vermont College of Fine Arts,
Montpelier, Vt.
Type: low-residency M.F.A.
Genres: fiction, nonfiction, poetry,
translation
Faculty: Jen Berven, Trinie Dalton,
Matthew Dickman, and others
Highlights: This highly ranked lowresidency program offers intense one-onone mentorship following group residencies,
and the focus on translation and options
for cross-genre study allow for broad
engagement across the creative writing
spectrum.
URL: vcfa.edu/writing