MASTER OF FINE ARTS IN CREATIVE WRITING
Faculty and Student NEWS and EVENTS
MFA faculty member Lloyd Schwartz reads from the recently released Library of America's Bishop: Poems, Prose and Letters alongside MFA Program Director Joyce Peseroff and visiting writers Frank Bidart, Gail Mazur and Robert Pinsky.
Hear Lloyd Schwartz discuss Elizabeth Bishop and read her poem "One Art" on NPR's Fresh Air.
Elizabeth Alexander Visits Campus
Poet Elizabeth Alexander was at the UMass Boston Bookstore on April 7, 2008 to read from her work and to present the Academy of American Poets Prize for 2007 to MFA poetry student Barbara Perez.
FACULTY and STUDENT NEWS
Poet Frank Bidart visited campus on May 5, 2009 to read from his work and to present the Academy of American Poets Prize. This year's prize went to MFA poetry student Barbara Perez. In other news, Barbara is also the recipient of a scholarship to the NY State Summer Writer's Institute at Skidmore College. While there, she will study with Robert Pinsky and Frank Bidart.
Several faculty members and MFA students headed out west for this year's AWP Conference in Chicago in February. While there, Joyce Peseroff and Lloyd Schwartz participated in an Elizabeth Bishop reading on February 14th... Joyce Peseroff lead a panel discussion called "Teaching our Students to Teach Creative Writing" on Feb 13th. MFA fiction student Jeremy Lakaszcyck was a panel member. MFA fiction students Kris Evans, Jenn DeLeon, and MFA Poetry student Angela Voras Hills were also in attendance.
Askold Melnyczuk's novel House of Widows was named a 2008 Editor's Choice from Booklists/Library of America and an excerpt from his memoir "Ode to a Melancholy Baby" is forthcoming in Threepenny Review.
Two poems by MFA poetry student Shea Mullaney, "Pendulum" and "Drink Me Black" have been accepted for August publication in the online political journal www.pemmicanpress.com.
On March 20th, MFA poetry student George Kovach launched his new literary magazine, Consequence, a print magazine of poetry, fiction, non fiction, interviews and visual art, which addresses the contemporary culture of war. George’s idea for the magazine took shape as a result of Askold Melnyczuk’s fall seminar in literary editing and publishing. With the assistance of fellow students and editors, including MFA fiction student Jeremy Lakaszcyck, the first edition began distribution this Spring. Find out more about Consequence at www.consequencemagazine.org.
MFA Poetry student Angela Voras-Hills is the recipient of the Martha Collins Prize in Poetry for her poem "Condemned". The winning poem was chosen by poet Robert Pinsky, who was on hand to judge this year's poetry submissions to the Watermark.
MFA poetry students Alex Gang and Jeffrey Taylor, co-founders of Temporary Press, published Another Book, a literary journal of contributions from MFA students and faculty alike. For more information, please visit Anotherbook.
MFA ficiton student Kris Evans participated in the Bread Loaf Slice Conference in Nairobi, Kenya this past Spring. In addition, Kris is an Astrea Lesbian Writers Fund Finalist, Fiction (2008/2009).
MFA ficiton student Jeremy Lakaszcyck placed third in the Playboy College Fiction Contest for his story, "Casual Encounters".
MFA poetry students Shea Mullaney, Angela Voras-Hills, and Michele Harris recently launched the Breakwater Review, an online literary journal. Check it out at www.breakwaterreview.com
MFA poetry student Gregory Stenta published his poem "A Dialogue on Egon Schiele's Painting, Embrace (Lovers II)" in the inaugural issue of the online journal The Ledger Line
MFA fiction student Jenn DeLeon was accepted to the Voices Summer Workshop in SanFrancisco where she will study with Junot Diaz and Ana Castillo. In addition, Jenn was among eight emerging Latino/American writers this year to be accepted into the Macondo Writing Workshop in San Antonio with Sandra Cisneros.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Please check back for information about our FALL 2009 Reading Schedule!