bates college creative writing

The Bates Student

Arts & Leisure

Bates Creative Writers Tackle Memory, Isolation, and More in Module A Courses

Olivia Dimond , Managing Arts & Leisure Editor | October 21, 2020

As module A came to an end, students in Playwriting, taught by Lecturer in Theater Cliff Odle and the junior-senior Autofiction seminar, taught by Lecturer in English Jessica Anthony, presented readings of their work via Zoom on Oct. 13 and 15, respectively. The readings were open to the Bates community to celebrate student work — an even more impressive feat given the short timeline of the module system — as well as to spark conversations about creativity and writing.

For the playwriting readings, a group of 21 actors, including Odle, Vice President of Equity & Inclusion Noelle Chaddock, director of the Harward Center Darby Ray, and Associate Professor of Dance Brian Evans, traded off to read all fifteen plays aloud. While some members of the class were also a part of this pool, most did not read in their own plays so that each playwright could sit back and listen to their work read for an audience for the first time.

Over the course of the module, the playwrights wrote both monologues and ten-minute plays, the latter of which were shared. Ranging from 10-12 pages, ten-minute plays follow all the same rules as full-length plays in a fraction of the space and time. They traditionally have a small cast of characters and are one continuous scene, but there are always exceptions: “A Frozen Turkey” by Abigail Segal ‘23 was set at an extended family’s virtual Thanksgiving with nine characters spread across five Zoom screens, and “I Choose…” by Addy Armah ‘23 was divided into four scenes instead of honing in on one particular moment.

Each play had a research component tied to it, so many of the playwrights investigated subjects of interest to them. “Judgement Day” by Patrick Reilly ‘21 explored what happens when high-ranking members of a campaign staff find out their candidate may have sexually assaulted an intern, while “The Yom Kippur Play” by Katie Abramowitz ‘21 took a more light-hearted look at the Jewish high holiday of Yom Kippur and what it means to repent.

Odle has taught Playwriting at Bates for several years now, so translating his course into the module system took some adjusting. Several exercises were cut, and the theory of playwriting took more emphasis than the actual writing. For example, the final plays sometimes get three or more drafts, but he felt this year’s playwrights were lucky to get in two. He found some of his new innovations particularly helpful, though, and will continue them when transitioning back to the full semester system.

Meanwhile, five autofiction authors shared their work on Thursday: Mamta Saraogi ‘21, appearing via pre-recorded video from India; Sam Poulos ‘22; Ellie Boyle ‘22; Alex Burbelo ‘22; and Maria Gray ‘23.

Autofiction is a literary genre not dissimilar from creative nonfiction, in which authors investigate the memory of their own experiences (hence the prefix “auto”). Most are written in first-person and feature the author, or someone like the author, as narrator. Anthony introduced the genre at the top of the reading as one that “rewards collage” and is “the mosaic of observation, imagination, and cultural reporting.” Some embellishment was added to each piece as to how the events might have actually transpired, but as Gray shared, “factual inaccuracies are not necessarily incorrect” in autofiction.

The course was a brand new junior-senior seminar offered entirely remotely, described by Anthony as a “critical seminar which includes a creative writing component.” Over the length of module A, students wrote between 30-40 pages; the reading on Thursday only included a slice of what each writer had created.

The writers answered questions at the conclusion of their reading, discussing some of the theory they picked up and explaining rationale behind specific writing choices. Poulos, for example, divided his piece on vegetarianism into several scenes, since it’s a theme that has colored much of his life. Boyle, on the other hand, used a pseudonym for herself, picking a name that she had always wanted as a kid for her piece “Fake It ‘Til You Make It and Other Lies We Tell Ourselves.” Since she was writing about past experiences the way she wished they had happened, it made sense to her to transform herself into the person she wished she was.

Writing can be an incredibly cathartic experience. While a vast majority of students steered away from discussing the pandemic in their work, the effect of the past seven months certainly permeated the classes outside of just the mode of instruction. Odle felt his students were responding to the present day much more than previous classes, adding that “ although only a few plays used Covid as a theme, most seemed to be in touch with the idea of isolation, wanting freedom, or trying to stay in touch with one’s own humanity.”

Creative writing classes at Bates provide students an opportunity to shake up their course schedules, dive into subjects of interest, and infuse time to create into their day-to-day lives. If this sounds of interest to you, be on the lookout for creative writing offerings in modules C and D, including a new screenwriting course taught by Odle. Even if you think creative writing isn’t for you, it never hurts to try; according to Odle, “the last thing you wrote may be crap, but the next draft will be better….and then that draft after that, and then the draft after that.”

Olivia Dimond is a junior from Richmond, Virginia studying theatre and education. In addition to working with The Bates Student, she is a tour guide and...

Beyoncé Asserts Herself as the Ultimate Musical Chameleon With Her Foray Into Country in New Album, “COWBOY CARTER”

My Maine Maple Sunday

“Julius Caesar” Shines in Gender-Swapped Ode to Dark Academia

A Journey Through Le Ronj’s Art Museum

Book Review: Sex Tips for Girls by Cynthia Heimel

To preface my review I am going to give context to my going into reading this book. I was in the Gender and Sexuality Studies lounge, one of the first...

An Oscars Review by the Esteemed A&L Team

Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring! A Reflection on Daylight Savings

“Dune: Part Two”: A Mega-Review on the Massive Cinematic Feat

Presence is Power: A Journey through Indigenous Narratives at the Olin Arts Center Film Festival

SEX WEEK | A Happy Ending to Sex Week 2024

The Voice of Bates College Since 1873

• Letters to the Editor
• Write for The Student

Comments (0)

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Shaking It Out: Writing and Critiquing Personal Narratives

Subject code, course number, department(s), instructor(s), course long title, description, modes of inquiry, writing credit, departmental course attributes - major/minor requirements, gec this course belongs to, class restriction.

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

List of All U.S. Colleges with a Creative Writing Major

Writing has been my passion practically since I learned to read in kindergarten. I would write stories about princesses and my family dog, Gansett. When it came time to look at colleges, I was set on attending one with a strong creative writing program. Ultimately, I graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a B.A. in Writing Seminars.

Today, colleges across the country offer creative writing as a major. Because writing skills are essential for a wide range of careers, and because most curricula emphasize broad liberal arts competencies, a degree in creative writing can set you up for success in numerous fields, whether you want to be an editor or a lawyer.

Interested in majoring in creative writing? Learn which schools offer the major and what to look for in a program.

Overview of the Creative Writing Major

Creative writing is about more than spinning tales. For your major, you’ll generally need to pursue a curriculum grounded in literature, history, foreign language, and other humanities courses, along with distribution courses, if the college requires them.

Most creative writing majors must participate in workshops, in which students present their work and listen to peer critiques, usually with a certain number of advanced courses in the mix. In some cases, colleges will ask you to specialize in a particular genre, such as fiction, poetry, or playwriting. 

To succeed in creative writing, you’ll need to have a tough spine, in order to open yourself up to feedback from your classmates and instructors. You may need to give readings in public — if not as an undergraduate, certainly during your career. Of course, a passion for creating is essential, too, as is a willingness to revise your work and learn from the greats and your peers.

A creative writing major opens up doors to many careers, including journalism, content marketing, copywriting, teaching, and others. Even careers that don’t center around writing often have a strong writing component: you’ll need to write reports, deliver presentations, and so on.

Some writers go on to earn an MFA, which will help you hone your craft. It’s also often a prerequisite for teaching creative writing at the college level.

What to Look for in a College as a Creative Writing Major

Published authors on faculty.

Many world-renowned authors have another claim to fame: professorships. Writers who have taught their craft include (among many others):

• Maya Angelou (Wake Forest University)
• Colson Whitehead (many colleges, including Vassar College and Columbia University)
• Stephen Dixon (Johns Hopkins University)
• Viet Thanh Nguyen (University of Southern California)
• Eula Biss (Northwestern University)
• Toni Morrison (Princeton University)

Be aware that as an undergraduate, you may not be able to learn from the greats. That’s why it’s important to look into which courses these faculty teach before you have dreams of being mentored by Salman Rushdie — who is a Distinguished Writer in Residence at NYU.

Genres Offered

While many schools that have creative writing majors offer fiction and poetry courses and tracks, there are some niche genres that could be more difficult to find. If you’re interested in playwriting, for example, you won’t find that at every school. Before you decide on a program, be sure it includes the genres you’d like to explore further, whether that’s flash fiction, creative nonfiction, or something else.

Workshopping Opportunities

The core of most quality creative writing curriculum is workshopping. This means sharing your work in your classes and listening to your peers discuss and critique it. While this may sound intimidating, it can do a lot to help you hone your work and become a better writer. Look for colleges that make this the bedrock of their curriculum.

Showcasing Opportunities

Are there opportunities to present your work, such as college-sponsored readings where undergraduates can participate? Or, perhaps the school has a great literary journal. At my school, students could submit their plays and have them performed by fellow students. 

List of All U.S. Colleges With a Creative Writing Major

What are your chances of acceptance.

No matter what major you’re considering, the first step is ensuring you’re academically comparable to students who were previously accepted to the college or university. Most selective schools use the Academic Index to filter out applicants who aren’t up to their standards.

You’ll also want to demonstrate your fit with the school and specific major with the qualitative components of your application, like your extracurriculars and essays. For a prospective creative writing major, the essay is particularly important because this is a way to demonstrate your writing prowess. Activities might include editing your school’s newspaper or literary journal, publishing your work, and participating in pre-college writing workshops.

Want to know your chances of being accepted to top creative writing schools? Try our Chancing Engine (it’s free). Unlike other calculators, it takes your individual profile into account, including academic stats and qualitative components like your activities. Give it a try and get a jumpstart on your journey as a creative writing major!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Photos from this story

'share the love', it’s quintessential bates as the college community shows the power of love in supporting students and their academic achievements at mount david summit.

© 2024 Bates College

Share this Story

• Email story
• Embed story
• Share on Twitter
• Share on Facebook

The inauguration of the ninth Bates president, Garry W. Jenkins, on May 4, 2024

The magicians on the women's basketball team swept the first two rounds of the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship in Alumni Gymnasium

Enjoy this immersive (but not submersive!) photographic coverage of the Puddle Jump and consider historical quotes and insights about our enduring enchantment with jumping into icy cold water.

A night for the arts

This year's theme: Food Justice

It’s that time of year when families and alumni come back for a beautiful fall weekend at Bates College

• Sustainability

Announcing the 26th annual Bates College summer book list

By Bates News — Published on June 30, 2022

Welcome to the 26th edition of Good Reads: The Bates College Non-Required Reading List for Leisure Moments .

Since its inaugural edition in 1997, compiled by now-retired Bates College Store director Sarah Emerson Potter ’77, Good Reads has provided a peek at the shelves of Bates alumni and current and retired staff and faculty. Now, Alison Keegan, in the Dean of the Faculty’s Office, collects the submissions and compiles the list.

“This continues to be a labor of love that I fortunately had passed on to me by Sarah Potter,” Keegan writes. “This issue is dedicated to all those who, even in the most uncertain of times, find solace and comfort in the written word.”

This year, we have collected 180 titles, so take your pick: fantasy, romance, history, mystery, sci-fi, psychology, social issue, or memoir — all of these come recommended by the people of Bates.

This year, seven titles received two or more recommendations:

Piranesi by Susanna Clark

Invisible Child by Andrea Elliott

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

This is Happiness by Niall Williams

Get ready to meet your new favorite book!

Tobie Akerley Gordon, Academic Administrative Assistant

Ain’t Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds . This is unlike any book you will ever read. If you can, grab the actual book so you can feel it in your hands while you turn the pages. It is composed of just three sentences — yes, three sentences, yet it conjures up so many feelings. The illustrations are just as essential to the book as the words you will find within it. If you want to learn more about the author you can listen to Brené Brown’s podcast,  Unlocking Us: Brené and Jason Reynolds on Masterpieces and Messes  , where they discuss how his life has influenced his work.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig . This was a tough book to get through but so worth it. Have you ever wished you could go back and change a decision you made in your life? Is it because you assumed that if you had decided differently your life would have turned out so much better? This book will make you rethink all of that. 

Áslaug Ásgeirsdóttir, Professor of Politics

Free: A Child and a Country at the End of History by Leah Ypi.  Leah Ypi grew up in Albania during the abrupt transition from communism to capitalism. In recounting the absurdities that occurred during this transition, the book is filled with astute observations, both humorous and painful, about navigating a life in a country where the state has deemed you to have the “wrong past.”  

Where you Come From by Sasa Stanisic . Loved this book from a Bosnian-German writer. He weaves together memories of youth, that can be true or not, as he writes lovingly about his grandmother’s decline from dementia, and how he and his family came to flee to Germany during the war in Bosnia. 

Devil House by John Darnielle. A writer moves into a house in a down-on-its-luck California town to write a book about murders that took place in the house. Written as a true crime story, it is pretty critical of the genre while offering an interesting plot. 

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. The made-up story in this book is intricate and mysterious, as is Piranesi being there. The mystery is very clever. 

A Terrible Country by Keith Gessen. Funny book about a man who returns to Moscow to take care of his aging grandmother. He discovers Moscow over time, a city that is both beautiful and brutal. 

The Girl Who Died by Ragnar Jónsson. A young woman moves to remote Langanes in Iceland to teach the only two pupils in town. Of course, the town has secrets. 

Fake Accounts by Lauren Oyler. Young woman has a boyfriend she does not like very much, but before she gets a chance to break up with him he dies in an accident. Of course, she then decides to move to Berlin. Oyler has a knack for writing self-consciousness very well, which fills in a plot that is often submerged. 

Tonya Bailey-Curry, Staff Therapist, Counseling and Psychological Services

One of the most impactful books I read this year was  Atlas of the Heart,  by  Brené Brown . I have not only read this book multiple times, I have gifted it to so many others to do the same. Brown takes readers on a deep dive in understanding what it truly means to be human and explains why the relationship with yourself is the key to connecting to others in a meaningful way. This is a must-read!

Laurie Baker, Visiting Assistant Professor of Digital and Computational Studies

Undrowned by Alexis Pauline Gumbs .

Pamela Baker, Helen A. Papaioanou Professor Emerita of Biological Sciences

Tru Biz  by Sara Nović . The author is a young Deaf woman. The book is a riveting novel and is also a very good introduction to Deaf Culture, American Sign Language and to the eugenics of today.

Michael Becker, Visiting Assistant Professor of History

I find myself returning again and again to Patrick Chamoiseau ‘s  Texaco .  It is a historical epic, focused on the story of the fictional Caribbean shantytown of Texaco, as a window to the recent past and current problems facing the region. It grapples thoughtfully with topics like the afterlives of slavery, colonialism and neo-colonialism, labor and class politics, and generational trauma. The translation to English by Rose-Myriam Rejouis and Val Vinokur is a great introduction to this brilliant Martinican novelist not yet well known in the US.

Jen Blanchard, Senior Writer and Assistant to the President

I really enjoyed  Zorrie , by Laird Hunt . It’s one of those small yet epic tellings of a single, particular life that is beautifully wrought and wonderfully resonant and relatable, even if you never were an Indiana farmer in the middle of the twentieth century.

Jonathan Cavallero, Associate Professor of Rhetoric, Film, and Screen Studies

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See follows two sisters who readers meet as teenagers in pre-1937 Shanghai. See then demonstrates the ways various immigration policies affect individuals by charting the characters’ life histories as they journey from China to the U.S. As soon as I read the final page, I was anxious for a sequel, which conveniently comes in the form of  Dreams of Joy , a novel that picks up the story where  Shanghai Girls  leaves off.  I haven’t read it yet, but it is on my list for next year.

Renegades: Born in the U.S.A. by Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen . Introspective conversations about the American Dream and class, masculinity and fatherhood, music and movies. What’s not to like? Listen to the podcast, read the book (which is more or less a transcript of the podcast with bonus material), or do both.

The Cubs Way: The Zen of Building the Best Team in Baseball and Breaking the Curse by Tom Verducci. This one was recommended to me by a dear friend who may be the biggest Cubs fan I know.  It offers a behind-the-scenes account of the steps that were taken to break the curse of the Billy Goat.  It’s a wonderful read and shows the power and limitations of sabermetrics.

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann . Coming soon to a theater near you,  Killers of the Flower Moon  serves as the source material for Martin Scorsese’s next movie.  From the 1910s to 1930s, dozens of Osage Native Americans were murdered or otherwise died under suspicious circumstances.  At the time the tribe represented one of the world’s most prosperous populations, thanks to the oil rights leased on their land.  The book follows efforts to solve the mystery, uncovering yet another instance of a Native American population being exploited by White people.  I kept shaking my head not just at the story itself but the fact that it has so rarely been discussed in U.S. history classes.

A Promised Land by Barack Obama . Obama’s first presidential memoir,  A Promised Land  recounts his upbringing, the events of the 2008 presidential campaign, and some of the key moments of his presidency.  It’s a fascinating read, even if you have previously picked up  Dreams of My Father  and  The Audacity of Hope .

Karen Daigler, Director of Graduate and Professional School Advising

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo  by Taylor Jenkins Reid . Lots of twists and turns on this journey through the splendor of old Hollywood into the harsh realities of the present day as two women struggle with what it means and what it costs to face the truth.

Write My Name across the Sky  by Barbara O’Neil . Set in NYC, this story is about three women having to reckon with and reconcile their interwoven traumas, past loves, and the looming consequences that could either destroy their futures or bring them closer than ever.

The Singing Trees  by Boo Walker . Set in Maine in 1969, this young woman from a small, stifling factory town and a large Italian family, is determined to pursue her dream of becoming a painter. 

Love and Saffron  by Kim Fay . A light but quick, fun read, this novel is a witty story about food and friendship.

The Last Thing He Told Me  by Laura Dave . This is a mystery about a woman searching for the truth about her husband’s disappearance at any cost. 

Elizabeth Durand ’76

Fire Keeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley . You will find this in the YA section of the library or bookstore, but only because the main character is a teenager. The book is sophisticated and beautifully written. The main character is the daughter of an Ojibwe father and a white mother; the book deals with the conflicts inherent in her life specifically and between life in the Ojibwe community and life in the world outside that community. It’s won several awards. I was happy I found it before it received that public acclaim, because it was a great discovery. Highly recommended.

Write for Your Life by Anna Quindlen . Why writing still matters, and why you should at least write a real letter now and then.

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid . This is fiction, but it feels like a  Rolling Ston e feature article. 

Finally, I found a new mystery author. Julia Keller has published 12 books (so far) in her Bell Elkins series. Like Louise Penny and Julia Spencer-Fleming, she uses her setting almost like another character. You will feel steeped in West Virginia. You must read these books in order for the best experience — the first one is  A Killing in the Hills .

Francis Eanes, Visiting Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies

Raising Expectations and Raising Hell   by Jane McAlevey

A Collective Bargain   by Jane McAlevey

Bullshit Jobs  by David Graeber

The Dawn of Everything   by David Graeber and David Wengrow

The Betrayal of Local 14  by Julius Getman

Ken Emerson, Director of Compensation and Benefits

Lies my teacher told me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James W. Loewen . This book is copyright 1995 but I believe still stands true for the most part today. It is an interesting look at how high school textbooks get published and the various reasons why they may not provide the most accurate information or leave information out completely. Some of the historical information presented you may find interesting.

Music is the Drug: The authorized biography of Cowboy Junkies by David Bowler.   I first saw Cowboy Junkies after having moved to Maine. I grew up with them on the radio but did not own an album until I saw them live. It is an interesting study of both how a band stays together and keeps making music over 35+ years but also how the music industry has changed during that time. The Junkies went from producing their first couple of albums on their own, to a major label contract, back to producing music on their own through the early days of the internet and now digital streaming. As the band members discussed different records I found myself searching for them on youtube and giving them a listen with a new understanding of the songwriting and recording process.

Melinda Emerson, Retired Colleague

Falling   by T.J. Newmann . Terror in the sky, told from an attendant’s point of view.

Where the Crawdads Sing  by Delia Owens . Such a beautifully written book. Can’t wait for the film to come out.

Faye Faraway  by Helen Fischer . For fans of  The Time Traveler’s Wife and  Outlander , the story is about loss, faith and love as it follows a grown woman who travels back in time to be reunited with her mother.

The Singing Trees   by Boo Walker . A young artist, in Maine in 1969 forges a path of self-discovery, forgiving the past, and embracing second chances.

Carnegie’s Maid  by Marie Benedict . A mesmerizing story of love, power and the woman who inspired an American dynasty.

Go Tell the Bees That I am Gone   by Diana Gabaldon . The 9th book in the Outlander series. It’s not done yet.

Braiding Sweetgrass  by Robin Wall Kimmerer . Love of Mother Earth and how we interact with it.

Salt to the Sea  by Ruta Sepetys . A story about the single greatest tragedy in maritime history, the little-known January 30,1945 sinking of a German cruise liner by a Soviet submarine.

State of Terror by Hillary Rodman Clinton and Louise Penny . A high-stakes thriller of international intrigue.

Dead by Dawn by Paul Doiron . His books are always good. This one features the Androscoggin River.  

Marina Filipovic, Lecturer in Russian

Leeches   by David Albahari . The whole book is written as a 300-page paragraph. The conspiracy-minded narrator tries to decode a manuscript that rewrites itself every time he opens it. Living in a stifling Belgrade atmosphere, fostered by Serbian nationalism in the late 1990s, the already paranoid protagonist turns to, no less absurd, esoteric thinking in his attempt to circumvent reality. 

An engagingly clever and well-crafted postmodern prose. You should give this unusual one-paragraph novel a close read!  

Hilary Gibson, Synergy Intern, Bates Museum of Art

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

Dan Girling, Mail and Materials Handling Clerk

The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green.  Adapted from Green’s podcast of the same name, this book is a collection of essays, each one about a specific topic from the Anthropocene (the current geological age where humans are the dominant influence on the planet). The essays range from humorous to thoughtful, offering insight on diverse topics such as Halley’s Comet, Diet Dr. Pepper, teddy bears, air-conditioning, Monopoly, and viral meningitis, among many others.

Goodbye, Again by Jonny Sun.  In this non-fiction book, Jonny Sun uses stories from his own life to explore a variety of topics: happiness, loneliness, anxiety, and social pressure. I enjoyed the fact that, even when he is discussing serious feelings, Sun remains humorous and hopeful throughout. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. This novel begins with a man named Ryland Grace waking up aboard a spaceship. Suffering from amnesia, he soon discovers that he’s the last surviving member of a mission to save Earth. Ryland attempts to complete the mission without the rest of his team, depending on his fractured memories and some assistance from an unlikely source. Like Weir’s previous books, Project Hail Mary is a thrilling science fiction story that is grounded in real-world physics and details. Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro.  This novel is told from the perspective of Klara, a robotic assistant who must care for a sick girl named Josie. As she tries to find a cure for Josie’s illness, Klara often struggles to understand the human world but at times has unique insight, noticing things that others miss. I appreciated Ishiguro’s commitment to staying within Klara’s point of view, even when her limited understanding leaves some details obscured.  

Dennis Grafflin, Professor Emeritus of History

The Smallest Lights in the Universe: A Memoir  by Sara Seager . Add this to the growing shelf of fascinating memoirs by brilliant women scientists who place themselves firmly on the autism spectrum. Professor (at MIT) Seager’s fierce and brutal descriptions of herself and others are the most riveting parts of the book, but along the way you also learn about her leading role in the search for planets outside our solar system, especially small, cool, rocky ones that might support something that we could recognize as life.

Bruce Hall, Network Administrator

I recommend Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks . One question it asks is what happens when a very small community in the wilderness loses its technological connections to the rest of the world due to a natural disaster. The novel’s subtitle gives a hint of an unexpected challenge: yes, this is a book about Bigfoot and a volcano. While the exact circumstances are a bit of a stretch, the situations faced and decisions made are thought provoking. If you are thinking you can wait for the movie version, I would not recommend that. While Brook’s earlier Zombie novel World War Z was made into a movie, the book was much better and almost totally different. 

Bill Hiss ’66, Retired Colleague

The Sale of the Late King’s Goods: Charles I and His Art Collection by Jerry Brotton . Charles I amassed an immense art collection of mostly European masters, spending a fortune. He sort of lost his head over art, most of which was never seen by any but a few family, senior nobles and retainers, and then really lost his head, to Cromwell’s puritan revolution. Cromwell needed money, and ordered one of the largest and most poorly run art sales in human history. Eventually after the Restoration, the Crown bought a great deal of the art back, where to this day much of it is hung in palaces infrequently seen by the public. 

Travels in Siberia by Ian Frazier . A travel book, but in the way that Moby Dick is a book about whale hunting; one critic deemed it a sort of On the Road meets The Gulag Archipelago . Frazier rides the 6000 miles of the Tran-Siberian Railway, with many, many side trips into history, famous (or infamous) residents, appalling conditions, abandoned labor camps and mines, and broken-down vehicles. Somehow, it is a spellbinding stew of tragedy, information and dark humor. I will get two of his other widely heralded travel books, On the Rez and Great Plains .

The Amur River: Between Russia and China by Colin Thubron . The Amur River, 3,000 miles long from Mongolia to its outlet in Siberia, is also the boundary between China and Russia for 1,100 miles. A wonderful travel writer and journalist, undertaking this exhausting trip in his early 80s, Thubron is the author of 10 other travel books and 8 books of fiction.

Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead . Most readers find Whitehead through his Pulitzer-Prize winning novel The Underground Railroad , but he won the Pulitzer twice, and has written 10 books.  Harlem Shuffle , just published, is a novel about an owner of a furniture store on 125th Street trying to run his business while surrounded by corruption and crime, both from Harlem and the white world around him. I found myself reading attentively, stopping to savor wording. Unlike Underground Railroad , this novel is fully realist, but acerbic in its portrayal of the kind of survival in Harlem requires.

Rock Force by Kevin Mauer . In comparison, the retaking of Corregidor from the Japanese toward the end of WWII was a relatively small engagement: a regiment of paratroopers was dropped onto the stone spine of Corregidor with orders to clear “The Rock” of 6700 Japanese troops, with U.S. ground troops landing below the innumerable tunnels in which the Japanese were dug in, and Naval vessels shelling the caves to try to prevent Japanese counter-attacks. A small engagement, but a haunting account of the bravery and losses of the paratroopers. 

The Writing of the Gods: The Race to Decode the Rosetta Stone by Edward Dulnick . I like the odd backstories of history, the little eddies. This is a wonderful book on the multi-thousand year history of trying to translate the Egyptian hieroglyphics, and two titanic intellects, French and English, who broke through in the early 1800s. Dulnick is skilled at explaining the endless struggles to decode the pictographs with comparisons to modern code-breaking, and with a humorous touch in describing the spats between the geniuses, each of whom needed the other but resisted admitting it. 

The War of Jenkins’ Ear: The Forgotten Struggle for North and South America, 1739-1742 by Robert Gaudi . In the roughly 200 years after the initial explorations of the Americas, there were steady conflicts between Spanish and British empires over the control of the fertile, profitable lands of South America, the Caribbean, and what would later be the American southern states. Often these struggles were waged by proxy forces: English privateers, Spanish “customs inspectors” who would seize British ships found with any evidence of trading in the Spanish empire (one short-tempered inspector cut off the ear of a British captain), and lots of coastal raids. Native peoples — always caught in the middle — were wooed by both empires, and a sustained ground war broke out between the Spaniards in Florida and the British settlers in what would later become Georgia.  

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, 1906-1945: Martyr, Thinker, Man of Resistance by Ferdinand Schlingensiepen . At 400 pages, maybe TMI, more than we needed to know about the brilliant theologian and ethicist who was executed with other conspirators against Hitler just a few days before the end of WWII. But interesting for the networks of international ecumenical efforts that Bonhoeffer was trying to build to resist Hitler, and hopefully avoid what happened: a European blood bath. Ironically, Bonhoeffer’s “cover” while on these trips was as a spy for the German military, whose professional officers were trying to avoid being taken over by the SS as a tool of Hilter’s increasingly mad decisions. In the end, most of those officers went to the gallows with Bonhoeffer, as Germany collapsed. 

The Pages In Between: A Holocaust Legacy of Two Families, One Home by Erin Einhorn . The author is an education reporter for NBC News, but this book is an account of a WWII family home in a small city in Poland. Her Jewish family was largely rounded up for Auschwitz, but her grandfather asked a Polish family to hide their infant daughter from the Nazis, and to manage their property. The grandfather survived and retrieved his daughter after the war, making their way to America. Sixty years later Einhorn came to Poland to explore her family history and found the Polish family still living in her family’s house, with the older members remembering Erin’s mother as a toddler. But many complications ensue, reflecting the layers of Polish history, and the bizarre turns of Polish law: Einhorn cannot establish that she is the heir to the house, because she has no death certificates for her great-grandparents, born in the 1860s and murdered at Auschwitz. A family tree in the front of the book is wrenching, with most of three generations all with death dates in 1943.

The Whiteness of Wealth: How the Tax System Impoverishes Black Americans—and How We Can Fix it by Dorothy A. Brown. The author, a professor of tax law at Emory, traces patterns of tax law — sometimes deliberately racist and sometimes inadvertent, in that hardly anyone was thinking about Black citizens as tax law was written.

Emily Kane, Professor of Sociology

Here are some things I read this year that have particularly stuck with me for one reason or another. The first four are fiction, and the last one is a sociological study of neoliberalism and home schooling. 

At the End of the Matinee by Keiichiro Hirano

The Seedkeeper by Diane Wilson

The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers

Bewilderment by Richard Powers

The Home School Choice: Parents and the Privatization of Education by Kate Averett

Alison Keegan, Administrative Assistant and Supervisor of Academic Administrative Services

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid . Jenkins Reid is a master storyteller. Her books are compelling and she is able to weave stories within multiple characters flawlessly and without confusion. This particular story takes place at a party one night in 1980s Malibu. There are flashbacks, backstories, complex sibling relationships, and a flurry of emotions — all ingredients for a well-told tale.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune . I had heard a lot of buzz about this book and it did not disappoint. Heartwarming and magical, it spun a tale unlike any I’d read before. This is a story about discovering an unlikely family in a surprising place and realizing that you are exactly where you belong. 

The Fortunate Ones by Ed Tarkington . A soul-searching and cautionary tale for anyone enamored with living the high life. This book offers a touching and realistic picture of the uncertainty and angst that comes with being pulled from poor to privileged. 

One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle . I inhaled this book in a day. The vivid depictions of Positano, Italy and all its charms had me yearning to be there instantly. This is a beautiful book about the unending bond between mother and daughter and how grief can change people and relationships. There are surprising and moving magical/whimsical elements that are made entirely believable by the main character’s devotion and love for her mother.     

Keiko Konoeda, Lecturer in Japanese

The Mushroom at the End of the World: On the Possibility of Life in Capitalist Ruins  by Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing is one of the most fascinating books I read recently. Great on Kindle and audiobook, too.

Rebecca Lazure, Leadership Gift Officer

Florence Adler Swims Forever by Rachel Beanland . This book swept me off my feet. It kicks off with gripping action and surprise and then takes you through a family’s experiences in Atlantic City in the 1930s. Despite not knowing the area at all, the street names straight from the Monopoly board makes the sense of place surprisingly familiar. Well worth a read. 

Perrin Lumbert, Library Assistant

My favorite books of 2020-2022, in no particular order, read during two years of pandemic semi-isolation.

Lean Your Loneliness Slowly Against Mine by Klara Hveberg

The End of the Golden Gate: Writers on Loving and (Sometimes) Leaving San Francisco by Gary Kamiya et al .

Who was Changed and Who was Dead by Barbara Comyns

Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jedrowski

With Each Clouded Peak by Friederike Mayrocker

Silence and Silences by Wallis Wilde-Menozzi

Time is a Mother by Ocean Vuong

Written in Invisible Ink by Herve Guibert

Thinking With Trees by Jason Allen-Paisant

Imagine Wanting Only This by Kristen Radtke

The Copenhagen Trilogy: Childhood; Youth; Dependency by Tove Ditlevsen

The Pine Islands by Marion Poschmann

Instinct to Ruin by Lora Mathis

Levant: New Middle Eastern Cooking by Rawia Bishara

Baladi: A Celebration of Food from Land and Sea by Joudie Kalla

Chris Marden, Director of Donor Relations

Brené Brown ‘s   Daring Greatly  has been a thought-provoking inspiration. Also, I loved the audio book The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow. I expect it is terrific in any form, but it’s read by an especially good narrator! 

Maggie Maurer-Fazio, Betty Doran Stangle Professor Emerita of Applied Economics

Lately, I’ve enjoyed three books by Amor Towles :

A Gentleman in Moscow

Rules of Civility

The Lincoln Highway

Rich McNeil, Leadership Gift Officer

Here are some great books my wife and/or I have read in the past few months:

Black Death at the Golden Gate  by David K. Randall

Anxious People  by Fredrik Backman

Project Hail Mary   by Andy Weir

The Hour of Land   by Terry Tempest Williams

The Lincoln Highway   by Amor Towles

Animal, Vegetable, Junk  by Mark Bittman

Ben Moodie, Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology

The Secret of Our Success: How Culture Is Driving Human Evolution, Domesticating Our Species, and Making Us Smarter by Joseph Patrick Henrich . This accessibly-written book, also available in audio format, is intellectual dynamite. Henrich puts together a portrait of  homo sapiens  as a species created when our ancestors stumbled upon a package of cultural knowledge valuable enough to become the main driver of natural selection for our kind. The upshot explains both humanity’s explosive cultural diversity and its roots in our shared addiction to learning from one another.

Henrich also has a 2020 book entitled  The WEIRDest People in the World   which is also intellectually revolutionary, but is best read as a sequel to the first book, and is of more purely social scientific concern. 

Kerry O’Brien, Assistant Dean of the Faculty

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan is my favorite book in a long time. Keegan is a short story writer and with elegant economy she packs this novel with a portrait of a man, a family, and a community in Ireland in the 1980s. What starts out as a Christmas story is a quiet but furious indictment of the infamous “laundries,” run by the Catholic Church, where pregnant teenage girls were imprisoned, judged, and abused. The moral compass is not held by the nuns.

This Is Happiness by Niall Williams is another incredible portrait of an Irish town, this time, a remote water-logged village. It starts with a bit of Garcia Marquez magical realism when we read that the rain has stopped for the first time in umpteen years — a signal that change is coming. Electrification is the change, but it is really about all those famously Irish things that endure: heartsickness, longing, unrequitedness. It’s a coming of age story for one of the protagonists and, for the other, a look back from life’s western slope. It’s about the power of stories and memory and imagination. It’s an epic story, but told in the minute details of daily life and the interactions of the characters and oddballs who inhabit the town. This is truly a gorgeous book. I hated when it ended.

Sonja Pieck, Professor of Environmental Studies

I highly recommend Ocean Vuong ‘s  On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous  — incredibly lyrical and haunting.

Sarah Potter ’77, Bookstore Director Emerita

Mysteries, mysteries, mysteries — this year I read through all of Julia Spencer-Fleming ’s series. She is a mystery writer living in Buxton, Maine. She creates characters who quickly become familiars. Follow Reverend Clare and police chief Russ beginning with  In the Bleak Midwinter .

Because it was on Barack Obama’s summer reading list and because I like Kazuo Ishiguro ’s writing, I read  Klara and the Sun. This novel is about a future in which children have artificial friends. Much to think about in this book, and it is probably worth an attentive reread on my part.

A few other notable reads:  

A Death in the Family by James Agee

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

Chances Are… by Richard Russo

Oh, William! by Elizabeth Strout

And, of course, the latest Louise Penny mystery,  The Madness of Crowds .

Logan Puck, Visiting Assistant Professor of Politics

My book recommendation is  The Twilight Zone  by Nona Fernandez , translated by Natasha Wimmer. Fernandez is Chilean and she begins the novel by recounting how a member of Pinochet’s secret police walked into a newspaper office and began spilling his secrets about torturing and disappearing dissidents. The book grapples with trauma and memory as it jumps around in time, following and speculating about the secret police agent, his victims, and the narrator who is a young girl when the novel begins. It is a compelling and haunting read that is impossible to put down once you pick it up.

Erica Rand, Professor of Art and Visual Culture and Gender and Sexuality Studies

I recommend  Light from Uncommon Stars  by Ryka Aoki , a super-amazing novel where trans survival skills animate musical gifts, where mentorship confronts a deal with the devil, and where a donut shop houses neuro-divergent intergalactic rescue, and far-from-youngsters are hot.  

Jennifer Reaves, Health Services 

The Shack by William P. Young  

John Roe, Library Assistant, INN-Reach Coordinator 

England’s Dreaming  by Jon Savage . Pretty much the definitive history of punk rock in the 1970s.

The Monsters Know What They’re Doing  by Keith Ammann . For the  Dungeons & Dragons  enthusiast, based on the blog of the same name.  An entertaining read that serves as a guide to making the game’s monsters more dangerous by playing them toward their strengths.

Sharon Saunders, Associate College Librarian for Systems & Bibliographic Services

What can I say about these three books?  Just read them.

Oneness vs. the 1%: Shattering illusions, seeding freedom   by Vandana Shiva

Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist  by Kate Raworth

Undocumented: How Immigration became Illegal   by Aviva Chomsky

Paula Schlax, Stella James Sims Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry

I found Suburban Dicks by Fabian Nicieza incredibly fun. 

Paul Schofield, Assistant Professor of Philosophy  

Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival, and Hope in an American City   by Andrea Elliott .  This piece of narrative journalism follows a girl and her family through the New York City shelter system. Some people might remember that the girl, Dasani, was profiled for five days in the New York Times about a decade ago. The author of that series is the author of this book, which she wrote after following her story for the past ten years. It’s a great read and I recommend it highly. Here’s an anecdote from the book: At one point Dasani takes a field trip with her class to Gracie Mansion. She hopes to see Mayor Bloomberg there, not really understanding that she won’t. But going there at all is, for her, like being invited to the White House. The nice parts of Manhattan are just worlds away from the rat-infested room she lives in. Later, when Dasani is profiled in the Times — detailing the horrific ways that society has failed her — she becomes a bit of a celebrity. She reads about herself in the paper, people recognize her on the street, reporters want to talk to her, and strangers donate money to help her. And so, Mayor Bloomberg himself takes notice of little Dasani. Here’s his public statement: “The kid was dealt a bad hand. I don’t know quite why. That’s just the way God works. Sometimes, some of us are lucky and some of us are not.” What a guy!

Why It’s OK to Love Bad Movies by Matthew Strohl . Strohl gives a sincere and heartfelt defense of movies that are typically disrespected and unloved. His point is decidedly  not  that it can be fun to mock and ridicule bad movies, but that they can be appreciated as creative and original labors of love. As you read, you’ll want to make a list of movies to watch — he discusses  The Room ,  Troll 2 ,  Battlefield Earth , much of the Nic Cage catalog, and so much more. (Luckily, I got COVID right after reading the book, so I was able to dive right in.) Beyond his contagious admiration for the disreputable, Strohl works out what I take to be a novel theory of aesthetics — a view about why we like what we like, and about the role that what we like plays in our lives. 

The Price of Peace: Money, Democracy, and the Life of John Maynard Keynes  by Zachary Carter . This is ostensibly a biography of Keynes, and it’s got enough gossipy details to be fun. But really, it’s a book about Keynes’s thought and its influence. The last 100 pages or so take place after his death, and tell the story of how Keynesianism as we understand it today is detached from a lot of what animated Keynes when he was writing. So rather than the perfunctory final chapter of “And here is how so-and-so’s influence is still with us”, we get a detailed story of the further development of Keynesianism that sheds light on his work and what’s been forgotten from it. Also, apparently, Keynes was a big fan of G. E. Moore’s  Principia Ethica — a book I’ve read, and which I assure you is  very  boring — and he ultimately used Moore’s notion of an “organic unity” to justify and defend his own sexual liberation. I hadn’t known this, but it is nice that someone found a good use for Moore.

Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe . This is a remarkable and astoundingly compelling book about the Troubles. I don’t know how to describe it exactly, but it’s part history, part investigative journalism, part mystery, and, in the end, part moral philosophy. The author touches on themes of violence, anger, guilt, reconciliation, reparation, memory, and truth-seeking, all with respect to both the personal and the political. Upon finishing it, I wanted to read it again immediately.

Reconsidering Reparations by  Olufemi O. Taiwo . This is an exemplary piece of political philosophy, quite possibly the best I’ve read in the past five years. Taiwo is so clear about what he’s trying to do and who he’s trying to convince, so charitable to other authors, and so willing to engage with history and social sciences (I learned so much that it would have been worth it even if the philosophy were garbage). The book is good for summer because it’s so engaging to read; a lot of moral conviction without any grandstanding. And most of all, he really squares up to the problems reparations proponents face. It’s the best thing written on this topic and it reminded me why I like political philosophy when it’s done well.

Sawyer Sylvester, Professor Emeritus of Sociology

Historical Atlas of Maine edited by Stephen J. Hornsby and Richard W. Judd . For born Mainers, as well as those from away, this book has to be the very best cartographic history of Maine. It ranges from the the Ice Age to the year 2000. The blending of text, graphics, artwork, maps, and photographs is masterful. Be warned, the book is pricey — but worth every penny.

The Age of Wood by Roland Ennos . From the very beginnings of human history, the multiple qualities of wood have played an essential part: from the trees from which humans descended, to the shelters which first housed them, from the masts of tall ships to the ties in the railroads, from our houses to our coffins, from fires to warm them and books to read by the fire.

Index, A History of the by Dennis Duncan . A book without an index is a story, however well told. A book with an index is a mine to be searched or all the delights therein.

Let’s Bring Back by Lesley M. M. Blume . Oddments for the incurably nostalgic.

Finally, a read in progress: How the Post Office Created America by Winifred Gallagher .

Anne Thompson, Professor Emerita of English and Euterpe B. Dukakis Professor Emerita of Classical and Medieval Studies 

Susan, Linda, Nina, and Cokie, The Extraordinary Story of the Founding Mothers of NPR  by Lisa Napoli . If you don’t recognize the names of these women, you probably won’t be interested in the book. Otherwise, it’s a treat.

This is Happiness by Niall Williams . Williams weaves a story that takes place sixty years ago in a small Irish village where electricity is finally set to arrive. The narrator looks back on this time without sentimentality, but with love, humor, and regret for a life that was simpler.

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke . Almost everyone I know (including me) raved about this book, but most of us also found it very hard to describe, so you’ll have to trust me. It’s definitely weird but not just loopy fantasy. A young man lives alone in a strange House of vast size, with halls, corridors and statues, where he spends his days tracking tides that could flood the House. There’s one other person, with whom he meets twice a week but about whom he knows almost nothing. The writing is so good and the descriptions so enticing that you may be willing to go along for the ride until you begin to make more sense of this bizarre world. 

Darryl Uy, Director of Admission 

Real Life by Brandon Taylor

The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

The Committed by Viet Thanh Nguyen

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

The Lost Language of Cranes by David Leavitt

Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel

She’s Not There: A Life in Two Genders by Jennifer Finney Boylan

The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore

The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman

The Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel

Birds in Fall by Brad Kessler

There, There by Tommy Orange

Good Neighbors by Ryan David Jahn

Beet by Roger Rosenblatt

Joe Vari, Head Women’s Soccer Coach

Think Again by Adam Grant 

Legacy by James Kerr

William Wallace, Lecturer in Education

Invisible Child   by Andrea Elliott . Andrea Elliott is a NYT writer who has followed the life of a homeless family for eight years. Her book, in particular, follows Dasani, a 12-year-old girl in the family. As you read the book, Elliott reveals that this family is the product of four generations of homelessness. For me, Dasani personifies the power of the human spirit—an individual whose humanity shows through despite incredible obstacles in her life.  

Leigh Weisenberger, Office of Admission

The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

The Yellow House by Sarah M. Broom

Anne Williams, Professor Emerita of Economics 

This list is unusually long because my 2020 and 2021 lists met with misadventures. And with pandemic isolation I had lots of time to read. I am truly grateful for the Bates Library and its efficiency at borrowing from other Maine libraries. The Kempers’ Little Free Library on Pettingill Street was another source of great joy in a time of stress. Non-Fiction:

Killers of the Flower Moon  by David Grann — A powerful account of crimes against the Osage.

Complications   by Atul Gawande — A doctor on the fallibility of surgeons, and more.

Tears We Cannot Stop   by Michael Eric Dyson — Documenting horrors of the Black experience.                

How You Say It  by Katherine Kinzler  — Discrimination based on accent is innate.

I always enjoy memoirs, and recommend these:

Born a Crime   by Trevor Noah — Both sobering and hilarious.

Being Heumann   by Judith Heumann , the incredible activist for disability rights.

Becoming   by Michelle Obama — Stunning on many fronts.

The Soul of Care   by Arthur Kleinman — Reflections on caring for vs treating a patient.

Ladysitting  by Lorene Cary — Caring for a 100-year old mother.

Orange is the New Black   by Piper Kerman — An eye opener about women’s prisons.

America for Beginners   by Leah Franqui — Three contrasting views of the U.S.

A Delhi Obsession   by M.G. Vassanji — A love story with complications set in modern Delhi.

Breaking Out of Bedlam   by Leslie Larson — Odd experiences and resilience in assisted living.

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek   by Kim Richardson  — I learned about pack horse librarians and blue-skinned people in Kentucky

Little Fires Everywhere  by Celeste Ng — A “model” family isn’t quite what it seems.

Rules for Visiting   by Jessica Francis Kane — A delightful story of friendship and discovery.

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves   by Karen Joy Fowler — Thought provoking on humanity and animal rights.

The Every   by Dave Eggers — Imagine a merger of Amazon and Facebook.

For escape I read mysteries and occasional science fiction. Favorites by authors I already knew include:

Borderline  by Nevada Barr — Rio Grande murders.

The Disappeared   by C.J. Box — Searching for a British Celebrity.

The Terminal Man   by Michael Crichton — A new medical technique gone wrong.

Camino Island   by John Grisham — Mystery centers on rare books.

Squeeze Me  by Carl Hiaasen — Set in a fictionalized Mar-a-Lago.

The Girl in the Spider’s Web   by David Lagercrantz — AI is important to this mystery.

Body Work  by Sara Paretsky — Two intersecting murders in Chicago.

All the Devils Are Here   by Louise Penny — Gamache takes on Paris crime.

The Order  by Daniel Silva — Intrigue after the death of a Pope.

Criminal   by Karin Slaughter — A great yarn about a lady cop.

I also enjoyed these books by authors new to me:

Be Afraid   by Mary Burton — Forensic artist works a cold case.

Blood Work   by Michael Connelly — Heart transplant with unforeseen consequences.

The First Counsel by Brad Meltzer — Set in the White House.

Maisie Dobbs   by Jacqueline Winspear —Independent woman sleuth in post-WWI England.

Newcomer   by Higashino Keigo – Detective Kaga is understated, but very perceptive.

Michelle Williams, Human Resources Coordinator

The Obesity Code by Dr. Jason Fung . A great read about how our bodies actually work and why obesity is such a hard thing to kick. I can’t recommend this book enough!

Freddie Wright, Staff Writer

Ace by Angela Chen . This book offers an in-depth (and personal) look into Asexuality, and how gender and sexuality influence and are influenced by today’s society. Chen also looks into what separates romantic and physical attraction, and how subjective those definitions can be for each person. I recommend it for anyone, whether or not you or anyone you know identifies as ace.

Related Content

Showing more content from "Art"

Picture Story: ‘We Thrive, We Rise, Together’

May 10, 2024

Bates in the News: May 10, 2024

Say What: Quotable quotes from Batesies, family members, and guests at the Jenkins inauguration

May 9, 2024

Recent News

Here are three recent news posts.

Video: Scenes from the Jenkins Inauguration, selfies, high fives, and hugs in a ‘place of warmth and welcome’

Subscribe to bates news.

You’ll receive weekly emails with the latest news from Bates.

New subscriber? Please enter your name and e-mail address to receive updates from Bates College. Select the Updates you'd like to receive. You'll receive an e-mail confirmation within an hour.

Current subscriber? If you would like to change your subscriptions, open one of your Bates Update e-mails (BatesNews, Sports Update or Events at Bates) and click on "Change Subscriptions."

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing The Write Stuff for Writers

Credit Hours

View Courses

100% online, 8-week courses

Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total

Grow Your Writing Passion into a Career with Liberty’s Online MFA in Creative Writing

Many people write creatively, but few hone their skills to develop their writing craft to its highest form. Even fewer learn the other skills it takes to become a successful writer, such as the steps needed to get a book published and into the hands of readers. Liberty’s 100% online Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing can help you develop your writing passion into a career so you can set your works free to impact culture and the world.

Employers in every industry need professionals who have strong writing skills, so you can be confident that your ability to write effectively can also help set you apart in your current career. With in-demand writing expertise and the ability to customize your degree with electives in literature or writing practice, Liberty’s online MFA in Creative Writing can help you achieve your professional writing goals.

Our online MFA in Creative Writing is designed to help you build on your writing skills with specific workshops dedicated to the craft of fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, or screenwriting. With a work-in-progress approach to writing practice and mentorship from our faculty of experienced writers and scholars, you can learn the specific skills you need to make your writing stand out.

Ranked in the Top 10% of Niche.com’s Best Online Schools in America

• What Sets Us Apart?
• Private Nonprofit University
• 600+ Online Degrees
• No Standardized Testing for Admission
• Transfer in up to 75% of an Undergrad Degree
• Transfer in up to 50% of a Grad/Doctoral Degree

Why Choose Liberty’s MFA in Creative Writing?

Our online MFA in Creative Writing is mainly offered in an 8-week course format, and our tuition rate for graduate programs hasn’t increased in 9 years. Through our program, you can study the writing process and develop your creative skills through workshops with experienced writing professionals. With our flexible format, you can grow in your creative writing while continuing to do what is important to you.

As a terminal degree, the online MFA in Creative Writing can also help you pursue opportunities to teach writing at the K-12 or college level. You will gain comprehensive and in-depth exposure to writing, literature, publishing, and many other professional writing skills that you can pass on to students. Partner with the Liberty family and learn under faculty who have spent years in the field you love. Your career in professional writing starts here.

What Will You Study in Our MFA in Creative Writing?

The MFA in Creative Writing program is designed to help you become an excellent creative writer across the genres of creative fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting, and poetry. You can learn how to produce aesthetically and culturally engaged creative works while gaining professional knowledge and practice. You will also study foundational contemporary literature so that you have a background in studying important works to draw on for your writing.

To help you in your professional writing, you will also study many essential skills in editing, layout, and the business of publishing so that you can best position yourself for success in the market. Through your creative writing courses and workshops, you can develop your craft so that you will be ready for your thesis project.

Here are a few examples of the skills Liberty’s MFA in Creative Writing can help you master:

• Marketing your projects and pursuing new writing opportunities
• Organizing writing and adapting it to different types of writing
• Tailoring writing to specific audiences and markets
• Understanding what makes art effective, compelling, and impactful
• Writing compelling stories that engage readers

Potential Career Opportunities

• Book and magazine writer
• Business communications specialist
• Creative writing instructor
• Publications editor
• Screenwriter
• Website copy editor and writer
• Writing manager

Featured Courses

• ENGL 600 – Editing, Layout, and Publishing
• ENGL 601 – Writing as Cultural Engagement
• ENGL 603 – Literary Theory and Practice
• WRIT 610 – Writing Fiction

Degree Information

• This program falls under the College of Arts and Sciences .
• View the Graduate Arts and Sciences Course Guides (login required).
• Download and review the Graduate Manual for MFA .

Degree Completion Plan (PDF)

Not sure what to choose?

Speak to one of our admissions specialists to help you choose the program that best fits your needs.

• Tuition & Aid

Your success is our success, which is why we are committed to providing quality academics at an affordable tuition rate. While other colleges are increasing their tuition, we have frozen tuition rates for the majority of our undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs for the past 9 years – and counting.

All Tuition & Fees

Financial Aid & Scholarships

Financial Aid Forms & Eligibility

Scholarship Opportunities

Admission Information for the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (MFA)

Admission requirements.

• A non-refundable, non-transferable $50 application fee will be posted on the current application upon enrollment (waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required) .
• Unofficial transcripts can be used for acceptance purposes with the submission of a Transcript Request Form .
• Creative Writing Sample – A creative writing sample of one creative writing work of at least 2,500 words or a culmination of creative writing samples totaling 2,500 words.*
• Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment. For information on alternative assessments or TOEFL waivers, please call Admissions or view the official International Admissions policy .

*A sample of one or more poems totaling a minimum of 750 words may also be submitted. Song lyrics are not accepted at this time as writing samples.

Preliminary Acceptance

If you are sending in a preliminary transcript for acceptance, you must:

• Be in your final term and planning to start your master’s degree after the last day of class for your bachelor’s degree.
• Complete a Bachelor’s Self-Certification Form confirming your completion date. You may download the form from the Forms and Downloads page or contact an admissions counselor to submit the form on your behalf.
• Submit an official/unofficial transcript to confirm that you are in your final term. The preliminary transcript must show a minimum of 105 completed credit hours.
• If you are a current Liberty University student completing your undergraduate degree, you will need to submit a Degree/Certificate Completion Application .
• Send in an additional, final official transcript with a conferral date on it by the end of your first semester of enrollment in the new master’s degree.

Dual Enrollment

Please see the Online Dual Enrollment page for information about starting graduate courses while finishing your bachelor’s degree.

Transcript Policies

Unofficial college transcript policy.

Unofficial transcripts combined with a Transcript Request Form can be used for admission. Official transcripts are required within 60 days of the admissions decision or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first, and will prevent enrollment into future terms until all official transcripts have been received.

Before sending unofficial college transcripts, please make sure they include the following:

• Your previous school’s name or logo printed on the document
• Cumulative GPA
• A list of completed courses and earned credit broken down by semester
• Degree and date conferred (if applicable)

Official College Transcript Policy

An acceptable official college transcript is one that has been issued directly from the institution and is in a sealed envelope. If you have one in your possession, it must meet the same requirements. If your previous institution offers electronic official transcript processing, they can send the document directly to [email protected] .

If the student uses unofficial transcripts with a Transcript Request Form to gain acceptance, all official transcripts must be received within 60 days of the admissions decision or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first. Failure to send all official transcripts within the 60-day period will prevent enrollment into future terms until all official transcripts have been received.

Admissions Office Contact Information

(800) 424-9596

(888) 301-3577

Email for Questions

[email protected]

Email for Documents

[email protected]

Liberty University Online Admissions Verification

1971 University Blvd.

Lynchburg, VA 24515

Ready to Apply?

Submit your application online or over the phone.

Apply by phone: (800) 424-9595

Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe.

Who May Qualify?

• Active Duty
• Reserve/National Guard
• Veterans/Retirees
• Spouses of Service Members and Veterans/Retirees
• Current Department of Defense Employees

Available Benefits:

• Tuition discounts – $275 per credit hour for graduate courses
• Additional discount for veterans who service in a civilian capacity as a First Responder (less than $625 per course) *
• 8-week courses, 8 different start dates each year, and no set login times (may exclude certain courses such as practicums, internships, or field experiences)

*Not applicable to certificates.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an mfa in creative writing.

A Master of Fine Arts degree, or MFA, is a terminal degree in an artistic craft that demonstrates that you have achieved the highest level of training and skill in your discipline. Like a doctorate, an MFA often allows you to teach courses at the graduate level while also providing many opportunities for scholarship and leadership in education. If you want to grow your creative writing skills to become the best writer you can be, then the Master of Fine Arts can help you get there.

How will students work towards developing their writing skills?

With creative writing workshops and a thesis project, you will receive support and guidance to help you become the best writer you can be.

How long will it take to complete the MFA in Creative Writing?

You can complete the MFA in Creative Writing in just 48 credit hours!

Inner Navigation

• Why Choose Liberty?
• What Will You Study?
• Admission Information

Have questions?

Are you ready to change your future?

Apply FREE This Week*

Request Information

*Some restrictions may occur for this promotion to apply. This promotion also excludes active faculty and staff, military, non-degree-seeking, DGIA, Continuing Education, WSB, and certificate students.

Request Information About a Program

Request info about liberty university online, what program are you interested in, choose a program level.

Choose a program level

Bachelor’s

Master’s

Certificate

Select a Field of Study

Select a field of study

Select a Program

Select a program

Next: Contact Info

Legal full name.

Enter legal full name

Legal Last Name

Enter legal last name

Enter an email address

Enter a phone number

Full Address

Enter an address

Apt., P.O. Box, or can’t find your address? Enter it manually instead .

Select a Country

Street Address

Enter Street Address

Enter State

ZIP/Postal Code

Enter Zip Code

Back to automated address search

Start my application now for FREE

Rachel Bates

Writer. Educator. Researcher.

Rachel Bates is a passionate educator with eight years of teaching experience at the secondary and post-secondary levels. She is currently an English doctoral candidate with concentrations in literary and cultural studies and writing, rhetoric, and discourse analysis studies. She holds an M.A. in Liberal Studies with a concentration in creative writing from Dartmouth College and a B.A. in History and English from East Tennessee State University.

Rachel's creative writing is featured in several journals such as Appalachian Review , West Texas Literary Review , and Broad River Review , and Finishing Line Press published her debut chapbook, Dear River , in 2020. She draws inspiration from Appalachia, her family, her students, and life's general mundane and quotidian ongoings.

Her research focuses on the Anthropocene via Contemporary Appalachian literature and culture. She approaches these studies using ecofeminism, place studies, and affect theory methodologies. She frequently presents both her academic and pedagogical research and knowledge to academic and professional colleagues. She is a motivated teacher who inspires students, shares her knowledge, and often leads teams toward new curriculum and social endeavors. As an educator, her highest priority is creating equitable and diverse spaces for all students, and she works toward dismantling historical and contemporary barriers for historically marginalized groups. 

Her organization, planning, and communication skills are excellent. She always meets deadlines and is an exceptional multitasker. Teaching continues to enhance her extraordinary conflict resolution, time management, and interpersonal communication skills.

Connect at [email protected]

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience

• Skip to main content
• Skip to Main Menu

Class of 2024

Published: May 16, 2024

Jefferson Community College will hold its sixtieth Commencement Ceremony on Friday, May 17, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. in the McVean Student Center Gymnasium. 354 degrees and certificates will be awarded to 348 students. Below is a list of graduates as of May 17, 2024. Those with (#) following their names will be receiving more than one diploma and/or certificate (CERT).

Class of 2024 Graduates 

Adams                                   Kaydence Anne Allen (#) - A.S.  Engineering Science and A.S. Mathematics Jayden O'Hara Allison - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences – Psychology Michelle Lourdes Kellar - A.S. Business Administration David Carl Lohrmann, Jr. - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Sofia Ivette Mangino - A.A.S. Individual Studies Zachary Jon Neal - A.S. Business Administration Emma Lynn Roy - A.O.S. Applied Business Studies Shannon Simpson - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Logan Robert Towles - A.S. Natural Sciences - Allied Health & Biological Sciences Zoe R. Turtura - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences                                         Adams Center                             Harlee Nikole Serow - A.A.S. Individual Studies                                         Alexandria Bay                           Grace Eileen Strock - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences – Creative Writing                                      Altmar                                  Ethan John Shawcross - A.S. Engineering Science                                        Antwerp                                 Starla Reese Bates - A.A.S. Nursing Caitlynn Morgan Cunningham - A.A.S. Nursing Danielle Marie Cunningham - A.A.S. Nursing Sally A. Hoek - A.A.S. Nursing                                         Ava                                     Mackenzie Mae Carpenter - A.A.S. Zoo Technology                                         Belleville                               Karrigan Rose Riordan - A.A. Childhood Education                                         Black River                              Joshua Daniel Andrews - A.S. Criminal Justice Aynalem Sarah Bliss-Hosack - A.A.S. Nursing Ashley D. Favero - A.A.S. Fire Protection Technology Mandy Parker - A.A.S. Nursing Harley M. Peck - A.S. Business Administration Jeremy A.L. Reustle - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Kristin Lee Williams - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences                                       

Brier Hill                               Alyvia Conner Crosby - Certificate, Early Childhood                                         Brooklyn                                 Jamayah Delisha Campbell - A.S. Business Administration Kevin Isaiah Gibbs - A.S. Business Administration Isaiah Mckenzie Lemon - A.S. Engineering Science Dante Ray Stokes - A.S. Physical Education Ibrahim N. Wally - A.S. Business Administration                                         Brownville                               Sarah May Davis - A.A.S. Chemical Dependency Miranda J. Guarino - A.S. Business Administration Jacob A. King (#) -  A.S. Engineering Science and A.S. Natural Sciences - Physical Science Cierra Leigh Saiff - A.A.S. Nursing                                         Calcium                                 Marie Salette Nathalie Augustin - A.A.S. Accounting Rudy Rios, III - A.A.S. Business Administration                                         Carthage                                 Mason Leo Myron Archer - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Christina Chiasson - A.A.S. Nursing Emely Alexis Stephanie Cole - A.S. Criminal Justice Danielle Marie Cook - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Connor D. Covey - A.S. Criminal Justice Owen L. Dorr - A.A.S. Nursing Katherine Diane Draper - A.A.S. Nursing Briana Lyn Forrester - A.A.S. Nursing Reese Bentley Head - A.A.S. Hospitality and Tourism - Culinary Arts Tori Hill - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Richard Howland, III - A.S. Business Administration Rowan William Johnston - A.S. Engineering Science Kassidy Marie Keefer - A.A. Childhood Education Camden Laursen-Carr - A.S. Computer Science Jamie E. Loeffler - A.S. Natural Sciences - Allied Health & Biological Sciences Lee A. Moses - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences – Creative Writing Joyce Samantha Ann Mustain - A.A.S. Nursing Dioseline Osorio - A.A.S. Nursing Aubrey Rochelle Porter - A.A.S. Business Administration Katherine E. Richards - A.A.S. Zoo Technology Kristyanna Nicole Robinson - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Paige Elizabeth Soules - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Aubrey Elizabeth Stewart - A.O.S. Applied Business Studies Meghan Jean Sweeney - A.A.S. Nursing Kayla A. Tabolt - A.A.S. Nursing Eric Clinton Waterhouse - A.S. Computer Science                                         Castorland                               Lauryn A. Bennett - A.A. Childhood Education Danielle Elizabeth Coles - A.A.S. Nursing Malana Maven Pominville - A.S. Business Administration Kendra Lee Roggie - A.S. Human Services Christian Javier Ruiz-Bosch - A.A.S. Paralegal Eva M. St. Croix - A.A. Childhood Education                                      Chaumont                                 Eddie Eber Barton, II - A.S. Business Administration Allison Elizabeth Bennett - Certificate, Teaching Assistant David A. DeCilles - A.S. Engineering Science Abigail L. Docteur - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Leah Grace Goutremout - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Lily Ann Gray - A.S. Criminal Justice Davi S. Harris - A.S. Human Services Lacy Rosa McKellip - A.A.S. Nursing                                         Clark Mills                              Emily Elizabeth Burns - A.S. Sports Management                                         Clayton                                 James Alexander Casselman - A.S. Business Administration Daniel Joseph Cooke - A.A.S. Business Administration Sophia M. Ingerson - A.A. Childhood Education Hannah Rae Knapp - A.A. Individual Studies Tracy Lee McIntire - A.A.S. Nursing Jack Benjamin Natali, Jr. - A.S. Natural Sciences - Allied Health & Biological Sciences Ashley Grace Rose - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Anna Marie Veres - A.A.S. Nursing Allie Moon Victorino - A.S. Computer Science                                         Colton                                  Jedediah Judson LaBrake - A.A.S. Zoo Technology                                         Constableville                           Heidi Metzler - A.A.S. Business Administration Felicia Marie Thayer - A.S. Individual Studies                                         Copenhagen                               Andrew David Carroll - A.A.S. Agri Business Amanda Diane Isberner - A.S. Individual Studies Hailey Lea Martin - A.S. Natural Sciences - Allied Health & Biological Sciences Brooke M. Smykla - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences                                         Croghan                                 Katelyn Adams - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Zackary Philip Brown - A.S. Sports Management Isabel Gomez - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Josiah J. Kirkwood - A.S. Natural Sciences - Allied Health & Biological Sciences Adrianna Maxson - A.A.S. Individual Studies Morgan E. Moser - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences – Psychology                                       

Deferiet                                 Devin Thomas Parlati - A.A.S. Hospitality and Tourism - Culinary Arts                                         Dexter                                  Serena Elizabeth Beach - A.A.S. Individual Studies Maya J. Carroll - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences – Psychology Kody Tyler Daly - A.S. Engineering Science Lauren Paige Devine - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Jonah S. Dunn - A.A.S. Nursing Rebecca M. Farrell - A.S. Business Administration Karsyn Lynn Fields - A.A.S. Nursing Melisa Gibbs - A.A.S. Nursing AJ Massey Hall - A.S. Business Administration Ashten E. Littell - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Jenneleh S. Robinson - A.S. Engineering Science Wyatt William Thomas - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Benjamin M. Wiley - A.S. Business Administration                                         Edwards                                 Jane M. Phelps - A.A.S. Nursing                                         Ellisburg                                Dani Wright - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences – Creative Writing                                         Evans Mills                              DaeLynn Buwan Alcock - A.S. Criminal Justice Braedyn Joseph Champion - A.A.S. Nursing Rachel J. Gydesen - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences – Psychology Mary Rebecca Justice - A.S. Human Services Zoe Anastacia Kalagis - A.A.S. Nursing Kacy Mata - A.A.S. Nursing Kankam O. Mensah - A.S. Natural Sciences - Allied Health & Biological Sciences Brynn Nguyen - A.A.S. Nursing Olivia J. Perkins - A.S. Natural Sciences - Allied Health & Biological Sciences Lillian D. Reape - A.A.S. Nursing David Lane Timmerman, II - A.S. Human Services Kenneth Brandon Torres - A.A.S. Nursing                                       Felts Mills                              Daniel Joesph Conorino - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences – Psychology                                        Fort Drum                                Rebecca Marin Francia - A.A.S. Nursing Tatiyana Michaley Francis - A.S. Natural Sciences - Allied Health & Biological Sciences Briana Marie Gryglik - A.A.S. Nursing Samantha Sashauna Haughton - A.A.S. Individual Studies Kelsi Aidan Hawksworth - Certificate, Accounting Audrey Joyce Leppert - A.A.S.  Nursing Emily Paige Manning - A.A. Childhood Education Alexandra Ann McNeil - A.S. Criminal Justice Sareh G. Pistole - A.S. Human Services Madison Renee Robinson - A.A.S. Nursing Alexis Mae Sinclair - A.A.S. Nursing Iesha Kadian Whyte - A.S. Health Care Management Kayla G. Winnemore - A.A.S. Individual Studies                                      Glenfield                                Gregory Douglas Haggerty - A.S. Business Administration                                       Gouverneur                               Aubrey Lynn Alguire - A.S. Natural Sciences - Physical Science Llyssa Marie McEathron - A.A.S. Business Administration Hailey Elizabeth Palmer - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Allison Jane Woods - A.A.S. Nursing                                        Great Bend                               Dylan Elwood Thomas - A.A.S. Fire Protection Technology                                        Hammond                                 Nicholas John Jewett - A.A.S. Nursing Jessica Ann Pease - Certificate, Accounting                                         Harrisville                              Jennifer Marie Maurer - A.A.S. Addiction Studies Raven Dawn Winters - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences                                         Henderson                                Mei-Lin Elizabeth Corron - A.S. Business Administration Nicholas J. Flagg - A.O.S. Applied Business Studies Rebekah Ray Newell - A.A.S. Nursing                                         Henrietta                                Aaron W. Cole - A.A.S. Individual Studies                                         Horseheads                               Timothy David Carter, II - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences                                         Lacona                                  Adam Joseph Malinowski (#) - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences–Psychology, A.S. Criminal Justice                                         LaFargeville                             Kaemarie Alise Cox - A.A.S. Early Childhood Olivia M. Cratsenberg - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Carrie J. Getman - A.S. Natural Sciences - Allied Health & Biological Sciences Nevaeh Roberta Hutcheon - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Colby Wayne Hutchins (#) - A.S. Criminal Justice, A.S. Homeland Security Samantha Irene Lewis - A.A.S. Early Childhood Kristi Lynn Mulalley - A.A.S. Nursing Jaclyn Priscilla Slate - A.A.S. Nursing Jessie Lynn Smith - A.A.S. Nursing Paige Elizabeth Thompson - A.A.S. Individual Studies                                         Lorraine                                 Olivia Wood - A.S. Criminal Justice                                         Lowville                                 Madison Teal Compton - A.S. Natural Sciences - Allied Health & Biological Sciences Daniel Patrick Fayle - A.S. Engineering Science Rachel Lynn Finnegan - A.A.S. Nursing Jacob R. Graves - A.S. Physical Education Naomi Jayne Kirkwood - A.S. Natural Sciences - Allied Health & Biological Sciences Olivia Mae Moyer - A.A.S. Nursing Mariella Mae Sauer - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Charlie Morgan Virkler - A.A. Childhood Education Maddy Wolff - A.S. Natural Sciences - Allied Health & Biological Sciences Taylor Rose Zubrzycki - A.S. Mathematics                                         Mannsville                               Amanda Glazier - A.S. Business Administration Cheyenne Tatika Hammond - A.S. Business Administration Maria Rene Snyder - A.A.S. Individual Studies Annika Lynne VanWormer - A.S. Natural Sciences - Physical Science                                         Mexico                                  Loralei Cheyenne Deasy - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences                                         Natural Bridge                           Erin Rachael Cannan - A.S. Criminal Justice                                         New Rochelle                             Kristan M. Lewis - A.S. Sports Management                                         New York                                 Adama Samake - A.S. Physical Education Anyely Michelle Vasquez - A.S. Business Administration                                         North Brookfield                         Emma Sue Boice - A.A.S. Zoo Technology                                         Norwood                                 KJ Ashtyn Belmore - A.S. Physical Education                                         Oswego                                  Brenna G. Williams - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences                                    Philadelphia                             Michelle Margaret Harvey (#) - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences, A.S. Individual Studies Christopher Carl Jones - A.S. Business Administration Shane Adam Peterson - A.S. Criminal Justice Sherri Terrell Pratt - A.S. Health Care Management Samuel R. White - A.A.S. individual Studies  Pierrepont                               Katelin Marie Lillie - A.S. Individual Studies Pierrepont Manor                         Charles Henry Rogers - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Port Leyden                              Gavin John Biro - A.A.S. Hospitality and Tourism - Hotel & Restaurant Management                                    Potsdam                                 Clay Dalton Reagon - A.S. Engineering Science                                        Pulaski                                 Addison K. Dana - A.S. Natural Sciences - Allied Health & Biological Sciences Holly Ann Twist - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences – Psychology                                         Redwood                                 Madi Davidson - A.S. Physical Education Jack Gregory Ely (#) - A.S. Computer Science, A.S. Engineering Science Brock Nicholas Hunter - A.S. Physical Education Kailee M. Knight - A.A. Childhood Education Adrian Lee Rathbun - A.S. Business Administration Emily May Sutton - A.S. Criminal Justice Bridget Watson - A.S. Natural Sciences - Allied Health & Biological Sciences                                        Rodman                                  Abagail P. Keeney - A.S. Natural Sciences - Allied Health & Biological Sciences Tina Marie Maguire - A.A.S. Nursing Maggie Elizabeth Wilson - A.O.S. Applied Business Studies                                        Russell                                 Alisha Rose Marschat - A.A.S. Individual Studies                                  Sackets Harbor                           Sophie Marie Hardison - A.A.S. Nursing Kyrstin Nicole Lillie - A.A.S. Nursing Thomas Dalton Lind - A.S. Business Administration Taylor J. Matteson - A.S. Criminal Justice                                         Sandy Creek                              Kolby Hunter Banach - A.A.S. Individual Studies Ashley Christon Howland - A.A. Childhood Education                                         Staten Island                            Paige Brittany Prudente - A.A.S. Individual Studies                                        Syracuse                                 Anthony Micheal Easton - A.S. Sports Management                                         Theresa                                 Bethany Tristan Jones - A.S. Physical Education Crystal Marie Knox - A.A.S. Individual Studies Kaden Scott McConnell - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Hunter Charles Powell - A.A.S. Computer Information Technology Andrea Lynn Wright - A.A.S. Nursing                                       Three Mile Bay                           Riley Elaine Aubertine - A.S. Computer Science Vivian Williams - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences                                         Turin                                   Sarah Schindler - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences – Psychology Watertown                                Mandalynn P. Atnip - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Joshua Michael Stephen Barker - A.O.S. Applied Business Studies Kelsey Jade Barton - A.A.S. Nursing Chinnu Benny - A.A.S. Nursing Dana Marie Bernard - A.S. Business Administration Mattie Blanc - A.A.S. Nursing Morgan Brady - A.A. Childhood Education Alicia Bristow - A.S. Human Services Alexia Ann Broyles - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Laura Ashley Bufford - A.S. Business Administration Miguel Eduardo Camacho - A.S. Individual Studies Nickcole Marie Collins - A.S. Human Services Jocelynn R. Crider - A.S. Business Administration Harry William Crossland - A.S. Physical Education Sawyer J. Davis - A.S. Computer Science Vanessa De Felice - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Natalie Diaz - A.A.S. Nursing Brianna Marie Engbrecht - A.S. Natural Sciences - Allied Health & Biological Sciences Madison Brynn Favret - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences – Psychology Shemya Lashay Francis - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Erika Jane Glenn - A.A.S. Nursing David Leon Glines, Jr. - A.S. Criminal Justice Bili-jo Marie Gokey - A.A.S. Nursing Emma Marguerite Graveline - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Brittany Marie Harris - A.A.S. Accounting Alyssa Michelle Heath - A.A.S. Nursing Jaren David Henry - A.A.S. Computer Information Technology Megan Elizabeth Homegardner - A.A.S. Computer Information Technology Eric Llewellyn Hoselton - A.A.S. Fire Protection Technology Denielle Allycia Hotchkiss - A.A.S. Nursing Megan Elizabeth Houston - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences – Psychology Samantha Francesca Hyer - A.S. Business Administration Sadia Liset Jeffers - A.A.S. Paralegal Lucille Marie Jewett - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences – Creative Writing Karmjit Kaur - A.A.S. Nursing Tye LaClair - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Luke Paul Lagattuta - A.S. Natural Sciences - Physical Science Ashley Faye Lamboy - A.S. Business Administration Mackenzie Ann Lane - A.S. Physical Education Jaimie May LeClaire - A.A. Childhood Education Noah A. Lepper - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Katrina Donalda Letsch - A.A. Childhood Education Ashley Nicole Litle - A.A.S. Nursing Stephanie Jane Lockwood - A.A.S. Individual Studies Leah Anrose Pador Luce - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences – Psychology Elizabeth A. Lumbis - A.S. Engineering Science Joshua Kevin Marra - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Katrina Victoria Martin - A.A.S. Chemical Dependency Alana Raven Mastin - A.S. Physical Education Ashton Roy Matthews - A.S. Business Administration Lila Elizabeth McIntyre - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Ryan Christopher McLean - A.S. Business Administration Jacob Daniel McNulty - A.S. Physical Education Nathan Leo McNulty - A.S. Physical Education Rose M. Miller - A.A.S. Chemical Dependency Sharon Omosefe Moniello - A.S. Early Childhood Hunter Andrew Moran - A.S. Individual Studies Jordana C. Mosely - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences – Psychology April Anne Neibacher - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Evonne Nyarko - A.S. Health Care Management Heather Lynn Oatridge - A.O.S. Applied Business Studies Halle O'Brien - A.A.S. Individual Studies Anthony Joseph Olexa - A.A.S. Hospitality and Tourism - Culinary Arts Matthew Dane Olney - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Shaina Kawohiokawawa Padeken - A.S. Human Services Emily S. Parker - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences – Creative Writing Miah Leilani Patino - A.O.S. Applied Business Studies Jaren Julian Peckham - A.S. Criminal Justice Elizabeth Jane Peer - A.A.S. Addiction Studies Tiffanie Samone Perea - A.S. Natural Sciences - Allied Health & Biological Sciences Shantel Elizabeth Potter - A.A.S. Individual Studies Cassandra Prescott - A.A.S. Nursing Dylan Thomas Rastley - A.A.S. Fire Protection Technology Emma Rawson - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences – Psychology Kylie Brianne Reardon - A.S. Natural Sciences - Allied Health & Biological Sciences Corrina Chanelle Ritchie - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences – Psychology Shane Matthew Rubyor - A.S. Criminal Justice Ward Alvin Sampson, III - A.A.S. Accounting Brittany Marie Scherer - A.A.S. Nursing Sonia Soomro - A.S. Individual Studies Madison L. Truesdell - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Deserie Van Note - A.A.S. Nursing Jayden K. Vance-Mceachern - A.A. Humanities and Social Sciences – Psychology Kimberly Jayne Vaughn - A.S. Human Services Jennifer L. Vides - A.A.S. Nursing Eleanor Guanlao Vitug - A.A.S.  Hospitality and Tourism - Culinary Arts Darla E. Walker - A.A.S. Accounting Chelsea Lynn Williams - A.A.S. Addiction Studies Alan Michael Wilson - A.S. Computer Science Kayla Rose Wilson - A.S. Business Administration Samantha A. Yodice - A.S. Engineering Science                                         Woodside                                 Guy Sanford Terry - A.A.S. Zoo Technology                                       Yonkers                                 Albert Joy Biswas - A.A.S. Computer Information Technology                                        Out-of-State                                         Phenix City, Alabama                     Shakera Shanaye Fullenwilder - A.S. Sports Management                                        Tucson, Arizona                          Anthony Ortiz - A.S. Sports Management                                         Fontana, California                      Phuong Mai Pham - A.A.S. Nursing                                         Menifee, California                      Danielle Christine Cruz - A.A.S. Early Childhood                                         Valencia, California                     Danielle Gonzalez - A.A.S. Nursing                                         Lecanto, Florida                         Paris Christina Jones - A.S. Physical Education                                         Albany, Georgia                          Taelea Brooks - A.A.S. Individual Studies                                         Fort Meade, Maryland                     Walter Chunga - A.S. Criminal Justice                                         Fort Liberty, North Carolina             Heather Danielle Kerr - A.S. Individual Studies                                         Girard, Ohio                             Brenden S. Persing - A.A.S. Zoo Technology                                         Monroe, Ohio                             Sita Poudel - A.A.S. Nursing                                         Clarksville, Tennessee                   Tennysha Perdomo-Beltre - A.A.S. Nursing                                         Denton, Texas                            Payton Leigh King-Walker - A.A.S. Nursing                                         El Paso, Texas                           Leo Lopez, Jr. - A.A.S. Individual Studies                                         Sherman, Texas                           Monica Kelley Irizarry - A.S. Criminal Justice                                         Waco, Texas                              Hilary Rose Bates - A.A.S. Nursing                                         Fredericksburg, Virginia                 Peter Xavier Gallagher - A.S. Physical Education                                         Wenatchee, Washington                    Sierra Michelle Omlin - A.A. Childhood Education                                         Out-of-Country                                         APO AE                                  Derek A. Arzu - A.A. Individual Studies Edmonton, Alberta, Canada                Carter Toffan - A.S. Criminal Justice                                         Villavicencio, Columbia                  Alejandro Rojas Bahamon - A.S. Business Administration Midrand, South Africa                    Khwezi Lebohang Pezisa - A.S. Computer Science                            

Related Articles

May. 16, 2024

Jefferson Community College will hold its sixtieth annual Commencement Ceremony on Friday, May 17, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. in the McVean Student Center Gymnasium.

Writers' Workshop

Jayne anne phillips wins 2024 pulitzer prize for fiction.

Written by Sara Epstein Moninger

University of Iowa alumna Jayne Anne Phillips has won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and three other Iowa Writers' Workshop graduates were named finalists for Pulitzer literary awards, which were announced May 6.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ohio State nav bar

Ohio state navigation bar.

• BuckeyeLink
• Search Ohio State

Arts and Sciences Summer Exploration Program

The Arts and Sciences Summer Exploration program offers middle and high school students one-week intensive enrichment courses intended to introduce them to new areas of study or allow them to engage in content they may already have an interest in. In-person classes meet from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and are taught by Ohio State faculty, staff, and graduate students. Teaching is active, hands-on and encourages participants to engage with the instructional team and their fellow participants. These courses are not for grade or credit and are designed for self-motivated learners.  

Eligibility is based on a participant’s current grade level for the 2023-2024 school year. Students currently enrolled in 7 th and 8 th grades are eligible for middle school courses. Students currently enrolled in 9 th – 11 th grade are eligible for high school courses. 

If you have questions about this program, please contact [email protected] or call Courtney Price at 614-292-8208. 

The application deadline for Summer 2024 courses has passed. We invite you to sign up for updates  to receive information about our programs and be alerted when the when future application windows open.  

2024 Course Offerings

Explorations in creative writing.

Dates : June 3–7

Eligibility : Middle School (current grade 7-8)

Description : In this course, we will take a deep dive into poetry, fiction, and nonfiction writing! In each genre, we’ll be thinking about what it means to develop our own individual writing voice that’s unique to who we are. During the week, we will experiment with daily writing exercises based off prompts crafted to spark creativity and seek inspiration from reading classic and contemporary literary work, as well as different forms of art, such as music and collage. 

Through this course, participants will hone their writing voice in multiple genres. By the end of the course, each participant will have an impressive portfolio of writing developed in our supportive writing community. 

Prerequisites:  Previous experience with the subject matter is not required for this course.

Astronomy as a Gateway to the Data Sciences

Eligibility : High School (current grade 9-11)

Description : Astronomy has entered the “big data” era, in which huge collections of measurements are analyzed to attack the most challenging problems. In this course, we will explore how even the simplest data – the positions and brightness of stars – can address an active research problem. We will build the components of a data analysis pipeline using the most basic parts of the Python programming language, and use real data to search for young stars that have diffused away from the clusters they were born in. 

This course will explore many aspects of competency in the data sciences. This is a true research project! We do not know the answers in advance but will discover them as part of our course. This course will include small group exploration, interviews, peer teaching, and pair programming. Through this course students will learn basic statistical analysis, and gain experience in several fundamentals in the Python programming language. 

Prerequisites: 

• Participants should have completed high school algebra or geometry prior to taking this course. 
• Previous experience with astronomy and programming is not required for this course. 

Specific Course Requirements:

• Contact  [email protected] if lack of access to a personal computer would limit participation.

Sensational Science: Exploring Human Perception

Description : Discover the wonders and mysteries of how we perceive the world around us. Participants will explore not only the traditional five senses — sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch — but also examine proprioception, nociception, balance, and the complex neural networks that integrate sensory information. 

Through a dynamic blend of lectures, hands-on experiments, interactive activities, and group discussions, participants will learn the science behind how we perceive our environment and ourselves. This course will enhance critical thinking and scientific inquiry skills through investigations of how our brains interpret sensory information. Going beyond the basics, this course will uncover the fascinating spectrum of sensory and perception disorders. From the challenges of navigating the world with color blindness or anosmia to the extraordinary experiences of synesthesia, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of how diverse the human experience of the world can be. 

Prerequisites:  Previous experience with the subject matter is not required for this course. 

Printmaking

Dates : June 10-14 Eligibility : Middle School (current grade 7-8)

Description : This studio-based, hands-on course will be held in the Ohio State Print Shop in Hopkins Hall. Participants will be introduced to a variety of printmaking techniques including screenprinting, relief printing, monoprinting, risography, and bookmaking. Participants will have the option to focus their work through the lens of comics, storytelling, and character design, if they so choose. At the end of the week participants will visit the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library on Ohio State campus, where they will view exhibitions and archives of comics and sequential art. 

Through this course, participants will learn how to operate specialized printing presses, tools, and equipment. Participants will create an original portfolio of printed works on paper and fabric. Participants will have the opportunity to share their prints and acquire works by their fellow participants through a course print exchange.

During this course students will use sharp tools and operate printmaking equipment. Students will be supervised and provided with personal safety training for every technique, but there is an inherent risk of injury.

Prerequisites: Previous studio art experience is not required to successfully participate in this course.

Course Specific Requirements:

• Close-toe shoes are recommended.
• Clothing may get art materials on them. Participants should dress accordingly.

Intercultural Competence for Future Global Leaders 

Dates : June 24-28

Description : Intercultural competence is conceptualized as a lifelong process that includes the development of the attitudes (respect and valuing of other cultures, openness, curiosity), knowledge (of self, culture, sociolinguistic issues) skills (listen, observe, interpret, analyze, evaluate, and relate), and qualities (adaptability, flexibility, empathy and cultural decentering) in order to behave and communicate effectively and appropriately to achieve one’s goals. 

In this course, participants will learn what it takes to become globally-minded and acquire the skills to navigate in multiple, diverse, global and local networks. Participants will understand the core concepts related to culture and intercultural competence, learn the basics of American Sign Language (ASL), develop cultural self-awareness, and understand the relationship between intercultural competence, citizenship and leadership. 

Course Specific Requirements: 

Application and deadline

The 2024 Arts and Sciences Summer Exploration Program application will remain open through May 15 . Space in each course is limited, so individual courses may fill before the May 15 deadline. 

If a participant requires an accommodation such as interpretation to participate in this program, please contact the program at [email protected] or 614-292-8208. Requests should be made as soon as possible. Requests made two weeks before the first day of a course will generally allow us to provide seamless access, but the university will make every effort to meet requests made after this date. 

We invite you to sign up for updates  to receive information about our programs and be alerted when the when future application windows open.    

Costs and aid

The program fee for the Arts and Sciences Summer Exploration 2024 program is  $550 per one-week course , which includes all course materials and activities, lunch, and snacks.

Limited need-based financial assistance may be available in the form of partial support. Financial assistance can be requested on the program application.  

Payment deadlines

Applicants have one week to accept their offer of admission to the program and pay the program fee. All payments must be made through the applicant portal. Once an offer is accepted and payment made, the parent or legal guardian must submit emergency contact and medical information, as well as signed Policy Acknowledgement and Consent forms no later than May 27, 2024.   

Refund Policy

The Arts and Sciences Summer Exploration Program recognizes that sometimes plans change. Participants may request a refund of the program fee by emailing [email protected] according to the following schedule:

• On or before May 1, 2024: 100% of program fee paid
• May 2 – May 15, 2024: 50% of program fee paid
• On or after May 16, 2024: No refund of program fee paid

Program Details

While plans for each course may differ slightly, the daily schedule follows this general model:

• Drop off 8:15 - 8:45 a.m.
• Morning session 9:00 - 11:30 a.m.
• Travel to lunch 11:30 - 11:45 a.m.
• Lunch at Traditions 11:45 - 12:45 p.m. 
• Travel time 12:30 - 12:45 p.m. 
• On campus activity 12:45 – 1:45 p.m.
• Afternoon session 2:00-3:45 p.m.
• Travel to pick-up location 3:45 - 4 p.m.
• Pick up 4:00 - 4:30 p.m.

Participants will always be escorted between pick-up/drop-off, their assigned classroom, the dining hall, and the on-campus activity by program staff. Additional information about the program will be emailed to participants and families, as needed, closer to the start of the program. 

Lunch will be provided daily at the Traditions at Scott dining hall and will be supervised by program staff. Traditions provides a wide variety of food options that meet the most common dietary needs and restrictions, including halal, gluten-free and vegetarian. However, kosher dining is not supported during summer term. 

The pick-up and drop-off location for students is the corner of Annie and John Glenn Avenue and Millikin Road, outside of the PAES building (see maps below). Please drop your child off from the eastbound lane of Annie and John Glenn Avenue. The drop-off/pick-up location will be marked with a sign and program staff will be present to check your child in and out of the program. 

If you are using a navigation system for directions, enter the following address: 305 Annie and John Glenn Avenue, Columbus, Ohio, 43210.

Please do not park in the drop-off/pick-up lane. If you need to park, or your child is driving themselves to and from the program, the closest surface lot parking is at the Ohio Stadium. The closest garage parking is Tuttle Garage. You can learn more about parking at Ohio State, including hourly rates, on the CampusParc website . 

The image above shows the ideal route to the drop off and pick up location. The image below shows the drop off and pick up lane from the street view. 

For those riding COTA, the closest bus stop to the drop-off/pick-up location is N. High Street & E. 15th Avenue. See the COTA website for more information. 

The first day of the program will kick-off with a brief orientation session. At 8:45 a.m. program staff will walk the students to the orientation location. At the orientation, students will receive a program t-shirt and lanyard, the program staff will be introduced, and the daily schedule will be reviewed. After orientation, students will be escorted to their classrooms and the morning session will begin.  

What to Wear

Participants should wear comfortable clothing appropriate for the classroom, as well as for a range of temperatures. For most courses, participants will spend most of the day inside air-conditioned classrooms. However, we will be walking between the drop-off/pick-up location, classrooms, campus locations and the dining hall. Dressing in layers and wearing comfortable walking shoes is recommended. Any course specific requirements are listed in the course description. 

Friday What to Wear

Each Friday on the last day of classes, we will take pictures of each class cohort. We encourage participants to wear their Arts & Sciences Summer Exploration t-shirt on Friday for this event!

Daily Packing List

• Cell phone and charger (optional)
• Any special academic materials needed for courses beyond this basic list will be provided by the program.
• Snacks and water: Participants should bring a refillable water bottle every day. While the program will provide an afternoon snack, participants are allowed to bring their own snacks. However, we request that, for the safety of participants with nut allergies, no snacks containing nuts be brought to the program.
• Personal medications in their original labeled containers (if taken during the day)
• Sunscreen and umbrella or rain jacket (optional)

The documents linked below are samples of the required program forms. Once an applicant accepts their offer of admission, the parent or legal guardian will receive an email from DocuSign with links to these forms. Forms must be reviewed and signed by May 27, 2024 .  

• Arts and Sciences Summer Exploration 2024 Policy Forms
• Arts and Sciences Summer Exploration 2024 Consent Forms

2024 Faculty and Student Awards

May 15, 2024 English

Congratulations to English faculty and students on their awards and accomplishments!

Faculty awards & fellowships.

Long Faculty Fellowship: Gerard Passannante

Professor Gerard Passannante has been selected as the AY24-25 Long Faculty Fellow. Passannante will use the time afforded by the Long Faculty Fellowship to develop a course that puts imagined museums into dialogue with real institutions, as students consider the museum as a critical performance space, a site of political and social resistance, and a site of cultural imperialism and theft. The class centers experiential learning, which will entail visits to area collections and archives, and conversations with the people who work there, including curators and directors at the Phillips collection, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. The course will also introduce students to guests like the author Chloe Aridjis and filmmaker Jem Cohen.

Faculty Service Award: Karen Nelson

Director of the Center for Literary and Comparative Studies Karen Nelson received the Faculty Service Award. The Faculty Service Award seeks to recognize a member of the Department of English faculty who is particularly dedicated to service to the department, leadership, and support of graduate students.

"Karen Nelson is a wonderful member of the our literary community who is tirelessly dedicated to service. She goes above and beyond in her mentorship of graduate students, organizing of departmental events and community, and more. She is instrumental in supporting faculty of all stages in learning about funding and other opportunities."

"Her devotion to the students of the department alongside her willingness to be honest about the state of our world and the attentive detail she pays to everyone and everything makes her deserving of this award year after year."

Kandice Chuh Mentorship Award: David Simon

Professor David Simon received the Kandice Chuh Mentorship Award. Named for former UMD English Professor Kandice Chuh, the Mentorship Award seeks to honor a faculty member for their fostering of community, intellectual generosity, support and commitment to graduate students and their causes.

"David is the embodiment of intellectual generosity. His feedback on graduate papers is evidence of that. He is thoughtful, engages openly with ideas, asks questions and makes suggestions for how you can improve your analysis. His openness spreads to the classroom and individual mentorship meetings. David is dedicated to helping students build generative thoughts, ideas and writing."

"David Simon is a thoughtful and supportive mentor to all graduate students who meet him. He does what many won’t: he thinks with you. As a result of our conversations and feedback on writing, my dissertation is so much stronger and exciting. And maybe most importantly—I enjoy the work more! He is a treasure of the English department!"

Professional Track Faculty Teaching Awards: Aysha Jawed, Alan Montroso and Daune O'Brien

Lecturer Aysha Jawed, Lecturer Alan Montroso and Senior Lecturer Daune O'Brien received the 2024 Teaching Excellence Award, with an honorable mention to Lecturer Liam Daley.

Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists Award: Lillian-Yvonne Bertram

Professor Lillian-Yvonne Bertram has received a 2024 Grants to Artists award from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts. The $45,000 awards are unrestricted, and “intended to provide recipients with the financial means to engage in whatever artistic endeavors they wish to pursue.”

Dumbarton Oaks Fellowship: Vessela Valiavitcharska

Professor Vessela Valiavitcharska has received a Dumbarton Oaks Fellowship in Byzantine Studies for 2024–25.

Teaching Innovation Grant: Marisa Parham

Professor Marisa Parham was awarded a TLTC grant for NarraSpace. $400k will support innovation in digital storytelling and interactive scholarship, with a focus on investigating ways to center BIPOC, queer and transnational perspective through experimental and emergent technologies.

Graduate Student Awards & Highlights

Da Som Lee and Dylan Lewis won the James A. Robinson Awards for outstanding graduate student teaching of undergraduate courses. Lee also received the Mary Savage Snouffer Dissertation Fellowship.

Diana Proenza and Annemarie Mott Ewing won the Outstanding Graduate Assistant Award. Proenza also won the English Summer Archival Research Award.

Aaron Bartlett received honorable mention for the Sally Mitchell Prize for North American Victorian Studies Association Best Graduate Student Paper.

Fernando Duran received the Wylie Dissertation Fellowship.

Dalton Greene received the Kwiatek Fellowship.

Charlie Mitchell won the Kinnaird Award (M.A.) and Declan Langton won the Kinnaird Award (Ph.D.)

Jeannette Schollaert won the Carl Bode Dissertation Prize.

Job Placements

Frederick O’Neal Cherry Ph.D. '24 is assistant professor of African American literature at Auburn University.

Alexis Walston Ph.D. '24 is assistant professor of English at Belmont University.

Creative Writing Accomplishments

Current students.

Kimberly O'Connor MFA ’09, judge of the Academy of American Poets Poetry Prize, has chosen “Manic Pixie Dream Sestina” by January Santoso, a first-year MFA student.

Mary Lynn Reed MFA ’13, judge of the Katherine Anne Porter Fiction Prize, has chosen “In the Shape of a Man Whose Feet Face Backwards” by Subraj Singh, a third-year MFA student. Singh's “All That Hunger, All That Thirst” was published in Agni 98. “Ship Sister” was published in the New England Review. Singh is a finalist for the 2024 Chautauqua Janus Prize and was also admitted into the Ph.D. Program in Creative Writing at the University of Missouri, Columbia.

Preet Bhela’s poem "Hollows" received an honorable mention in the 2024 Pratt Library Poetry Contest, and will be published in the Little Patuxent Review this summer. Preet will also be reading at the Pratt Library on August 20 along with the two other honorees.

Eliamani Ismail has new publications with Puerto Del Sol, Brittle Paper, and Hooligan Magazine. Ismail was also invited to be a featured reader at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah, and was a BIPOC scholar at this year’s Washington Writers Conference. Eliamani also became a fiction editor at Lampblack Magazine.

Olivia McClure published a poem in Atticus Review.

Tega Oghenechovwen’s "We Can Start This Story” was published in the Kenyon Review.

Annie Przypyszny’s poetry was published in Broad River Review, Atticus Review, the Institutionalized Review, South Florida Poetry Journal, SPANK the CARP, Barnstorm Journal, Cola Literary Review and the Madison Review.

Ava Serra's “Methodology: Inner Child Mercy Massacre” was included in Under Her Eye. “Internal Ultrasound on a PMDD Patient;” “Baby Diner Blood Rent;” “a coward pretends he’s bambi” and “This is Not a Conversation About My Body” was published in Jelly Bucket. “This is Not a Conversation About My Body” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. “Sarah” was published in Salt Hill.

Elizabeth Bryant, Corinne Brinkley and Tega Oghenechovwen have been named 2024 Kimbilio Fellows and will attend The Kimbilio Retreat on the Taos, New Mexico campus of Southern Methodist University in the Carson National Forest this summer. Bryant also received a full scholarship to the Juniper Summer Writing Institute at UMass Amherst and a Douglass Center grant for summer funding.

Tega Oghenechovwen was accepted for the 2024 Tin House Summer Workshop at Reed College.

Emily Banks MFA ’15 has been hired as a tenure-track assistant professor of English and creative writing at Franklin College, where she previously was a visiting assistant professor.

Derek Ellis MFA ’19 completed his first year in the Ph.D. program in creative writing at SUNY Binghamton University.

Book Publications

“Family Lore” by Elizabeth Acevedo MFA ’15, published in August 2023 by Ecco, was a Good Morning America Book Club pick; winner of the NAACP Image Award in Outstanding Literary Work, Fiction and shortlisted for The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize.

“Green Island” by Liz Countryman MFA ’06 is forthcoming in June 2024 from Tupelo Press.

“Velvet” by William Fargason MFA ’14 was published in May 2024 by Northwestern University Press.

“City of Laughter” by Temim Fruchter ’02, MFA ’19 was published in January 2024 by Grove Atlantic.

“The Bomb Cloud” by Tyler Mills MFA ’08 was published in March 2024 by Unbound Edition Press.

“Bitter Water Opera” by Nicolette Polek MFA ’19 was published in April 2024 by Graywolf Press and was a New Yorker Best Book of 2024.

Undergraduate Student Awards

The Henrietta Spiegel Creative Writing Award

Each year, we honor outstanding creative writing minors with the Henrietta Spiegel Creative Writing Award. Henrietta Spiegel was the widow of a UMD faculty member. After her husband’s death, she completed her B.A. in English in 1989 at the age of 85 with a GPA of 3.9. Upon the completion of her degree, she established this award to honor undergraduate work in creative writing judged by the creative writing faculty to be the most outstanding. This year’s Henrietta Spiegel Creative Writing Award for Fiction goes to Allison Faith Choi and the award for Poetry goes to Caleigh Marie Larkin.

The Sandy Mack Award for the Outstanding English Honors Thesis

English Honors is a selective program within the English major, one in which students take intensive writing and research seminars, and develop a lengthy critical thesis or creative workover the course of three semesters. An award is given each year to the student with the most outstanding overall record in English Honors. This award is named for Sandy Mack, the faculty member who developed the English Honors Program and guided it for a decade. This award goes to Bossman Kwaku Owusu-Ayim for “I. The Old Genesis & II. His Grateful Children,” directed by Rion Scott and Emily Mitchell.

The Joseph W. Houppert Memorial Prize

The Joseph W. Houppert Prize was named for Joseph Houppert, a scholar of the English Renaissance and a distinguished member of this department from 1963 until his death in 1979. Professor Houppert was always very concerned with the teaching of undergraduate students and particularly for the teaching of good writing. Consequently, his colleagues established this competition in his memory, with a prize to be awarded annually to the undergraduate who has written the best essay on Shakespeare during the academic year. The Houppert Prize was awarded to Ariel Marie Hammerash for her essay entitled “Apparitions and Agency: The Staging of the Banquet Scene in The Tragedy of Macbeth.”

Sara Ann Soper English Undergraduate Service Award

The Sara Ann Soper English Undergraduate Service Award was established by Shannon Altman, who graduated in 1999 with a double degree in English and Education. While she was an undergraduate, Shannon designed and implemented an undergraduate tutoring service at nearby Eleanor Roosevelt High School. Two years after she graduated, she gave the department a significant gift to endow the Sara Ann Soper English Undergraduate Service Award to honor a graduating senior who has volunteered time, energy, and commitment to community service. Shannon named the award after her mother, as a testimony to her achievements as a role model for others. This year, the recipient of the Sara Ann Soper Award is Julia Janet Pavlick.

The Mike Angel Award

The Mike Angel Award recognizes a student who has faced extreme hardship in completing his or her degree, and has demonstrated distinction, extraordinary merit, and perseverance as an English major. It was established by faculty and students in 1984 to honor the achievements of Mike Angel, a fine student and wonderful human being who overcame great obstacles in order to earn a B.A. in English. This year’s Mike Angel Award goes to Nicholas John Pietrowski.

The Joyce Tayloe Horrell Award

The Joyce Tayloe Horrell Award is the largest award by the department to any student, and was established in 1989 through the generosity of Joseph Horrell in memory of his wife Joyce Tayloe Horrell. Tayloe Horrell was an Honors graduate student, a scholar of the works of the writer Henry James, and a teacher in the English Department from 1960 until 1967. The Horrell Award is conferred annually on the English major who has demonstrated the highest academic achievement overall among the graduating class. It is a pleasure to present this year’s Horrell Award to Abigail Fealy Furman.

Academic Excellence Awards

In every graduating class, certain students stand out for their consistently high performance. Today, we are presenting thirteen Academic Excellence Awards to those students with the most outstanding academic records in their major coursework. Each of these students has received a major GPA of 4.0.

• Isabella Francesca Diaz Baker
• Emma Rose Behrens
• Abigail Fealy Furman
• Shannon Estellyn Ganley
• Chloe Lilah Johnson
• Laura Catherine Kazdoba
• Ananyaa Malhotra
• Rachel Abigail Morris
• Auset Nso Nkem
• Bossman Kwaku Owusu-Ayim
• Cassandra Annalee Rochmis
• Rebecca Shriver Scherr
• Alison Vy Vo

Professional Writing Contest Awards

• Elijah Martin: Alternative Media, "The 'Right To Repair' Smartphones"
• Andy Szekerczes: Grant Proposal, "Young Writers Workshop"
• Elena Rangelov: Campus Proposal, "Improving Meat-Restricted Diet Accommodations in UMD Dining Halls"
• Asma Tariq: Civic Proposal, "Combating Feline Upper Respiratory Infections in Montgomery County Adoption Centers"
• Pearl Tamrakar: Review of Research, "The Impacts of Health Disparities on Minority Health"
• Asongafac Asaha: Artistic Review, "Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio: A Retelling of the Real Boy"
• Cody Cochrane: Manual, "How to Build a Desktop Computer"
• Sara Stromberg: Manual, "Terrapin's Turf Server Training Manual"
• Matthew Heinz: Narrative Non-Fiction, "Oh, Deer: An Exploration of White-Tailed Deer Management. Its Impacts in Suburban Maryland"
• Riley Lowther: Bill Analysis, "Collective Bargaining @ UMD Campuses"
• Sage Phillips: Business Proposal, "Carbon Neutral Florida Gypsum Plant"
• Jessica Gorski: Business Proposal, "Expanding La Finca's Online Sales to Brick & Mortar"