Shavawn Berry

Shavawn Berry

  • [email protected]
  • 4809653168, Option 6
  • Ross-Blakley Hall 202AC PO Box 871401 TEMPE, AZ 85287-1401
  • Mail code: 1401 Campus: Tempe

Shavawn M. Berry received her Master of Professional Writing degree (MPW) specializing in creative nonfiction and memoir at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles in 1998. She started her teaching career in 2002 as an adjunct English composition instructor at Whatcom Community College in Bellingham, WA. In the fall of 2004, she joined the full-time faculty at Arizona State University to teach Business Writing, Creative Writing, English Composition, and most recently, Technical Editing on Tempe campus. She was chosen as one of just eight Lincoln Ethics teaching fellows for the 2013 academic year by the Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics at ASU. For the 2014-2015 academic year, she co-taught English 484 - The Pen Project, with Corri Wells, assisting student interns in giving anonymous, written critiques to incarcerated writers in New Mexico and Arizona. She participated in PEAC (Prison Education Student Club) since the fall of 2014 and is currently a faculty advisor. Since the spring of 2016, she has been the creative nonfiction editor for Iron City, a literary magazine featuring writers from The Pen Project, created by students involved in the internship long term. She currently teaches editing, composition, creative writing, and business writing.

  • Master of Professional Writing (MPW). Creative Nonfiction and Memoir, University of Southern California 1998
  • B.A. English, Music Composition and Voice, New York University, New York City 1987

arizona state university creative writing faculty

During the 2014 – 15 academic year, Ms. Berry was an active member of Dr. Amira de la Garza’s  Institute of Humanities Research Cluster titled  Tricksters and Mindful Heresy:   Disrupting the Taken-for-Granted in Creative Research .  The group investigated creative research through reading several books including  Art and Method  by Patricia Leavey and  Heroes and Heretics  by Thomas Cahill. A colloquium and an author event/keynote (with Leavey) took place at the end of March and in early April. Ms. Berry presented several original poems at the colloquium including one she wrote for the event called,  Off With Her Head: The Divine Feminine Responds . The poem has since been published by  The Urban Howl.

Her writing and poetry has been published by  Rebelle Society, Trickster, The Urban Howl, The Huffington Post, The Good Men Project, The Anjana Network, Be You Media Group, Olentangy Review, Black Fox Literary Magazine,   The Cancer Poetry Project 2,   Kinema Poetics, Kalliope,   Ebsco Publishers,   Poet Lore, California Quarterly, Westview - A Journal of Western Oklahoma, Meridian Anthology of Contemporary Poetry, Concho River Review, North Atlantic Review, Synapse, Blue Mountain Arts/SPS, Living Buddhism, addictionsolutions.com,  and  buddhajones.com , among others. She is currently working on a spiritual memoir, a collection of poetry, and a number of personal essays.

2024 Spring

2023 spring, 2022 spring, 2021 spring, 2020 summer, 2020 spring, 2019 summer.

“Volunteer Teaching and ASU Advocates” Panel, Prison Education Conference, Arizona State University, March 27, 2015

“Prison English – Teaching Writing to Incarcerated Writers,” with Michelle Ribieros and Roberta Norales at TYCA West Conference, Mesa Community College, October 11, 2014.

“Adding Ethics to English 302 – Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics” with Julianne White, Ph.D. at the Arizona State University Composition Conference, Tempe Campus, February 15, 2014

“Living Literary Magazines, Expertise Archives, Facebook Groups, and Other Creative Ideas for Use in the Writing Classroom” at the Arizona State University Composition Conference, Tempe Campus, March 23, 2013

“Business Writing Discussion, Report, and Presentation Ideas: Helping Our Students Develop Their Abilities as Change Agents” at the Arizona State University Composition Conference, Tempe Campus, March 23, 2013

“Building Your Online Brand” presented with Mark Hannah, Ph.D. and Julianne White, Ph.D. at the Arizona State University Composition Conference, Tempe Campus, March 3, 2012

“Empathy and Civic Consciousness in the College Writing Class” presented with Cornelia Wells, Ph.D. at the Arizona State University Composition Conference, Tempe Campus, March 3, 2012

“Empathy and Civic Consciousness in the College Writing Class” presented with Cornelia Wells, Ph.D. at the TYCA-West 2011 Regional Conference, Mesa Community College, October 7, 2011

“Three Strategies for Cultivating Civic Consciousness in the Writing Classroom” presented with Cornelia Wells, Ph.D. at the Arizona State University Composition Conference, February 19, 2011

“Teachers of Writing Should Write – What We’re Working On Now, and How We Use That in Our Writing Classroom” presented with Julianne White, Ph.D. & Cornelia Wells, Ph.D. at the Arizona State University Composition Conference, February 19, 2011 

“Three Strategies for Cultivating Civic Consciousness” presented with Cornelia Wells, Ph.D. at the Arizona English Teachers Association (AETA) Conference, ASU – Polytechnic Campus, September 28, 2010.

“Creating Online Writing Platforms to Showcase Student Work” presented at Arizona State University Composition Conference, February 27, 2010

“Fearless Creating: Encouraging Students to Love and Embrace Their Own Stories” presented at Arizona State University Composition Conference, February 27, 2010

“Fractured Learning Repair Kit: Using Narrative to Help Students Make Connections Among Diverse Academic Subjects” presented with Cornelia Wells, Ph.D. at the Arizona English Teachers Association (AETA) Conference, ASU – Polytechnic Campus, October 16, 2009

“Point/Counterpoint: Narrative Strategies that Help Students Integrate Not Only Reading, 'Riting, 'Rithmethic, Science, and the Arts, But Also Their Life Experiences” presented with Cornelia Wells, Ph.D. at the TYCA-West 2009 Regional Conference, Salt Lake City Community College – Redwood Campus, Salt Lake City, UT, October 10, 2009

“Creative License – Sparking Our Students’ Imagination, Innovation and Love for Language” presented with Amisha Patel and Heather Hoyt, Arizona State University Composition Conference, February 21, 2009

“Secret Agents No More: Strategies for Increasing Agency and Authority in Student Thinking and Writing” presented with Cornelia Wells, Ph.D. at the Arizona English Teachers Association (AETA) Conference, ASU – Polytechnic Campus, October 14, 2008

“Online Teaching: The Plusses and Pitfalls” presented at Arizona State University Composition Conference, March 22, 2008

Panel member for “Online Portfolio Presentation” with Tom Skeen and Heather Hoyt presented at Arizona State University Composition Conference, March 22, 2008

“Returning Our Students’ to Their Senses: Helping Our Students Own and Love Their Writing,” Arizona English Teachers Association (AETA) Conference, ASU – Polytechnic Campus, October 5, 2007

COMMUNITY WRITING WORKSHOPS AFFILIATED WITH ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

Tell Yourself a Story, A Creative Writing Workshop affiliated with Arizona State University’s Prison Education Program and The Pen Project. State Penitentiary of New Mexico, Santa Fe, NM, April 18, 2015

Professional and Business Writing in the Workplace: Presentations – August 26, 2009, ING Financial Services, Scottsdale, AZ

Professional and Business Writing in the Workplace: Memos – September 14, 2009, ING Financial Services, Scottsdale, AZ

Professional and Business Writing in the Workplace: Presentations – September 29, 2009, ING Financial Services, Scottsdale, AZ

Writing as a Way to Heal – Piper Writer’s Studio —March 29, 2008, ASU Tempe

Writing as a Spiritual Practice – Piper Writer’s Studio —March 31, 2007, ASU Tempe

Visual Prayer Workshop—Guest Lecturer for Lynn Nelson’s ‘Writing and Being’ Graduate course – March 21, 2006, Arizona State University, Tempe

In addition to being the recipient of the  Lincoln Applied Ethics Fellowship in 2012-2013 , Ms. Berry's teaching pedagogy and curriculum have received several awards including:

Exemplary Professional E-Portfolio - Celebrating Writing in Digital Spaces, May 2015

Arizona State University, Department of English. One of six faculty members chosen to receive an award and small honorarium for a Digication e-Portfolio that exemplified excellence.

Exemplary Professional E-Portfolio - Celebrating Writing in Digital Spaces, May 2014

Arizona State University, Department of English. One of ten faculty members chosen to receive an award and small honorarium for a Digication e-Portfolio that exemplified excellence.

One of four recipients of the 2nd Annual Best Pedagogical Practices Writing Programs’ Teaching Award – 2009.  Award included a 5-6 minute presentation on Utilizing Wikis as Interactive Teaching Tools at the ASU Composition Conference, as well as an honorarium.

One of four recipients of the inaugural Best Pedagogical Practices Writing Programs’ Teaching Award – 2008.  Award included a 5-6 minute presentation on Creating Effective and Inspiring Online Writing Portfolios at the ASU Composition Conference, as well as an honorarium.

Expertise Areas

arizona state university creative writing faculty

About the Center

A home for creative writing and the literary arts

Your center for creative writing education and programs

Established in 2003 with a historic gift from the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing at Arizona State University (ASU) is a non-academic university center dedicated to offering talks, readings, classes, workshops, and other literary events and programs for the larger community.  

Our Mission

We are a center for literary exploration. We believe the power to document what is and to imagine what could be  belongs to everyone. Through classes, events, and publications, we create brave spaces where individuals can discover and claim their stories.

Whether you're a lover of literature or a practicing writer, we offer so many ways to engage with the literary arts. 

The Distinguished Visiting Writers Series

Author talks and readings

The Distinguished Visiting Writers Series presents iconic writers alongside emerging voices for talks, readings, and other innovative and multi-genre engagements. During their visits, authors also host small workshops in partnership with the Piper Writers Studio, engage in intimate craft talks with undergraduate and graduate students in the Creative Writing program, visit ASU classes, and more. As the Piper Center is committed to ensuring that all individuals have the ability to participate in the literary arts, these momentous events are always open to the public and free, and are held in a range of community venues throughout the Valley

arizona state university creative writing faculty

The Piper Writers Studio

Classes and workshops for the community.

The Piper Writers Studio is dedicated to supporting and developing an active writing culture in the greater Phoenix area by offering a diverse array of creative writing classes, workshops, and other in-depth educational opportunities across multiple genres, subject areas, and levels of skill. Through a dynamic workshop approach that encourages innovation, improves craft, and offers inspiring discussion and feedback, writers are guided and nurtured in developing the tools they need to meet their goals. Individual classes range in length, and are offered throughout the year in both in-person and online settings. Class sizes are intentionally small to ensure that each person's work is honored with the care and attention it deserves. 

Find classes

arizona state university creative writing faculty

The Desert Nights, Rising Stars Writers Conference

Three days of literary craft and community

Every February, the Desert Nights, Rising Stars Writers Conference brings together over 300 writers for three days of literary craft, culture, and community. Featuring over 75 craft talks, workshops, and other activities across a wide variety of genres and forms. As a teaching conference, it covers the craft of writing and the nuts and bolts of being a writer by offering practical advice for editing, professional development, and navigating the literary marketplace. 

Learn more about the conference

arizona state university creative writing faculty

Piper Creators

Teaching artists, writing circles, and community partnerships

In recognition of the value of creative writing as a tool to build resiliency, the Piper Center has developed an array of new community connections and innovative programming, including key partnerships to serve veterans, LGBTQIA+ communities, youth, and more. Teaching artists are paid for their work, and are selected because they reflect the communities they serve. 

arizona state university creative writing faculty

Student and Faculty Fellowships

Enriching education and advancing research

One of the most important aspects of a creative writing craeer is the ability to access professional development education and opportunities, including presenting at conferences, attending residencies, teaching in new environments, and conducting research. Virginia G. Piper Fellowships provide funding support for graduate students and faculty in these endeavors. These programs empower writers to put their education into practice while giving back to the community, setting them up for long term success in the professional literary field. 

arizona state university creative writing faculty

What we believe

The Piper Center strives to hold ourselves accountable to the communities we serve by ensuring our events and programs are equitable, inclusive, accessible, and diverse.

Land acknowledgment

Indigenous land acknowledgment.

The Piper Writers House and ASU’s four campuses are situated on the unceded ancestral lands of the Akimel O’odham (Pima), Pee Posh (Maricopa), and many other Indigenous peoples. We recognize the original stewards of this land and honor those living here today, including the Gila River Indian Community, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, and the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation. 

Indigenous lives, knowledge, and stories have been rooted here long before the university came to be. They remain central to the past, present, and future of this land, and to the Piper Center’s current mission and literary communities. As an institution that serves writers and readers both within and beyond Arizona, we commit to challenging narratives that obscure this history, and to using our resources to support and celebrate the voices of Native American and Indigenous writers.  

Black lives matter

The Piper Center worksto create spaces where people of all backgrounds, identities can come together, develop relationships, and learn. It should not take the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Dion Johnson, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, or countless other black and brown lives for institutions to have conversations about more effective, equitable policies for marginalized communities.   For us, what is vital is to enact a continuing commitment to nurture the discussions that are so sorely needed in our communities. As we move forward, we pledge to use our platform as a literary center to share articles, interviews, books, and other content and resources that actively engage in anti-racist thought and give greater prominence to black and brown writers and curatorial processes that center the perspectives of people of color.

Shared Spaces

Maintaining a safe and welcoming environment.

The Piper Center is committed to creating a safe and welcoming environment for all community members to enjoy our programming, to learn from each other, and to participate in creative writing and the literary arts. As such, we ask all individuals to be respectful of each others’ thoughts, opinions, ideas, and beliefs. Bullying, aggressive behavior, or other actions that deny the rights of individuals are unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Additionally, we would ask all audience members to be respectful and aware of authors’ time and personal space. If you experience or observe any behavior that violates this policy, please contact a Piper Center staff member immediately. Together, we can create a climate that’s safe for all.

Accessibility

Participation for all abilities.

Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing is committed to ensuring that all individuals have fair and equal access to our events and programs.

All venues are accessible to individuals with mobility challenges, hearing loss, or other forms of disability.

ASL interpreting services, printed versions of presentations, large print handouts, translations, and alternative forms of materials for classes, workshops, or other programs are available with two to three weeks advance notice (upon request).

To request materials or contact the Center with any other questions or concerns, call the Center directly at 480.965.6018 or send us an email at  [email protected] .

arizona state university creative writing faculty

The Piper Writers House

Originally constructed in 1907, the Piper Writers House served as a home for the presidents of ASU—Arthur John Matthews (1904-30), Ralph W. Swetman (1930-1933), and Grady Gammage (1933-59)—until it became the Alumni House and Alumni Executive Office (1961-72) and, most recently, the University Archives (1972-95).

In 2005, the building underwent extensive renovations, including the addition of a back patio and several surrounding gardens, to house the newly established Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing.

Today, the house serves as an office for staff, provides classrooms for creative writing students and community members, and a gathering space for readings, receptions, and other events.

Along with University Club and Old Main, the Piper Writers House is one of the last remaining historic buildings on the ASU Tempe campus. The house is also one of the last buildings designed by territorial architect James Creighton, who designed the original Arizona State University Normal School. 

For more information about the Piper Writers House, view the house's record on the National Register of Historic Places.

If you are interested in making a reservation to use the Piper House for your community event, click the button below and email Christie Swedbergh at [email protected] a brief description of your event once the form has been submitted. 

Reservations at our house

Our history

Virginia g. piper.

Our center proudly bears the name of Virginia Galvin Piper, one of the most respected and influential philanthropists in the Southwest . Her charitable legacy has transformed the state of Arizona, and her life, values, and passion for the written word are at the heart of all we do.

In 2003, The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust founded the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing with a historic gift to ASU in 2003. Today, the Trust is the largest private foundation in Arizona, enriching and improving the lives of people across Maricopa County through arts and culture, healthcare, education, and more.

To learn more, you can visit the Piper Trust's website or read Virginia Piper's biography.

arizona state university creative writing faculty

Read our annual report

arizona state university creative writing faculty

Our annual report is the story of our service to the community . As we turn the page from this year to the next, all of us at Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing are reflecting on the moments that have brought us together over the last year. 

To read this year's annual report, you can  download a pdf .

Meet our staff

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Alberto Álvaro Ríos

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Christie Swedbergh

Associate Director

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Sheila Black

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Iliana Garcia

Events Manager

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Susan Nguyen

Senior Editor for Hayden's Ferry Review

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Jacqueline Balderrama

Virginia G. Piper Center Faculty-in-Residence and Director of CantoMundo

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K'Ehleyr McNulty

Coordinator for Outreach Programs

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Laurel Streed

Digital Marketing Specialist

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Sasha Hawkins

Coordinator for Educational Programs

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Operations Coordinator

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Ayling Dominguez

Outreach Graduate Research Assistant

arizona state university creative writing faculty

Alberto Álvaro Ríos Director

arizona state university creative writing faculty

Christie Swedbergh Associate Director

arizona state university creative writing faculty

Laurel Streed Digital Marketing Specialist

arizona state university creative writing faculty

Sheila Black Assistant Director

arizona state university creative writing faculty

Joy Young Coordinator for Educational Programs

arizona state university creative writing faculty

Iliana Garcia Events Manager

arizona state university creative writing faculty

Jackie Balderrama Virginia G. Piper Center Fellow in Residence

arizona state university creative writing faculty

K'Ehleyr McNulty Coordinator for Outreach Programs

arizona state university creative writing faculty

Susan Nguyen Senior Editor for Hayden's Ferry Review

Get in touch.

480-727-7848

[email protected]

450 E Tyler Mall Tempe, AZ 85287-5002

P.O. Box 875002 Tempe, AZ 85827

Find Your Way

Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing is located at  450 E Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287-5002  in the historic quarter of Arizona State University, just Southeast of University Club and Old Main. 

The closest parking is the  Fulton Center Parking Structure  on the Northeast corner of University Dr and College Ave (300 E. University Dr, Tempe, AZ 85281), less than a five-minute walk away

The closest light-rail stop is College Avenue and Veterans Way , about a ten-minute walk away.

To learn more about getting here, you can  view the information below .

Directions and Parking

Full Directions List

Just off the Loop 202

ASU is located just a few minutes off the Loop 202 via exit 6 or 7 (Priest Drive / Center Parkway and Scottsdale Rd / Rural Rd, respectively).

Park at the Fulton Center

Park in the  Fulton Center Parking Structure  off University Blvd (just east of College Ave on the North Side of University). The Fulton Center is the closest lot to the Center and less than 5 minutes away. Please note that, while parking in the Fulton Garage is generally available, it can become more difficult during football games or other local events.

Parking is $3 an hour or $15 all day Monday through Friday and free on the weekends.

Other Parking

If the Fulton Lot is full, we recommend  Visitor Lot 67  off S Forest Ave near the University Towers garage or  Visitor Lot 20  on S Mill Ave and W 9th St. Outside of these lots, parking at ASU can be difficult and time-consuming.

Please be aware that ASU and the City of Tempe are also extremely vigilant about parking enforcement, ticketing, and towing.

For more information about parking, you can visit ASU's page about parking on the Tempe campus .

Public Transit

Close to the light rail.

Valley Metro light rail service is available throughout Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa (with additional service to and from Sky Harbor International Airport at 44th St and Washington).

College Avenue and Veterans Way

Our light rail stop is College Ave and Veterans Way . To get to the Piper Center from this stop, simply walk south down College Avenue until you come to the traffic light at University Blvd. Arizona State University will be directly in front of you. Cross University Blvd and head slightly left / southeast, where you’ll see a large fountain in the middle of a plaza. University Club will be located on your left to the east. Old Main will be located in front of you to the south. The Piper Writers House is located between these two buildings to the southeast just a few hundred feet away.

Other Public Transportation

Local public transportation options include  Orbit shuttle services ,  GRID bicycle rentals , or  the bus .

For more information about public transportation,  download a Valley Metro system map ,  view the light rail schedule , or  visit the Valley Metro website . You can also  visit the Transportation page  at Arizona State University.

Please note: we are not the Creative Writing Program at Arizona State University

While the Piper Center works closely with  the Creative Writing Program at Arizona State University  by offering various educational opportunities and other forms of support to faculty and students,  the Piper Center is a separate unit from the Creative Writing Program . Many of our classes and workshops are open to the public and are not for credit.

If you have questions about for-credit classes, degree programs, or other matters of academic enrollment, you can  visit the Creative Writing website .

To learn more about our student programs and services, you can  visit our student services and programs page .

arizona state university creative writing faculty

Faculty and staff directory

Use the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College directory to find contact information for MLFTC faculty and staff. You can also use ASU's faculty and staff search to find people throughout the university.

Faculty by area of expertise

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ASU film school welcomes new screenwriting professor

Portrait of ASU Clinical Assistant Professor Brian McAuley.

ASU Clinical Assistant Professor Brian McAuley

For novelist and screenwriter Brian McAuley , storytelling isn’t just a profession; it’s one of the building blocks of humanity, a way to interact with and make sense of the world.

“ I can’t think of a more primal human activity than storytelling,” McAuley said. “It’s how we connect as a species, how we make sense of life. If you can master the fundamentals of screenwriting, you’ll have a foundational narrative skill set that will serve you not only in your filmmaking journey, but in every walk of life.”

McAuley brings his passion and expertise for good storytelling to The Sidney Poitier New American Film School at Arizona State University this fall as a new clinical assistant professor in screenwriting. McAuley previously taught at Columbia University, where he earned his MFA in film with a concentration in screenwriting, as well as Loyola Marymount University and Mount Saint Mary’s University.

McAuley is a versatile writer of various genres and has worked on projects as diverse as the Netflix family sitcom “Fuller House” and the Lifetime Network thriller “Nanny Cam.” He’s written feature horror films, including 2017’s “Dismissed,” starring Dylan Sprouse, and is the author of the grisly fun 2022 horror novel “Curse of the Reaper,” which pays satirical homage to beloved 1980s slasher flicks, and the forthcoming Christmastime slasher novella “Candy Cain Kills,” which hits shelves Nov. 14.

Question: What attracted you to teach at The Sidney Poitier New American Film School?

Answer: I’m a firm believer that educational institutions should be actively invested in community building, so I was immediately attracted to the collaborative spirit I sensed at The Sidney Poitier New American Film School. After meeting with some of the brilliant faculty and passionate students, I knew I’d found my new creative home. When I first visited the MIX Center , I was blown away by the Hollywood studio-level facilities available to filmmaking students. It’s not just an immersive training ground for industry innovation, but also a neighborhood hub that encourages civic engagement with the city of Mesa.

Q: What does Sidney Poitier’s legacy mean to you, and how is it relevant to current-day film students?

A: My first encounter with Poitier was through his outstanding performance in “In the Heat of the Night.” Given the powerful message of that film, it was no surprise to discover that Poitier was instrumental in paving the way for diversity and representation in Hollywood. This is an issue that I’ve been engaged with through my collaborative work with the Center for Scholars and Storytellers. I’ve written articles and co-authored research reports with social scientists investigating the positive impact that authentic representation can have on youth development. It’s so important for current-day students to understand Poitier’s legacy because there’s still so much work left to be done, and it’s up to the next generation of filmmakers to pave the way toward an even more diverse and inclusive future.

Q: You’ve written both screenplays and novels. How do you approach storytelling in different mediums and genres?

A: No matter what medium or genre I’m writing in, character is everything. A clever concept is all well and good, but if I can’t get you to care about the people in the story I’m telling, your emotional investment will inevitably wane. Once I’ve locked into a character who feels like an authentic human being, I can start constructing a plot that will challenge them to change and grow. Through my diverse professional writing experience, I’ve accrued a toolbox full of techniques that work to varying degrees in different mediums and genres. The fun of the process comes from exploring and experimenting with them in different creative sandboxes.

Q: What do you want students to know about you and your teaching style?

A: Whether I’m teaching a lecture, workshop or film studies course, my goal is to help you discover the story you’re most passionate about telling. By exposing you to a diversity of voices in world cinema and providing exercises to flex your storytelling muscles, you’ll discover your own voice along with that inner spark that keeps you coming back to the keyboard. I’ll give you the evergreen tools you need to bring your vision to life, along with the professional perspective to help prepare you for an ever-evolving industry.

Q: Who are your biggest screenwriting influences?

A: I grew up on a steady stream of classic horror cinema, so my early influences include the work of John Carpenter and Sam Raimi. I also love Billy Wilder for his ability to blend pathos into his comedies and melodramas, and Paddy Chayefsky for his sharp social satires. In the modern landscape, I find constant inspiration in the work of Jordan Peele and Guillermo del Toro, two storytelling titans who have helped the horror genre gain more of the critical recognition it deserves.

Q: You’ve written in many genres, but you’re most prolific in horror. What draws you to the horror genre? Do you think it’s misunderstood?

A: I think it’s very easy for people to dismiss the horror genre as somehow less-than. Ironically, that’s exactly what the genre is about: the capital-O “Other” retaking the spotlight. As film theorist Robin Wood said, the true subject of the horror genre is the struggle for recognition of all that our civilization represses or oppresses. For that reason, the horror genre is home to some of the most progressive and inclusive communities I’ve ever encountered. It’s a genre of catharsis that challenges us to push beyond our comfort zones, to dabble in the danse macabre and make friends with memento mori, and I believe there’s life-affirming value in that. It’s also just a bloody good time!

Q: What can you tell us about your new book, “Candy Cain Kills,” out Nov. 14?

A: “ Candy Cain Kills” is the second entry in Shortwave Publishing’s "Killer VHS Series," which one reviewer dubbed “the modern day Goosebumps for adults.” These are standalone novellas that harken back to the VHS rental days with 1980s aesthetics and campy vibes. My story is about a struggling family who rents a cottage in the snowy wilderness over Christmas in the hopes of mending broken bonds. Unfortunately, their getaway was the site of a grisly crime 10 years ago … and the legendary Candy Cain is back with a vengeance. It’s a gory thrill ride that pays homage to holiday slasher flicks like “Black Christmas” and “Halloween,” but I’m especially proud that early reviewers are highlighting the strong character development with LGBTQ+ and disability representation.

Q: We have to ask: What is your favorite horror film and why?

A: How dare you make me choose! Honestly, it changes all the time, but there’s no denying that “Scream” shaped me in ways that few other films have. I was a child of the WB who religiously watched “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Dawson’s Creek.” With “Scream,” screenwriter Kevin Williamson effortlessly melded a teen comedy with a slasher mystery. It opened the door for me to discover a whole back catalog of scary movies I didn’t even know existed. Once I crossed that threshold, there was no turning back for me.

For more stories on The Sidney Poitier New American Film School, visit  film.asu.edu/news .

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  • English & Creative Writing

Faculty and Staff

Writers. poets. scholars. essayists. teachers..

SFA's Department of English and Creative Writing is composed of professors with a wide range of backgrounds, interests and experiences. You'll work with award-winning writers and literary critics who study and teach writing – academic, professional and creative – and language as it applies to everything from video games and modern poetry and 19th century literature, to folklore and feminist theory and science fiction, and so much more. One thing our English professors have in common: They love teaching as much as they love writing. They are passionate about sharing their knowledge with literary-minded Lumberjacks. They are well-skilled to guide students toward futures and careers in professions where this knowledge is most important.

Mark Sanders

Mark Sanders recently won the Western Heritage Award for Landscapes, with Horses , Outstanding Book of Poetry for 2019 from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.  That collection also won the Honor Poetry Nebraska Book Award for 2019.  He is a poet, creative essayist, fiction writer, and literary critic, with more than 500 publications appearing in journals in the United States, Great Britain, Australia, and Canada.  His short story, “Why Guineas Fly,” was selected as one of 100 outstanding short stories for 2007 by Stephen King in Best American Short Stories ; his essay, “Homecoming Parade,” was selected as one of the outstanding works of the year in the 2016 edition of Best American Essays .  His writing has been nominated for Pushcart Prizes more than a dozen times and been listed among the notable works in Pushcart.  He has had poetry featured in American Life in Poetry , a syndicated series published by former U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser, and on the Poetry Foundation website.

Among his books of poetry are The Suicide (1988), Before We Lost Our Ways (1996), Here in the Big Empty (2006), and Conditions of Grace: New and Selected Poems (2011).  Edited works include:  On Common Ground: The Poetry of William Kloefkorn, Ted Kooser, Greg Kuzma, and Don Welch (with J. V. Brummels, 1983); Jumping Pond: Poems and Stories from the Ozarks (with Michael Burns, 1983); Three Generations of Nebraska Poets (with Stephen Meats, 2011); Riddled with Light: Metaphor in the Poetry of W. B. Yeats (2014); The Weight of the Weather: Regarding the Poetry of Ted Kooser (2017); and, A Sandhills Reader:  30 Years of Great Writing from the Great Plains (2015).

The Weight of the Weather won the 2018 Nebraska Book Award in the biography category, and A Sandhills Reader won the 2016 Nebraska Book Award for an anthology.

His newest collection of poetry is In a Good Time , published by Wayne State College Press in September 2019.

Sanders is the long-time editor of Sandhills Press, a small, independent press which he started in his  hometown in Ord, Nebraska in 1979.  For his work in promoting the poetry of emerging and established Nebraska writers, he won the Mildred Bennett Award from the Nebraska Center for the Book in 2007 for fostering Nebraska’s literary heritage.   He is Associate Dean of the College of Liberal and Applied Arts and Professor of English at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Andrew Brininstool

Andrew Brininstool holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Texas and an Master of Fine Arts from the University of Houston. His areas of specialization include creative writing (fiction) and contemporary American literature. His work has appeared in such journals as Hobart, New South, Quick Fiction and the anthology Best New American Voices 2010. His collection of short stories, Crude Sketches Done in Quick Succession, was published by Queen's Ferry Press in 2015. He is a recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship.

Deborah Bush

Deborah Bush received her Bachelor of Arts in 1985 and Master of Arts in English in 1987 from SFA. She has been a member of the adjunct English faculty since 1988, and her teaching specialties are developmental, freshman composition and western world literature.

Dr. Megan Condis Assistant Professor

Dr. Megan Condis is the coordinator for the English department's technical writing minor, and her research interests include discourse and identity on the internet. Her book, Playing Politics: Trolls, Fake Geeks, and the Game of Masculinity in Online Culture, is forthcoming from the University of Iowa Press. Her scholarship has appeared in such journals as The Journal of Modern Literature, Gender Forum and Resilience: A Journal of the Environmental Humanities. She received her Master of Arts and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois.

Jamie Couch

Jamie Couch has taught freshman composition at SFA since the fall of 2000.

Dr. Jacqueline Cowan Assistant Professor

Dr. Jacqueline Cowan holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto and a Ph.D. from Duke University. Her areas of specialization include early modern British literature, restoration literature and the history of science and technology. She is a Wisely Fellowship recipient at SFA; recent scholarship includes The Imagination's Arts: Poetry and Natural Philosophy in Bacon and Shakespeare in Studies in Philology and Francis Bacon's New Atlantis and the Alterity of the New World in Literature and Theology. She has also made presentations at conferences of the Shakespeare Association of America, the Central Modern Language Association and the Modern Language Association. 

Jillian DeFore

Jillian DeFore received her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in English from SFA (Axe ‘Em, Jacks!). She has taught freshman composition and technical writing since 2006.

Dr. Michael Given

Dr. Michael Given holds a Bachelor of Science in cinema, a Master of Arts in 19th century literature and a Ph.D. in 20th century British literature from Southern Illinois University. He has recently published in Clues: A Journal of Detection and Working Papers in Irish Studies. He has also presented scholarship at meetings of the Popular Culture Association, American Studies Association and South Central Modern Language Association. Given's teaching specialties include dystopian literature, Irish literature and literary approaches to textual analysis.

Marc Guidry

Dr. Marc Guidry holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Loyola University and a Master of Arts and a Ph.D. in English from Louisiana State University. His research and teaching interests include Middle English literature, medieval political history, Arthurian romance, linguistics, gender studies and autobiography. His book, published by Stephen F. Austin State University Press, is Geoffrey Chaucer's The Knight's Tale.

Dr. Sara Henning

Sara Henning is the author of two volumes of poetry, most recently “View from True North,” which won the 2017 Crab Orchard Series in Poetry Open Competition Award. Her other collections include “A Sweeter Water,” as well as two chapbooks, “Garden Effigies” and “To Speak of Dahlias.” In 2015, she won the Crazyhorse Lynda Hull Memorial Poetry Prize, judged by Alberto Ríos. She has published poems in many journals and anthologies, most notably Quarterly West, Crab Orchard Review, Crazyhorse, Witness, Meridian, and the Cincinnati Review. She also has a record of publication in fiction and nonfiction, with flash fiction and lyric essays published in journals such as Connotation Press, where she appeared as featured author for the September 2016 issue, and 4 P.M. Count, a journal associated with the Arts Endowment’s interagency initiative with Department of Justice’s Federal Bureau of Prisons in Yankton, South Dakota. She teaches writing at SFA, where she also serves as poetry editor for SFA Press.

Ericka Hoagland

Dr. Ericka Hoagland’s specializations include postcolonial literature and theory, with a focus on African literature, as well as feminist theory, travel writing and science fiction/fantasy. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and history from Eastern Washington University and a Master of Arts and a Ph.D. from Purdue University. Her book, co-edited with Reema Sarwal, is Science Fiction, Imperialism, and the Third World.

Sheila Jones

Sheila Jones is a graduate of SFA's Department of English and Creative Writing. She has been a speaker on topics relative to sexual and domestic abuse and is a member of the S.A.V.E. coalition on campus. She is also a facilitator through the OneLove organization.

Deborah Kirkland

Deborah Kirkland holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in English from SFA.

Eralda Lameborshi

Dr. Eralda Lameborshi received her Master of Arts from SFA, and she completed her Ph.D. in English from Texas A&M University in 2016. She has presented her scholarship at such conferences as the 21st World Congress of the International Comparative Literature Association, the Southwest Council for Latin American Studies, the English Institute at the University of Chicago and the National Endowment for the Humanities seminar on Transcending Boundaries: The Ottoman Empire, Europe and the Mediterranean World.

Kristie Linstrom Adjunct

Kirstie Linstrom holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts from SFA.

Billy Longino

Billy Longino received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in creative writing and his Master of Arts from SFA. His short fiction has appeared in such journals as Permafrost and Black Warrior Review. 

Steven Marsden

Dr. Steven Marsden holds a Bachelor of Arts in English literature from Western Illinois University, a Master of Arts in English literature from Northern Illinois University and a Ph.D. in English literature from Texas A&M University. His research interests include American poetry, biography and autobiography, transcendentalism and pragmatism, reader response theory and horror in literature. A recent critical essay, Unmasking the Lynching Subject: Thomas Nelson Page, Paul Laurence Dunbar, and the Specters of American Race, was published in Haunting Realities: Naturalist Gothic and American Realism by the University of Alabama Press.

Michael Martin

Dr. Michael Martin holds a Bachelor of Arts from Quincy University, and a Master of Arts and Ph.D. from Illinois State University. He has published his work in such journals as Peer English, Children's Literature Association Quarterly, Studies in American Naturalism, and The F. Scott Fitzgerald Review, among others. His research and teaching interests include contemporary American literature, the American road novel, 1950s literary naturalism, southern naturalism, and Jack London. Currently, he is the coordinator of the English and Secondary Education program in the Department of English and Creative Writing.

Dr. Christine Butterworth-McDermott

Dr. Christine Butterworth-McDermott holds the rank of full professor and teaches creative writing, Modernism, and fairy tales at SFA. Her collection, “Woods & Water, Wolves & Women,” includes poems nominated for a Rhysling Award and honorably mentioned in “The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror (17th and 18th).” She has also published a chapbook, “Tales on Tales: Sestinas.” A full-length collection about 19th century showgirl Evelyn Nesbit, “Evelyn As” and a chapbook, “All Breathing Heartbreak” will be published in 2019. Her poems, short stories and creative nonfiction have appeared in Alaska Quarterly Review, Beloit Fiction Journal, The Normal School, RATTLE, River Styx, Southeast Review, and more. She is the founder and co-editor of Gingerbread House Literary Magazine, an online journal staffed by SFA alumni from the Creative Writing program and has led summer poetry workshops for The Writers League of Texas. In 2019, she was nominated for the position of state poet laureate. Her academic work has been published in American Transcendental Quarterly, Katherine Mansfield Studies, The Henry James Review, and the book “Twice-Told Children's Tales.”

John McDermott

Dr. John McDermott holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a Master of Arts from Marquette University and a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. His areas of interest include creative writing and contemporary American literature. His book of poetry is The Idea of God in Tennessee (2015). Among his creative publications are appearances of fiction and poetry in Alaska Quarterly Review, Cream City Review, Florida Review, The Pinch, Southeast Review and Southern Humanities Review. Scholarly publications appear in The Journal of Popular Culture, The Raymond Carver Review and the American Writers series. He has read his work at the AWP conference and the University of Memphis/The Pinch, and presented scholarship at the Society for the Study of the Short Story conference in Lisbon, Portugal. As coordinator of the Bachelor of Fine Arts program in creative writing, he has directed 54 senior theses in addition to chairing 15 Master of Arts theses.

Rhanda McGee

Rhanda McGee holds a Master of Arts from SFA.

Jennifer McLaughlin

Jennifer McLaughlin holds a Master of Arts from SFA. She is currently working toward a Ph.D. at Texas Tech.

Aaron Milstead

Aaron Milstead holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in English from SFA. His work has appeared in several publications, including Nuthouse Magazine, Dark Krypt, Nocturnal Ooze, Growing Darkness and 31 Eyes Fantasy. His novel, They Don't Check Out, was published in 2015, and two other novels, Wiseman and The Monkey and the Mask, are in circulation. In 2014, he was nominated for Adjunct of the Year.

Laura Osborne

Laura Osborne joined the adjunct English faculty at SFA in 2006. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Louisiana State University and a Master of Arts in English from Texas A&M University. She is a certified training professional for online instruction at SFA.

Dylan Parkhurst

Dylan Parkhurst holds degrees in art and English, and he received his Master of Arts in English from SFA. He was a longtime adjunct faculty member before being promoted to lecturer.

Christopher Sams

Dr. Christopher Sams holds a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from Youngstown State University, a Master of Arts in linguistics from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a doctoral degree in Romance linguistics from The State University of New York at Buffalo. He holds an advanced certificate in forensic linguistics from the Forensic Linguistics Institute. His teaching and research interests include second language acquisition, Romance linguistics, translation studies, forensic linguistics, linguistic typology and universals, and historical linguistics.

Dr. Jessie Sams

Dr. Jessie Sams’ research and teaching interests include constructed languages, the interface between syntax and semantics, quotatives, English grammar and history, and the study of literature from a linguistic perspective. She holds a Bachelor of Science in English from Truman State University and a Master of Arts and a doctoral degree in linguistics from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Sams created SFA’s unique invented languages course, where students learn how to create their own languages.

Dr. Michael Sheehan Assistant Professor

Dr. Michael Sheehan holds a Bachelor of Arts from the State University of New York College at Geneseo, a Master of Arts from St. John’s College and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Arizona. His research and teaching interests include creative writing and contemporary American literature. His short fiction has appeared in Mississippi Review, Black Warrior Review, Agni, Conjunctions, Terrain and elsewhere, and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. He has also made scholarly presentations at the first annual David Foster Wallace Conference and AWP. His book is Proposals for the Recovery of the Apparently Drowned. Sheehan is also co-advisor of the student organization Subplots: Friends of Creative Writers .

Elizabeth Tasker Davis

Elizabeth Tasker Davis is Professor of English and Coordinator of Graduate Studies at Stephen F. Austin State University where she specializes in teaching eighteenth-century British literature, satire, and women’s writing.  She is the author of Wit, Virtue, and Emotion: British Women’s Enlightenment Rhetoric (Southern Illinois UP 2021), and she is co-editor of British Women Satirists in the Long Eighteenth Century: The Politics of Gender, Lampoonery, and Literary Caricature (Cambridge UP 2022).  Tasker Davis has published articles on a variety of eighteenth-century British women writers, Restoration actresses, and the history of rhetoric. She is also a past president of the Coalition of Feminist Scholars in the History of Rhetoric and Composition.

Kristin Thomas Adjunct

Kristin Thomas is a graduate of SFA. She leads dual-credit coursework in English at Nacogdoches Independent School District, where she teaches full-time.

Ken Untiedt

Dr. Ken Untiedt holds a Bachelor of Arts, a Master of Arts, and a Ph.D. from Texas Tech University. His research interests include literature of the American West, Texas literature, crime and detective fiction, and folklore. Untiedt currently serves as the Interim Chair of the Department of English and Creative Writing.

Amber Wagnon

Dr. Amber Wagnon recently received her Ph.D. from Texas Tech; she received her Master of Arts from SFA. Her scholarship, Improving Writing Feedback with Options, has appeared in English in Texas, and she has presented her research at conferences of the Texas Computer Education Association, Conference on College Composition and Communication, Central Modern Language Association and Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts.

Kristi Warren

Kristi Warren received her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in English from SFA.

Dr. Kevin West holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Harding University, a Master of Arts in comparative literature from Indiana University, a Master of Arts in theology from Harding University Graduate School of Religion and a Ph.D. in comparative literature from Indiana University. His research interests include medieval European literature, apocalypticism, religion and literature and the contemporary world novel. He has published on such authors as Umberto Eco and Philip Roth, and he has presented on Dante's Commedia and other medieval visionary literature. Recent publications include Tokens of Sin, Badges of Honor: Julian Norwich and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in Renascence: Essays on Values in Literature. His book, Literary Representations of Dangerous Reading, is forthcoming from Lexington Books.

Leann West received her Bachelor of Science from William Carrey College in Mississippi and her Master of Arts in English from SFA.

Sue Whatley

Dr. Sue Whatley received her Ph.D. from Texas A&M University. Her research interests include Southern literature, particular Flannery O'Connor's fiction. Her scholarship has appeared in Flannery O'Connor: An Annotated Bibliography, Proceedings of the Faith and Loss: Light in Darkness Conference and Rio Grande Review, among others. She has presented at such conferences as American Association of Texas Studies, Arkansas Philological Association, Conference of College Teachers of English, Flannery O'Connor Conference, College English Association Conference and numerous others.

Dr. Courtney Wooten Assistant Professor

Dr. Courtney Wooten holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Wingate University, a Master of Arts in English from Winthrop University and a Ph.D. in English with a specialization in rhetoric and composition from University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Her research interests include writing program administration, first-year composition, literacy studies and student transitions from high school to college. She is involved in national service for the Council of Writing Program Administrators and is the director of the SFA First-Year Composition Program. Wooten's recent scholarship includes a co-authored article in WPA journal and being designated as the book review editor of that journal. She also has a book forthcoming from Utah State University Press.

Gina Ajero is the administrative assistant for the Department of English and Creative Writing. She holds both a Bachelor of Arts in English from Heilongjiang University in Harbin, China and a Master of Business Administration from Temple University in Philadelphia. She has worked at SFA since 2007, and she enjoys supporting faculty and staff within the department.

Larry Bishop

Larry Bishop earned his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in English from SFA. He has served on SFA’s Technical Writing Committee, on the editorial board of R.E.A.L., and as a mentor for graduate students. He is a recipient of the Ferguson Writing Contest. Bishop has been with SFA’s English department for more than 20 years.

Annaliese Chaudhuri

Annaliese Chaudhari earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in creative writing from SFA, and she holds a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing and a Master of Arts in English from McNeese State University. During her time as a student at SFA, she served as the poetry editor and the editor-in-chief of HUMID . Her work has appeared in several publications, including Spirit’s Tincture, Mojave River Review, The Blue Route and HUMID.

James Clark Adjunct

James Clark received his Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Arts from SFA, and now teaches freshman composition at SFA. He won the 2015 AWP Intro Award for Fiction, and his winning story was published in Iron Horse Literary Review.

Rebecca Crain

Rebecca Crain has worked for SFA for more than 20 years.

Anne Duncan

Anne Duncan holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Arkansas State University and a Master of Arts in English from SFA. Her teaching interests include young adult literature, mythology, composition and technical writing. Duncan is one of SFA’s certified online instructors.

Meta Henty earned her Bachelor of Arts in English and her Master of Arts in English from SFA. Her teaching and research interests include women’s writing, new media, gender and pop culture and composition. Her work has appeared in publications such as HUMID, Theocrit and Authorship. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in English at Texas Christian University.

Seth Wilson Adjunct

Seth Wilson teaches theater and English at SFA. He is also a winner of the TV game show Jeopardy (in 2016, he tied for fifth in all-time consecutive wins in the show’s history). In 2017, he appeared on Jeopardy’s Tournament of Champions.

Mr. Avee Chaudhuri Adjunct

Avee Chaudhuri holds a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing and a Master of Arts in English literature from McNeese State University, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in English literature from the University of Texas at Austin. His fiction has appeared in Prairie Schooner, Necessary Fiction and Maudlin House, among others. He enjoys teaching writing and mythology classes at SFA.

Rebecca Spears

Rebecca Spears, MFA, is a poet, essayist, and instructor. She is the author of Brook the Divid e (Unsolicited Press, 2020) and The Bright Obvious: Poems (Finishing Line Press, 2009). Her work is included in TriQuarterly , Calyx , Crazyhorse , Verse Daily , and other journals and anthologies. She has received awards from the Taos Writers Workshop, Vermont Studio Center, and Dairy Hollow House, along with several Pushcart nominations. Brook the Divide was shortlisted for Best First Book of Poetry (Texas Institute of Letters).

Jason McIntosh

Dr. Jason McIntosh holds a Bachelor of Arts in English with secondary education specialization from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master of Arts in English literature from Pittsburg State University, and a doctorate in English with a focus on rhetoric and composition from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His research interests include place-based writing and teaching, journaling and other forms of low-stakes writing, and writing program administration. A forthcoming essay titled, “’Is This for a Grade?’: Understanding Assessment, Evaluation, and Low-stakes Writing Assignments” in Writing Spaces Vol. V helps students navigate the different kinds of writing feedback they receive from teachers.

Dr. Sara Parks is an Assistant Professor and the English Department’s Technical Writing Coordinator. She taught a variety of classes at Kansas State University, Iowa State University, and Minnesota State University Mankato before ending up at SFA in 2019. Dr. Parks specializes in rhetoric of science and she completed her dissertation while working as a science communicator for a biorenewable energy National Science Foundation grant in Iowa. In her research, Dr. Parks is interested in what happens when people’s communication expectations are challenged by institutional constraints. When she’s not working or lurking on social media, you can find Dr. Parks playing at Pecan Park with her dog, Sam, and exploring her newly adopted town.  

Dual Credit Faculty

Department of English and Creative Writing 936.468.2101 Dr. Liz Tasker Davis, Chair [email protected]

Dugas Liberal Arts North Room 203

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 13007, SFA Station Nacogdoches, Texas 75962

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  • Writing Programs

ASU Writing Programs serves more than 10,000 students annually. Our writing takes place in myriad spaces, including in face-to-face, online, and hybrid courses. Writing Programs’ outcomes focus on student individuation, and writing classes are small, promoting individual feedback and fostering community building. We attempt to utilize students' pre-existing literacies to aid development of their critical reading, thinking, and writing skills. ASU Writing Programs also functions as a site of inquiry and research.

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Each year, Writing Programs at ASU selects a book as a "common read." The chosen work may be adopted as an additional textbook by composition classes during that year. The goal of the program at ASU is to encourage first-year students to write about pressing social problems that are relevant to ASU’s mission as a public enterprise. By learning to write about such problems as a community, we increase the probability of finding solutions to them.

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TomorrowTalks place thought leaders of today in conversation with the changemakers of tomorrow: our students. Each distinguished speaker explains how they use writing to address our most pressing challenges.

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COMMENTS

  1. Creative Writing Faculty

    Faculty in creative writing at ASU are Pulitzer, MacArthur, and Guggenheim winners, poets laureate, and PEN and National Endowment for the Arts honorees. Their scholarship, creative work and teaching span the disciplines of fiction, nonfiction, criticism, and poetry and include specialties in translation, artist collaborations, public and commissioned poetry, essay writing, horror genres ...

  2. Creative Writing, MFA

    Faculty in Creative Writing. The ASU MFA in Creative Writing is and has always been an unswervingly student-first program. Through small classes, intimate workshops, and one-to-one mentoring, the centuries-old apprenticeship model thrives within the New American University. Creative writing has been a part of the department of English since the ...

  3. English (Creative Writing)

    Department of English | RBHL 170. [email protected]. 480-965-3168. Develop a literary voice that serves your academic, professional and artistic goals. Renowned, award-winning writers guide your engagement in supportive and rigorous workshops that enable your expressive growth.

  4. Creative Writing, MFA

    ASU's creative writing program, distinguished by an outstanding faculty whose works have received major national and international recognition, is consistently ranked among top-tier programs in poetry and fiction. The program's curricular strengths, community outreach and close mentorship combine to advance pragmatic, effective outcomes for students, graduates and artist-citizens.

  5. Classes

    The Piper Writers Studio (PWS) offers creative writing classes, workshops, and other educational opportunities for writers of all backgrounds, genres, and levels of experience. Our classes are intended for and open to the public. You do not need to be an ASU student to attend.

  6. Shavawn Berry

    In the fall of 2004, she joined the full-time faculty at Arizona State University to teach Business Writing, Creative Writing, English Composition, and most recently, Technical Editing on Tempe campus. She was chosen as one of just eight Lincoln Ethics teaching fellows for the 2013 academic year by the Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics at ASU.

  7. Creative Writing, Master

    Overview Key facts. The MFA in Creative Writing program from Arizona State University is distinguished by an outstanding faculty that has garnered national and international attention: Guggenheim and NEA fellowships, a Pulitzer Prize and several Pulitzer nominations, two Flannery O'Connor Awards, the Western States Book Award, PEN/Faulkner finalist recognition, the Walt Whitman Award from ...

  8. ASU English boasts record numbers, welcomes new faculty

    In its 2022 "List of Public R1 Universities Graduating the Most English Majors," education and career data service Steppingblocks puts Arizona State University at No. 4 in the Western U.S.The news that the Department of English at ASU has among the nation's largest number of graduates is hardly surprising; enrollment in this humanities unit of The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at ...

  9. About

    Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing is located at 450 E Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287-5002 in the historic quarter of Arizona State University, just Southeast of University Club and Old Main. The closest parking is the Fulton Center Parking Structure on the Northeast corner of University Dr and College Ave (300 E. University Dr, Tempe ...

  10. Home

    [email protected]. 480-965-4886. 777 Novus Suite 310AA TEMPE AZ. New ideas about identity, violence, and the state - and opposition to them - animate Adelman's research on families and schools, Brigid Ahern. Executive Director Center for Whole-Child Education, MLF Teachers College. [email protected].

  11. ASU film school welcomes new screenwriting professor

    McAuley brings his passion and expertise for good storytelling to The Sidney Poitier New American Film School at Arizona State University this fall as a new clinical assistant professor in screenwriting. McAuley previously taught at Columbia University, where he earned his MFA in film with a concentration in screenwriting, as well as Loyola ...

  12. Creative Writing Faculty

    Creative Writing Faculty Creative Writing Faculty. Sara Sams. Assistant Professor. Poetry & Poetics . Science & Literature . Poetry in Translation . 520-621-9771. ... University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721. Contact Us [email protected] 520-621-9771. Studenthub. Footer - Main. Employment; Emergency Information; Title IX;

  13. MFA Creative Writing

    Department of English P.O. Box 210067, Modern Languages 445 University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721. Contact Us [email protected] 520-621-9771. Studenthub

  14. Faculty and Staff

    Writers. Poets. Scholars. Essayists. Teachers. SFA's Department of English and Creative Writing is composed of professors with a wide range of backgrounds, interests and experiences. You'll work with award-winning writers and literary critics who study and teach writing - academic, professional and creative - and language as it applies to everything from video games and modern poetry and ...

  15. Creative Writing Faculty

    He earned his B.A. from Doane College, now University, his M.A. from Northern Arizona University, and his MFA in fiction from Wichita State University. He is a professor with nearly twenty years of experience teaching in higher education, and he currently serves as the creative writing program director at Mesa Community College where he has ...

  16. Writing Programs

    ASU Writing Programs serves more than 10,000 students annually. Our writing takes place in myriad spaces, including in face-to-face, online, and hybrid courses. Writing Programs' outcomes focus on student individuation, and writing classes are small, promoting individual feedback and fostering community building. We attempt to utilize students' pre-existing literacies to aid development of ...

  17. Program Requirements

    Department of English P.O. Box 210067, Modern Languages 445 University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721. Contact Us [email protected] 520-621-9771. Studenthub

  18. Writing Program

    Department of English P.O. Box 210067, Modern Languages 445 University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721. Contact Us [email protected] 520-621-9771. Studenthub