UNIVERSITY of HOUSTON Creative Writing Program With two new hires in Poetry, the Creative Writing Program Looks Forward to an Exciting Future!

John Roberts Dean, CLASS

Wyman Herendeen English Dept. Chair

j. Kastely CWP Director

Kathy Smathers Assistant Director

Shatera Anderson Program Coordinator 713.743.3015 [email protected]

2009-2010 Edition WWW.UH.EDU/CWP

Every effort has been made to include faculty, students, and alumni news. Items not included will be published in the next edition.

From the Director...

As you will see in this year’s Newsletter, we have hired two wonderful poets: Ange Mlinko and Kevin Prufer. With the hire of Martha Serpas last year, we have now added in the last two years three poets to our faculty—making our Creative Writing faculty 10—5 fiction writers and 5 poets. It feels as if we have achieved a momentary stability. I am thankful for that, but I am even more thankful for the collegiality that these 10 faculty members share. I think that this collegiality is quite rare, and it is a great gift. The faculty members are pleasure to work with, and I imagine a very bright future for the program precisely because this faculty works together so well. During the searches, I was reminded that we seek faculty who are good writers, good and committed teachers, and good citizens. It is not easy to find people who can meet those requirements, but for a program that is working, those are precisely the kinds of faculty you need. Because they are committed and collegial, they can work as a faculty and that is not something that is always valued at a University. I remember listening to an administrator pontificating on the desir- ability of the faculty conceiving of themselves as entrepreneurs, and thinking to myself that that person had absolutely no understanding what a university is or how a faculty is supposed to function. For him, a university was simply a location or base of operations for people who did not fundamentally share any- thing—there was no common enterprise. The faculty’s primary job was to bring in grants. Deliberation was irrelevant, and any institutional discussion was inevitably either an open or disguised competition for resources. He imagined a university without an intellectual life.

I believe that at the core of our program is a commitment to the intellectual life, to a belief that creative writing is an important way of knowing. This belief is behind our assumption that one becomes a better writer by developing into a person of letters and not simply through an exclusive focus on craft. One of our prospective students asked me why our graduate degrees took so long (3 years for the MFA and 5 years for the PhD), and I explained that it was important to have enough time for your work to fall apart and then to rebuild yourself as a writer. The act of reflection is integral to the writing life, and whatever else we do, we should make our students more self-conscious about their writing. This does not mean that a good writer will necessarily follow a conscious plan—that is probably one way to avoid the life of a writer. That reduction of thought to conscious choice shows a deeply impoverished understanding of what a mind is. Rather a deliberative or reflective writer begins to take an appropriate responsibility for his or her choices as a writer. That is, the writer lives the examined life. All graduate education is an invitation into difficulty. If you stay intellectually alive, it is because you have learned how to cultivate a productive dissatisfaction—you have learned how to live with questions that don’t have easily available answers and which, originally, may not even announce themselves as clearly defined questions. You don’t actually know what you are asking, but in an inchoate way the question forces itself upon you. A good faculty brings you into that practice and makes a life without such intellectual restlessness seem uninviting. So as we head into the next academic year, I feel grateful to work with writers who, in their collegiality, keep such an intellectual life alive.

As Ever, j. Kastely, Director

CWP NEWS 3 selves. We were really proud to Kathy Smathers wishes to thank Program News have them, along with several of everyone for sending news and our faculty and David MacLean, not making her beg overly much. represent us there. She says that it’s really fun putting It’s hard to believe that another the newsletter together because year has already come and gone We’re still buying the new books that’s about the only time of year since the last newsletter went out. of our faculty, students and alumni she hears from alumni. Also, it We have the beginnings of a stu- for our library and display case. gives the students a chance to dent directory and the CWP web- So, please let us know when you let alumni and supporters know site is up to date. We’re working have a new publication so we can what they’re doing. And she loves through the economic downturn get it. hearing from everyone. and still growing. Inprint, Inc., has again been a great help and pro- If you have something come up Kathy is still working closely with vided support. We’ll have a won- during the year, please let us know. Mike Doyle to keep the website derful group of new students this We love to have news for this updated and fresh. She would year chosen from the largest appli- newsletter but we’re also happy really appreciate input from every- cant pool we’ve ever had. That’s to put news on the website. We one on how to make the website encouraging! We’re really excited hope to make it more interactive more informative and user friendly. about our new faculty members - this year. Mike Doyle continues to She’s looking forward to meeting Ange Mlinko and Kevin Prufer. be the go-to person for us when all of the new students and hopes working on the website and, of to help make their time here enjoy- course, we couldn’t get this news- able and memorable. She leaves letter done without his dedication the educational part to fellow stu- and expertise. dents and faculty.

Shatera Anderson is currently in Kathy still heads to the Lake Liv- her third year at Texas State Univ. ingston house on the weekends. here in Houston. She’s managed to stay an honor student through- Mike Doyle started work as a out her college while working here Communications Director for a fulltime and raising her two daugh- church in Houston back in Febru- Dr. j. Kastely ters. She’s also had singing en- ary but is still helping us with our gagements in Houston, New York publications and website. In the Our farewell party for the 2010 and Chicago. As usual, she was future, he hopes to expand the graduates this year was a real suc- indispensible this year during the appeal of the CWP website with cess. We’ll definitely miss those application process and as a go- more audio/visual content. In oth- who graduated and wish them the to person for faculty and students. er news, he's working hard on his very best in the future. Also, David She plans to graduate next year time management skills. MacLean, who graduated in 2009, with a degree in Sociology. has moved on to hopefully bigger and better things in Chicago. He has been an important part of the program for the past few years and was of invaluable help during the faculty search this year. Good luck, David!

With the help of, Dr. Herendeen, Chair of the English Department, we were able to send 24 students Mike Doyle to AWP in Denver again this year. We hope they learned something and they said they enjoyed them- Kathy & Shatera

CWP NEWS 4 Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts

The Graphic Novel

In the Spring of 2010 the Univer- sity of Houston's Creative Writ- ing Program began offering it's first course in the Graphic Novel. Sponsored by the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts, the course was a collaboration be- tween the Creative Writing Pro- gram and the Art Department, and saw graduate students in both ar- tistic disciplines coming together for a semester long exploration of the graphic storytelling form. The course combined close readings of major graphic text with a work- shop of the students own work. Art students composed original scripts and illustrated their work for their final project, and writing students composed two scripts, one short, one long. The scripts, similar to screenplays, were then selected by three professional comic book artists for illustration. Brandon White (M.F.A., Fiction), James Roberts, and Jonathan Niles-Gill (M.F.A., Fiction) had their work translated into visual form by Dean Haspiel, Mike Ca- vallaro, Joe Infurnari, respectively. The innovative class garnered lo- cal attention as well, with profiles done by the Houston Chronicle and Channel 39 News. A show of the class work was presented at the Project Rowhouse Gallery in August.

CWP NEWS 5ews Center, 501 Texas Avenue—Tan’s 50 greatest British writers since Inprint Houston debut novel, The Joy Luck Club, 1945." He will read from his new called “powerful” and “full of mag- novel, Luka and the Fire of Life (to ic” by the Los Angeles Times, be released in November), a com- Inprint, Houston’s leading literary made her an overnight sensation panion to Haroun and the Sea of arts nonprofit organization with and a pioneering voice of Chinese Stories. the mission to inspire readers and American literature. Her other crit- writers, is all set for a banner year ically acclaimed works include The Peter Carey, Monday, January and is excited to once again part- Kitchen God’s Wife, The Boneset- 24, 2011, Hubbard Stage, Alley ner with the UH Creative Writing ter’s Daughter, and Saving Fish Theatre, 615 Texas Avenue—Car- Program. From Drowning. Tan has been a ey, born in Australia and the author finalist for both the National Book of 11 critically acclaimed novels, In 2010-2011, Inprint will provide Award and National Book Critics is only the second writer to twice $146,000 in direct support to the Circle Award, and her work has win the Booker Prize. His major UH Creative Writing Program. This been translated into 35 languages. works include Oscar and Lucinda consists of $85,000 in recruiting (winner of the Booker Prize), Il- fellowships (including Anderson, Carlos Fuentes, Monday, Oc- lywhacker (shortlisted for the Brown, Cambor, Elkins, Fondren, tober 11, 2010, Hubbard Stage, Booker), True History of the Kelly Jones, and Zilkha Fellowships); Alley Theatre, 615 Texas Ave- Gang (winner of the Booker), Jack $7,500 in support for interna- nue—Fuentes, one of the greatest Maggs (based on characters from tional and out-of-state students; literary figures of Latin America, is Dickens’ Great Expectations), and $42,500 in juried prizes (including the author of more than 25 books, his most recent novel, Parrot and Barthelme Fellowships and Alex- including The New York Times Olivier in America, from which he ander, Joy, Sussman, and Verlaine bestseller, The Old Gringo, the will read. Prizes); and $11,000 in support of first book by a Mexican author to Gulf Coast: A Journal of Literature become a bestseller in the U.S.; Major Jackson and Alicia Ostrik- and Fine Art. New this year is the Terra Nostra; The Death of Arte- er, Monday, February 14, 2011, Robert J. Sussman Prize in Fic- mio Cruz; A Change of Skin; The Neuhaus Stage, Alley Theatre, tion, named for a beloved Inprint Eagle’s Throne; and his most re- 615 Texas Avenue—Jackson, an Board member who passed away cent story collection, Happy Fami- award-winning African American in April 2009. Bob was a brilliant lies, which Booklist praises as poet and poetry editor at Harvard lawyer, an occasional fiction writ- “completely captivating and enter- Review, is the author of three col- er, and a lovely man, and it is a taining, with . . . characterizations lections, including Leaving Saturn, great honor to offer this prize in his dancing off the page.” Among his which was a finalist for the National memory. In April, Inprint will host numerous awards and honors, he Book Critics Circle Award and the a reading by the prize winners, has received the Miguel de Cer- winner of the Cave Canem Poetry which all Creative Writing Program vantes Prize, the top literary prize Prize, Hoops, and Holding Com- students and faculty will be invited in the Spanish-speaking world. pany. Ostriker, world-renowned to attend. poet, literary critic, and nonfiction Salman Rushdie, Friday, De- writer, was twice a finalist for the The Inprint Margarett Root Brown cember 3, 2010, Cullen Theater, National Book Award. She is the Reading Series, presented in as- Wortham Center, 501 Texas Av- author of 12 poetry collections, sociation with the UH Creative enue— Rushdie, one of the most including her latest, The Book of Writing Program, celebrates its thought-provoking writers of our Seventy, which won the Jewish 30th anniversary season in 2010- time, is the author of more than National Book Award. 2011 and will feature an interna- ten novels, including Midnight’s tionally acclaimed roster of au- Children, winner of the Best of Chitra Divakaruni and Gish Jen, thors. All readings will take place the Booker; Shame; and the con- Monday, March 7, 2011, Zilka Hall, at 7:30 pm in downtown Houston. troversial The Satanic Verses. Hobby Center for the Performing The Series will present: Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for Arts, 800 Bagby Street—Faculty his services to literature, Rushdie member at the UH Creative Writ- Amy Tan, Monday, September 20, was ranked 13th by The Times ing Program, Divakaruni is the au- 2010, Cullen Theater, Wortham of London on their list of "the thor of 16 books, including novels,

CWP NEWS 6 short stories, poetry collections, break out on us when we sched- and children’s books. Her novel, Poison Pen uled UHCWP student Analicia Sister of My Heart, was a national Sotelo with fiction writer Andrew bestseller, and her story collec- The Poison Pen Reading Series Porter, who just happened to be tion, Arranged Marriage, received continues to chug away as Hous- an old teacher of Ms. Sotelo. We an American Book Award. She ton's premier location for readings all got a little choked up. And then will read from her new novel, One steeped in bourbon. Started in made jokes about how silly it is to Amazing Thing. Chinese Ameri- September of 2006 by UHCWP get choked up. can fiction writer, Jen is the author alums Greg Oaks (Ph.D., 2001), Thanks to UHCWP and the citi- of three novels and a collection of Casey Fleming (M.F.A., 2007) and zens of Montrose, it's been an- short stories, including The New David MacLean (Ph.D., 2009) other great year of literature and York Times Notable Book, Typical and entrepreneur/fiction writer, liquor. Like whiskey, we're only American, shortlisted for the Na- Scott Repass, the reading series getting better with age (but only tional Book Critics’ Circle Award. continues to grow and pull in larger when we're kept out of the sun She will read from her new novel, crowds then we expect and bet- and sealed inside of our individual World and Town, to be released in ter talent than we deserve. This barrels). October 2010. past year we were lucky enough to have been selected by the read- David MacLean Kay Ryan, Monday, April 11, ers of the Houston Press as "Best 2011, Hubbard Stage, Alley The- Reading Series in Houston". Our atre, 615 Texas Avenue—Six- line-up continues to be a mixture teenth U. S. Poet Laureate, Ryan’s of UH grad students, faculty, and major poetry collections include visiting writers. Our past year's The Niagara River, Say Uncle, El- highlights include readings by ephant Rocks, Flamingo Watch- Dean Young, Matt Hart, Emily Fox ing (a finalist for both the Lamont Gordon, Rich Levy, Tony Hoa- Poetry Selection and the Lenore gland, Terrance Hayes, Taije Sil- Marshall Prize), and her latest, verman and Jason Koo (M.F.A., The Best of It: New and Selected 2002). Victor LaValle came to Poems, about which Annie Dil- UH's campus to give a craft talk lard says, “These are poems that at the Honors College and then inspire us with poetry’s greatest later gave a reading at Poison Girl gifts: the music of language and with Robert Boswell. This double the force of wisdom.” feature came by way of a unique partnership between the UH Eng- Four of the writers—Peter Carey, lish Department, UH Creative Writ- Gish Jen, Major Jackson, and Ali- ing Program, and Poison Pen. cia Ostriker—will give talks on the This year also was the third annual UH campus, specially geared to Gulf Coast Editors' Reading and meet the needs of UH Creative was an excellent sampler of some Writing Program students. For of the best writers UH is churning more details on the Inprint Mar- out. PPRS has started a webpage garett Root Brown Reading Series at poisonpenreadingseries.com and other Inprint programs, visit and a youtube channel where we www.inprinthouston.org. post videos of our readings. This year was also significant as UHC- WP Prof. Antonya Nelson agreed to be on PPRS's advisory board and UHCWP Prof. Mat Johnson agreed to come on as an inner circle member (after the standard initiation rites). We had an unex- pected moment of sentimentality

CWP NEWS 7 published by BloodAxe Press in and TriQuarterly. the U.K. under the title "Unincor- Faculty News porated Persons in the Late Hon- Having survived year one of par- da Dynasty". It is enthood (see photo of tiny, deli- a selection of the cious crustacean), Alex Parsons Robert Boswell spent the sum- UK Poetry So- was promoted with tenure to As- mer teaching at the Tin House ciety. This past sociate Professor and awarded Conference and the Warren Wil- spring he taught the 2009-10 UH Teaching Excel- son residency. a course for the lence Award before slinking off to Houston Semi- enjoy his sab- Chitra Divaka- nar on 20th Cen- batical . His runi's new nov- tury American whereabouts el, One Amaz- Poetry, which are unknown, ing Thing, was was a marvel- though likely published in the ous experience. he's in close United States One of his poems is selected for proximity to the (Hyperion) and in the 2010 Pushcart Prize Anthol- aforementioned India (Penguin). It ogy. Tony has essays forthcoming crustacean as will be published in Poetry Magazine and the New well as a lap- in translation in Ohio Review, and poems in an an- top with disabled the upcoming year in the follow- thology edited by Judd Apatow. email software. ing countries: France, Indonesia, (Hollywood!) He also was guest Israel, Italy, Korea and Spain. Her editor for a great issue of Plough- previous novel, The Palace of Il- shares this spring, which featured Martha Serpas will be participat- lusions, was nominated for the poems by former Houston gradu- ing in “Remembering Katrina: A Impac-Dublin Literary Award and ates Peter Hyland (M.F.A., 2007) Fifth Anniversary Reading” at Tu- has now been translated into eight and Miho Nonaka (Ph.D., 2006). lane University with, among oth- foreign languages. ers, Yusef Komunyakaa, Nicole Mat Johnson’s second original Cooley, Peter Cooley, and Alison Nick Flynn's graphic novel, Pelegrin. She unfortunately has most recent Dark Rain, was been busy since the advent of the book, The Tick- published by BP Gulf Oil Disaster, reading from ing is the Bomb Vertigo Comics The Dirty Side of the Storm, help- (Norton), came August 15th. ing to finish a documentary seven out in January-- The story is years in the making about coastal the Los Angeles about New Or- erosion (“Veins in the Gulf”), and Times calls it "a leans and Hur- writing an op-ed piece for The disquieting mas- ricane Katrina. New York Times, “Our Life, Be- terpiece." This His third novel, tween Sea and Oil,” published spring he was one of three judg- Pym, is scheduled for release in July 11. (She told them the Gulf is es for the 92nd Street Y/Boston April 2011 with Speigel and Grau. not a sea, but "those Yankees are Review poetry prize, and gave a hard-headed.") Also this year she commencement speech at Ben- Antonya Nelson has a novel has published work in Southwest nington College. The Captain coming out in October (Blooms- Review among other journals, and Asks for a Show of Hands, his first bury) called Bound. It makes use her poems were reprinted in The book of poems in eight years, is of some of the true-life experience Art of the Sonnet and Bearing the due out next January (Graywolf). she had in Kansas during her ado- Mystery: The Best of Image. For the summer he and his family lescence surrounding the notori- were based in Brooklyn and wan- ous BTK serial killer. Toni was dering elsewhere. awarded a USA Artists' Fellowship for 2010, and had personal essays Tony Hoagland's latest book (Feb appear in Smithsonian Magazine, 2010) Unincorporated Persons The New York Times, and More of the Late Honda Dynasty "has magazines. She also had short been translated into British" and stories in Narrative, Tin House,

CWP NEWS 8 language edition of his Selected In an enthu- New Faculty Poems will be published in 2010. siastic review His poems have appeared in nu- of Starred merous anthologies and in such W ire--Ange Kevin Prufer journals as Ploughshares, Indiana Mlinko's sec- comes to the Review, American Poetry Review, ond book, University of The Georgia Review, Boulevard, Stephen Burt Houston af- The Kenyon Review, Triquarterly, claimed that ter serving as and Prairie Schooner among many Ange was one Professor of others. He has also published fic- of a handful English and tion and non-fiction, and a slew of (and a small hand at that) of con- Coordinator reviews. temporary poets who are able to of the Cre- Critics and reviewers have found maintain a razor edge balance be- ative Writ- much to praise in Kevin Pruffer’s tween a poetry manifesting “manic ing Program at the University of work. His is a poetry that raises invention, non-Euclidean dream- Central Missouri. While at UCM, the question of the place of poetry like verbal spaces, acrobatic at- Kevin was the editor of Pleiades: A in the 21st century. How does tempts to get around and above Journal of New Writing, which, un- one reconcile the need to commu- ordinary prose syntax” and a po- der his editorship, has been trans- nicate love in a world dominated etry engaged in making “wry ob- formed from a small regional jour- by an empire falling apart? Or put servations on modern urban life.” nal to an important national journal another way, how does one live a Burt observes that you can usu- that is helping to shape contem- life adequate to a world that has ally get one or the other, but rarely porary American letters. His im- been disorganized by empire? both. As soon as you read Ange's pact on American letters, howev- What does it mean to live in a fall- poems, you understand what Burt er, goes beyond his editorship of en world, and what is the role of is getting at. Although this is work Pleiades. Kevin has established a poetry in such a world? Clearly, that can be seen as inheriting and distinctive poetic voice, and, as an part of the answer is that poetry participating in the tradition and editor of three important antholo- must serve as witness and must aesthetic associated with Frank gies, he has brought to the atten- draw on history to remind us of the O’Hara, John Ashbery and others, tion of the reading public the work fate of other empires. But that is it is not a poetry that can be com- of overlooked American writers only part of the answer. The other fortably reduced to that tradition or and of contemporary European part is that poetry needs to assist any tradition. There is a vitality at poets. And in his most recent an- us in making sense of that world, the heart of Ange Mlinko’s poetry thology, Contemporary American in placing it emotionally and imagi- that is evident in its electric and Poetry: A Bilingual Anthology, he natively. Its task is not to supply fractured syntax, in its luscious has made contemporary Ameri- answers but to make us aware of vocabulary (there is a sensuality in can poetry available to an audi- our situation, to allow our under- her poetry that is very interesting), ence whose primary language is standing to move beyond its con- and in the restless of a mind that Urdu. tainment in the busyness of the all dances its restlessness through Kevin Pruffer received a BA, with pervasive images of self-justifica- that syntax and vocabulary. honors, from Wesleyan University tion and aggrandizement that any Ange Mlinko was educated at St. where he pursued an interdisci- empire serves up to its citizenry. Johns College in Annapolis, where plinary degree that worked across Kevin Pruffer’s poetry succeeds she majored in Philosophy and the boundaries of literature, his- admirably at this task. We look Mathematics and at Brown Uni- tory, and philosophy. He received forward to his presence at UH. versity, where she received her an MA in Creative Writing from the MFA in Creative Writing—Poetry. Hollins Graduate Creative Writing Her poems have appeared in The Program, and an MFA in poetry New Yorker, The Nation, the Lon- writing from Washington Univer- don Review of Books, the Village sity in St. Louis, Missouri. Kevin Voice, Agni, the Chicago Review, is the author of 4 collections of po- Poetry, Colorado Review, Grand etry: National Anthem, Fallen from Street, and elsewhere, and she a Chariot, The Finger Bone, and Strange Wood. His fifth collec- has been anthologized in 19 Lines: tion, Little People Sacrifice, is due out in April 2011, and a German

CWP NEWS 9 A Drawing Center Writing Anthol- engagement with it. day, Bust magazine, and amNY, ogy; Bowery Women: Poems; You can trace Ange Mlinko back and her fiction is forthcoming in and Isn’t It Romantic: 100 Love to the New York school of poets the Colorado Review and Cimar- Poems by Younger American Po- but you can’t explain the excite- ron Review. She is currently living ets. Ange also writes poetry criti- ment of her poetry’s achievement in Houston with her partner, a fel- cism—very good criticism, which by such a genealogy. Ange Mlinko low UH CWP grad, and their very appears regularly in The Nation is the kind of poet whose poetry large book collection. and the London Review of Books. enacts the wonderful restlessness In 2008, she was awarded the of mind, the vital play of order and Hayan Charara (Ph.D., Poetry) prestigious Randall Jarrell Award disorder that is at the heart of po- had poems published in Callaloo by the Poetry Foundation for her etry. and The Massachusetts Review, criticism. and has work forthcoming in Art- She is the author of 3 collections of ful Dodge. Three of his poems poetry: Matinees (Zoland, 1999); were nominated for the Pushcart Starred Wire (Coffee House Press, Student News Prize, and his poem "The Rules" 2005) which was selected by Bob was translated into Arabic for the Holman for the National Poetry international journal, Meena. Samuel Ama- Series and was also a finalist for don (Ph.D., the James Laughlin Award; and Adam Day (Ph.D., Poetry) won Poetry) won Shoulder Season (Coffee House, one of the four Poetry Society of the 2009 Iowa 2010). America Chapbook Fellowships Poetry Prize for Ange’s poetry is an ongoing act for 2010. His chapbook, Bad- his first poetry of reclamation. It is sort of an ger, Apocrypha, was chosen as a collection, Like embrace of schizophrenia—of a winner by James Tate. Each year A Sea. state in which things both cohere four renowned poets select and and fail to cohere--as a defen- introduce a winning manuscript sive stance to maintain sanity. In for publication. Each winner also Sean Bishop (M.F.A., Poetry) Shoulder Season, she begins by receives $1,000. graduated this year and will be the providing an image of butterflies 2010-2011 Diane Middlebrook setting themselves on bromeli- Will Donnelly (Ph.D., Fiction) had Poetry Fellow at the University ads as offering “a little spa for the a short story and an interview in of Wisconsin-Madison next year. mind.” The need for such a spa the Fall 2009 issue of a maga- He’s done a wonderful job as becomes clear when the poet zine called Smokelong Quarterly. Managing Editor for Gulf Coast. argues that it is not possible to He also read a short story at the distinguish the “dilapidated bou- 2009 SCMLA conference in Ba- Over the last year Chuck Carlise tiques” from the ongoing con- ton Rouge in October. He will be (Ph.D., Poetry) had poems pub- struction. In a world in which de- teaching a fiction workshop for In- lished in Pleiades, Hayden's Ferry cay cannot be distinguished from print in the Fall. Review, The Southern Review, The rebirth—disorder from order, a spa Southeast Review, DIAGRAM, for the mind becomes attractive. Ryler Dustin (M.F.A., Poetry) was Confrontation, Fourteen Hills and We all understand the value and in his hometown American Literary Review. His attraction of intellectual retreat, of B e l l i n g h a m poems have also been finalists beauty as an antidote to chaos. visiting friends for contests with The Southeast But since we are dealing with a and family this Review, The Pinch, and Phoebe. poet who looks with an unblinking summer. In This summer, he taught at the eye, it should surprise no one that early June, he BoldFace Writer's Workshop here in her next poem, the poet makes toured through in Houston, and then attended the clear that “the mind is not a little the south with Tin House Writer's Workshop in spa.” That retreat is not an option. his friend De- Portland, Oregon, on scholarship. This raises the obvious question: nise attending what is the option? The answer and participat- Laurie Ann Cedilnik (M.F.A., is a poetry that sees this world of ing in poetry Fiction) graduated in May, after confused and jambled categories slams. “Savannah is really beauti- spending a wonderful two years and events and understands it as ful.” He did a Chicago show where as the Editor of Gulf Coast. Her a subject matter for poetry. Poetry the first poetry slam was invented reviews have appeared in News- is not retreat from the world but by a construction worker who still

CWP NEWS 10 hosts it. Ryler also went on a road WORKS in Houston. November 16, 2009. He also re- trip with his mom. ceived the Alexander Prize in fic- Anna Journey’s (Ph.D., Poetry) tion from the University of Hous- first poetry collection, If Birds ton. Josephine, David’s other Gather Your Hair for Nesting (Uni- daughter, has her own sense of versity of Georgia Press, 2009), style (see photo). One day as they selected by Thomas Lux for the were driving to the grocery they National Poetry Series, has been passed the store where they buy Ryler Dustin called “magical” by film director her shoes. When Josephine saw David Lynch and has received re- where they were she said, with her Ashleigh Eisinger (Ph.D., Fiction) views from the the Los Angeles three year old voice going on 16, "I and her boyfriend, Paul, adopted Times, Chicago Tribune, The Ken- feel like I need to go to Stride Rite, a little chihuahua puppy in Febru- yon Review Online, Blackbird, The guys." No joke. David says that he ary. Her name is Maeby and she Rumpus, and Poetry International. and Liz don't was 7 months old in July. She She’s currently completing her know how this had a tough start - she was aban- second poetry collection, Whisper happened. Are doned at 6 weeks and lost all her to the Hive, and plans to gradu- they in trouble hair to mange - but now she's on ate with her Ph.D. from UH this or what? the mend and frisky as ever. And December. Recently, Journey’s Ashleigh and Paul adore her, of poems have been solicited by The course. Kenyon Review for inclusion in their fall 2011 feature on art and Hannah Gamble (M.F.A., Poetry) perversity. Journey’s most recent was awarded the Cecily Parks Fel- prose publications include an es- Josephine Lombardi lowship from Rice University. She say on contemporary elegy in Par- will spend the 2010/11 school nassus, an autobiographical lyric year teaching multi-genre Creative meditation on Sylvia Plath’s Yaddo Keya Mitra (Ph.D., Fiction) has Writing classes, supervising the poems in Plath Profiles: An Inter- accepted a tenure-track position production of Rice's undergradu- disciplinary Journal for Sylvia Plath in creative writing and literature at ate literature magazine R2, and Studies, and a review of Beckian Gonzaga University in Spokane, writing poems. Fritz Goldberg’s forthcoming col- WA. Her novel is also currently a lection in FIELD. This September, semifinalist for the Amazon Break- Eric Howerton (Ph.D., Fiction) Journey will read her own poetry through Novel contest and was re- had fiction acceptances last and present her essay on meta- viewed by Publisher's Weekly. spring in Johnny America, and has morphosis imagery in Larry Levis’s work forthcoming in Grey Sparrow Elegy at the conference, “Larry Caitlin Plunkett (M.F.A., Poetry) Press and Night Train. Levis: American Poet,” at Virginia has had two poems recently pub- Commonwealth University. She lished on "Poets for Living Wa- Janine Joseph (Ph.D., Poetry) also makes an appearance in the ters." Also, she spent the summer currently teaches with Writers in forthcoming independent docu- teaching Space Science and Ten- the Schools and serves as a po- mentary film about Larry Levis, nis to kids in Harris County. etry editor for Gulf Coast. A re- "My Story In a Late Style of Fire", cipient of a 2010 Brazos Book- directed by Michele Poulos and Edward Porter (Ph.D., Fiction) store/Academy of American Poets funded in part by Nick Levis, New has a story coming out in the on- prize, she had poems published Virginia Review, Inc., and VCU. line journal Booth. recently in Clementine and in the chapbook Here is a Pen: An An- Eric Kocher (M.F.A., Poetry) had Kent Shaw (Ph.D., Poetry) will thology of West Coast Kundiman a poem accepted by Boston Re- have poems appear in Denver Poets. She served on the “7 and view. Also, Eric taught poetry at Quarterly. 7: 7 Poets Celebrate Kundiman's the Young Writers Workshop at 7th Year as a Poetry Community” the University of Virginia this sum- Analicia Sotelo (M.F.A., Poetry) panel at Split This Rock in D.C., as mer. was nominated for the Alfredo Cis- well as on the “Kundiman: Love neros Del Moral Award for emerg- Songs and Leaps of Faith” panel David Lombardi (Ph.D., Fiction) ing and established Texas writers. at AWP in Denver. This summer, and his wife, Liz Ehrhart, had a she was teaching with WONDER- baby girl, Juliet Elizabeth, on Ian Stansel (Ph.D., Fiction) has

CWP NEWS 11 had stories appear in Barrelhouse, 2010 CWP "Prom" Ecotone, and Ploughshares, and Writing We're sure its not official and we're has finished (sort of) his first novel. pretty sure its not traditional but Competitions In July, he took over the position over the last few years some of our of editor at Gulf Coast. Best of all, The University of Houston’s students have indulged in that time- in August he married writer Sarah Creative Writing Program honored rite of passage: the prom. Strickley. And we love them for it. is pleased to announce the writing awards winners for Allyn West (Ph.D., Non-Fiction) Here are a few photos from the most 2009-2010 was nominated for a Pushcart recent CWP "Prom". Enjoy! Prize for an essay, "Sperm Do- INPRINT/JOAN and STANFORD nors," published in the Cimarron Review. Also, he was married this ALEXANDER PRIZE FICTION year to Sara Cooper, who is a David Lombardi Ph.D. candidate in rhetoric and composition at UH. INPRINT/PAUL VERLAINE PRIZE IN POETRY Jessica Wilbanks (M.F.A., Poetry) Eric Higgins presented a conference paper this April at the University of Texas at INPRINT/BARTHELME MEMO- Austin's 2010 Africa Conference RIAL FELLOWSHIPS IN FIC- on Women, Gender, and Sexu- TION ality and had a paper approved for presentation at the American Ian Schimmel ($5,000) Academy of Religion's 2010 Con- Zachery Bean ($2,500) ference in this coming November. She received a Pre-Doctoral Re- INPRINT/BARTHELME MEMO- search Fellowship from the West RIAL FELLOWSHIP IN NON- Africa Research Association to FICTION fund two months of research in Mari Jorgensen Nigeria for her M.F.A. thesis. She also received word recently that INPRINT/LUCILLE JOY PRIZE her essays were finalists in Fourth IN POETRY Genre and The Normal School's essay competitions, and that her Hayan Charara essay, "Father of Disorder", will be published in the next edition INPRINT/BARTHELME FEL- of The Normal School: A Literary LOWSHIP IN POETRY Magazine. Sean Bishop

BRAZOS BOOKSTORE / ACADEMY OF AMERICAN POETS PRIZE Janine Joseph

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Jane Koh and Kent Shaw

JUDGES REBECCA WALKER—Non-fiction MARLON JAMES--Fiction LAURA KASISCHKE--Poetry

CWP NEWS 12 Incoming Poetry Graduates Students Rhianna Brandt, M.F.A. B.A., Salem College Fall 2009 Fiction Kimberly Bruss, M.F.A. Garret Johnson, M.F.A., Fiction Justin Chrestman, Ph.D. B.A., Univ. of Wisconsin- Madi- B.A. and M.F.A. son Kathryn Paterson, Ph.D., Fic- New Mexico State Univ. tion Sophie Klahr, M.F.A. B.A., Emerson College James Franco, Ph.D. (Defer to Spring 2010 Fall 2011) B.A., Univ. of California, Los Angeles David Tomas Martinez, Ph.D. M.F.A., Columbia Univ. B.A. and M.F.A. Sean Bishop, M.F.A., Poetry M.F.A., New York Univ. San Diego State Univ. Laurie Cedilnik, M.F.A., Fiction M.F.A., Warren Wilson College Eric Ekstrand, M.F.A., Poetry Karyna McGlynn, Ph.D. Hannah Gamble, M.F.A., Poetry Aja Gabel, Ph.D. B.A., Seattle Univ. M.F.A., Univ. of Michigan-Ann Ar- Kasten Glover, M.F.A., Poetry B.A., Wesleyan Univ. Ian Schimmel, M.F.A., Fiction M.F.A., Univ. of Virginia bor Monique Stevens, M.F.A., Fiction Michelle Mariano, Ph.D. (Defer TaraShea Nesbit, Ph.D. (Defer to to Spring 2011) Fall 2011) Hayan Charara, Ph.D., Poetry B.A., Bryn Mawr College B.A., Ohio State Univ. Michael Jones, Ph.D., Fiction M.F.A., Washington State Univ.- M.F.A., New Mexico State Univ. Brandon Lamson, Ph.D., Poetry St. Louis Keya Mitra, Ph.D., Fiction Zachary Martin, Ph.D. Paul Otremba, Ph.D., Poetry B.A., Univ. of Chicago Ryan O’Malley, M.F.A. M.A., Florida State Univ. B.A., DePaul Univ.

Whitney Mower, M.F.A. Frances Justine Post, Ph.D. B.A., Utah Valley Univ. B.A., Hampshire College M.F.A., Columbia Univ. Celeste Prince, M.F.A. B.A., Macalester College John Sherer, M.F.A. B.A., Univ. of Chicago Steve Sanders, Ph.D. B.A., Univ. of Oklahoma Elizabeth Tapia, Ph.D. M.F.A., Boston Univ. B.A., College of Charleston M.F.A., Purdue Univ. Austin Tremblay, Ph.D. B.A., Univ. of North Carolina Nicole Walker, M.F.A. M.A., New Mexico State Univ. B.A., Univ. of St. Thomas

Kevin Tynan, M.F.A. B.A., Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

Non-Fiction Jameelah Lang, Ph.D. B.A. and M.F.A. Univ. of Kansas

CWP NEWS 13 the fine work they did during their he teaches at UCLA, and found Gulf Coast time with the journal. his first visit to Texas, well, hot. In- deed, it was a sticky night in Hous- We have gotten hugely positive ton, but the AC inside the Station There have been some big chang- reactions to the two issues of cooled the crowd and let everyone es afoot in the Gulf Coast office. Gulf Coast we put out in the past attend to the night’s reading. Most noticeably, there have been year. The Winter/Spring 2010 is- administrative changes, as both sue featured most prominently a The third annual Houston Indie Editor Laurie Ann Cedilnik and commissioned work by UK-based Book Fair, co-organized with our Managing Editor Sean Bishop artist Ben Powis. The twelve- friends at NanoFiction, and spon- have graduated and moved on page spread depicted a graphic sored in part by the Council of from the bright halls of Roy Cul- interpretation of T.S. Eliot’s “The Literary Magazines and Presses, len. In July, the baton was passed Wasteland.” The issue included took place on April 3rd and was to Ian Stansel, who has taken 2009 Iowa Short Fiction Prize- the biggest one yet. Held for the over as Editor, and Rebecca winner Jennine Capo Crucet, as first time on the verdant grounds Wadlinger, who has bravely tak- well as fiction from Matt Bell and of the Menil Collection, an esti- en the Managing Editor position. John Weir, poetry from the likes mated 1,500 people showed up Ian is a fourth-year PhD candidate of G.C. Waldrep, Ai, and Zachary over the course of the day to hear in fiction, while Rebecca is begin- Schomburg, and nonfiction and readings from Antonya Nelson, ning her second year as a PhD lyric essays from Ilya Kaminski, Robert Boswell, Chitra Diva- candidate in poetry. Elena Passarello, and others. karuni, and others, and, perhaps more importantly, to peruse the of- In addition, Laura Eve Engle has The Summer/Fall issue continued ferings of more than 40 exhibitors. taken over as Reviews and Inter- Gulf Coast’s momentum with the In addition to mainstay Houston views Editor, Janine Joseph is first of what will be many “round organizations such as Inprint, Inc., the newest Poetry Editor, and Ed table” discussions. This one fea- the Houston Public Library, and Porter is the latest addition to the tured four poets talking about Brazos and Kaboom bookstores, Fiction Editorial team. Finally, we what “surrealism” means in the we also welcomed small publish- have created the new position of context of contemporary poetry. ers from as far away as Oregon Online Editor, which has been filled The feature was accompanied by and Michigan. by Will Donnelly. Keep an eye on a slew of great works by poets the Gulf Coast website as we be- Dan Beachy-Quick, Joshua Beck- This upcoming year promises to gin blogging and publishing exclu- man, Cecily Parks, and others. be an exciting one for Gulf Coast. sive online content. We have the Nonfiction included Lee Martin, This fall we will release an issue utmost confidence that all our new Peter Selgrin, and a collabora- that deals with the ongoing en- editors will help make the upcom- tive piece by Christine Hume and vironmental crisis in the Gulf of ing issues of Gulf Coast some of Kathleen Ivanoff. Our fiction in the Mexico, and the spring will see a the best yet. issue features some great emerg- twenty-fifth anniversary issue. ing writers, including Megan May- Our recently retired Managing hew Bergman, Roderic Crooks, We look forward to working with Editor, Sean Bishop, has headed and Anjali Sachdeva. And it also our new staff members, our re- north to spend a year in Wiscon- includes amazing artwork by Da- turning editors, assistant editors, sin, having won the UW-Madison’s wolu Jabari and Jules Buck Jones. and readers, as well as with the in- Diane Middlebrook Poetry Fellow- coming class of M.F.A. and Ph.D. ship. Meanwhile, happily for the The release of our most recent is- students, all of whom will certainly rest of us, Laurie Ann Cedilnik, sue was celebrated with our an- make this next year a productive who has been at the helm of Gulf nual Spring event, this year held and positive one for the journal. Coast the past two years, will be at the amazing Station Museum in staying in Houston and working midtown Houston. We were lucky Subscriptions to Gulf Coast are as the Events Coordinator at UH’s enough to have a reading from available at $28 for two years Honors College. We heartily con- the accomplished and charming (a savings of $12 off the cover gratulate both Laurie and Sean on Cal Bedient, whose books include price) and $16 for one year ($4 their graduation and their quick The Violence of Morning (2002) off the cover price). Send check post-graduation accomplish- and Days of Unwilling (2008). Cal or money order along with sub- ments, and we thank them for all flew in from Los Angeles, where scription address to: Gulf Coast,

CWP NEWS 14 Department of English, University com with conferees that allow the writer of Houston, Houston, TX 77204- a level of focus and engagement 3013. Or subscribe online: Check Run by undergraduate stu- often unavailable in a purely aca- out www.gulfcoastmag.org. dents with the wants, needs, and demic setting. The small, studio- curiosities of the emerging artist in format workshops afford the writer mind, Glass Mountain has joined individualized attention as well with the already vibrant arts com- as networking opportunities dur- munity of Houston, participating in ing conference-related evening collaborations with organizations events such as receptions, open- such as the Society for Performing mic readings, and staff readings. Arts SPA Prelude Series, Writers in The final day focuses on profes- the Schools (WITS), and the Poi- sionalism: conferees learn about son Pen Reading Series. In ad- publication, graduate school, and dition, Glass Mountain sponsors the “Writing Life” from panels of Boldface each summer (see next graduate students, cwp faculty, article), the conference for emerg- and published writers. ing writers, extending that com- munity to a national audience. Boldface has attracted emerging writers from across the nation to Tiffany Thor the UH campus, effectively ex- Glass Mountain Co-Editor tending the Houston writing com- munity across borders, real and imagined. This year, the confer- ence grew approximately 15% over 2009, its inaugural year, and continues to generate interest nation-wide. Boldface 2011 is scheduled for May 23-28, 2011. Glass Mountain Further information may be found at www.glassmountainmag.com Glass Mountain, the undergradu- and www.boldfaceconference. ate literary journal at the Univer- com. Please mark your calendars sity of Houston, is going national and encourage your best under- in spring 2011! Published bi-an- graduate writers to check us out. nually to showcase outstanding undergraduate work in fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and art, Glass Boldface: Vanessa Villarreal Mountain was founded by under- A Conference for Glass Mountain Co-Editor graduate students in 2006 and Emerging Writers has offered scores of new voices a place to be heard both on the The second annual Boldface con- printed page and at readings and ference was held from June 7-12, gatherings. In spring 2011, Glass 2010, in the Honors College at the Mountain will become a national University of Houston. Sponsored publication to offer an even broad- by Glass Mountain, Boldface is a er base of undergraduate writers week-long colloquium that cel- the community and support they ebrates the creativity, community, need, while continuing to give UH and collaboration of the writing undergraduates the opportunity community at the University of to learn the process of publishing Houston. Targeting the emerging, and being published. Please in- undergraduate writer, the confer- vite emerging writers you know to ence is staffed by MFA and PhD submit their work; information and candidates from the UH graduate submission requirements may be Creative Writing Program, who found at www.glassmountainmag. establish mentoring relationships

CWP NEWS 15 Review. He is an Associate Profes- leased Beguiled, Alumni News sor of English at Allegheny College a story merging in Pennsylvania. romance and mystery, with co- Charlie Alcorn (Ph.D, 2006) is in David Bernardy (Ph.D., 2006) author Deeanne his fifth year as Managing Editor of and Joni Tevis (Ph.D., 2005) wel- Gist. He’s living the American Book Review (ameri- comed Caroline Brooks Tevis- in South Dakota canbookreview.org) and Instructor Bernardy into their family on March now, but is hop- in the School of Arts and Sciences 22, 2010. “Thanks everybody for ing to arrange at UH-Victoria and UHSSL in Sug- being so loving a signing in ar Land. He was recently elected and supportive, Houston later this Secretary of the UH-Victoria Fac- for all your gifts year. Mark remembers that when ulty Senate and started that “lovely and thoughts he was at UH, Dan Stern was his parliamentary gig” in August. His and prayers thesis director, and Dan gave him a story collection, Argument Against and your time! hard time about trying to slip stories the Good-Looking Corpse, was We appreci- that were "too accepted for publication (spring ate it more than genre" into his 2011) by Texas Review Press. A we can say.” thesis. So now story from the collection, "Miss Joni and David that he’s writing Juicy Owns It", is in the latest issue both continue crime fiction he of Texas Review. The story "Peace to teach at Furman University in says he has a of Mind" is due to be published in Greenville, SC. Joni had work tak- recurring night- Boulevard in 2011. en at Orion and Oxford American; mare in which Charlie says that they have greatly David published online at Sidebrow. he’s stripped of enjoyed hosting UH CWP faculty Fellow UH alum Sean Hill (M.F.A., his MFA for sins in Victoria for the UHV/ABR Read- 2003) spent three weeks teaching a against literature! ing Series over the past couple of summer course at Furman this past years including Robert Phillips, May. Joni, David, and Baby Caro- Chitra Divakaruni, Antonya line looked forward to meeting up Nelson, Mark Doty and (almost) with him in Keystone, South Dakota Ruben Martinez (Hurricane Ike this summer for a heaping plate of foiled those plans). He works buffalo ribs. closely with fellow CWP graduate Tom Williams (Ph.D, 1996) who Lauren Berry (M.F.A., 2009) held is UHV's new Chair of Humanities the Diane Middlebrook Poetry Fel- and an Associate Editor at Ameri- lowship at the University of Wiscon- can Book Review. Kevin Prufer sin for the 2009-2010 academic Nicky Beer Glenn Blake and Eric Miles Williamson year. Her poetry manuscript, “The (M.F.A., 1991) are active Associate Lifting Dress,” was a semi-finalist for Editors for American Book Review Persea's Lexi Rudnitsky First Book Ann Bogle’s (M.F.A., 1994) short as well. And calling all reviewers! Prize in 2009. Lauren's poem, "The stories in Big Bridge are the sub- Let Charlie know if there's a small Pale-skinned Catholic Girls Go Top- ject of an interview with Jefferson press book you think deserves at- less Sunbathing" was accepted for Hansen at "Experimental Fiction/ tention- ABR is ready, willing and publication in American Literary Re- Poetry/Jazz", a able to promote any and all your view. blog of reviews, hidden gems. interviews and The first book c o m m e n t a r y. Christopher Bakken’s (Ph.D., in Mark Ber- Her poems ap- 1999) essay about picking olives trand’s (M.F.A., pear in The Ar- on the island of Thassos appeared 2000) series gotist Online and in the most recent issue of Parnas- set in Houston, in Wordgather- sus: Poetry in Review and he's Back on Mur- ing: A Journal of published or has new poems forth- der, came out in Disability Poetry. Her short stories coming in Ploughshares, The Hud- July. In Febru- appeared in the May 2010 edition son Review, 32 Poems, and PN ary, 2010, he re- of Istanbul Literary Review and in Metazen. She performed poetry

CWP NEWS 16 with the Dusie Kollektiv at the 2010 each, have been given annually, Downtown. Her publications of the AWP in Denver, where she served since 1985, to writers of exceptional last few years include a reprint of the on the panel, “Beauty is a Verb— talent and promise in early career. poem “Milagros” in We Begin Here: the New Poetics of Disability.” Ann Jericho still lives in San Diego, CA. Poems for Palestine and Leba- edits creative nonfiction and book non (Interlink Books); “Writing War, reviews at Mad Hatters’ Review, fic- Writing Memory,” a personal essay tion at Women Writers: a Zine, and about June Jordan, published in Still is a fiction reader at Drunken Boat. Seeking an Attitude: Critical Reflec- Her new and reprinted work ap- tions on the Work of June Jordan pears at Fictionaut. She attended (Lexington Books) and uploaded Summer Literary Seminars in Mon- on the Poetry Foundation website. treal to study with Padgett Powell Most recently Jane published “The (M.A., 1982) and Patrick Leroux. Bodies of Others: A Meditation on the Environs of Reading J.M. Coe- Shannon Borg (Ph.D., 1999) is tzee’s Disgrace, and Caryl Phillips’s General Manager of a wine shop Katherine Center The Nature of Blood,” in Encounter- and wine bar near Pike Place Mar- ing Disgrace: Reading and Teaching ket in downtown Seattle, called 106 Coetzee’s Novel (Camden House), Pine (106pine.com), featuring all Patricia Clark’s (Ph.D., 1986) po- written after her experience teaching Northwest wines and locally made ems were recently in or are forth- these texts during her 2006/2007 cheeses and cured meats. She coming in Atlantic Monthly, North- Fulbright Fellowship year at Jagiel- asks that if you’re in town, make west Review, Blackmarket Review lonian University in Kraków, Poland. sure to call or stop by for a glass (Liverpool), Upstreet, Terrain, Am- She is currently working on an essay – it’s also a literary venue, so she'd bassador Poetry Project, Controlled about the Vietnam Veterans Memo- love to organize a reading the next Burn, Zone 3 and elsewhere. Patri- rial solicited for the Edinburgh Com- time you are in town. Shannon cia chaired a panel on Transatlantic panion to Twentieth-Century British also writes the monthly wine col- Cooperation and Creative Writing and American (U.S.) War Literature umn for Seattle magazine, and her Pedagogy at the AWP 2010 con- from Edinburgh University Press. book Chefs on the Farm: Lessons ference in Denver. She was also She is also happily serving her sec- and Inspiration from the Quillisascut on a panel there, reading an essay ond term as a board member with Farm School for the Domestic Arts titled "Double Vision: The Tactic of Writers in the Schools. seduced her into the world of goat Indirection in the Lyric Poem", forth- cheese, from which she may never coming in Mentor & Muse: Essays Aaron Crippen (Ph.D., 2005) is return. from Poets to Poets, Carbondale, now teaching at Tsinghua Univer- IL: Southern Illinois University Press, sity in Bejjing where he’s trying to James Matthew Boyleston 2010. establish a core of English creative (Ph.D., 2008) published poems, writing activity. He has recently fin- essays and reviews in the follow- Thomas Cobb’s (Ph.D., 1986) ished a project with translator Du ing journals: Religion and the Arts, book, Crazy Heart, was released Hong, translating sixteen contem- Transgressive Culture, The Madison as a major motion picture this year porary American poets, including Review, Yemasse, Time of Sing- and the movie was nominated for Tony Hoagland, into Chinese. The ing, Tipton Poetry Journal, and The three academy awards. It won two book, which is part of collaboration City. He gave a series of readings awards- for Best Actor and Best with the National Endowment for and conference presentations cul- Original Song. The book was writ- the Arts, should be published soon. minating in a reading tour of Wales ten in the late 80’s but, obviously, He is also working to build ties be- this summer. James also was pro- has a timeless theme. Tom lives in tween the University of Houston and moted to Chair of the Department Rhode Island and last year his sec- Tsinghua University. of English and the Department ond novel, Shavetail, won the top of Modern Foreign Languages at fiction prize given by the Texas Insti- Deborah Cummins (M.A., 1994) Houston Baptist University. tute of Letters. had poems in two anthologies: The Poets’ Guide to Birds (Anhinga Jericho Brown (Ph.D., 2007) was Jane Creighton (M.A., 1991) is an Press) and When She Named Fire: named one of the ten recipients of Associate Professor of English and An Anthology of Contemporary Po- the 2009 Whiting Writer’s Award. Director of the Cultural Enrichment etry by American Women. She also The awards, which are $50,000 Center at the University of Houston- has a personal essay forthcoming in

CWP NEWS 17 Fourth Genre. the past year, and the Franklets are Viet Dinh (M.F.A., 2003) received puzzling over how long to stay on in Tracy Daugherty’s (Ph.D., 1985) a National Endowment for the Arts Nelson. biography of Donald Barthelme, fiction fellowship in 2008. He had a Hiding Man, a finalist for a Texas story appear in the 2009 O. Henry Institute of Letters award, was re- Prize Stories anthology. He also had Gregory Fraser (Ph.D., 1999) and leased in paperback by Picador in stories in Ninth Letter, Crab Orchard his wife, Milada, became the proud March of this Review and Greensboro Review. parents of twins, Sasha and David, year. SMU He’s still teaching at the University of in late April. This year, Greg also se- Press has just Delaware and was awarded a Dela- cured a contract published his ware Division of the Arts grant... “An for his second fourth short ‘established artist,’ they call me!” c o - a u t h o r e d story collection, Viet claims to be the master of the textbook, Ana- One Day the chai-spiced sugar cookie. lyze Anything: Wind Changed, A Guide to Col- featuring pieces Barbara Duffey (M.F.A., 2005) has lege Writing, due originally pub- poems forthcoming in the 2011 is- out from Continuum in 2011. He is lished in Tri- sue of Passages North. an Associate Professor of English at quarterly, Boulevard, The Georgia the University of West Georgia. Review, and The Best of the West Nancy Eimers's (Ph.D., 1988) Anthology, among others. Tracy’s fourth poetry collection, Oz, will be Kim Garcia’s (M.F.A., 2006) 2010 just completed a biography of Jo- published by Carnegie-Mellon in readings to date have been at the seph Heller, Just One Catch, to be winter 2011. The collection will in- Brett Whiteley Studio in Sydney, published by St. Martin's Press in clude the poem "How We Thought Australia, the the fall of 2011, on the 50th anniver- About Toys," which has been University of sary of the publication of Catch-22. awarded a Pushcart Prize and will Sydney, a Na- On July 22, he hosted a discussion appear in The Pushcart Prize XXXV: tional Poetry in New York's Madison Square Park Best of Small Presses 2011. Month reading celebrating Donald Barthelme's fic- in Boston, and tion. The event was sponsored by Emily Fox Gordon’s collection of an off-site AWP the National Book Foundation and her personal essays, entitled Book reading at the also featured David Gates and Sta- of Days, came out with Spiegel and Mercury Café cey D'Erasmo. Finally, he’s been Grau this summer, on August 17, in Denver. Her elected to the Board of Directors of along with the work has re- Oregon Literary Arts. paperback of cently appeared in Subtropics, The her recent novel, Southeast Review, Tampa Review Marisa de los Santos (Ph.D., It Will Come to and Free Verse, and she received 1996) is in the homestretch with Me. The collec- the 2009 XJ Kennedy Award. She her third novel, which she hopes tion of essays teaches creative writing at Boston to deliver to her wonderful and pa- will include an College. tient editor at William Morrow in a introduction by few months. Foreign rights con- Phillip Lopate. tinue to sell for the first two books in Emily will be Eva Ginsburg (M.F.A., 2001) has places like Russia and China, which reading at Bra- a new baby, Ilana Dvora Scher, she finds exciting if mind-boggling. zos on Sept. 17, an event to which, born on May 4. Eva says that sib- She’s taking ballet classes, doing of course, everyone is invited. Her lings Freddy and Malkah (five and a lot of volunteer work, watching charming granddaughter, Emma three) have been behaving quite de- her kids grow up ridiculously fast Constantine, will be 2 in Septem- cently toward their new sister. They (Charles is going into sixth grade ber. live in Urbana, IL, have homemade and has feet bigger than Marisa’s; bread, and do enormous amounts Annabel is eight going on twenty- Duane Fran- of laundry. five), and she’s eagerly awaiting the klet (M.A., 1989) publication of her husband David has been doing Gary Hawkins (Ph.D., 2004) and Teague's first children's book in IT consulting in Landon Godfrey (M.F.A., 2000) mid-August. New Zealand for are well. Gary is enjoying his job as

CWP NEWS 18 Director of Undergraduate Writing view; and poems in Memorious, shares, and has work forthcoming at Warren Wilson College in Swan- Puerto del Sol, Fourteen Hills, Sen- in Conduit. Peter was also recently nanoa, N.C. He's also Director of tence, Controlled Burn, Wisconsin nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and First Seminar there. He's busy! Review, The Los Angeles Review, was a guest blogger for The Plough- Landon’s recent news is that David and The Normal School. His disser- shares Blog in March and April of St. John has chosen her manu- tation at UH, "The Disappearance 2010. He and his wife, Missy, pur- script, "Second-Skin Rhinestone of Hope Trimble", was a semifinalist chased their first home last October Spangled Nude Souffle Chiffon in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel in the Garden Oaks neighborhood Gown", as the winner of the Cider Award. of Houston. This summer he left his Press Book Award. Her book will position as Development Director at be published February 2011. They Cliff Hudder (M.F.A., 1995) contin- Inprint to become the new director live in Black Mountain, NC, just out- ues as professor of English at Lone of development at the Menil Collec- side of Asheville. "Very beautiful and Star College-Montgomery in Con- tion. lots of black bears!" roe, TX, which recently awarded him a Faculty Excellence Award for the Irene Keliher (M.F.A., 2009) wrote Steve Haldeman (M.F.A., 2004) 2009-2010 academic year. Award- the libretto for the bilingual one-act ran away and joined the Roller Der- ed a faculty exploration grant he, his opera, “A Way Home” which was by Revolution. He coaches the Cin- wife Kazumi, and son Dylan (now performed at Houston Community cinnati Rollergirls, a member of the 4) traveled to Japan in the summer College in May. Women's Flat Track Derby Associa- of 2010 to conduct research for his tion and one of the top 20 teams in course “Writing About Japanese Jason Koo’s (M.F.A., 2002) first the country. Steve also plays derby Film and Literature." Alongside col- book, Man on Extremely Small Is- for a Baltimore men's team called league and CWP grad Dave Par- land, was published in December, the Harm City Homicide. His derby sons (M.A., 1991), he continues as 2009, by C&R nom de guerre is “Quad Almighty”! a program director of the college’s Press. It was the He says, "I've been looking for this Writers in Performance reading winner of C&R sport my whole life and now I'm in series that this year featured for- Press's De Novo love with it. Look up your local roller mer CWP professor, Guggenheim Poetry Prize and derby league and go see it for your- Foundation President, and award a Finalist for the self. At last estimate, there were winning poet Edward Hirsch as its National Poetry over 450 active derby leagues play- April offering. A winner of the Texas Series, the Kath- ing worldwide, including the Texas College English Association writing ryn A. Morton Rollergirls in Austin, who started the award for the second consecutive Prize, and the whole thing. The world is flat! Join year, his article “‘Most barbarously Ohio State Uni- the Revolution!" large and final’: Placing Texas in Billy versity Press’s Lee Brammer’s The Gay Place,” will The Journal Award in Poetry. Since John Harvey (Ph.D., 1998) con- be published in that society’s con- the book came tinues to write plays and is an Art- ference journal in the fall, and his out Jason’s been ist in Residence at the UH Honors short story “Clear Lake” is upcom- doing readings in College. He’s won grants from the ing in The Texas Review. Also up- cities all over the Houston Arts Alliance and awards coming, Cliff has been named one country, includ- from the Academy of American Po- of three new councilors elected for ing New York ets. He is co-founder of Mildred’s the Conference of College Teachers (where he had Umbrella Theater Company and last of English. In fall of 2009 he began his book release fall his latest play,” Night of the Gi- (very slowly) working on his Ph.D. in party at the Asian ant”, was produced. The produc- Literature at Texas A&M University in American Writ- tion included an original score by College Station, Texas, but has not ers' Workshop), Elliot Cole. quit his day job. Cleveland, Boston, Houston, Lou- isville, Collegeville, PA, Washington, Chris Haven (Ph.D. 2001) is Asso- Peter Hyland’s (M.F.A., 2007) PA and Columbia, MO. The book ciate Professor of Writing at Grand chapbook, Elegy to the Idea of a is selling well and will soon be go- Valley State University in Michigan. Child, was published by Trilobite ing into a second edition. It cracked This year he has an essay in Reed; Press last year. He’s had poems Amazon's Top Ten Bestsellers in stories in Flatmancrooked, Hunger appear recently in New England Asian American Literature. In Janu- Mountain, and New Orleans Re- Review, New South, and Plough- ary he completed a four-week resi-

CWP NEWS 19 dency at the Vermont Studio Center, tails at http://wflantry.com. He's still where he won a Full Fellowship in Director of Academic Technology at David MacLean (Ph.D., 2009) poetry. Jason was also interviewed the Catholic University of America. read one of his essays on the NPR by Elizabeth Hildreth for the online Check out the 2011 Texas Poetry program “This American Life” in journal Bookslut. Calendar for a poem workshopped January (episode #399: Contents at UH. You’ll find it sometime Unknown). He recently sold his This year Andrew Kozma (Ph.D., around Cinco de Mayo. memoir, The Answer to the Riddle is 2007) has been writing a novel, try- Me, to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. It ing to get an agent with the bait of Lance Larsen (Ph.D., 1993) con- will come out in 2012. another novel, and trying to start a tinues to teach at BYU. He has theater company (Theater 42) with a had recent appearances in Slate, James May (M.F.A., 2007) mar- director friend. Andrew won the D. River Styx, Prairie Schooner, Verse ried the poet Chelsea Rathburn H. Lawrence Fellowship to the Taos Daily, and Best American Poetry this July, in Pittsburgh. The couple Summer Writers Conference, but 2009, with new work forthcoming spent the summer traveling be- that was his only trip out of the city in Southern Review, Poetry, Rari- tween Paris and Krakow, where they for the foreseeable future. He’s had tan, New Letters, and Brevity. In fall got to visit with poems accepted by The Pinch and 2009 he completed a residency at Adam Zagajew- Iron Horse Literary Review, and his the Anderson Center in Red Wing, ski. James' first published story will be coming MN, and he served as a poetry poem "Fringe out in DIAGRAM soon. In his spare guest editor for an issue of Crazy- Tree" recently time, he’s been raising orphaned, horse. In spring 2010, he directed appeared in The feral kittens that he and Megan find a London study abroad program fo- New Republic, behind their house. cusing on theater. and he has po- ems forthcom- Laurie Lambeth (Ph.D., 2006) was Leah Lax (M.F.A., 2004) is still in ing in the New Ohio Review. He invited to do a writing residency Houston, “plugging along.” She’s continues to edit the magazine New this year at Saint Mary's College teaching seminars for Inprint. She South. of Maryland's Artist House. Her has the lead essay in an anthology poems and essays appeared or just out by Random House. The Ann McCutchen (M.F.A., 1998) are forthcoming in Seneca Review, essay is called "Keep Your Wives toured five universities in Texas and Crazyhorse, Zocalo Public Square, Away From Them," edited by Miry- Colorado in March and April, 2010, Planet of the Blind, and in Sean am Kabakov. with readings, talks, and perfor- Hill's (M.F.A., 2003) Natural Histo- mances of her musical texts. Also, ries project at "The Owls". Jared Leising (M.F.A., 1998) is liv- in May, Ann was inducted into the ing in Seattle, and is the curator for Texas Institute of Letters. In June Somebody hit the reset switch on the 2010 Jack Straw Writers Pro- and July, 2010, she was writer-in- Bill Lantry (Ph.D., 1993), who ap- gram. He and his wife are also ex- residence at the Thinking Like A pears under the mild mannered pecting another son in late July. We Mountain Foundation in the Davis disguise of W.F. Lantry. In the past wish them luck. Mountains. year, he's published over 80 poems, in print and online, here and abroad, Elline Lipkin (Ph.D., 2003) is still Kim Meyer (Ph.D., 2008) received including 12 different countries (thir- a Research a 2010 Established Artist Grant from teen if you count Texas). He came Scholar at the Houston Arts Alliance to begin "within an inch" of winning the Ri- UCLA's Center work on her new writing project: re- elo World Prize for Mystical Poetry, for the Study of tracing the path of the 15th century "within a whisker" of the Morton Women. She’ll pilgrim, Friar Felix Fabri, who trav- Marr Prize, and did win Cutbank's be traveling this eled from Ulm, Germany to the Holy Patricia Goedicke Prize. He was fall to promote Land and Mount Sinai in 1483. even mentioned, honorably, for the Girls' Studies Hippocrates Prize in England. His including a talk Leslie Miller (Ph.D., 1991) reported beautiful wife had trouble cashing at the American that Graywolf Press has accepted the check: "Who knew poetry was School in Paris, her sixth collection of poems, Y, for paid in pounds?" He's too modest which she’s very excited about. El- publication in 2012. Work from this to mention the other four prizes he line also hopes to launch a blog collection has appeared or is forth- won this year, but you can find de- soon about girls. coming in numerous publications.

CWP NEWS 20 Texas Blanton Museum Ekphrastic one-act play "Dig" was produced Yvonne Murphy (Ph.D., 2000) had Poetry Project. He also has two at the Old Red Lion Theatre (one a baby girl in 2008, Rory Margaret poems forthcoming from The Texas of London's better-known fringe Friedman. Yvonne’s poetry manu- Review, and three poems in des- theaters) on June 8-26. A positive script, “Aviaries”, won the 2009 Car- cant. review appeared at http://www. olina Wren Press Poetry Award and extraextra.org/ReviewThe_Next_ will be published by them in January Curve_2010.html. A short film 2011. She is a Mentor in Literature adapted from the play will be filmed and Writing and Associate Profes- this fall. He gave several readings sor of Cultural Studies at SUNY Em- (in English and Spanish) of his chil- pire State College. dren's book The Best Mariachi in the World/El Mejor Mariachi del Laurie Newendorp’s (M.A., 1992) Mundo at the annual conference daughter's book, Uneasy Reunions of the National Council of La Raza (Nicole deJong Newendorp, in San Antonio on July 10, 11 and 2008, Stanford Press), survived 12. John’s first collection of es- in hardback, is coming out in pa- says, Dowsing and Science, will be perback, and received an award Padgett Powell published by Texas Review Press (beneficial ethnography) from the in late 2010 or early 2011. His American Anthropology Associa- Darby Sanders (M.F.A., 2000) is story "Fighting Words" appeared in tion. Laurie’s son, Taylor and wife living in Atlanta and teaching Writing Cellstories in June. He is currently Kate had their first child, Laurie’s at the Savannah College of Art and seeking publishers for two poetry third grandson, Finn Newendorp. Design-Atlanta. He’s also work- collections, one in formal verse and ing in public broadcasting. He and one in free verse, and working on Amanda Nowlin (Ph.D., 2007) won his wife Jenny welcomed identical new projects in several genres. Up- a 2010 Barbara Deming Award for twin girls into their family in August dates appear on his blog at http:// women artists based on her novel of 2009- Estella and Luna. They jdsmithwriter.blogspot.com. manuscript, “The Greenest Grass”. also have a five year old daughter, In 2009, she published essays in Tallulah. Marilyn Stablein (M.A., 1982) has a Callaloo and Vandal. Amanda still new book of poems, Splitting Hard lives in Huntsville, TX. Patty Seyburn’s (Ph.D., 2003) Ground, from La Alameda Press, poem, "The Case for Free Will," won 2010. She read Greg Oaks (Ph.D., 2001) is still a 2011 Pushcart Prize. It was origi- and signed one of the people running the Poi- nally published in the premier issue copies of the son Pen reading series, along with of Arroyo Literary Review. She’s had book on a west Casey Fleming (M.F.A., 2007), poems this year in Poetry, Boston coast book tour David MacLean (Ph.D., 2009) and Review, Hotel Amerika and DIA- in August and Scott Repass. GRAM, among others. A highlight September. She of her academic year was having has new work David Parsons (M.A., 1991) is still Ed Hirsch read at Cal State, Long published in teaching Creative Writing & Rac- Beach, where she’s an Assistant Sin Fronteras, quetball/Handball at Lone Star Professor. Chokecherries, College-Montgomery. He and his The Rag, New favorite colleague and former UH Matthew Siegel (M.F.A., 2009) re- Perspectives Magazine, Sage Trail Alum, Cliff Hudder (M.F.A., 1995) cently completed his first year as a and Malpais Review where she ac- are still co-directing the Writers In Wallace Stegner Fellow in poetry at cepted the position of Art Director. Performance Series. They are in Stanford University and has poems An essay is forthcoming in the an- their 17th year and have hosted well forthcoming in Lo-Ball, Ninth Letter, thology, Voices of New Mexico. She over 200 writers. This past April, and Washington Square. He spent was a speaker at the Women Au- they were delighted to have their this summer teaching creative writ- thor’s Book Festival in Santa Fe and old UH mentor and friend, Edward ing to gifted youth in Singapore and p r e - Hirsch, down for National Poetry at Stanford. He lives in San Fran- sented Month. A poem of David’s was in- cisco. a lec- cluded in a special issue of Border- t u r e lands spotlighting the University of John J.D. Smith’s (M.A., 1989) at the

CWP NEWS 21 State Capitol Rotunda Gallery. College in Ft. Worth, TX. Robert is Book Review. Marilyn’s artist books have won nu- sending out articles to various jour- merous awards including Best of nals and plans on self-publishing a Tiphanie Yanique’s (M.F.A., 2006) Show in “Book It!” an exhibition at book of poetry in the next year. debut collection of stories, How the Branigan Library, Las Cruces, to Escape From a Leper Colony, NM, for her book Numerals: Units & George Williams (Ph.D., 1994) was released in Equations. She also exhibited art at published his first novel, Degener- March. She read Canyon Gallery in Boulder, CO, La ate, in February 2010. He also had at Brazos Book- Mesa Library in Los Alamos, NM, stories published in The Hopkins store in Houston and Judy Chicago’s "Through The Review and and participated Flower" Foundation Gallery. B o u l e v a r d in a panel dis- this spring. cussion at UH in Gail Donohue Storey (M.A., 1982) George was April. Tiphanie won two awards from New Millen- the first recipi- is a professor of nium Writings for two excerpts from ent of the Mi- Creative Writ- her nearly finished memoir about chener Fellow- ing and Carib- hiking the Pacific Crest Trail,I Never ship in Honor bean Literature at Much Cared for Nature. Another of Donald Drew University. Tiphanie won the excerpt from the book will be pub- Barthelme. Rona Jaffe Prize in 2010. lished in the August issue of Pilgrim- His stories and age Magazine. Her blog features a essays have short music video of the hilariously appeared in The Pushcart Prize, harrowing hike: http://www.gailsto- New Virginia Review, American rey.com/video-1-of-our-hike-of-the- Book Review and other publica- pacific-crest-trail. tions. He lives in Savannah, GA, and teaches at Savannah College Giuseppe Taurino (M.F.A., 2006) of Art and Design. and his wife, Paola, continue to live in Austin, where Giuseppe serves as Eric Miles Williamson's (M.F.A., Education Programs Manager for 1991) third novel, Welcome to Oak- Badgerdog Literary Publishing. This land, was named the #2 Book of the past year, Giuseppe's stories have Year by the Huffington Post, which appeared in The Potomac Review also ranked the and Epoch. novel among the 40 Best Novels Mike Theune’s (Ph.D., 2002) re- of the Decade. view-essay “Impolitic: Kent John- The Washington son’s Radical Hybridity” appeared in Post gave it a Pleiades (30.1), and his essay “Neg- rave review, and ative Capability T wang dillo dee” the French trans- appeared in Jacket (40). His poems lation will appear recently have appeared in Anti- and on Fayard Noir in Poemeleon. Mike has essays forth- 2011. His short coming in Poets on Teaching and story collection, 14 Fictional Posi- Mentor and Muse: Essays from Po- tions, has just been published, and ets to Poets, and he continues to in January 2111 his essay collec- host the blog “structureandsurprise. tion, Say it Hot: Essays on Ameri- wordpress.com.” can Writers Living, Dying and Dead, will be published. For the past two Robert Tinajero (M.F.A., 2004) tells years he has been the featured us that in December he finished his American literary critic for the French Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Writing Stud- magazine, Transfuge. Eric is Senior ies from the University of Texas-El Editor of Boulevard, continues as Paso and currently holds a tenure- Fiction Editor of The Texas Review track position at Tarrant County and is Associate Editor of American

CWP NEWS 22

0073019300 CWPNews University of Houston Creative Writing Program 229 Roy Cullen Building Houston TX 77204-3015 Address Correction Requested