The Newsletter of the Creative Writing Program at the University of Houston

Home , Annie Finch, Dara Wier, Kimiko Hahn, Mark Doty

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John Antel Dean, CLASS

Wyman Herendeen English Dept. Chair

j. Kastely CWP Director

Kathy Smathers Assistant Director

Maria Martinez Program Coordinator

Glenn Blake Alumni Coordinator Undergraduate Advisor

713.743.3015 [email protected]

2004-2005 Edition

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... The academic year 2004/2005 was a particularly full one. We welcomed Claudia Rankine to the faculty; we participated in the inaugural course for the new Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for Col- laboration among the Arts; and on April 16, 2005, we hosted a celebration of the UH Creative Writ- ing Program’s 25th anniversary. This year we will welcome Kimiko Hahn to the poetry faculty and welcome Patricia Powell in the Fall and Peter Turchi in the Spring as visiting professors of fiction. And 19 new students will join the program: 10 in poetry; 8 in fiction, and 1 in non-fiction.

In 2005/2006 we will address the undergraduate concentration in Creative Writing; we will work with the Graduate Studies Program to reform our graduate programs; and we will continue our efforts to build a strong and effective alumni association.

It was especially gratifying in April to visit with alumni and former faculty. It allowed us the op- portunity to recognize the special contributions of some of our former faculty, to acknowledge people in the community who have generously supported the program over the years, and to ac- claim the achievements of our alumni. President Gogue hosted a wonderful reception; the M. D. Anderson Library put on a splendid night honoring the opening of the Donald Barthelme archive (the readings that evening by Grace Paley and Padgett Powell were works of art that both honored Donald Barthelme and captured the edgy comic wit of his fiction); and finally, the Program brought past and current faculty and students together in readings and discussions that showed why this is such a special Creative Writing Program. Everyone seemed to have a good time at the festivi- ties, and the standing ovation to John McNamara, as the faculty member who first conceived of the program, provided a spontaneous tribute to John’s vision some 25 years ago.

The weekend of celebration reminded us of what has been achieved, and it appropriately called us to continue to be an innovative leader in Creative Writing. It confirmed us in our commitment to think in large terms and to be willing to rethink directions and to be open to what the future will demand. Ours is an on-going task of creatively re-inventing ourselves. The most immediate place for such reinvention is the undergraduate concentration and the graduate programs. And this year we will be true to our heritage as we ask ourselves what are the best ways to create curricula and programs that are both intellectually rigorous and creatively challenging. Not content to rest on past achievement, we will embrace the generative dialectic of change and continuity and we will undertake the risks that are necessary for any program that is truly vital.

j. Kastely, Director

CWP NEWS 2

uted to the larger goal of helping Program News Mike Doyle has been indispens- the Mitchell Center begin to create able again in so many ways this a curriculum in which the vari- year. From helping get our ads out ous creative units could genuinely Staff News and assisting with the newsletter, to cooperate. The Center will offer its working closely with us on all aspects second course in collaboration in Well, we made it through the ap- of the anniversary celebration, Spring 2006. plication process and the CWP 25th including taking all the pictures, he anniversary celebration and then jumped in where he was needed. As New Faculty Shatera Dixon, our office coordina- always, the Creative Writing Pro- tor, left us. She’s moved to Miami gram is extremely grateful for his Kimiko Hahn will join us in the Fall and will be working at the Univ. of help and glad he’s our friend. Miami. She will be missed and we 2005 semester. She is the author of wish her luck. I just hope we didn’t six collections of poetry: The Artist’s run her off. Daughter, Mosquito and Ant, Volatile, The Unbearable Heart, which was We were, however, fortunate enough awarded an American Book Award, to find a new office coordinator Earshot, which received the Theodore quickly. She is Maria Martinez and Roethke Memorial Poetry Prize and began working with us in June. She an Association of Asian American worked at UH-Downtown for four Studies Literature Award and Air years before going to Rice Univ. in Pocket. She has received fellow- December, 2004. She is also a stu- Kathy & Maria ships from the NEA, The New York Foundation for the Arts, and the dent with a double major in physics Inaugural Course in Collabo- and math. Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund. ration Among the Arts In 1995, she wrote ten portraits of Kathy Smathers, Asst. Director, women for the MTV special, Ain’t In Spring 2005, Professor Nick continues to work with j. to make Nuthin’ but a She-Thing for which Flynn and four graduate students, the Creative Writing Program all we she also recorded voice-overs. This Lacy Johnson, Andrew Kozma, Kelly think it can be. We worked hard past year she was commissioned Moore, and Nick Brown, and one on the 25th anniversary celebration to write a screenplay for photos by undergraduate, Amanda Auchter, and think the work paid off with a Peter Lindbergh; the text will be participated in the first course wonderful homecoming for our cur- narrated by Jeanne Moreau. Kim- sponsored by the new Cynthia rent and former students and faculty. iko has just completed The Narrow Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts. But, we don’t want to do it again for Road to the Interior, a collection of Along with faculty and students a very long time. Kathy would like poetry and prose, largely utilizing the from Theatre, Art, and Music, our to thank all of you who helped put classical Japanese forms, tanka and faculty and students worked in four the event together. Our plans for the zuihitsu. Currently she is working small groups, each group deciding future include trying to streamline on a series inspired by articles from upon an independent collabora- our application process and work- the Science Times. tive project and then carrying that ing with our alumni on an alumni project to completion. The four organization. projects ranged from an interactive event between the students and com- We were lucky enough to have munity, to a series of staged events Glenn Blake working with us this that sought to play with the conven- year as part time alumni relations tions of audience expectation, to two coordinator, advisor to creative writ- performance pieces, each of which ing undergraduates and lecturer. He explored aspects of identity. Not was really busy. If he can be enticed only did the four projects succeed, to continue doing all this, we’ll try to but the course participants contrib- get him his own desk next year. Kimiko Hahn

CWP NEWS 3 The Inprint Brown Reading Series, vaudeville star Bert Williams, the 2005-2006 Inprint- twice voted “Best Reading Series” first Black entertainer in the U.S. by Houston Press, described as the to reach the highest levels of fame. Brown Reading Series “city’s premier venue for readings Special location Zilkha Hall, Hobby . . . one of the real bargains on Center for the Performing Arts, 800 Houston’s cultural landscape,” by Bagby Street. Celebrating its 25th anniversary— Houston Chronicle Book Editor Louise Erdrich, October 17, 2005— 25 years of bringing over 250 of the Fritz Lanham, and called “famously good” by National Book Award Erdrich is “universally hailed as one world’s great writers to Texas— the winner Jonathan Franzen, contin- of the most talented writers of her 2005-2006 season of the Inprint ues to rank among the top literary generation” (Bookmarks Magazine). Brown Reading Series will feature showcases in the United States, par- Her novels focus on an Ojibwe reser- giants of contemporary literature, alleling the caliber of reading series vation in North Dakota and include including such literary masters as in New York, Seattle, Portland, and The Beet Queen, The Bingo Palace, John Irving, John Updike, Mary Santa Fe. Tracks, and The Master Butchers Sing- Gordon, Louise Erdrich, and oth- ing Club. Her debut novel Love Med- ers. Presented by Inprint, in associa- John Irving, August 8, 2005— icine won the National Book Critics tion with the UH Creative Writing Great American writer, Irving is Circle Award, and The Last Report on Program, Alley Theatre, and Brazos the author of 11 novels, including the Miracles at Little No Horse was a Bookstore, the season features a spe- the bestsellers The World According finalist for the National Book Award. cial pre-season reading with Irving, to Garp, The Cider House Rules, A She will be reading from her newest seven regular season readings, and Prayer for Owen Meany, A Widow novel The Painted Drum. two family events. for One Year, and The Fourth Hand. The recipient of numerous honors including the National Book Lucie Brock Broido and Dionisio Martinez Readings take place at the Alley Award, Irving will read from his , November 14, 2005— Broido Theatre, 615 Texas Avenue, with the new novel, Until I Find You. A Award-winning poet, has exception of the first two readings. special pre-season event to mark been described as having “swank, The season begins in August and the 25th anniversary season of the wit, humor, playfulness, and sheer Parnas- runs through May; readings are Inprint Brown Reading Series, this brilliance” (Calvin Bedient, sus held on Mondays at 7:30 p.m. and reading takes place at Cullen The- ). She is the author of three collec- family events are on Saturdays at 11 ater, Wortham Center, 501 Texas tions of poetry, including her most Trouble in Mind Martinez a.m. (doors open 45 minutes before Avenue. recent, . reading). Admission for the Irving was born in Cuba and raised in or Updike reading is $10. Admis- Mary Gordon and Caryl Phillips, Spain and California. Jorie Graham sion for all other readings is $5, free September 26, 2005—Gordon is describes his poetry as “heartbreak- for students and senior citizens. the author of seven novels, including, overstuffed, seeping with - his The family events are free. Readings ing Final Payments and The Com- tory.” He is the author of three col- Climbing Back will be followed by book sales, and pany of Women, as well as novellas, lections— , selected Bad all but the Irving reading will be essays, memoir, and biography. Her for the National Poetry Series, Alchemy History as a Second followed by book signings. Reserved latest novel Pearl is described by , and season tickets are now available Maxine Hong Kingston as “a mas- Language. through Inprint; tickets for the pre- terpiece. . . . vital reading.” Phil- Jonathan Safran Foer and Gish Jen, season event with Irving are avail- lips is the author of seven novels, January 23, 2006—Foer’s debut able on-line at www.inprint-inc.org including A Distant Shore, which novel, Everything Is Illuminated, or by calling 713-315-2525. For won the Commonwealth Writ- became an international bestseller; more information, contact Inprint ers Prize, Higher Ground, and The a film adaptation is due out in fall at 713-521-2026 or visit www. Nature of Blood, and three books of 2005. His latest novel, Extremely inprint-inc.org. nonfiction. His new novel,Dancing in the Dark, reimagines the life of Close and Incredibly Loud, follows

CWP NEWS 4 a 9-year-old attempting to solve a Brown Reading Series in 1980. In plished Indian classical dancer Dr. mystery left behind by his father, honor of the Series’ 25th anniversa- Rathna Kumar, director of Anjali who died at the World Trade Center ry, the current UH Creative Writing Center for Indian Performing Arts. on 9/11. Leading Chinese Ameri- Program faculty will give short read- can writer, Jen is the author of the ings. They include:Robert Boswell, Cinco de Mayo para Niños with novels Typical American and Mona fiction writer—Century’s Son, Diane Gonzales Bertrand and John in the Promised Land, and a volume Mystery Ride; Chitra Divakaruni, & Juan, May 6, 2006—Presented of stories, Who’s Irish? She will read fiction writer and poet—The Vine of in collaboration with Arte Público from her new novel The Love Wife. Desire, The Mistress of Spices; Mark Press, award-winning author Diane Doty, poet and memoirist—School Gonzales Bertrand will read from John Updike, February 27, 2006— of the Arts, Firebird; Nick Flynn, her work, followed by a perfor- One of the greatest writers of our poet and memoirist—Another mance of David Prather’s joyous time, Updike is the author of more Bullshit Night in Suck City, Blind John & Juan. Gonzales Bertrand is than 50 books, including 21 novels Huber; Kimiko Hahn, poet—The the author of five bilingual picture and numerous collections of short Artist’s Daughter, Mosquito and books for children, including The stories, poems, and literary criti- Ant; Tony Hoagland, poet—What Empañadas that Abuela Made/Las cism. His most well known works Narcissism Means to Me, Donkey empañadas que hacía la abuela, and include the quartet of novels Rabbit, Gospel; Ruben Martinez, creative six novels for young adults, includ- Run; Rabbit Redux; Rabbit is Rich; nonfiction—The New Americans, ing Trino’s Time and Trino’s Choice, and Rabbit at Rest, the last two of Crossing Over: A Mexican Family on both named Best Book of the Year which won the Pulitzer Prize. In the Migrant Trail; Antonya Nelson, in the young adult category by addition, Updike has received many fiction writer—Female Trouble, the National Latino Literary Hall honors, including the National Living to Tell; Robert Phillips, poet of Fame. John & Juan is a short Book Award and the National Book and fiction writer—News About 45 minute madcap two-man play Critics Circle Award. Special price People You Know, Spinach Days; which explores the shared history of of $10 admission at the door Claudia Rankine, poet—Don’t Let Texas and Mexico Me Be Lonely, Plot; Daniel Stern, Louise Glück and Franz Wright, fiction writer—A Little Street Music, March 26, 2006—Glück, 2003- Twice Told Tales. The Inprint Brown Reading Series 2004 U.S. Poet Laureate, is the receives generous underwriting author of nine books of poetry, support from The Brown Founda- including The Wild Iris, which Family Literary Events are free and tion, Inc., and Weatherford Interna- received the Pulitzer Prize, and The held on Saturdays, 11:00 am, at the tional, and is also supported by an Triumph of Achilles, which received Alley Theatre, 615 Texas Ave.: award from the National Endow- the National Book Critics’ Circle ment for the Arts, “which believes Award. Her tenth volume, Averno, A South Asian Performance of Story that a great nation deserves great will be published in spring 2006. and Dance with Chitra Banerjee art.” Inprint also receives in-kind Wright, the author of 14 volumes Divakaruni and Rathna Kumar, support from the Alley Theatre, of poetry, was born in Vienna and October 22, 2005—Divakaruni, Continental Airlines, Hines, Hous- raised in the United States. His bestselling novelist, poet, and ton Chronicle, and KUHF 88.7 most recent volume of poetry, faculty member of the UH Creative FM, as well as other support from Walking to Martha’s Vineyard, was Writing Program, will read from her The City of Houston through the awarded the 2004 Pulitzer Prize. new book for young readers, The Cultural Arts Council of Houston/ Mirror of Fire and Dreaming, set in Harris County and the Texas Com- UH Creative Writing Program Fac- India and following the adventures mission on the Arts ulty Review, April 24, 2006—The of a 12-year-old boy. She will also award-winning writers that made be reading several of her award win- up the UH Creative Writing Pro- ning poems. Divakaruni’s reading gram faculty launched the Inprint will be accompanied by accom-

CWP NEWS 5ews lated into German, Italian, Spanish Faculty News and French. It was chosen as one of the “best books of the year” by the Robert Boswell has had several San Francisco Chronicle and the San publications this year. In 2004, his Jose Mercury. works appeared in Ink Pot, Plough- shares, Vestal Review and McSweeney’s Mark Doty’s seventh book of Online Journal. In 2005, he was poems, School of the Arts, was published in Epoch, Night Train, published by HarperCollins in Mid-American Review and a no- the U.S. and by Jonathan Cape in Ruben Martinez vella, The Heyday of the Insensitive the United Kingdom. Sutton Hoo Bastards, is forthcoming in Fugue. published a limited-edition let- Ruben Martinez was married to His works were also published terpress volume, Fire to Fire, with anthropologist and writer Angela in a couple of anthologies. Skin hand-colored woodblock prints, a Garcia last December, and they now Deep was in The Vestal Review Fifth silk cover, hand-stitched bindings live in northern New Mexico when Anniversary Issue, edited by Mark and a five hundred dollar price tag. Ruben is not in Houston. Ruben Budman and Swimming in the Rio Individual poems appeared in The has signed a deal with Holt/Met- Grande appeared in Rio Grande, New Yorker, Ecotone, and The Vir- ropolitan for his new book on the edited by Jan Reid, Univ. of Texas ginia Quarterly Review, which also desert, West. On the music front, Press. published an essay on Whitman in he and CWP Ph.D. candidate celebration of the 150th anniversary Raj Mankad performed together of the first publication ofLeaves recently at a music festival in Joshua Of Grass. Mark read from his work Tree, CA, and also laid down some at schools around the U.S., at the tracks in the studio for his upcom- Geraldine Dodge Poetry Festival, ing album. and in London, Oxford, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Antonya Nelson has a book named Some Fun coming out in March Nick Flynn won the 2005 PEN/ 2006. Toni and her husband, Rob- Chitra Divakaruni, Tracy Dougherty, Martha Albrand Award for the Art ert Boswell, will be on leave from Antonya Nelson of the Memoir for Another Bullshit UH this coming academic year. Night in Suck City. Chitra Divakaruni’s children’s Robert Phillips has been busy again novel, The Conch Bearer, has been this year. Books coming out are nominated for the Texas Bluebon- Circumstances Beyond Our Control: net Award and the Rebecca Cau- New Poems, and Are Those Real dill Award (Illinois). It has been Poems, Or Did You Write Them Your- translated into several languages self? (literary essays). He also had and was chosen as one of the best poems in The Hudson Review, The books of 2003 by Publisher’s Weekly. Paris Review, Western Humanities Stories from her collection, Ar- Review, The New Hampshire Review ranged Marriage, were adapted and The Georgia Review. His poem, into a play and performed by the Adam Zagajewski, Nick Flynn, "Tuba Girl", was made into a short Sacramento Theater Company in Ed Hirsch film produced by Voodoo Films, 2004. She edited an anthology, Inc. His work appeared in numer- California Uncovered: Stories for the Tony Hoagland reported two things ous anthologies. Some of his poems 21st Century, which came out in of note this year. Bloodaxe Press were read over the air by Garrison April, 2005. The collection starts published What Narcissism Means to Keillor on The Writers’ Almanac. off with a poem by CWP faculty Me: Selected Poems, a British edition His first book of short stories,The member, Ruben Martinez. Chitra’s of his poems, in fall 2004. Also, Land of Lost Content (1970), is be- book, Mistress of Spices, is being in 2006, Graywolf will bring out a ing reprinted by the University of made into a movie by the directors collection of his prose essays about Delaware Press. of the movie Bend It Like Beckham. poetry and craft, called Real Sofista- Queen of Dreams, her novel that was kashun. published last year, has been trans- .

CWP NEWS 6 Adam Zagajewski has been really Visiting Faculty busy. He read from his poetry at the University of Michigan, Georgia In Fall 2005, Patricia Powell will be Tech, the University of Washington, a visiting professor, teaching a grad- the PEN Conference in New York uate and upper division undergrad- and Publis Library in Los Angeles. uate workshop in fiction. Patricia He also participated at the “Future- is the author of 4 novels, including show” in Milan in November, 2004, The Pagoda, A Small Gathering of read at poetry festivals in Parma, Bones, and Me Dying Trial. She has Italy, and Leukerbad, Switzerland. Robert Phillips & Grace Paley taught at Harvard University, the He gave a lecture at the Nexus University of Massachusetts at Bos- Claudia Rankine is the author of Institute Conference on European ton, and Brown University. Most four collections of poetry: Don’t Let Values in Roterdam in Decem- recently, she served as the Martin Me Be Lonely, Plot, The End of the ber. He presented a fellowship Luther King Professor of Writing Alphabet and Nothing in Nature is in Spycher, Switzerland. Transla- and Humanistic Studies at MIT. Private. She is co-editor of Ameri- tions of his work were published in can Women Poets in the Twenty- Spanish, Catalan, Chech, Slovak In Spring 2006, Peter Turchi, will First Century. Her work has been and Hungarian. Other translations be a visiting professor, teaching a published in numerous journals are scheduled to appear in Italian graduate workshop in fiction and and is also in several anthologies, and Spanish in the Fall 2005. His a Writers on Literature seminar. including Great American Prose Selected Poems was published in Currently Peter is the Director of Poems: From Poe to the Present, The London by Faber and Faber in Fall the Warren Wilson MFA program, Best American Poetry 2001, Giant 2004. and he is the author of 4 books, Step: African American Writing at including Maps of the Imagination: the Crossroads of the Century and The Visitors The Writer as Cartographer, The Girls Garden Thrives: Twentieth Century Next Door, and The Magician. He African-American Poetry. In October, at the invitation of is co-editor with Andrea Bartlett of Claudia Rankine, D. A. Powell The Story Behind the Story: 26 Stories Daniel Stern had a new collec- read from his new book of poems, by Contemporary Writers and How tion of short stories published this Cocktails. Later that month, Ruben They Work, and with Charles Baxter year- A Little Street Music. He also Martinez brought Tom Miller to on Bringing the Devil to His Knees: just sold a novella, The Advancer, campus to lecture on borderlands The Craft of Fiction and the Writing to The Kenyon Review. A scholar at literature. Creative Writing and of Life the University of Ghent in Belgium African American Studies sponsored . has written a book and, apparently, a lecture by Julius Thompson, In Spring 2006, Kathleen Lee will devoted two chapters to Dan- two professor of History and African rejoin the Program as a visiting as- early novels of his: Who Shall Live, American Studies at the University sistant professor. She is the author Who Shall Die and After the War. of Missouri, on twentieth century of Travel Among Men, a collection Also the scholar placed an article on African American poetry. of stories. She is the recipient of Dan’s work in the forthcoming issue a 1999 Rona Jaffe Writing Award. of Studies in American Fiction. In the spring, distinguished poet She sometimes writes for Conde and teacher, Ellen Bryant Voigt, Nast Traveler and her travel essays gave four masters classes in poetry appear in Best American Travel Writ- and syntax. And in April, Kevin ing 2001 and 2003 McIlvoy was on campus for four days, doing a residency in fiction, lecturing on the craft of fiction and reading from his latest book, The Complete History of New Mexico. Finally, Tony Hoagland brought Charles Ruell, Professor of English at Texas A&M and long-time editor of Callaloo, to campus to talk about the Black Arts Movement of the Dan & Gloria Stern 1960s. Faculty Emeritus Cynthia Macdonald

CWP NEWS 7 Books

CWP NEWS 8 Incoming Students M.F.A., Univ. of South Carolina Fathi, Farnoosh, Ph.D. This year, the Creative Writing B.A., Univ. of California- Los Program welcomes 19 new stu- Angeles dents- ten in poetry, eight in fic- M.A., New York Univ. tion and one in creative non-fiction. Lamson, Brandon D., Ph.D. Fiction B.A., Univ. of Maryland M.F.A., Indiana Univ. Brininstool, Andrew A., M.F.A. B.A., Univ. of North Texas Munde, Christopher D., M.F.A. B.A., Queens College- City Univ. of Todd Samuelson Glasser, Justin G., M.F.A. New York B.A., State Univ. of New York at Binghamton Nicolet, Brian J., M.F.A. (Deferred admission from 2004) B.A., Texas State Univ.- San Marcos Graduates 2004/05

Jones, Michael E., M.F.A. Otremba, Paul R., Ph.D. Fall 2004 B.A., Univ. of Texas- Austin B.A., Univ. of Minnesota M.A., Univ. of Alberta M.F.A., Univ. of Maryland Jennifer Little, MFA., Fiction

Mitra, Keya, Ph.D. Russell, Brian B., M.F.A. B.A., Univ. of Texas- Austin B.A., Miami Univ. Spring 2005 M.A., Univ. of Houston Shaheen, Glenn C., M.F.A. Julianne Curtin, M.F.A., Fiction Mullany, Edward J ., M.F.A. B.A., Florida State Univ. Barbara Duffey, M.F.A., Poetry B.A., Creighton Univ. Robert Liddell, M.F.A., Fiction M.A., Creighton Univ. Tollides, Tryfon P., Ph.D. Jill Meyers, M.F.A., Fiction B.A., Univ. of Maine at Farmington Keya Mitra, M.F.A., Fiction Powers, Michael T ., M.F.A. M.F.A., Syracuse Univ. Nicholas Morgan, M.F.A., Poetry B.A., Univ. of Houston Monica Parle, M.F.A., Fiction Mira Rosenthal, M.F.A., Poetry Rosenblum, Sophie L., M.F.A. Non-Fiction B.A., Bard College Zaza, Nicole L., M.F.A, Tracy Barnwell, Ph. D., Poetry&Fiction B.A., Univ. Of Houston Aaron Crippen, Ph.D., Poetry Stevens, Monique M ., M.F.A. Michael Dumanis, Ph.D., Poetry B.A., Univ. of Houston Raymond Komar, Ph.D., NonFiction Gabriela Maya, Ph.D., Fiction Poetry Pablo Peschiera, Ph.D., Poetry Carol Quinn, Ph.D., Poetry Beaven, R. Craig, Ph.D. Melanie Rack, Ph.D., Poetry B.A., Univ. of Kentucky Tiffany Rayl, Ph.D., Fiction M.F.A., Virginia Commonwealth Todd Samuelson, Ph.D., Poetry Univ. Jacquelyn Shah, Ph.D., Poetry

Boyleston, J. Matthew, Ph.D. Michael Dumanis B.A., Furman Univ.

CWP NEWS 9 the end of June. We are assigned Cranky, Hunger Magazine, Lilies and Student News to Project Galle - a region that was Cannonballs, Rhino, Willow Springs, hit very hard during the Tsunami Spoon River Poetry Review, and Wash- - although I don’t know exactly what ington Square. He has also become we’ll be doing there.” the non-fiction editor, along with Nina McConigley, for Gulf Coast Kim Garcia’s book of poetry, Ma- magazine for 2005-2006. donna Magdalene, was accepted for publication as part of the Turning Laurie Clements Lambeth reports Point Series. In the past year she has that her poetry appeared in The given readings as part of the Brook- Bark. She was named runner-up in line Booksmith poetry series and the The Iowa Review’s nonfiction contest, Boston College Arts Festival. She and her piece will be published in Jerricho Brown recently returned from Hambidge their December issue. Center for the Arts and recommends Jericho Brown was asked back this it to Houston writers yearning for James May reports that the journal, year to the Bread Loaf Writers Con- the mountains and good vegetarian Chronogram, published one of his ference as social staff. food. poems in April, 2005. Aaron Crippen is now in his first Jennifer Grotz has accepted the posi- Gabriela Maya and John Harvey year teaching World Lit at Augusta tion of Assistant to the Director of wed in October 2004, and Gabri- State University. He was awarded a the Bread Loaf Writers Conference. ela gave birth to their son Demian National Endowment for the Arts Some of her new poems and transla- in March 2005, a week after she Fellowship for 2005. His Nameless tions from the French have appeared defended her Ph.D. dissertation Flowers: Selected Poems of Gu Cheng this year or are forthcoming in (successfully). Gabriela reports was published by George Braziller, Ploughshares, New England Review, that natural birth is the way to go Inc., in April, 2005. and Lyric. She received this year’s if possible and welcomes all future Michener Prize in poetry. mothers to ask her why. John has Amber Dermont- Jane Smiley select- been steadily writing plays; Mildred’s ed Amber’s "Lyndon" for inclusion Umbrella, the theater company he in Best New American Voices 2006. co-founded, is currently staging his There were about 400 nominations Needful Creatures (May 2005). this year and Amber was one of only

15 selected. Congratulations to Nina McConigley won the Bar- Amber. thelme Memorial Fellowship Spon- sored by Inprint, Inc. this year for Barbara Duffey has a poem forth- her non-fiction manuscript, "Cow- coming in the Blue Mesa Review. boys and East Indians". Her play, Owen Wister, Considered, was chosen Randi Faust sent this update on for production for the 2005 Edward May 18th. “We were so inspired by James Hall Albee New Playwrights Festival. David MacLean and Zehra’s trip to James Hall was recently awarded The play was produced by Pulitzer Sri Lanka that we’re going to join a work-study scholarship to Bread Prize winning playwright, Lanford them. Of course David is nearly on Loaf. His poems and personal essays Wilson, and performed at the Lab his way home, but nonetheless. I have appeared in Cimarron Review, Theatre here at the University of leave tomorrow for a month. Sam Rhino, New Delta Review, Margie, Houston. (our seven-year-old) finishes school New Orleans Review, and Alaska May 27 so Carl and Sam will leave Quarterly Review. Kim Meyer’s poems have recently Houston on May 28th to join me. appeared in Columbia, Greensboro Carl will stay for a week, then return Andrew Kozma has had poems ac- Review, Spoon River Poetry, Tar River here. Sam and I will be back at cepted by or published in Caketrain, Poetry and Verse Daily. And her

CWP NEWS 10 essay on ants, motherhood and free Genevieve Huttin’s The Story of My will was published in Fourth Genre. Voice. An essay dedicated to hybrid She’s working on a book of essays on writing pedagogies is set to appear in pilgrimages she and her family have a UK book in 2006/7. been making to America’s sacred and secular shrines. Joni Tevis has had essays published in Shenandoah and Isotope this Keya Mitra and Robert Liddell were spring, and is scribbling away up in Honorable Mention winners for the Minneapolis. The lilacs are bloom- Atlantic Monthly student contest. ing. Their names will be in a list of winners in the magazine and their stories Jamie Thomas had a review appear are being considered for possible Mira Rosenthal this year in Third Coast and poems publication. appear in Sycamore Review and Nim- Keya won the Barthelme Memorial Mira Rosenthal tells us that she rod. He also has poems forthcoming Fellowship Sponsored by Inprint, has new poems in Ploughshares, in Rattle and Verse. Jamie was chosen Inc., for fiction this year and was The American Poetry Review, Seneca by Alan Shapiro for the 2005 Acad- fiction runner up for the Inprint/ Review, Harpur Palate, The Beloit emy of American Poet’s Prize. Michener Fellowship in Honor of Poetry Journal and elsewhere. This Donald Barthelme. Her fiction is year she edited a special issue of Gemini Wahhaj has a story that was forthcoming in the Ontario Review. Lyric Poetry Review on new Polish recently accepted for publication by She also received a work-study fel- poetry in translations, defended her Night Train. lowship to the 2005 Bread Loaf MFA in poetry, and accepted a place Writers Conference. Robert has as a Ph.D. student in comparative Sasha West had two poems accepted fiction coming out inThe Gettysburg literature at Indiana University for to American Letter and Commentary. Review. fall, 2005. She and her boyfriend, She was also asked back to the Bread historian Greg Domber, currently Loaf Writers Conference as social Carol Quinn got married on August live in Washington, DC, where she staff. 7, 2004, to Tom Sedlak (“Finally!”, is the managing editor for a scientific her mother would say). journal. Jacob White was nominated this Her essay, “Dickinson, Telegraphy, year for a Pushcart Prize for his story and the Aurora Borealis” was in The Kate Schmitt has poems forthcom- “You Will Miss Me When I Burn”, Emily Dickinson Journal in the fall ing in a new Houghton Mifflin -an which appeared in New Letters. of 2004. This year, her poetry has thology called I Just Hope It’s Lethal appeared or will appear in Verse’s which will be published in October. second decade anthology, The Alaska Quarterly Review, The Sow’s Ear Po- This past year,Bradford Gray etry Review, The California Quarterly, Telford’s poems and translations ap- Perpetuum Mobile, and the anthology peared in Agni, Diner, Inkwell, Lyric called Open Windows that’s put out Review, Phantasmagoria, Border- by Ghost Road Press. lands, Carquinez Review, Oasis, and And then she graduated (”Finally!”, Birmingham Poetry Review. He has her mother would say). new work forthcoming in the Yale Review, Pleiades, McSweeney’s Internet Tiffany Rayl graduated with her Tendencies, Zone 3, Epicenter, Art Ph.D. in fiction in May, 2005. She Times, Edison Review, and Ameri- Tiphanie Yanique has work recently accepted in the can Literary Review. Brad’s essay, Harrington Lesbian Fiction Quarterly “Grief, Ownership, and Cultural Tiphanie Yanique was published in coming out some time this year. Remainders: Notes on Translation,” Ariel and was accepted in the Cal- appeared in Lyric, and he is complet- laloo Writers Workshop this sum- ing his translation of French poet mer.

CWP NEWS11 Randi Faust is an MFA candidate in fiction. She spent a month overseas, involved in tsunami relief efforts.

I’ve been working on the “Mother and Child Nutrition Program” which As many of you know, on was already in existence before the Tsunami, but is even more necessary December 26, 2004 a mas- now with all the displaced and out-of-work families. Low birth weight is a greater problem post-Tsunami, and the pregnant and nursing moth- sive earthquake, off the ers are also having serious nutrition issues. Many of the families are coast of Indonesia, trig- fisher-folk, who’ve lost their boats, etc., in the Tsunami. Their situation gered a deadly tsunami, is further complicated by the fact that a lot of them have been moved to camps miles inland and can’t realistically or regularly get to and from which devastated much of the sea to work, even if they didn’t lose their equipment. Other families the coastline of Southeast include widows who are pregnant or have small children, who lost their husbands/fathers in the Tsunami. Hence, the increasing need for a nu- Asia. In the aftermath over tritional supplement for pregnant women, nursing mothers and children 200,000 people have died, under five. and millions more have This past week, my job was to purchase 6 sets of about 40 different been displaced from their items (including portable gas stoves, pots, pans, sieves, etc.) and pack homes, and left without them up to be distributed to each of the 6 Tsunami-affected MOH dis- food, water or shelter. tricts in the Galle region. It’s been very interesting bargain hunting for things like “pittu bombus”(a strange-looking steamer that resembles a Samovar). Lots of weird shopping adventures. The relief effort is ongoing. While many countries do- nate money and supplies, many individuals have given up the comforts of their homes to do what they can to help. Our students are no different. Contrary to the notion that “writers write...” some of our students have traveled half- way around the world to help out and make a differ- ence. We are thankful for their correspondences and grateful for their efforts.

Clockwise, from the top: Randi with village children, Randi's son Sam, Randi with Anne Curry of NBC's Today show CWP NEWS 12 David MacLean, a PhD student in Fiction spent the spring semester volunteering in Sri Lanka with the rebuilding process after the December 26th Tsunami. The following is one of his dispatches back home.

March 29th, 2005 It had been a hard day already before I got the phone call concerning what would turn out to be only a pseudo-tsunami. I was working at a site an hour away building forty temporary houses. Wood had been scarce that day so I spent most of the day inventing tasks to keep me busy, justifying my presence at the work site. The site manager – a six five three hundred and twenty pound former O-lineman for the Green Bay Packers finally squeezed into a rickshaw and cruised the main Galle Road – the two-lane road between Colombo and Galle – looking for lumber trucks to hijack. Thirty minutes later, he showed up with one in tow. When there’s wood, there’s work. The site popped into action: the truck was unloaded and siding was going up within fifteen minutes. It wasn’t a flurry, it was a blizzard of activity. Ninety-five degrees and humidity, we’re sweating like lawn sprinklers. Five o’clock passed us by unnoticed, so did six and seven. At a work site, OSHA would’ve shut down during normal activity, we pushed ourselves to greater levels of precarious negligence. It got dark and the fluorescent tubes we had strapped to stakes were, at best, decorative. I finally quit when I was cutting something with the power saw and I was bent so close to see my line that my nostrils were even with the blade. I caught the bus home, had a beer and braced myself for the fall into bed. Then the phone rang. It was just coming over the teletype, my friend said. An 8.7 earthquake off the coast of Sumatra. I had to tell people, he said, and get myself to higher ground. Of the jobs that my guidance counselor in high school had selected for me based on a personality test and my SAT scores (‘benign tumor’ being the most prominent option) never had this occupation come up: the guy who runs around telling people that a tsunami may or may not be coming. It is not the job for me. There was panic. Within an hour, the police were slow-rolling through with megaphones, yelling in Sinhala and Tamil to get to higher ground. Cars, motorcycles, buses, trucks, rickshaws, bicycles screamed down the road, horns blaring. Waiters carried tables and chairs to the rooftops of nearby buildings. I was up until five in the morning at a hillside temple with crying babies and tourists chattering into cell phones. One chain-smoking Danish woman, two days in-country, spoke to me at three o’clock in the morning about the horror she felt upon seeing the devastation wrought by the December 26th Tsunami, “It’s just like t.v, without the bodies.” I tried to sleep, but the billion frayed nerve endings kept me stark awake. I got to work at ten the next day. No one was in a good mood. The trauma of the first tsunami had burst its scab and everyone was either deeply withdrawn or hysterically laughing after this scare. I tried to go back and nail siding, but my brain was a slop of exhaustion and nerves. When the O-lineman told me about the Buddhist monks next door who were having problems with their computer, I jumped at the chance. A sit down job, doing a simple virus hunt and delete. I went over to the temple, took off my shoes, and flopped on the offered stool and proceeded to work. It was slow going. The computer, though promised to be a Pentium four with 256 of ram, worked slower than a Commodore 64 filled with molas- ses. The three monks watched over my shoulder as I clicked through error messages and navigated the settings. I couldn’t find anything terribly wrong and suddenly the mouse stopped working. I reached behind the computer to jiggle the cord and found that the rear of the computer was live. 240 volts of electricity went through all five foot nine of me, from bare hand to bare foot. If there were a Spiderman, if I lived in the Marvel universe, this would be the secret origin of my super-powers: shocked by a monk’s computer in Sri Lanka. I would’ve pulled my hand from the computer and punched the wall and the entire compound would go up like an atom bomb. Then I’d go fight crime and evil or something. Instead, the monks laughed, did imitations of my spasms, and laughed some more. I called it a day and went home. The O-lineman called me later that night, said he’d heard the story from the monks, and made fun of me until I fell asleep.

CWP NEWS 13 Writing Competitions AWP 2005—AWP 2006

The Creative Writing Program’s Through the generous support of 2004-2005 writing competitions Inprint fellowships, 22 UH Cre- were judged by Colson Whitehead ative Writing graduate students for non-fiction, Patricia Powell for attended the AWP convention in fiction and Alan Shapiro for poetry. Vancouver, BC in April 2005. Also at the convention, Sasha West, The winners were: editor of Gulf Coast, chaired a ses- sion in which faculty, alumni, and Inprint/Michener Fellowships in current students read their work as Honor of Donald Barthelme part of a celebration of UH’s 25th Gemini Wahhaj for fiction and anniversary. Reading were faculty Jennifer Grotz for poetry. Alternate members Robert Boswell and Nick Lacy Johnson was Keya Mitra for fiction. There Flynn, alumni Cate Marvin and was no alternate in poetry. Tracy Daugherty, and graduate student Jennifer Grotz. They read Barthelme Memorial Fellowships to a packed room. Sponsored by Inprint, Inc. Residencies Keya Mitra and Giuseppe Taurino The UH Creative Writing Program In Fall 2005, Richard Siken, whose for fiction,Nina McConigley for and Gulf Coast are major co-spon- collection of poems, Crush, was non-fiction andNicholas Mor- sors of the 2006 AWP conven- selected by Louise Gluck as the gan and Joshua Rivkin for poetry. tion that will be held in March in winner of 2005 Yale Younger Poets Miho Nonaka was the runner-up Austin, TX. Thanks to the support series, will offer a residency in po- for the non-fiction prize. David of Inprint and John Antel, Dean of etry. In Spring 2006, Grace Paley, Bernardy and Robert Liddell were CLASS, we were able to be a key author of several collections of short alternates for the fiction prize and sponsor. Our sponsorship means stories, including Enormous Changes Sasha West was alternate for the that registration fees will be waived at the Last Minute, The Little Distur- poetry prize. for 75 UH students. So UH should be a major presence in Austin, and bances of Man, and Later the Same Day, will offer a residency in fiction. Brazos Bookstore/Academy of we are planning to host a reception, American Poets Prize so please check the convention’s The winner wasJamie Thomas. schedule of events for further infor- Honorable mentions were James mation on the reception. May and Jeanine Walker.

Raj Mankad & Pablo Peschiera Front Row: Laurie Clements Lambeth, Miho Nonaka, Tracy Barnwell Back Row: Michael Dumanis, Sasha West, James Hall, Barbara Duffy, Mark Doty, Bradley Telford David Vance

CWP NEWS 14 coming year, look for archives of the Subscriptions to Gulf Coast are reading series on the GC website. offered to UH CWP affiliates for a Gulf Coast Gulf Coast also partnered with special price of $25 for two-years Brazos Bookstore, the NEA, and (a savings of $7 off the cover price) the Council of Literary Magazines and $13 for one-year ($3 off the Gulf Coast has received much recog- and Presses (CLMP) for the second cover price). Send check or money nition for literary excellence in the annual Literary Magazine and In- order along with subscription ad- last year. In an August 2004 article dependent Press Fair in February at dress to: for TheBoston Globe, literary critic Brazos Projects. A huge success, this and editor Sven Birkerts listed Gulf free fair offered publications and Gulf Coast Coast as an “established player... books from all over the country as Department of English, in the progressive mainstream” well as two editor panels on aspects University of Houston, alongside such heavy-hitters as The of publishing. The annual fund- Houston, TX Gettsyburg Review, Ploughshares, raiser/issue launch was held last Oc- and Tin House. Steve Orlen’s poem tober at the lovely Rouge restaurant “I Love You. Who Are You?” from and featured a reading by Antonya Volume 16.2 will be featured in The Nelson. This year’s dinner, on Oc- Best American Poetry 2005, edited tober 20th, 2005, will honor Karl by Paul Muldoon. Interviews, es- Killian at the Bayou Club, featuring says, and poems from Gulf Coast readings by Justin Cronin and Mark issues are regularly featured on Doty. Contact the office for details Poetry Daily. Recent grants from the and ticket and table prices. If you National Endowment for the Arts are in the Houston area and would and The Cullen Foundation reflect like to be added to our email list for both local and national support. notification of upcoming readings, The journal was also very pleased fairs, and events, please send an to receive a technology grant from email to [email protected]. Dean John Antel and the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sci- Be sure to check out recent and ences; the new computers and other upcoming issues of Gulf Coast. The much-needed equipment support spring issue (Volume 17.2) featured the graduate and undergraduate reprints of two Donald Barthelme students who work to produce the stories as part of UH’s tribute to journal. Subscriptions, submissions, him; pieces by Rikki Ducornet, and sales continue to increase. In Mark Halliday, Karen An-Hwei Volume 17.1 fact, both issues produced this year, Lee, Debra Marquart, Ander Mon- Volumes 17.1 and 17.2, have rap- son, Lucia Perillo, J. Allyn Rosser, idly sold out. This fall, the journal and Dara Wier; and work by alums will again increase its print run to Christopher Bakken, Glenn Blake, respond to this demand. Lance Larsen, and David Lazar. The fall issue (18.1) promises to be Locally, Gulf Coast helps to make another stunner, featuring contest the literary arts a vital and vibrant winners chosen by judges Justin part of Houston. The annual read- Cronin, Susan Howe, and Wayne ing series at Brazos Bookstore was Koestenbaum, as well as interviews voted “Best Reading Series” by with emerging authors A. Van Jor- Houston Press in September 2004. dan, Richard Siken, and John Weir. Many thanks to this year’s readers You may already have seen the cover and deep gratitude to Randi Faust, art—“Inversion” by Dan Havel and Volume 17.2 who recorded each event. In the Dean Ruck—featured on CNN.

CWP NEWS 15 Ann Bogle reports that she has Alumni News published two short stories online in Andrew Feld’s collection of Poetic Inhalation. Also she published poems, Citizen: Poems, was her first published poem with Inter- featured in the January 9th issue Mary Adams was awarded a 2004 national Poetry Library of America. of the The New York Times Book NEA grant in poetry and teaches at Her account with them for the hard- Review. Western Carolina University. cover volume was sent to collection. The poem, “Florence’s Weekend,” is from 1983 and is about her mother Liz Ashton reports that after a having a tall oak tree taken down in long hiatus—alarms and excur- the yard. sions—she’s back to solid work. She says that she has no published work yet, but still holds “dear” Donald’s Shannon Borg’s first book of poems, comment that “We are doing art Corset, is forthcoming in March here.” And she is doing art. As well, 2006 from Cherry Grove Collec- Annie Finch & Mark Doty she’s in the process of launching an tions’ Lyre Series. She lives in Seattle, acting career in film—reprising the- where she is the communications Annie Finch recently moved ater work of 30 years ago. She has manager for Chefs Collaborative, to Portland, Maine, as the new an agent, head shots, etc. Nothing a national nonprofit committed to director of the Stonecoast Brief- hot yet, other than as a stand-in for sustainable cuisine. She also writes Residency MFA Program in Louise Fletcher in a film, but she re- about food and wine for various Creative Writing. Her book, The mains hopeful. “Perhaps vicious old magazines and Web sites. Recently, Body of Poetry: Essays on Women, ladies will be the crest of the future.” she received an award from the So- Forms and the Poetic Self, is just ciety of Professional Journalists for a out in the Poets on Poetry Series wine/travel article published last year from the University of Michigan Christopher Bakken has new poems in Seattle Magazine. Press. printed or forthcoming in The Paris Review, Gettysburg Review, Raritan, Mid-America Review and elsewhere. Aliki Caloyeras is in her first year of Christa Forster and her husband He won the 2005 Willis Barnstone the PhD program in English Litera- David Brown married in 2002. Translation Prize for his work on ture at the University of Pennsylva- In February 2005, they welcomed the Greek poet, Titos Patricios. In nia. Consequently, she was in the their daughter, Clara Ysidora fall 2004, he also won the Brick and middle of finals and couldn’t make it Brown, into the world. Since Morter Poetry Prize for his poem, to the CWP anniversary celebration 2000, Christa has premiered two "Aegean: Flight 651". in April. one-woman shows at Diverse- works. She also performs regularly with Infernal Bridegroom Produc- Kerry Neville Bakken ’s book of Patricia Clark has a new book of tions, and she works as a freelance stories (“sometimes titled 'Necessary poems out in 2005, My Father on a writer, editor and teacher. Her Lies', sometimes titled 'Search and Bicycle, from Michigan State Univ. husband David Brown created, Rescue'”) was chosen as winner of Press. She was also named to a 2 developed and currently runs the Chandra Prize for Short Fiction year term as Poet Laureate of Grand Spacetaker.org, Houston’s Culture and will be published next year by Rapids this year. Guide. They continue to live in BkMk Press, a very solid literary Houston, TX. press out of the Univ. of Missouri- Kansas City. One of the only stories Deborah Cummins’ second poetry in the collection NOT set in Long collection, Counting the Waves, has Greg Fraser was awarded a Island, “The Effects of Light,” was been accepted for publication by 2004 NEA grant in poetry. He just accepted by Glimmer Train, so Word Press with a scheduled release teaches at the University of West look there in coming months for an date of summer 2006. And, she Georgia. “appetizer to the collection itself.” received a 2005 Illinois Arts Council Fellowship in Poetry of $7,000.

CWP NEWS 16 Rich Lyons recently had his manu- Pleiades, the anthology Blues Poems Program’s 25th anniversary celebra- script “Fleur Carnivore” selected as and the Cave Canem anthology tion. the Washington Prize 2005 by Word among others. Works Publishers in Washington,D.C. Farnoosh Moshiri reports that Cliff Hudder is the program direc- his collection of short stories was Stephen Haven’s book of poems, The tor for the Montgomery County published in the fall of 2004 under Long Silence of the Mohawk Carpet Literary Arts Council, Writers in the title of The Crazy Dervish and the Smokestacks (West End Press, 2004), Performance Series at Montgomery Pomegranate Tree. He’ll have a novel came out right around the time the College in Conroe, TX. His first out in January 06. It’s called Against newsletter came out last year. The child is due in September, 2005. Gravity and Penguin is the publisher. book is distributed by the University of New Mexico. There will be a review in the next issue of The Ohioana Elline Lipkin wanted to forward the Laurie Newendorp was a semi- Quarterly, and another in the spring good news that her book has been finalist for the Nimrod Hardman ‘06 issue of The Journal. A brief re- accepted! Her poetry manuscript, Pablo Neruda Prize in spring 2004. view appeared earlier in The Amherst "The Errant Thread", was chosen Publications are pending. She was Review. Steve spent one year in the by Eavan Boland for the Kore Press also listed as “Underground poet, Ph.D. in Creative Writing Program First Book Award in 2004 and will playwright, and Houston icon” in here from 1984-1985. He left UH be out from Kore Press this fall. In the British magazine Dazed. Her to take a teaching job at Baylor Univ. other news, her fellowship at Berke- work was reviewed in the Houston ley has been renewed so next year she Chronicle in November, 2004. She will again be a Postdoctoral Scholar was profiled in the Museum of Fine Sean Hill was awarded a Bush Fel- with the Beatrice M. Bain Research Arts-Houston’s Palette, in winter lowship from the Archibald Bush Group on Gender at UC/Berkeley. 2004. Laurie participated in Austin Foundation. The Bush Foundation’s International Poetry Festival, spring Artist Fellows program will provide Mary Jo Mahoney’s essay "Signs of 2004 and will have work in an AIPF financial support to 11 artists from Waking" was featured in the Decem- anthology. She also attended and the Twin Cities metropolitan area, ber issue of Northwest Review. participated in the Creative Writing two from Greater Minnesota and Program’s 25th anniversary celebra- one each from Wisconsin and South tion. Dakota to continue and develop Ann McCutchan became Interim their work. The Fellowships recog- Director of the Creative Writing Pro- nize the strong visions of artists at gram at the University of Wyoming Dave Parsons- The reading series, any stage in their life’s work, their in 2003 where she’s been teaching Montgomery County Literary Arts potential for continued develop- since 2001. However, she’s leaving Council Writers in Performance ment and the contribution to their there to teach creative non-fiction at Series, that Dave founded in 1993 communities that may come from the University of North Texas, begin- with the help of Montgomery Col- their artistic and professional growth. ning in August, 2005. She says, lege, the Conroe Arts Commission The 15 fellows were selected from a “This move represents two returns: Grants and a generous missionary field of more than 500 applicants by one to pure teaching, which I love reached a milestone this year of over a panel of nationally known artists (and which will give me more time 100 visiting writers. This was the and curators. Each fellow will receive to write), the other to Texas, which catalyst for Commissioners Court $44,000 over a 12- to 24-month is home.” She also had a two-month and the Montgomery County Judge period. residency at the MacDowell Colony to proclaim Dave to be the Poet in the summer of 2004. And, she Laureate of Montgomery County for Sean, now living in Bemidji, Minn., had an essay in the summer 2004 2005 – 2010. The first readings in has written poetry about and in the issue of Image. Also, in July, 2005, the performance series in 1993 were voices of black characters, real and she gave a lecture, “Making Prose by Ed Hirsch, Richard Howard and imagined, and based on the history Sing,” at the Mayborn Literary Robert Phillips. of his home town, Milledgeville, Nonfiction Writers Conference on Georgia. His work has been pub- the Southwest, in Dallas. She was a Dave also has poems in the last two lished in Callaloo, Indiana Review, participant in the Creative Writing issues of Louisiana Literature and

CWP NEWS 17 a poem forthcoming in The Texas Art Smith has poems this year in Review. He is still teaching Cre- TriQuarterly, Poetry International, Randall Watson reported last fall, ative Writing/American Literature Sonora Review and Descant. too late for last year’s newsletter, that at Montgomery College and chas- he won the Blue Lynx Poetry Prize ing handballs around the court as from Lynx House Press in 2004 for best he can. He also attended and his new book The Sleep Accusations. participated in the Creative Writing The book should be in the stores this Program’s 25th anniversary celebra- summer. Randy also continues to tion. work as a lecturer at the University of Houston.

Tom Phau says he has no book yet, but poems have appeared most Eric Miles Williamson now lives recently in the Colorado Review, The in rural Missouri on his farm with Wallace Stevens Journal, The Paris his wife, Judy, and their children, Review and Poetry. Young Smith Samantha and Guthrie. His second novel, Two-Up, will be published Young Smith was selected for an this summer by Texas Review Press. Alexis Quinlan had two poems in NEA in poetry in 2004. He says In October, 2004, he was a featured the Fall 2004 issue of The Paris that his job at Eastern Kentucky is author at the Festival America in Review. going well and he and his family Vincennes, France. His first novel, have adjusted “nicely to life in the East Bay Grease (a PEN/Heming- Bluegrass (horses everywhere, actual way Award Finalist in 1999) has Daniel Rifenburgh is currently en- winters, etc.)” been translated into French, Finnish joying a six-months’ Dobie Paisano and German, and was published Creative Writing Fellowship offered in England by Bloomsbury. David jointly by the Graduate School, Gail Donohue Storey has moved to Brown, the producer of movies such University of Texas at Austin and Boulder, CO, where she’s writing a as Jaws, A Few Good Men, Cocoon, the Texas Institute of Letters, and is tragicomic memoir about her recent Driving Miss Daisy, Chocolat, and living at the 250-acre Paisano Ranch hike with her husband on the Pacific Angela’s Ashes, has optioned East outside of Austin. In January he held Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada. Bay Grease for film. Eric is on the workshops for armed services mem- She also attended and participated in Board of Directors of the National bers returning from the Middle East the Creative Writing Program’s 25th Book Critics Circle. He is Associate at Cannon Air Force Base in Clo- anniversary celebration. Editor of Boulevard, Essays Editor of vis, New Mexico as a participating Pleiades, and an Editor of American writer in the National Endowment Book Review. for the Arts’ “Operation Home- Amy Storrow is in Hermosillo, Mex- coming” program, and is editing ico, now working as a vice consul in the NEA’s upcoming anthology of our consulate. Mostly she spends In Memoriam armed service members’ writings. He the day adjudicating visa applica- also taught a poetry workshop for tions and says she hears incredible Marty Scott passed away suddenly Inprint, Inc. He has work recently stories. “It’s funny how quickly you of heart failure at the age of 46 on or forthcoming in Poetry, Southwest become inured to drug dealers and March 31, 2005. He was a Pro- Review, Texas Review and elsewhere. alien smugglers.” She also says it’s a fessor of creative writing, poetry His second book, The Catastrophe gigantic change from her old life in and American literature at Eastern & Other Poems, is due out in 2006 Houston, but for the most part, she’s Illinois University and has a book from Waywiser Press, London. really enjoying it. forthcoming called Stealing Books: Personal Essays from Water Press. He earned his MA from the University Anna Stepanek reports that she won Jennifer Tseng’s first book of poems, of Iowa and his Ph.D. here at UH in the National Poetry Series prize for The Man With My Face, won the 1994. A memorial service was held "Three, Breathing". Congratulations! Asian American Writers’ Workshop’s for him at Rothko Chapel on Friday, first poetry competition and was April 15th, the day before our 25th published in February. anniversary celebration.

CWP NEWS 18 Alumni Association tion, on creative writing pedagogy, The Twenty-Fifth on the future of linear narrative, This Spring we have begun to cre- Anniversary and on the place of poetry in the ate a formal alumni association for twentieth century. These discus- the Creative Writing Program. All sions were followed by readings by In April 2005, we celebrated the former faculty and seven prominent alumni should have received a letter 25th anniversary of the founding inviting them to join and asking alumni. Faculty who read were of the Creative Writing Program at Rosellen Brown, Kathleen Cambor, whether they wished to take a lead- the University of Houston. The cel- ership role in the new association. Ed Hirsch, Beverly Lowry, and ebration took place over three days. Cynthia Macdonald. The alumni On Thursday, April 14 President who read were Michelle Boisseau, Gogue hosted a dinner honoring Tracy Daughtery, Annie Finch, the Program in which the he ac- Richard Lyons, Gary Myers, Padgett knowledged both the achievement Powell, and Gail Donohue Storey . of the Program and its importance Following the readings the contri- to the University. butions of these alumni, some past faculty, past program directors, and Gail Donohue Storey, Karen Lewis, On Friday, April 15, the M.D. long-time community supporters Glenn Blake Anderson Library gave a recep- were honored in a brief ceremony tion honoring the opening of the Glenn Blake will be the liaison in which certificates of apprecia- Donald Barthelme Archive. The tion were awarded. The final event between the association and the reception was organized by Julie Creative Writing Program, but we of the day was a student reading of Grob. The evening included a current faculty work. The reading are hoping to locate alumni who brief program in which Grace Paley would like to assume active roles was organized by Jericho Brown and and Padgett Powell read from the Brad Teleford, two doctoral stu- in the new association. Our goal work of Donald Barthelme. Both is to build a strong and on-going dents in poetry. It was not simply readings were wonderful and were the culminating event of the day, relationship with our alumni. We genuine tributes to Donald and are hoping to build an association but a deeply moving tribute by our both provided reminders of what students to our faculty. that will assist alumni and continue an original and powerful writer to involve them in the life of the Donald Barthelme was and how im- The weekend was a wonderful program. Once the association is portant he was to Creative Writing up and running, we are looking for- success, and, just as important, it Program. And together Grace and was our inaugural event in forward to it helping us bring alumni Padgett succeeded in celebrating back to campus for readings and to mally inviting alumni to return and Donald as both an extraordinary read. As we develop our alumni organizing events that bring alumni friend and as a generous teacher. back to campus to meet old friends association, there will be more such and to forge new relationships with readings, and we encourage all our students and current faculty alumni to join the association and to help us make it a vital part of the During the 25th anniversary we program. learned again how important this Program has been to its students and how important they are to the Program. Help us build an association that allows this relationship to flourish. Please join the new Dr. McNamara with CWP alums alumni association and, if you have the time and interest in becoming a leader in that association, please let On April 16, there was a day-long us know. We welcome your help, celebration of the Creative Writing. and hope to hear from you. In the morning, there were readings Shatera Dixon, j. Kastely, Kathy Smathers by alumni and current students. Please contact us via email at In the afternoon, there were panel [email protected] discussions on creative non-fic-

CWP NEWS 19 0073019300 CWPNews University of Houston Creative Writing Program 229 Roy Cullen Building Houston TX 77204-3015