The Newsletter of the Creative Writing Program at the University of Houston
WWW.UH.EDU/CWP
Joseph Pratt Another Great Year of Student Successes Interim Dean, CLASS
Wyman Herendeen Eric Ekstrand wins the Ruth Lillie Poetry Fellowship English Dept. Chair Samuel Amadon wins the Iowa Poetry Prize j. Kastely Janine Joseph wins the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship CWP Director Lauren Berry wins the Diane Middlebrook Poetry Fellowship Kathy Smathers Hayan Charara wins the National Endowment for the Arts Assistant Director Farnoosh Fathi wins the Fulbright Scholarship Shatera Anderson Matthew Siegel wins the Wallace Stegner Fellowship Program Coordinator 713.743.3015 [email protected] Student Writing Continues to thrive at UH:
Thea Lim - The Same Woman Paul Otremba - The Currency Anna Journey - If Birds Gather Your Hair for Nesting Samuel Amadon - Each H (chapbook) 2008-2009 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... This year marks the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Creative Writing Program at the University of Houston. It has been a rich 30 years, and I thank you all for your contributions.
Last year, I wrote about the necessity and the benefit of fallow periods. As with so many things, there is a rhythm to the writing life and genuine growth sometimes requires periods of rest or inactivity that allow for new ways of seeing and writing to emerge. I have been thinking a lot recently about how one sustains a writing life. This is often an issue that does not get sufficient attention in graduate school. There are probably a lot of reasons for that, but I suspect that one of the chief reasons is that while a writer is in graduate school, that writer finds himself or herself within a community of writers and that community provides important support. If when one finishes a degree, one is lucky, the writer gets a position teaching creative writing and there are at least a couple of humane writers in the Department. Or possibly, a writer is fortunate enough to get a post-doc and gets a year or two to revise and complete a manuscript. But if one is not lucky, often that means working in a situation after graduate school that is not supportive of writing. It doesn’t matter whether it is a teaching situation with a crushing workload or some other sort of job. What matters is that there is no support and much fatigue. It is not that anyone is seeking actively to discourage the writer. It is simply that the writer encounters a massive indifference to the passions and commitments at the heart of the writing life.
The situation becomes further complicated because we are, among other things, a celebrity-driven culture, and it is psychologically difficult to sustain an activity—even or especially an activity about which one cares deeply—without some public recognition. The truth is that there is little satisfaction in a job well-done, if no one else acknowledges the worth of the work.
If you then throw into the mix the fact that the writing life requires a certain amount of solitude, then it is easy to understand how difficult it is, for even the most dedicated, disciplined, and passionate of writers to maintain a writing life.
So what is to be done? For me, this is a live question. Part of the answer is that one needs to cultivate the virtues necessary to sustain a practice, namely a sense of courage, honesty and justice. But that only gets one so far. I think that finally one needs a community, even if the community is only one other person. Here the internet may help. If for whatever reason, one finds oneself in a physical setting that does not provide a community, a writer can seek an alternative community on-line. One place to start is to connect with people in the program who were part of your com- munity here. To that end, Jessica Wilbanks, a current MFA student in fiction, set up a facebook site for UH creative writing alums, and we encourage you to check it out. Another way is to continue to submit your work, hoping that someone will read it and contact you. I am sure that people have discovered a multitude of other paths to community. But I think that it is the rare individual who will sustain the writing life in the absence of some functioning community. I am interested in hearing from people (and sharing what I learn) about how they sustain the writing life. I do think that it is a difficult thing to do, and the more that we can help each other, the better for all. And I think that it is a life that offers a richness that is worth the difficulty.
As Ever,
j. Kastely, Director
CWP NEWS 2 We’ll certainly miss Mark Doty and lish Department to obtain funding Program News Bob Phillips now that they’ve left to send 27 students to AWP this Well, we made it through Hurri- us. Of course, we wish them both year. It was a lot of paperwork but cane Ike without any damage to the all the best in the future. But we’re well worth the effort. She says that program. Of course, if you were also looking forward to having working on this newsletter fills up anywhere near Houston during Martha Serpas here. It was won- the quiet time of summer and helps that time, you know how traumatic derful having her as a visitor last us stay in touch with alumni and it was for our community. Actually, year and think she’ll be a great ad- students who tend to scatter once since the University opened within dition to our community. classes are out in the spring. Oth- days of the hurricane, it was a real erwise, the days would be awfully treat to come to work. We had hot We’re excited about the new stu- long. water, electricity and A/C at work. dents coming in the fall. They Many of us were without those ne- seem to be a talented and dynamic Kathy continues to spend as much cessities for 2 or 3 weeks at home. group. Of course, the first couple time at her Lake Livingston house Hopefully, we’ll be spared that kind of months are always chaotic but as possible. Sometimes it’s really of storm for the next few years. we hope they’ll be happy and pro- hard to leave the peace and quiet ductive here. We think it’s the best and head back into the city. Be sure to check out the new and place to be. improved CWP website. It’s still a work in progress but we have lots Shatera Anderson has been work- of ideas. Please feel free to let us ing for the Creative Writing Pro- know what you think works and gram since Nov. 2006. In addition doesn’t work and send your ideas to her full time job as Program Co- about what should be included. In ordinator for the Creative Writing the near future we hope to start do- Program, she’s a full time student ing alumni and student spotlight at Texas Southern University where pieces and add more photos and she is studying Sociology. She is Mike Doyle has again been hard at some video. Working on the web- currently working on her first soul work on our website, this newslet- site has been a real focus of the pro- album while raising two beautiful ter and our new recruitment ads. gram this year. daughters, Cidnee 9 and Jasmin 7. He’s been here at least a couple of times a week all year. He’s also We had a farewell party for the helping put together a hard copy graduates this year for the first “facebook” for the program. And, time in several years. The folks at he’s working with Dr. Herendeen, Inprint were kind enough to let us the English Dept. Chair, on a proj- use Inprint House for the event and ect. We’re very grateful for Mike’s we had about 80 people attend-- expertise in design and his support. faculty, staff, students, alumni and their families and the Inprint staff. The event was a big success so we’ll keep up the tradition from now on. Cidnee, Shatera & Jasmin
We’ve tried to buy all the new books Kathy Smathers is just happy to that are out by faculty, alumni and have a website up that we can be students for our library. There are proud of. She’s going to be solicit- a bunch of them. If you have a new ing information for spotlight pieces book, be sure to let us know about and working with j, Mike, Shatera it. We like to include them in the and the web technicians to make newsletter and show them off in changes and keep things updated. Dr. Kastely speaking at the Honors College our display case in the hallway. She worked with j. and the Eng-
CWP NEWS 3 for Gilead, will read from her novel for his bestselling novel, The Sea, Inprint Houston Home, recipient of the 2009 Orange will read from his eagerly antici- Prize. pated new novel, The Infinities. Inprint, whose mission is to inspire Verghese, an Ethopian-born South readers and writers, is excited to E. L. Doctorow on Monday, Octo- Asian physician, is the author of once again work closely with the ber 19, 2009, at 7:30 pm, Hubbard two highly acclaimed memoirs, My University of Houston Creative Stage, Alley Theatre: Doctorow, Own Country, a finalist for the Na- Writing Program (UH CWP) dur- one of America’s most celebrated tional Book Critics Circle Award, ing the 2009/2010 academic year. writers and winner of the National and The Tennis Partner, a New York A nonprofit organization founded Book Award, three National Book Times Notable Book. He will read in 1983, Inprint fulfills its mission Critics Circle Awards, and two from his debut novel, Cutting for through the nationally renowned PEN/Faulkner Awards, is the au- Stone. Inprint Margarett Root Brown thor of, among others, Ragtime, Reading Series; the Cool Brains! Billy Bathgate, World’s Fair, The Tracy Kidder on Monday, March Inprint Readings for Young Peo- March, City of God, Loon Lake, 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm, Hubbard ple series; writers workshops for and Welcome to the Hard Times. Stage, Alley Theatre: Kidder, a the general public, senior citizens, Doctorow will read from his latest master of the non-fiction narrative, K-12 school teachers, at-risk youth, novel Homer & Langley. won the National Book Award and and Methodist Hospital employees; the Pulitzer Prize for his book, Soul support for the UH Creative Writ- Mary Karr on Monday, January 11, of a New Machine. He is the author ing Program; and other literary and 2010, at 7:30 pm, Zilkha Hall, Hob- of nine books, including his latest, educational activities which strive by Center: Karr is the author of Strength in What Remains, which to make reading and writing a vital the New York Times bestseller, The follows a refugee from the civil war aspect of community life in Hous- Liar’s Club, which helped launch a and genocide of 1990s Burundi ton. revival of the memoir, and its se- who makes his way to New York quel Cherry. She will read from her City. The Inprint Margarett Root Brown latest work, Lit: A Memoir, which Reading Series, now in its 29th chronicles her life as an adult and Dorianne Laux and Patricia season, is presented in association mother. Smith on Monday, April 12, 2010, with the UH CWP, and presents at 7:30 pm, Neuhaus Stage, Alley the world’s great writers on-stage. David Wroblewski on Monday, Theatre: Laux is the author of four Through the years the series has January 25, 2010, at 7:30 pm, Hub- collections of poetry, including featured more than 300 authors, bard Stage, Alley Theatre: Wro- Facts About the Moon and What including winners of four No- blewski burst onto the literary We Carry, both finalists for the Na- bel Prizes, 44 Pulitzer Prizes, and scene last summer with his debut tional Book Critics Circle Award, 43 National Book Awards. The novel The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, Smoke, Awake, and coauthor of The 2009/2010 season showcases a stel- which became a New York Times Poet’s Companion: A Guide to the lar line-up of fiction writers, cre- bestseller and was chosen for Pleasures of Writing Poetry. Smith, ative nonfiction writers, and poets: Oprah’s Book Club. Kirkus Review four time winner of the National calls the 600+ page book a “spell- Poetry Slam, is the author of Blood Joseph O’Neill and Marilynne binding first novel…nearly impos- Dazzler, a National Book Award Robinson on Monday, September sible to put down.” finalist, named one of NPR’s Top 5 21, 2009, at 7:30 pm, Zilkha Hall, books for 2008, and described by Hobby Center: O’Neill is the au- John Banville and Abraham Ver- Booklist as “a towering testament thor of the bestselling Netherland ghese on Monday, March 1, 2010, to the tragedy of New Orleans be- and the New York Times Notable at 7:30 pm, Zilkha Hall, Hobby fore, during, and after Katrina.” Book Blood-Dark Track. Robinson, Center: Banville, one of Ireland’s winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the most reputed authors and recipi- Oscar Casares and Gwendolyn National Book Critics Circle Award ent of the 2005 Man Booker Prize Zepeda on Monday, May 3, 2010,
CWP NEWS 4 at 7:30 pm, Hubbard Stage, Al- ley Theatre: Casares was raised in Poison Pen Brownsville and is a life-long resi- The Poison Pen Reading Series will dent of Texas, where his collection be celebrating its third anniversary of short stories, Brownsville: Stories this September. Started by three UH and now his first novel,Amigoland , CWP alumni and a local business are set. Zepeda is the author of the owner, the series has grown from story collection, To the Last Man I being attended exclusively by UH Slept With and All the Jerks Just Like CWP grad students to attendance of Him, the novels Houston, We Have over 100 made up of an unpredict- a Problema and Lone Star Legend, able mixture of diverse Houstonians. Wayne Miller her latest. Poison Pen hosts their monthly reading on the last Thursday of the All readings will be followed by an month on the patio of Poison Girl on-stage interview and a book sale Bar located in the heart of Montrose. and signing. Tickets for all readings Every month two to three readers are are $5 general admission, available scheduled. The readers are a mix of at www.inprinthouston.org. Free professional authors, poets, grad stu- rush tickets for students and se- dents, undergrads, and local writers. nior citizens will be given out at the Voted “Best Reading Series 2008” by the Houston Press, highlights from door on the evening of the read- the past year include readings by ings, depending on availability. Se- Antonya Nelson Joshua Beckman and Antonya Nel- lect authors will also give craft talks son. on the UH campus, specifically for The 2009-2010 season promises the UH CWP students. to be even more diesel powered as Poison Pen continues its partner- Inprint also looks forward to in- ships with DiverseWorks!, Inprint, volving UH CWP students, faculty, Boldface, Brazos Bookstore, Glass and alumni in community teaching Mountain, and Gulf Coast. Though positions, collaborations, and liter- still young, the series already has its ary activities that bring the power traditions and the November read- of the written word to all Housto- ing has become the release party for Darin Ciccotelli nians. For more information about Gulf Coast’s Fall/Winter Issue. Each Inprint and Houston’s literary and every Gulf Coast editor reads scene, visit www.inprinthouston. from his or her own creative work org. for four minutes. It’s easily one of the most fun readings of the year and contains within it all the insouciant charm that characterizes Poison Pen Readings.
Check out Poison Pen Reading Se- ries on facebook, become a fan, and browse through it for announce- Dane Wisher ments of upcoming readings and pictures and short videos of past readings. Kent Shaw speaking at the Grad Party held at Inprint House David MacLean
CWP NEWS 5ews guages and published in Germany, uary, Maeve will be two. Filming Faculty News Spain, France, Israel, Italy, Indone- of Another Bullshit Night in Suck sia and India. In India it hit the City is scheduled to begin sum- Robert Bo- bestseller list. Her young adult mer 2010, with Robert Deniro and swell has a novel with an environmental Casey Affleck. story in the theme, Shadowland, was published Nick has also current issue in spring 2009. An op-ed she wrote written his first of Callaloo for the Los Angeles Times on play, "Alice In- and an essay “Slumdog Millionaire” and the Na- vents a Little coming out ture of Art was picked up by 43 Game and Al- in an anthol- newspapers worldwide. Chitra’s ice Always ogy called novels The Conch Bearer and The Wins". Dedicated to Vine of Desire have both been op- the People of tioned for movies. And last, but Darfur: Writings of Fear, Risk, and certainly not least, scenes from her Hope in November. The Heyday of novel Palace of Illusions were cho- Tony Hoagland has two books the Insensitive Bastards, his new reographed and performed by coming out in the next year: a new story collection, came out in the award winning Houston dancer collection of poems called Unincor- spring, and Oprah picked it as one Rathna Kumar. porated Persons of the Late Honda of her summer reading books (not Dynasty, from Graywolf Press, in the BIG Oprah pick, alas, but one Mark Doty had an amazing year, January, plus a smaller chapbook of of 20 or so for the summer) and winning the National Book Award poems, called Little Oceans, from Ward Sutton did illustrations for for Poetry for Fire to Fire: New and Hollyridge Press. In the fall, Tony his review of the book which are Selected Poems. He also got mar- will be reading at Princeton, as well very cool (see page 25). Boz’s book ried (in Truro, MA, in a salt marsh, as elsewhere, and will be a visit- on the craft of writing fiction, The in August, 2008) and accepted a ing writer at Indiana University. In Half-Known World, came out in new job as Professor and Writer in the spring he hopes to be teaching July, 2008 Residence at Rutgers University in a class for the Houston Seminar. O t h e r w i s e , New Brunwick, NJ. He'll be living He’s currently at work on a book of Prof. Boswell in New York City and taking the prose essays about American po- participated in train to work, which feels a bit eas- etry. three writing ier than maintaining a life in New conferences York and one in Texas. this summer; He's just completing a prose book, The Napa The Art of Description, which Gray- Writers' Con- wolf will publish in 2010 as part of ference, The a series of books devoted to aspects Taos Writers' of the craft of writing. He's also at Conference, work on a prose book about Walt and the Kachemak Bay Writers' Whitman, tentatively titled "What Tony Hoagland, Marion Barthelme Conference. is the Grass?", and a new collection of poems. He wants to thank ev- Mat Johnson will be reading with Chitra Divaka- eryone at Houston for ten reward- the orchestral group this October. runi’s book ing and transformative years, and His next graphic novel, set in Hous- Palace of Illu- sends the best of wishes to all. ton and New Orleans during Hur- sions was issued ricane Katrina, will be published by in paperback in Nick Flynn’s memoir The Ticking is Vertigo/Warner Books on the fifth the US and the Bomb will be published in Janu- anniversary of the disaster in 2010. translated into ary, 2010. It will also come out in 6 foreign lan- Germany and the UK. Also in Jan-
CWP NEWS 6 A n t o n y a tinguished alum for the College of can plays of the last century. His Nelson's col- Arts & Sciences at New Mexico works include "The Zoo Story", lection of State University and was the 2008 "The Sandbox", "The American short stories, John Gardner Fellow at the Bread Dream", "A Delicate Balance", N o t h i n g Loaf Writers’ Conference "Seascape", "Three Tall Women", Right, was and "The Goat: or Who Is Sylvia?" published in Robert Phillips, former Director His awards are numerous, and in F e b r u a r y. of the Creative Writing Program, addition to the 3 Pulitzers, he has Stories also announced his retirement from the received a special Tony Award for appear in The University in May, 2009. His last life time achievement, a National Best of the title was John and Rebecca Moores Medal of Arts Award, a Kennedy West 2009, and You Must Be This Professor of English. Thirty of his Center Honors Award, and the Tall to Ride anthologies and in The books have been published. In the gold medal in drama from the New Yorker. She served as one of spring, he participated in a Writer's American Academy and Institute the judges of the PEN/Faulkner and Their Regions class to discuss of Arts and Letters. Albee will have Award for Fiction (Joseph O'Neill, the work of William Goyen, spe- a joint appointment as a Distin- Netherland, winner) and will be fac- cifically Goyen's first novel, House guished University Professor in the ulty at the Bear River, Napa Valley, of Breath, which is set in East Texas. School of Theatre and Dance and in and Taos Writers' Conferences, as Prof. Phillips also shared some per- the Creative Writing Program, and well as a Master Writer at the Atlan- sonal stories and insight about be- graduate creative writing students tic Center for the Arts. ing a creative writer. interested in drama will be able to His new book take a workshop from him. Alex Parsons and his wife, Aimee, of poetry, welcomed Vivienne Elise Parsons Now & Then: New & Select- ed Poems, was pub- lished in April, 2009. It contains poems from eight former collections. He and his wife, Ju- dith, plan to move to Connecticut to be near their son, daughter-in- into the family on March 26, 2009. Robert Boswell, Mat Johnson at Poison Pen Young Viv, while not yet literate, law and grandson. seems fascinated by books and counts among her other pleasures Edward Albee, distinguished Amer- having her diaper changed, sacking ican playwright and winner of 3 out on her dad’s chest, and blowing Pulitzer Prizes, will be returning to spit bubbles. When not performing teach at the University of Houston baby maintenance, Alex is revising in Spring 2010. Albee, who taught his novel, El Repoman. He has an at UH from 1989 to 2003, helped article on Cormac McCarthy’s revitalize American theatre in the work forthcoming in The Writers’ mid twentieth century. His plays Chronicle and a piece of short fic- are often an uncanny synthesis of absurdist and realist drama. He tion, “Victory Extraction,” recently Antonya Nelson, J. Kastely appeared in Puerto del Sol maga- is probably best known for "Who’s zine. He was named the 2009 dis- Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"—one of the most important Ameri-
CWP NEWS 7 Martha Serpas her nonfiction have been pub- collection. Coming to know the lished in such journals as Relief: A region is like coming to know a Returns to UH Journal of Christian Expression, person. If some of the collection "Verse Daily", "Poetry Daily", The deals with loss, other of the poems It is a pleasure to welcome back to New Yorker, Image, The Nation, traffic in celebration. At its core, the University of Houston Profes- the Connecticut Review, Passages Martha’s vision is unflinchingly sor Martha Serpas. Martha re- North, Metre, and elsewhere. Her honest—not giving into nostalgia ceived her BA with Honors from three poems, “Psalm at High Tide,” or some sort of amelioristic apol- Louisiana State University; she “The Water,” and “A Corollary”, ogy. Martha’s lyrics work from an holds an MA in English, with a published in The New Yorker, be- unadorned vocabulary that works concentration in creative writing came an important rejoinder to in service of the emotional and from New York University, a Mas- the Bush administration’s disas- spiritual force of a place. But if ters in Divinity from Yale Divinity trous handling of Katrina and to there is celebration in many of School, and a PhD in Literature the larger and ongoing ecological these poems, what strikes one and Creative Writing from the problem of the destruction of Lou- most is the poet as a witness to and University of Houston. She has isiana’s coastline. recorder of loss. Martha is a poet been Poet-in-Residence at Gus- who seeks to understand our tavus Adolphus College, Visiting The Dirty fate—our spiritual condition—in a Associate Professor of Religion Side of the culture and economy where rapid and Literature at the Yale Institute S t o r m change, transformation, and ho- of Sacred Music, and, for the last should be mogenization indifferently deter- ten years, an Associate Profes- re qu i re d mine and destroy our inheritanc- sor of English and Writing at the reading for es. Maybe there is an important University of Tampa, where she a n y o n e connection between the ecological was the poetry editor of Tampa who wants and the spiritual that grows out of Review. Last fall semester she to under- a need for a material world and a was a visiting associate professor stand the need for a life lived in the flesh, in creative writing in the Depart- mystery of even as we see that world slipping ment of English at the University t h a t from us. To read Martha Serpas is of Houston. Also, since 2007 she s t r a n g e to appreciate the place in which we has served as a chaplain at Tampa land known as the Gulf Coast. The live as an important part of what it General Hospital land, the water, and history of the means to be a resident of the won- people who have been defined by derful and polluted and exploited Martha has that land and water combine to Gulf. authored two form the central character of the collections of poetry that have re- Have you been to the website? ceived high c r i t i c a l praise. Her first collec- tion, Cote Blanche, was published by West- ern Michigan University Press in its New Issues Poetry and Prose series, and her most recent collec- tion of poems, The Dirty Side of the Storm, was published by Norton. Her individual poems and some of
CWP NEWS 8 Remembering Bob: lips helped me out, but suffice it to Tributes to Robert Phillips say this: I now have four published Visiting Faculty books and two more contracted for publication next year; I edit three Bruce Smith, major literary journals; I’m on the Visiting Poet, Fall 2009 Board of Directors of the NBCC; I’m a full professor. None of this In fall 2009, Bruce Smith will be would have been possible without Visiting Professor in Poetry at the the kindness of Professor Robert University of Houston. He will Phillips, my mentor, my literary fa- teach a graduate and an upper di- ther, my friend. vision undergraduate workshop in Poetry. We are delighted that --Eric Miles Williamson Bruce will be here. Professor Smith Bob Phillips, Grace Paley MFA, Fiction, 1991 teaches in the creative writing pro- gram at Syracuse University, where Many creative writing profes- he was named Outstanding Gradu- sors are merely writers supporting ate Teacher last year. themselves by occupying university posts. Not so in the case of Robert He is the author of 5 books of po- Phillips. He’s the rare major writer ems, The Common Wages, Silver who is also a true professor. and Information, Mercy Seat, The After Donald Barthelme died, Other Lover, which was a finalist many of us who were Don’s stu- for both the National Book Award dents had nowhere to turn for pro- Bob Phillips, WD Snodgrass, Michael Sofranko and the Pulitzer Prize, and Songs fessional guidance, as we’d not cul- for Two Voices. Influenced by Walt tivated relationships with the other When, in the fall of 1999, I arrived Whitman and Emily Dickinson, UH faculty. I’d already graduated at the University of Houston an Bruce Smith’s poetry moves like with my MFA and secured a full- eager, wide-eyed MFA poetry stu- jazz, incorporating images and nar- time college position, and could dent, I was disappointed to discov- ratives into a startling, musically no longer expect the UH faculty to er that, due to a scheduling mishap, unified whole. help me with anything. But none- there was no room left in any of the theless I approached Bob Phillips poetry workshops. This was not the Currently, he is at work on his at his home with my then unpub- end of the world, of course, but it sixth book, The Devotions, and lished novel, Two-Up, in one hand, was a little frustrating, given that poems from this manuscript have and a fifth of Dewars in the other I’d just moved 1,600 miles to study appeared in The New Yorker, The hand. Bob accepted both, and by with U of H’s poetry faculty. Then Paris Review, the American Poetry the end of the week he’d secured me word began to circulate that Robert Review, Poetry, Slate Magazine, a New York agent—his own. Phillips was willing to work with The Yale Review, Tin House, Ken- Shortly after I moved to New York any poetry student who didn’t find yon Review and elsewhere. City to get my PhD at New York a place in one of the poetry work- University, Bob came to town and shops. Professor Smith has twice received invited me to the Algonquin for In his office, Bob was kind and fellowships from the National En- cocktails. There he introduced me forthcoming about the poems, dowment for the Arts. In 2000- to a number of the New York litera- offering suggestions for improv- 2001, he was a Guggenheim fellow, ti, including Richard Foerster, then ing each. His approach was—and, and in 1982 he was awarded a Dis- the editor of Chelsea, and Bob rec- throughout my time working with covery/The Nation award. ommended me for an editorship, him, continued to be—laissez-faire. which I received. I’ll not detail the He wanted the poems to be mine, hundreds of other times Bob Phil- in other words, not his. When Bob
CWP NEWS 9 was critical of something in a poem, he had a reputation for it. I quickly learned to take notice. I hope now that I can say I know But at that first meeting, what was Bob well enough to emulate that most important to me, a young un- same generosity of spirit. certain poet having doubts about grad school, was that Bob said with --Robert Liddell no uncertainty that he thought my MFA, Poetry, 2005 work had potential—that I should stick with Houston and stick with Maureen Maillet, Annette Sauders, my writing. He suggested we meet Bob Phillips, Liz Bennett at his house every couple weeks, essentially offering to serve as a I first met Bob Phillips in 1998 over mentor outside—or alongside— lunch with Gail Storey at a small, the writing program’s scheduled brightly lit cafe in Rice Village. This coursework. And thus began our was a year before I’d even applied friendship—born of Bob’s generos- to the Creative Writing Program, ity and kindness. though I was well aware of its repu- When Bob thought a few of my tation and Bob’s position on the fac- Edwidge Danticat, Bob Phillips, Billy Collins poems were done, he sent them off ulty there. While we ate, he quizzed with a note to The Paris Review— me in a friendly way, and asked my There are few men on this planet thus helping me land one of my first opinion of various authors, most of who wear the bow tie well: Win- publications. When I had personal whom I hadn’t read. I thought I was ston Churchill, Humphrey Bogart, problems, Bob was there to meet blowing an interview. and FDR. And it should be noted, me for a civilized drink at the Vol- After lunch, though, he asked me I believe, that a quick glance at the cano Lounge. When I didn’t have to walk with him over to Half Price New York Times fashion pages money to go home one Thanksgiv- Books and continue our discus- this spring verifies that the bow ing, Bob invited me—and several sion. So we walked through the tie is back. And we have Robert other students—over for dinner. aisles and chatted while he scanned Phillips—“Bob” to his students— When the time came, I was grateful the shelves for titles that might in- to thank for it. Because of him one to have Bob direct my thesis. terest him. I felt much like a fly he might argue that the bow tie never When I heard Bob was retir- hadn’t decided to swat yet. And, de- actually left. Thankfully. ing from Houston, I was sad. Of spite my expectations, he never did. But the tie is the unimportant de- course, Bob has written many fine Instead, he asked me to send him tail of an important man, and I poems and stories over the years. something I’d written, and later, was lucky enough as a student to His work as executor of Delmore took the time to offer comments. get to know him and count him Schwartz’s literary estate has been It was just the kind of encourage- as a friend. Besides learning every outstanding, and his volume on ment I needed then, and an act of poetic and fiction form around— the Confessional poets is essen- uncommon kindness I’ve never which one must know would be te- tial. Mostly I felt sad because of the forgotten. dious subjects even if taught with a important role Bob played in wel- However, a few years later, right flame-thrower, and he made them coming many young writers into after my thesis defense, I had a lively, sans flame-thrower—those the fold of the program and, more conversation with Dan Stern, who students wise enough to sign up importantly, into the world of be- pointed out to me that the kind- for his seminars were also invited ing a writer. I, for one, have no idea ness Bob had shown me was not to attend a course outside the walls where I—or my writing—would be uncommon at all. That Bob had of the classroom, where literary without him. given much needed assistance to a discussions normally found at the number of writers, and in many in- conference table moved easily be- --Wayne Miller stances, even helped resurrect their tween the West Alabama Ice House MFA, Poetry, 2002 careers. That if you knew him well, and the Volcano; and, occasionally,
CWP NEWS 10 over an intimate dinner with his you were doing, that he knew pre- wife Judith in their home on Banks cisely what you were doing, or at- Street. tempting, and more importantly, It was during these sorts of gather- he knew why you were doing what- ings that one really began to “get” ever it was that you were doing the whole MFA thing. For example, when you did it. In fact he knew it might occur to you that Bob’s exactly how you probably felt about self-effacement in the afternoon the entire situation of being a writ- seminar had not been accidental er in a program, that the very act of Wyman Herendeen, Bob Phillips, Ted Estes but a lesson itself, and perhaps, getting together to talk about writ- just maybe, it was for your benefit ing was ultimately a kind of war. entirely, and the apparent leisure Luckily for all of us, Bob had the of a Bob Phillips class was actually friendly gossip, the good and edgy very much structured and deliber- jokes, and the anecdotes of literary ate and was, in fact, an act of grace adventure to help smooth things to lighten the mood in the room over. Even if you never took a class and to disarm you. And then, over from him you probably knew him: dinner, over a glass of wine and a He was the one with the good hu- forkful of roast duck, it might also mor and grace of a diplomat. He occur to you that Bob was trying was the one who opened the doors to make you and the rest of the of his home and made sure that Robert Liddell, Bob Phillips, David Mikics writers—generally uneasy, uncom- everyone—every writer in the pro- fortable people—at ease and com- gram—was welcomed in. fortable in a wholly uneasy and un- comfortable room. --Bill Hughes Of course, one was lucky to be in MFA, Poetry, 2002 one of his workshops, and his con- tributions to literature—collections of stories, poetry, and essays, as well as his role in helping the careers of important writers—are instructive to say the least. But I found that the most important stuff one could learn as a writer came directly from Bob Phillips, Marion Barthelme Bob outside of the classroom, and one simply couldn’t get it anywhere else. Sure, Bob helped students fig- ure out how to craft their work— that was expected—but more importantly he also taught his stu- dents how to live as writers. Better Ed Hirsch, Richard Howard, Bob Phillips still, he showed his students how to live as generous, kind, gracious writers. This, of course, if one were paying attention, was a compliment: You, Judith and Bob Phillips dear student, were already a writer. One might even suspect, even as you were trying to figure out what
CWP NEWS11 Weber: The Contemporary West, Student News and New Plains Review, as well as Anna Jour- in the anthologies Mutanabbi Street ney (Ph.D., Starts Here and Poems for Palestine. Poetry) is the Samuel Amadon's (Ph.D., Poetry) One of his poems was included author of the chapbook, Each H, was published by in the Alhambra Poetry Calendar collection, If Ugly Duckling Press. And, Sam won 2009. He also participated on pan- Birds Gather the Iowa Poetry Prize for his manu- els at AWP and at Kennedy Cen- Your Hair for script “Like a Sea”. ter's ARABESQUE: Arts of the Arab N e s t i n g World festival in Washington D.C. (University Matt Boyleston (Ph.D., Poetry) is an of Georgia Assistant Professor of Creative Writ- Liz Countryman (Ph.D., Poetry) Press, 2009), ing and English at Houston Baptist had poems published in Black War- selected by Thomas Lux for the Na- University. He graduated with his rior Review, Forklift, Ohio, and tional Poetry Series. Her poems are Ph.D. in December and was the fea- Makeout Creek. She also won the published in a number of journals, tured graduate student speaker at the Brown Award from the Vermont Stu- including American Poetry Review, Winter Graduation. His poems and dio Center in summer of 2008. FIELD, and Kenyon Review, and her essays have recently appeared in The essays appear in Blackbird, Notes on South Carolina Review, The Portland Will Donnelly (Ph.D., Fiction) was Contemporary Literature, and Par- Review, The Sierra Nevada Review, awarded a Wildacres Writers' Resi- nassus. She’s currently a PhD candi- the Roanoke Review, the Flint Hills dency in North Carolina this sum- date in creative writing and literature Review and Painted Bride Quarterly. mer. His short story, “Coyotes”, was at the University of Houston, where published in the October issue of Po- she’s received the Inprint/Barthelme Chuck Carlise (Ph.D., Poetry) spent tomac Review. Fellowship in Poetry. the month of May studying Italian at the Laboratorio Linguistico language Eric Ekstrand (M.F.A., Poetry) won Irene Keliher (M.F.A., Fiction) has school in Milazzo, Sicily. He also a Ruth Lilly Fellowship. stories forthcoming in Quarterly had poems appear in Beloit Poetry West, the Bellingham Review, the Journal and Cimarron Review, non- Farnoosh Fathi (Ph.D., Poetry) re- Potomac Review, and Pebble Lake fiction in Pebble Lake Review, was a ceived a creative writing Fulbright Review. She received an Inprint/Bar- $1000 prizewinner with the Dorothy Scholarship to Brazil that begins in thelme award in nonfiction this year, Sargent Rosenberg Memorial Poetry March 2010. and an essay of hers placed in the Competition, and a finalist in several Atlantic Monthly Student Writing other contests, including the Greg Christine Ha (M.F.A., Fiction) got Contest. One of Irene’s stories won Grummer Poetry Prize from Phoebe. engaged to John Suh in the spring. the Potomac Review Fiction Contest, In June he had poems picked up by They have set the tentative wedding and another won the Tobias Wolff Quarterly West, and by Southern Re- date for May, 2010. Award for Fiction from the Belling- view. Chuck also interviewed Chuck ham Review. She graduated with the Klosterman for Gulf Coast this win- Janine Joseph (Ph.D., Poetry) was M.F.A and she’s now teaching for ter, where he’s currently non-fiction among 31 graduate students in the WITS and Inprint and working on editor. He serves as Poetry Rep for nation to be awarded a 2009 Paul & the novel. the CWP and teaches for WITS. Daisy Soros Fellowship. She had po- ems published this last year in Third Hayan Charara (Ph.D., Poetry) was Coast, Nimrod International Jour- awarded a fellowship, for poetry, nal, Calabash, Spoon River Poetry from the National Endowment for Review and the anthology, Breathe: the Arts. His children's book manu- 101 Contemporary Odes. Janine also script, "The Three Lucys", received appears in Episode 2 of “Pinecones: the New Voices Award Honor. He A Podcast of Young Poets” (www. also had poems accepted for publi- pineconespoetry.net) cation in The Massachusetts Review, Perihelion Review, Hanging Loose, Thea Lim
CWP NEWS 12 David Lombardi's (Ph.D., Fiction) November comparing Mat Johnson's moonlights around Houston as a short story “Flight” was selected for Incognegro to Nella Larsen's Passing, guitar player and songwriter for local the anthology Best New American which Mat purposefully tried to turn artists including University of Hous- Voices 2010. on its head. Also her essay "Gloria ton’s very own Shatera Anderson. Naylor's North/South Dichotomy (But only after he finishes up all of David MacLean (Ph.D., Fiction) and the Reversal of the Middle Pas- his professors' assignments) He just was selected the runner-up for The sage: Juxtaposed Migrations within finished writing songs and poems for Missouri Review's Non-Fiction Edi- Mama Day" was published in Dr. Houston Grand Opera. tor's Prize. He also reports that The Brown-Guillory's book Middle Pas- Poison Pen Series was awarded the sages and the Healing Place of His- "Best Local Reading Series" by the tory. It came out in 2006, but Kath- Houston Press. In Fall 2009, David ryn says that she completely forgot will begin a year long position as a to mention it last year. Her students Post Doc with the Creative Writing are doing well. One of her UHCL Below, students at the 2009 Grad Party Program. students won the Bay Area writing held at Inprint House league contest in both fiction and Oindrila Mukherjee (Ph.D., Fic- creative non fiction, and the prison tion) will be joining Emory Univer- students did well again in the PEN/ sity in the fall of 2009 as the Creative Prison contest. As a consequence, Writing Fellow in Fiction for 2 years, she’s now an interviewee/participant and getting her novel, The Extraordi- in a qualitative study on reform and nary Sins of Ordinary Indians, ready prison education. for publication. One of Oindrila’s stories, "The Ways We Cook Fish" Edward Porter (Ph.D., Fiction) cel- has been selected for publication in ebrated his first wedding anniversary Best New Writing 2009, an annual an- in France, where he was a Fellow in thology published by Hopewell and residence at LaMuse in Labastide Es- edited by Christopher Klim. parbairenque, Languedoc. In the fall his story "The Changing Station" will appear in Best New American Voices P a u l 2010. Otremba’s (Ph.D., Po- Coert Voorhees (M.F.A., Fiction) etry) first will be spending next year as the book of Parks Fellow in fiction at Rice Uni- poems, The versity. The paperback version of his Cur re nc y , first novel, The Brothers Torres, will was released be released in August, and his sec- this spring ond novel, The Artist, is forthcom- from Four ing in late 2010. The Brothers Torres Way Books. was named as one of the American He also had Library Association's 2009 Top Ten poems appear for "Poetry Daily", the Best Books for Young Adults. Academy of American Poets’ “Poem- A-Day” project, and the Washington Allyn West (Ph.D., Non-fiction) had Post’s “Poet’s Choice” column. He an essay, "Sperm Donors," accepted was a scholar at the Bread Loaf Writ- by Cimarron Review for their sum- ers’ Conference in summer, 2008, mer issue. and he returned this year as a fellow. Brandon White (M.F.A., Fiction) Kathryn Paterson (Ph.D., Fiction) has been teaching a writing mem- presented a paper at the SCMLA last oir/fiction workshop for Inprint. He
CWP NEWS 13 Writing Competitions Eric Howerton, Ph.D. Graduates B.A., Univ. of New Mexico The University of Houston’s Creative M.F.A., Pennsylvania State Univ. Writing Program is pleased to an- Fall 2008 nounce the writing awards winners Corey Noll, M.F.A. B.A., Hampshire College for 2008-2009 Michael Powers, M.F.A., Fiction Adam Peterson, Ph.D. Inprint/Diana P. Hobby Matthew Boyleston, Ph.D., Poetry B.A., Drake Univ. Prize In Fiction M.A., Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln Erin Namekawa Spring 2009 Dylan Walsh, Ph.D. Inprint/Paul Verlaine B.A., New England College Prize In Poetry Lauren Berry, M.F.A., Poetry M.A., Univ. of New Hampshire Lauren Berry Marantha Bivins, M.F.A., Fiction Stacey Higdon, M.F.A., Poetry Inprint/Joan & Stanford Alexander Irene Keliher, M.F.A., Fiction Poetry Prize In Non-Fiction Christine Lee, M.F.A., Fiction Karie Buss, M.F.A. in honor of Andrea White Lisa Lee, M.F.A., Non-Fiction B.A., Univ. of Iowa David MacLean Matthew Siegel, M.F.A., Poetry Coert Voorhees, M.F.A., Fiction Melinda Capps, Ph.D. Inprint/Barthelme B.A., Queens Univ. of Charlotte Memorial Fellowships in Fiction Miah Arnold, Ph.D., Fiction M.A., Ohio Univ. Sruthi Thekkiam Craig Beaven, Ph.D., Poetry M.F.A., Univ. of Iowa Ian Stansel Kristine Ervin, Ph.D., Poetry Gretchen Heyer, Ph.D., Fiction Adam Day, Ph.D. Inprint/Barthelme David MacLean, Ph.D., Fiction B.A., Eckerd College M.F.A., New York Univ. Memorial Fellowship In Non-Fiction Oindrila Mukherjee, Ph.D., Fiction Irene Kelliher James Thomas, Ph.D., Poetry Joshua Gottlieb-Miller, M.F.A. B.A., St. Mary’s College of Maryland Inprint/Lucille Joy Prize in Poetry Incoming Students Margaret Monahan, M.F.A. Matthew Siegel B.A., Catholic Univ. of America
Inprint/Barthelme This year the Creative Writing Caitlin Plunkett, M.F.A. Fellowship in Poetry Program welcomes 16 new stu- B.A., Virginia Tech Anna Journey dents- eight in fiction and eight in poetry. Analicia Sotelo, M.F.A. Brazos Bookstore/ B.A., Trinity Univ. Academy of American Poets Prize Fiction Russel Swensen Rebecca Wadlinger, Ph.D. Jason Daniels, M.F.A. B.A., Bucknell Univ. B.A., Ohio State Univ. M.F.A., Univ. of Texas-Austin Honorable Mention Ryler Dustin Andrew Dimond, M.F.A. B.A., Rice Univ. Judges David Shields-Non-fiction Ashleigh Eisinger, Ph.D. Victor Lavalle-Fiction B.A., Univ. of Central Florida Brenda Shaughnessy-Poetry M.F.A, Georgia College and State Univ.
Lauren Genovesi, Ph.D. B.A., College of the Holy Cross Alex Parsons, J. Kastely M.F.A., New Mexico State Univ. and several 2009 graduates.
CWP NEWS 14 Thanking Mark him over the years continue even Cynthia Woods Mitchell now to be changed by that proxim- Center for the Arts About the same time that Mark ity. We wish him the best of every- Doty joined the faculty of the Uni- thing. Creative Writing graduate stu- versity of Houston Creative Writ- dents were able to take workshops ing Program, I crouched week after - Lacy Johnson in Fall 2008 by Sarah Rothenberg week in the poetry section of an MFA, Poetry, 2008 and Adam Zagajewski as part of independent bookstore thumb- the Mitchell Center’s Damaged ing through contemporary poetry Romanticism exhibit. Sarah and volumes as a semester-long assign- Adam also presented an evening ment in an undergraduate poetry- of artistic performance and dis- writing course. I never bought any cussion on the role of form in art. of the books. I didn’t even like po- Also, during the fall semester, the etry. Creative Writing Program was an One day, I happened to pick up Christopher Tilghman, Greg Oaks active partner in a celebration of Atlantis and a strange thing hap- Ben Grossberg & Mark Doty the work of Emily Dickinson. As pened. I remember the moment part of this celebration the Cre- precisely: the afternoon light bi- ative Writing Program and the secting my black leather boots, the Department of English sponsored white store cat purring in an open a critical discussion of Dickinson’s window, the front door opening, a work. Professor Dorothy Baker bell clanging to. And just like that: moderated a panel that included a subtle change, an irrevocable shift Dickinson scholars, Eliza Richards in a singular direction, a small, dor- and Martha Nell Smith. Later that mant thing given speech. I bought day Mark Doty curated a reading the book instead of that evening’s of work by Dickinson and work in- dinner. Mark Doty & students on the porch fluenced by Dickinson. 5 graduate Ten years after reading Atlantis for at the end of the semester students read their favorite poem the first time, I told Mark, my dis- by Dickinson, and then Mark Doty, sertation committee chair, that I Alice Fulton, and Susan Howe read was thinking of making my manu- from both their own work and the script a hypertext—fully digital, work of Dickinson. The entire day connected by links rather than by was a signature event for the UH tangible pages, a text driven com- Creative Writing Program and the pletely by the reader. Any other Department of English in which teacher might have told me I’d fi- scholarship and creative work nally and completely lost it. But came together to enhance the un- Mark is a beautiful teacher; he Mark Doty, Cynthia MacDonald, Bob Phillips derstanding of a major poet. The writes beautiful poems and teaches Dickinson event concluded with beautiful classes and as his student a world premier performance by I learned about the reflexivity of the Ridge Theatre of "Lightening at creating beautiful things. I doubt Our Feet", a dramatic and musical I’m alone in my little grief that he is presentation of work by Dickin- no longer teaching in Houston. son. In Spring 2009, creative writ- “Of course I know it ends,” he ing undergraduates participated in writes in “Fog Argument”: “I know the Mitchell Center’s Collaboration there’s a precise limit // where salt among the Arts course, and Profes- marsh gives way / to fogged water’s sor Nick Flynn served as one of the steel.” Those of us who have had the Kimiko Hahn, Annie Finch & Mark Doty faculty facilitators for the course. profound pleasure of working with
CWP NEWS 15 from Barry Hannah’s forthcom- Bookstore to capacity this year by Gulf Coast ing book Sick Soldier at Your Door featuring eclectic readings from that we published in October was more than twenty CWP students. reprinted in the June issue of Harp- In December, the Gulf Coast edi- er’s. We may run our journal out of tors also read at the Poison Pen a small office in UH’s Roy Cullen Reading Series, held monthly at building, but we continue to collect favorite Houston nightspot, Poison national attention for the works we Girl Bar. publish. And it’s now even easier to access Gulf Coast content – our As we look ahead to our next issue, new website, gulfcoastmag.org, we’re happy to announce the recipi- launched in November and features ents of the Gulf Coast $1,000 prizes. online-exclusive content and selec- Our editors read through nearly a tions from the current issue. thousand diverse entries to select finalists in each genre. First, faculty Gulf Coast’s Summer/Fall Issue 21.2 member Antonya Nelson tabbed features new poems from Nicky Dana Kinstler’s “Bird in My Throat” Beer, Billy Collins, Norman Dubie, to receive the Gulf Coast Fiction Beckian Fritz Goldberg, and David Prize. Dinty W. Moore awarded the Wojahn—plus new fiction from Gulf Coast Nonfiction Prize to Kelly Alix Ohlin, translations of essays by Blikre for her essay “On Our Skin.” Ales Steger, and an interview with Finally, Brigit Pegeen Kelly chose author and Subtropics editor David Patricia Murphy’s “Why I Burned Leavitt. It also includes our first Down Namdaemun Gate” for the winner and Honorable Mention for Gulf Coast Poetry Prize. Congratu- our new Donald Barthelme Prize lations to the winners, whose work for Short Prose –$500 awarded an- will appear in our upcoming issue, nually to a piece of flash fiction, and our thanks to all who entered This past year was an action-packed prose poem or micro-essay. the contest. one for Gulf Coast – we got a new logo, launched a new website, faced When our Summer/Fall Issue was Here in our office, we are relishing down a hurricane, weathered “the released in April, we were lucky to the Texas-sized air conditioning current economic climate,” and hold our release party at the Glassell and putting the finishing touches produced two issues filled with School at the Museum of Fine Arts on Gulf Coast Winter 2009/Spring the best writing from both emerg- – Houston and to have contribu- 2010, which is shaping up to be an- ing and established authors. Our tor Alix Ohlin give a reading. This other incredible issue. This Gulf nationally-distributed, student-run spring was packed with Gulf Coast Coast will feature new fiction by journal has momentum like never events, as the journal hosted its an- 2009 Iowa Short Fiction Prize-win- before. nual Houston Indie Book & Small ner Jennine Capo Crucet, stories by Press Festival that had the patio at Matt Bell and John Weir, and essays But natural disasters and fiscal Domy Bookstore brimming with by Ilya Kaminsky and Joe Wender- meltdowns aside, this past year has discounted journals and books, and oth. Our poetry feature showcases been an artistically exciting one at drew large crowds for the on-the- emerging women poets, and the Gulf Coast. Our thriving, Texas- hour readings by Creative Writ- issue also includes poems by Ai, sized journal was recognized this ing Program (CWP) students and T.R. Hummer, Mark Jarman, Lau- past year on both “Poetry Daily” graduates and local writers. ra Kasischke, Sarah Vap, and G.C. and “Verse Daily”, featuring origi- Waldrep. And to elaborate on our nal poems first published in Gulf If it’s readings you’re looking for, mission to be a crossroads of both Coast. We saw Brenda Miller’s essay Houston can offer you a Texas- literature and fine art, Issue 22.1 “Table of Figures” from Gulf Coast sized dose of those, too. The Gulf will feature a graphic interpretation Issue 20.2 selected for inclusion in Coast Reading Series, voted “Best of a section of T.S. Eliot’s renowned Best Creative Nonfiction 3, due out Reading Series” by Houston Press poem “The Waste Land”—it’s an is- in August. And the novel excerpt in 2004, continued to fill Brazos sue you won’t want to miss.
CWP NEWS 16 usual Houston summer! Subscriptions to Gulf Coast are Glass Mountain "Boldface is an innovative initiative available at $28 for two years (a sav- that will allow serious emerging ings of $12 off the cover price) and writers a chance to work on their $16 for one year ($4 off the cover craft and to professionalize them- price). Send check or money order selves," said J. Kastely, Director of along with subscription address to: the Creative Writing Program. "It Gulf Coast, Department of English, is representative of UH's efforts to University of Houston, Houston, TX provide the best education to its 77204-3013. Or subscribe online: students and to be a national leader Check out www.gulfcoastmag.org. in curriculum innovation." The Boldface conference success- Low Rent fully bolstered a community in which Houston’s emerging writers not only received feedback on their From June 22-26, the University of writing, but discovered creative Houston hosted Boldface: a confer- outlets for future literary work. ence for emerging writers. Spon- "Boldface also allows these under- sored by Glass Mountain, the un- graduates to build networks," said dergraduate literary magazine at Lynn Voskuil, English Professor UH, Boldface attracted more than and Glass Mountain faculty advi- 70 writers from three states in this sor. "It's important that they can inaugural year. Unlike the major- connect with writers who are at ity of writing conferences aimed their same level, as well as gradu- at experienced authors, Boldface ate students who can serve as men- focused specifically on emerging tors." Boldface was the brainstorm According to Editor Bill Hughes writers, in both fiction and poetry. of Glass Mountain’s editorial staff (M.F.A., 2002), Low Rent expe- Current graduate students and pro- and was funded by a UH QEP Cur- rienced a few growing pains in fessors of the Creative Writing Pro- riculum Grant. the spring as they were absolutely gram served as conference faculty overwhelmed with submissions. and presenters. In publication since 2006, Glass So, as the work piled up they de- Prior to the conference, each of the Mountain is edited by a staff of un- cided to do what people often participants prepared and submit- dergraduates and is composed en- do: they took a break. Bill says ted a manuscript which was then tirely of the creative literary work luckily that's over, so the next few developed through the course of of UH undergraduate students. Its months should prove to be exciting the week in multiple workshops and fifth issue will be published this fall. for Low Rent. They’ve reorganized individual conversations with fac- their reading process and have ex- ulty mentors. Boldface conferees Emilie Koenig panded the staff with UH alumni also attended craft talks and read- Glass Mountain staff and others in New York. Everything ings offered by conference faculty seems to suggest that the journal is as well as presentations about pub- still growing, i.e., they’re not off the lication, the writing life, and the re- scene, and with some luck, they will alities of graduate school in creative announce a small story prize before writing. Evening events included a the year's end. Students and alumni reception at Kaboom Bookstore of the program will certainly get in Houston Heights, an open-mic the first word. Other staff members reading by conference participants include Poetry Editor, Jason Koo at Antidote Coffee, and a raucous, packed reading at Poison Girl Bar (M.F.A., 2002), and Fiction Editor, Anna Journey at the Boldface Conference Robert Liddell (M.F.A., 2005). in the Montrose—all during one of the hottest weeks of a hotter-than-
CWP NEWS 17 has accepted a senior instructor- Andrew Brininstool (M.F.A., Alumni News ship there. 2008) won the Editor’s Prize in Fic- Alan Ainsworth (Ph.D., 1996) Ann Bogle (M.F.A., 1994) tells us tion from nor (New Ohio Review) tells us that four of his poems were that poems from her chapbook, in fall, 2008. part of a musical/dance event, Dog barks up a tree at the apple left “Notes From Houston”. Compos- in it under a deerslim moon (Dusie Jericho Brown (Ph.D., 2007) will er Mary Carol Warwick set them Kollektiv, 2009), appear in onedit, be in residence at Harvard during to music and Deborah Quanaim issue 12. Her chapbook, XAM: the 2009-2010 academic year as choreographed them as part of the Paragraph Series (Xexoxial Edi- a Bunting Fellow of the Radcliffe HCC Dance Ensemble recital. A tions, 2005), was featured at ‘The Institute for Advanced Study. He video of the event can be seen at Cartier Street Review” in March was also selected by Poets & Writ- http://video.hccs.edu/#/1/1. Last 2009. "Mike’s Writing Workshop ers Magazine as one of “twelve de- year Alan was a guest reader of the and Newsletter" (http://mikeswrit- but poets who put their best work Tidewater Community College ingworkshop.blogspot.com) car- forward in 2008” for his first book, 2008 LITERARY FESTIVAL on ries her writing columns “Cut It Please. The article was in the Jan/ the focus “Political Punditry” at Up,” “Go Home,” “How It Makes Feb, 2009 issue. Please was #5 on the Virginia Beach Campus. Sense,” and “Note on Modern- the Poetry Foundation’s contem- ism.” Her short stories, “The Gift,” porary best sellers for the week of Christopher Bakken (Ph.D., “Cigs,” and “Rule Out Euthymia” March 22, 2009. 1999) served as a Fulbright Schol- with music by Brutus Filius Ioan- ar in Romania in 2009 and can nis appear in Mad Hatters’ Review, now brag that he's given a poetry issue 10, 2008. Her short stories, reading delivered at Transylva- “The Housecoat,” “Mugabe West- nia University. He also had the ern,” “Still Life in a Bowl,” and ex- great pleasure of visiting former cerpts from Work on What Has U of H professor Adam Zagajew- Been Spoiled, written in 1985, 1987, ski on his home turf in Krakow. and 1991, are forthcoming in Big Christopher has published new Bridge. She is the new co-fiction poems in Ploughshares, Literary editor at Women Writers: a Zine Jericho Brown reading in Houston Imagination, Drunken Boat, Be- and incoming nonfiction editor at loit Poetry Journal, Subtropics, Mad Hatters’ Review. She was a fi- and elsewhere. A chapter from nalist (top ten in poetry in a field Katherine his new prose project--a memoir of 900 entrants) in Summer Liter- C e n t e r ’s of literary/culinary adventures in ary Seminars’ annual competition, ( M . F. A . , Greece--appears in the latest issue judged by Ann Lauterbach. The 1998) sec- of Parnassus: Poetry in Review. self-published mixed-genre b-l- ond novel, o-o-k of her weblog, Ana Verse E v e r y o n e Nicky Beer (M.F.A., 2003) was one (Blurb, 2009, hardcover, color, 362 Is Beauti- of the winners of a 2008 Ruth Lilly pp., $95), documents her mother’s ful, went Fellowship from the Poetry Foun- garden. on sale last dation, and her first book of po- F e b r u - ems, The Diminishing House, was Michelle Bois- ary. USA picked up for publication by Carn- seau (Ph.D., Today called it "a breezy read that egie Mellon University Press. The 1985) has a new glows," People called it "endear- book is due out in early 2010. Her book of poetry ing," and Redbook featured it as husband, Brian Barker (Ph.D., from the Univ. of a great read "for the tub." Kirkus 2004), has accepted a tenure-track Arkansas Press- Reviews likened it to the 1950s assistant professorship at the Uni- A Sunday in God motherhood classic Please Don't versity of Colorado Denver. Nicky Years. Eat The Daisies, and "Booklist"
CWP NEWS 18 described it as a "superbly written stitute of Letters. His novel, Shave- year, or are forthcoming in, Tri- novel filled with unique and reso- tail, is set in Arizona and northern quarterly, The Georgia Review, nant characters." Katherine went Mexico in the year 1871. Boulevard, The Hopkins Review, on a book tour around the country Shavetail Prairie Schooner, and The North- in March, and she’s done all kinds also won west Review. of fun events in Houston, where the Spur she still lives with her husband and Award for Robin Davidson (Ph.D., 2001) is two kids. She’s also just turned in 2008 best the recipient of a 2009 National her third novel, called Get Lucky, w e s t e r n Endowment for the Arts Litera- which will come out next year in novel of ture Fellowship in Translation. the spring. And now she’s start- 9 0 , 0 0 0 Her translations from the Polish, ing on her fourth. Katherine’s first words for The New Century: Poems by Ewa novel, The Bright Side of Disaster, the West- Lipska, in collaboration with Ewa was optioned last fall by Varsity ern Writers Elzbieta Nowakowska, are forth- Pictures. She’s blogging, too--and of Ameri- coming from Northwestern Uni- doing some very exciting video ca. Thomas’s bookCrazy Heart was versity Press in fall 2009. She has projects with excerpts from her made into a film starring Jeff Bridg- new poems coming out this year in novels and essays. Folks can see es and Robert Duvall. the Tampa Review, and she is the the videos at the blog at her web- recipient of a 2009 Houston Arts site, www.katherinecenter.com. Aaron Crippen (Ph.D., 2005) is Alliance Individual Artist Grant pleased to report that part of his for her poetry. Robin asks that we P a t r i c i a visual poem “nowthatsfuckedup. “Please include my thanks to Adam Clark (Ph.D., com” was the cover art of the Fall Z. without whom there would be no 1986) has a 2008 issue of Cream City Review. book, and to Ed H. who first intro- new book of duced me to Polish poetry through poems, she T r a c y the work of Wislawa Szymborska, walks into the D a u g h - and who brought Adam to Hous- sea, coming e r t y ’ s ton in the first place!” in September ( P h . D . , '09 from 1985) biog- Barbara Duffey (M.F.A., 2005) M i c h i g a n raphy of reports that she’s currently a Vice- State Univ. D o n a l d Presidential Fellow in the Litera- Press. New Barthelme, ture & Creative Writing Ph.D. pro- poems are Hiding Man gram at the University of Utah. She in or forth- (St. Martin’s has two poems in the most recent coming in Press), has American Letters & Commentary P o e t r y been picked and two poems forthcoming in Northwest, up by Picador, and will be out in a Asimov's Science Fiction. She re- the Cimar- paperback edition next year. Re- ceived an Artist's Grant from the ron Review, views of the book have appeared in Vermont Studio Center. Barbara Zone 3, Rhi- The New Yorker, Time, and on the also has a new dog, a Blue Heeler no, and front page of the New York Times named Tesla. She and her husband M a n y Book Review, among others. He recently bought a house in Salt Mountains Moving. Patricia also has contracted with St. Martin’s Lake City. has a chapbook, Given the Trees. Press to write a biography of Joseph Heller. Temptation, a new volume Blas Falconer (Ph.D. 2002), a pro- Thomas Cobb (Ph.D., 1986) won of short stories, is forthcoming fessor at Austin Peay State Univer- the Jesse H. Jones Award for Best from SMU Press. Stories in the col- sity, received the Maureen Egan Work of Fiction from the Texas In- lection have appeared, this past Writers Exchange Award, which
CWP NEWS 19 gives emerging writers the oppor- Emily Fox Gabriela Maya (Ph.D., 2005) con- tunity to interact with the literary G o r d o n’s tinue to live in Houston and work community in New York City. Fal- news is that at the UH Honors College, where coner has won numerous honors, she has a John is organizing the new Center and he’s the author of A Question new book for Creative Arts. In Spring 2009, of Gravity and Light, a collection of out, a novel John co-translated and directed poems published by the University ( h e r Euripides' "Electra" for a special of Arizona Press in 2007. first) called performance at the Honors College It Will Come and he continues to write original Rebecca Flowers (M.F.A., 1994) to Me, pub- work for and produce plays with had her first novel, Nice to Come lished by Mildred's Umbrella. Home To, published by Riverhead Spiegel & Books. Grau in March. It's an academic Stephen Haven (1985), Profes- comedy of manners, set at a (fic- sor of English and Director of the Greg Fraser’s tional) Texas university called the Master of Fine Arts in Creative (Ph.D., 1999) Lola Dees Institute. It has gotten Writing Program at Ashland Uni- second collec- nice reviews from the Washington versity, had his second book of po- tion of poems, Post, Texas Monthly, the Boston etry, titled Dust and Bread, named Answering the Globe and several others. She’s also by the Ohio Poetry Association as Ruins, came done a number of readings in Texas co-winner for an award for the best out on Triquar- and New York. An editor-author book of poems by an Ohio poet terly/North- interview with Julie Grau at Mc- published in 2008. Consequently, western UP in Nally-Jackson Books in Soho was he was named co-Ohio Poet of the spring, 2009. picked up by NPR's Book Tour Year for 2009. A new review of his podcast series. The paperback will memoir, The River Lock (Syracuse Renata Golden (M.F.A., 2000), be out in March of 2010, about the University Press, 2008), just came Julie Chisholm (Ph.D., 2002) and same time as the publication of a out in July in the Chicago journal collection of her personal essays Elizabeth Bradfield presented a Contrary. The review is available tentatively titled “Book of Days”. panel at the ASLE conference at online at http://www.contrarymag- the University of Victoria in Brit- azine.com/Contrary/Haven.html. ish Columbia in June. The panel And, he has new poems coming was titled "Three Chicks Writing out in Parnassus and The Southern about Birds" and was well-attended Review. by birders, writers, teachers, and a Also, the small press Stephen di- cormorant expert. Julie and Renata rects--Ashland Poetry Press--last are considering putting a panel to- March published Robert Phillips's gether for ASLE in 2011 titled 'The Now & Then: New & Selected Po- Wild Bunnies of UVic.' Consider- Benjamin Grossberg ems. ing the plethora of subject matter, they might have to skip the Q&A at Jennifer Grotz (Ph.D., 2005) will Sean Hill (MFA, 2003) has had po- the end. begin teaching at the University of ems appear in recent issues of the Rochester in the Fall 2009. Recent Oxford American and Tin House poems and translations appeared and recordings of ten poems have or are forthcoming in New Eng- been archived on the website "From land Review, Ploughshares, Ameri- the Fishouse". Six of them are from can Poetry Review, Tri-Quarterly, Blood Ties & Brown Liquor and and Best American Poetry 2009. four are from the manuscript Sean is currently working on. He recent- Julie Chisolm, breaking the rules John Harvey (Ph.D., 1998) and ly received a four-week residency
CWP NEWS 20 and New Artists Initiative Award lowship from the National Endow- says in Iowa Review, Brevity, and from The Hambidge Center in the ment for the Arts for the upcoming Crazyhorse. In the spring he co- mountains of north Georgia. His year. He’s the poetry editor for Low directed a theatre study abroad residency there will be from No- Rent. program in London, and in the fall vember 24 to December 20, 2009. will complete a two-week residency After recently finishing the Stegner Andrew Kozma (Ph.D., 2007) re- at the Anderson Center in Red Fellowship at Stanford University, ports that over the past year he’s Wing, MN. One of his recent po- Sean has moved back to Bemidji, had poems in The Comstock Re- ems was chosen for inclusion in Minnesota. view, Quiddity, RATTLE, Slip- Best American Poetry 2009. stream, Smartish Pace, and Sub- tropics. In Houston, he had a play Leah Lax (M.F.A., 2004) has re- (“Lights up on a Room/Lights cently completed her memoir. She Out”) performed as part of the is holding her breath while still try- BooTown Houston Fringe Festival, ing to breathe, which is a challenge, and this summer he’ll be attending hoping to get news of a publishing the Sewanee Writers' Conference as contract. Meanwhile, family has a Walter E. Dakin Fellow in Poetry. increased by two granddaughters Sean Hill, James Hall And, yes, Andrew’s still living in and Magnolia, the intrepid Aire- Houston, though plans to move are dale. For now, Leah and partner Caroline Langston Jarboe (M.A., ever in the offing. Susan Baird are in Houston, still 1993) and her husband, Brian, happy living without snow. welcomed their second child, An- William Lantry (Ph.D., 1993) says nabella Maria Bohanan Jarboe, that although he has no fourth or Elline Lipkin (Ph.D., 2003) reports on April 19, 2009. Anna Maria, as fifth book coming out, no national that the good news is she does have they are calling her, joins brother prize and no grants to report, he another book coming out (her sec- Alex, 5. Caroline continues to be did have 10 poems come out in a ond!). The title isGirls' Studies and a regular contributor to Image: A single day recently at www.tower- it's part of Seal Press's Seal Studies Journal of the Arts and Religion's journal.com, www.unbrellajournal. series. The publication date is No- "Good Letters" blog, as well as an com, and www.soundzine.com. vember 2009. The book is a critical occasional commentator for NPR. He thinks that wouldn't be much look at the rise of the field of Girls' for others, but says it's a personal Studies and considers that state of best for him. Details can be found contemporary girlhood today. She at:www.ablemuse.com/erato/ hopes that's a good synopsis. Oth- showthread.php?t=7789 erwise, Elline is still a Research Scholar at the Center for the Study Lance Larsen's of Women at UCLA. (Ph.D., 1993) third poetry Cate Marvin (M.F.A., 1997) c o l l e c t i o n , had a baby girl on January 6, Claire Kageyama Ramakrishnan Backyard Alche- 2009; her name is Lucia Drew. my, appeared in Jason Koo’s (M.F.A., 2002) first March from collection of poems, Man On Ex- University of tremely Small Island, was selected Tampa Press by Denise Duhamel as the winner (with cover art of the 2008 De Novo Prize and will by his wife Jacqui). He has had re- be published in the late summer or cent poems in River Styx, Indiana early fall of this year. Jason was also Review, Black Warrior Review, awarded a $25,000 Literature Fel- Agni, and Chariton Review, and es-
CWP NEWS 21 Cate says that her U of H connec- work of Earl Robicheaux, Morgan publications in the last year include tions are already coming in handy; City composer, naturalist, phonog- "Diary of a Sentence" in New Let- Lucia has been receiving hand-me- rapher, and oral historian. It's es- ters, "fizzee ollegjee" in River Styx, downs from Yvonne Murphy's sentially a double biography: of a and "Hyperphagia" at http://www. (Ph.D., 2000) baby, Rory, who is place and of a person. The book's stthomas.edu/magazine/2009/Win- just a few months older than Lucia. aim is to show how the largest riv- ter/finalthoughts.html er swamp in North America has James May (M.F.A., 2007) is now shaped the lives of those who live Wayne Mill- the Editor-in-Chief of New South, there, and how those who live there er’s (M.F.A., and he has poetry forthcoming in have increasingly shaped it. 2002) second 32 Poems and Sixty-Six. Ann continues to teach creative poetry collec- nonfiction at the University of tion, The Book Elizabeth McBride (M.A., 1982) North Texas. of Props, was says that she still makes art, and published by writes, but hasn’t published much Marc McKee (M.F.A., 2003) tells us Milkweed Edi- fiction or poetry lately. She keeps that Black Lawrence Press has of- tions in April busy as the Fine Arts Columnist for fered to publish his book, Fuse. He of 2009. It re- the Alpine Avalanche. She’s repre- says that he is beyond grateful, and ceived a sented by an art gallery in Houston, very excited. It's scheduled for re- starred review in Publishers Week- DevinBoedenHiramButler Gallery, lease in May 2011. ly and, thus far, has been favorably and by Barry Whistler Gallery in reviewed in The New Yorker (Apr. Dallas. Elizabeth has a drawing in Kimberly Meyer (Ph.D., 2008) has 27) and the Kansas City Star (Apr. the MFA Houston. She lives in Al- had three pieces from her non-fic- 11). Wayne also continues to serve pine, TX, where she says she drinks tion manuscript accepted recently as Editor of Pleiades. a lot of chamomile tea and walks a for publication. One essay, on the lot. miraculous shrine at Chimayo, Farnoosh Moshiri (M.F.A., 2000) New Mexico, appeared this spring was Florida Review's winner of Ed- Ann McCutchan (M.F.A., 1998) in Agni; another, on the Fountain itor's Award for Non-Fiction and gave a talk titled "Writing the Living of Youth, appeared this summer in her memoir "Walking on Thorns" Ground of Music" at Sam Houston the Oxford American; and a third, was published in the Winter 09 State University and Florida State on her pilgrimage with her hus- issue of the Florida Review. Cur- University in March and April of band and daughters to the Laura rently she’s working on a new nov- this year. Also in April, she gave Ingalls Wilder Little Houses, is el, and in intervals writes memoir the annual Lee Lecture in English forthcoming in September's Brain pieces. at the University of St. Thomas in Child magazine. Houston. The lecture, titled "Water Dave Parsons (M.A., 1991) is still Music: Writing the Rhythms of a Leslie Adrienne Miller (Ph.D., teaching Creative Writing and River," was followed by a reading. 1991) joined the faculty of the Pa- Handball/Racquetball at Lone Star Her third book, Circular Breath- cific University M.F.A. program in College-Montgomery and chair- ing: Meditations on a Musical Life, January of this year for the residen- ing the Conroe Commission on is due out in November with Sun- cy in Seaside, Oregon. In June, she the Arts & Culture. Cliff Hudder stone Press. was guest faculty at Northern Mich- (M.F.A., 1995) and Dave continue Ann has signed a contract with igan University's Summer Writers' to co-direct the Writers In Perfor- Texas A&M Press for a new book Program. This past spring, she was mance Series. Dave has a poem in tentatively titled “Water Music: a featured poet at the Des Moines Beyond Forgetting, an anthology Rhythms of the Atchafalaya.” Wa- Area Community Colleges Liter- from Kent State Univ. Press, three ter Music examines environmental ary Festival, and two of her poems, poems forthcoming in The Texas changes in Louisiana’s Atchafalaya "Bees" and "Inchworm", appeared Review and two in Louisiana Lit- River Basin by way of the life and in the Northwest Review. Other erature. He was named a finalist
CWP NEWS 22 for Texas State Poet Laureate by the Texas Commission on the Arts and Mira Rosenthal (M.F.A., 2005), in inducted into the Texas Institute of 2008-09, received a PEN Transla- Letters. Dave says that it’s “mucho tion Fund Award and an NEA fel- more attention” than he deserved lowship for her translations of Pol- this year. However, he says that ish poet Tomasz Rozycki's book, the most meaningful and touching Colonies. "The Forgotten Keys", a recognition came from the student selection from his previous vol- editors and staff of SWIRL (LSC- umes that she translated, was pub- Eric Shade & Daughter Montgomery Lit. Mag.), dedicating lished by Zephyr Press in 2007. Her the 2009 issue to him and request- translations have appeared widely Amy Spade (M.F.A., 1997) an- ing one of his poems to include in in journals and anthologies, and nounced that Sadie Elsa Silver- the issue. Below is a photo of the her own poems have appeared re- man was born June 24, 2009. She launch party with student staff/edi- cently in the Cortland Review, The weighed 6 pounds, 7 ounces and tors, advisors, and faculty sponsor Cincinnati Review, and Faultline. was 18 3/4 inches long. and treasured colleague and friend, In April and May, Mira was in resi- Cliff Hudder. dence at The MacDowell Colony, where she finished a collection of poems and continued to grow her first child, due in June. She and her husband, historian Greg Domber, now live in Jacksonville, FL, where they both teach at the University of North Florida. Sadie Elsa Silver And, finally, at 11:00 p.m. on June Dave, Cliff & SWIRL 2, Matilda Rose Domber was born Marilyn Stablein (M.A., 1984) at home in sunny Florida. Tillie en- has stories and poems recently Carol Quinn (Ph.D., 2005) was tered the world at 8 lbs. 4 oz. after published or forthcoming in Sin winner of the 2008 Cider Press a short but tiring labor. Mommy, Fronteras, Gargoyle Magazine, Book Award with her manuscript, baby, and Daddy are doing well, Rag, Chokecherries, Libros, and “Acetylene”. She received a publica- feeding, changing diapers, and nap- Wildflowers: A Catskill Mountain tion contract and her first book by ping. Anthology. She writes a column for the same name will be out in Feb- New Perspectives Magazine and ruary, 2010. Carol is currently at will be featured at the New Mexico Towson University. Women Author’s Book Festival in Santa Fe in September. Jim Richards (Ph.D., 2003) is the new poetry editor for Irreantum: a Her as- Review of Mormon Literature and semblages Film. For his day job, he’s a mem- and artists ber of the Brigham Young Univer- books were sity-Idaho English faculty, teach- Matilda Rose Domber exhibited ing literature and creative writing. in San Di- He has served as poetry editor of Eric Shade (M.F.A., 1999), author ego, Den- "Meridian Magazine" (online) and of the Flannery O'Connor Award ver, Albu- as a staff editor at Gulf Coast. His Winning Eyesores, now lives with Tool Kit 09 querque, poems have appeared in The Texas his wife and young daughter in To- Review, Perspective, Literature and kyo, and is searching for an agent Portland, Ft. Myers, Providence, Belief, and BYU Studies. to represent his brilliant new novel. Silver Spring, Taos and elsewhere.
CWP NEWS 23 She and her husband’s bookstore, Furman University and new essays His third Acequia Booksellers (over 12,000 will run in Orion and the Oxford novel, Wel- titles), ships literary titles all over American. She was honored to come to the world. Their website, ace- share the stage with Kim Meyer O a k l a n d , quiabooksellers.com, features over (Ph.D., 2008) in February, at the has just been 1,000 poetry titles. Poetry and Prose series in the Hon- p u b l i s h e d ors College at U of H. and will ap- Gail Donohue Storey (M.A., pear soon in 1982) was featured as a contempo- France, as rary satirist in AWP's The Writer's have his pre- Chronicle, in "Satire, The Craft" by vious novels, Marilyn Krysl. Gail is currently East Bay Grease and Two-Up. The working on her memoir about hik- Atlantic Monthly called his 2007 ing the Pacific Crest Trail, and in book of criticism, Oakland, Jack her spare time jumps out of cakes London, and Me, "one of the least to bust hip-hop moves. politically correct texts of our This summer, Joni and David Ber- time." His second book of criticism, nardy (Ph.D., 2006) went on a re- Marilynn Talal (Ph.D., 1993) and a collection of essays titled Say it search trip to Alaska, where they her husband, Norman, celebrated Hot: Essays on American Writers rafted the Canning River all the their 50th wedding anniversary in Living, Dying, and Dead, will be way to the Arctic Ocean. June, 2009. Now, that’s newswor- published in 2010. His short story thy! collection, 13 Fictional Positions, Robert Tinajero (M.F.A., 2004) will also be published in 2010. A is currently Assistant Professor of Giuseppe Taurino (M.F.A., 2006) three-term member of the Board of English at Tarrant County College. and his wife are still living in Austin, Directors of the National Book He will be defending his doctoral where Giuseppe is now the Educa- Critics Circle, Williamson is Asso- tion Programs Manager for Bad- dissertation, "Hip Hop Rhetoric: Relandscaping the Rhetorical Tra- ciate Editor of American Book Re- gerdog Literary Publishing. This view, Associate Editor of Boule- past year he’s had stories published dition," in the fall and graduating in December from the University vard, and Fiction Editor of The in Word Riot and New South. This Texas Review. The French maga- summer Giuseppe will attend the of Texas at El Paso. Robert is serv- ing as Area Chair in Hip Hop cul- zine, Transfuge, recently named Bread Loaf Writer’s Conference on Williamson one of America's best a work-study scholarship in fiction. ture for the Southwest Pop Culture/ American Culture Conference and 50 living authors. he self-published a book of poetry this summer: Love and Revolution. Tiphanie Yanique's (M.F.A., 2006) upcoming short story collection is Gemini Wahhaj’s (Ph.D., 2007) called How to Escape from a Leper story "Voices" is coming out in Crab Colony. Stories from the collec- Orchard Review. She says that she’s tion have won a Pushcart Prize, very happy, since this is one of her the Boston Review Prize in Fiction, the Kore Press Fiction Award and Iraq stories. have been featured in Best African American Fiction for 2009. De- Eric Miles Williamson (awarded scribing Tiphanie's writing Danzy the CWP's first M.F.A .degree in Senna says it "drew me in with its December 1991) is Professor of odd, dreamy locale and fresh lan- Bradford Gray Telford English at the University of Texas, guage" and called it "haunting and Pan-American, where he teaches nuanced work". Tiphanie's stories Joni Tevis (Ph.D., 2005) reports postmodern and contemporary lit- have also been published globally, that she had a good first year at erature.
CWP NEWS 24 including in Callaloo, Transition Magazine, American Short Fiction, the London Magazine and Fiddle- head. Tayari Jones calls her "One of my favorite emerging writers." Tiphanie is an Associate Editor with Post No Ills and Assistant Professor in Creative Writing and Caribbean Literature at Drew University. Her collection will be published with Graywolf in March, 2010.
Illustrations by Ward Sutton for his review of Robert Boswell's The Heyday of Insensitive Bastards.
CWP NEWS 25 Calendar of Events
August 27th: Poison Pen
September 21st: Inprint Brown Reading Series; Joseph O’Neill & Marilynne Robinson Sept. 23rd: M.D. Anderson Poetry & Prose Library Series September 24th: Poison Pen Third Anniversary Party
October 19th: Inprint Brown Reading Series E.L.Doctorow Oct. 21st: M.D. Anderson Poetry & Prose Library Series October 29th: Poison Pen
Nov. 18th: M.D. Anderson Poetry & Prose Library Series; First-year CWP students
December 3rd: Poison Pen; Gulf Coast Winter Issue Release Party
January 11th: Inprint Brown Reading Series; Mary Karr January 25th: Inprint Brown Reading Series; David Wroblewski January 28th: Poison Pen
February 25th: Poison Pen
March 1st: Inprint Brown Reading Series; John Banville/Abraham Verghese March 22th: Inprint Brown Reading Series; Tracy Kidder 7:30pm
April 12th: Inprint Brown Reading Series; Dorianne Laux/Patricia Smith April 29th: Poison Pen
May 3rd: Inprint Brown Reading Series; Oscar Casares/Gwendolyn Zepeda
Additionally, Gulf Coast Readings take place monthly, on Fridays, throughout the school year at Brazos Bookstore. Make sure to check the Gulf Coast website for details (www.gulfcoastmag.org)
CWP NEWS 26
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