KUDOS: 2010 Summer Workshop Edition

Many of our MFA students are headed to prestigious nationwide summer workshops in the next few months, and we'd like to take a moment to recognize their accomplishment in being accepted, and to wish them luck. Way to represent the Fresno State MFA Program!

Tin House Summer Writers Workshop, Portland, OR

We're proud to recognize the following SEVEN students who were accepted to Tin House this summer: fiction writer Rafael Sanchez, poet Jake Kelly, fiction writer Kristofer Whited, poet Andre Yang, fiction writer Tiffany Crum, poet Michelle Brittan, and recent fiction graduate Elizabeth Martin. That's quite a formidable contingency-- look out, Portland!

Sewanee Writers' Conference, Sewanee, TN

Fiction writer Tiffany Crum has also been accepted to the Sewanee Writers' Conference in Sewanee, TN. Congratulations, Tiffany!

Voices of Our Nation Writing Workshop, San Francisco, CA

Congratulations to fiction student Miguel Jimenez, who has been accepted to the Advanced Writing Workshop offered by the VONA Writers Workshop. Congratulations are also in order for poet Cynthia Guardado, who was also accepted to VONA this summer. Way to go, Miguel and Cynthia!

Port Townsend Writers' Conference, Port Townsend, WA

And congratulations again to Cynthia Guardado for also being accepted to the Port Townsend Writers' Conference in Port Townsend, WA!

Congratulations to our intrepid summer workshop crew, and please keep an eye on the blog for more updates about the summer writing opportunities our students are exploring!

KUDOS: May 2010

It's been a busy spring semester for the students and faculty of Fresno State's MFA Program! First, let's celebrate recent awards and publications:

Fresno Arts Council Horizon Award and Northwest Review Publication

Poetry Professor and Porgram Coordinator Connie Hales has been awarded a prestigious Fresno Arts Council Horizon Award. The award is given to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions toward the enrichment of life in our community through excellence in the arts. In addition, Connie's poems "Forgiven" and "Failed Blessing" have both been accepted for publication in the Northwest Review. Congratulations, Connie, and well-deserved for all that you do!

Full Teaching Assistantship awarded to recently accepted PhD in Creative Writing candidate

Soon-to-be-graduate in nonfiction Sarah Fawn Montgomery has been awarded a full teaching assistantship to the University of Nebraska's PhD program in creative writing, plus a $15,000 a year stipend. Congratulations to Sarah Fawn, who rose to the top of the applicant field in a competitive year for PhD programs nationwide!

CALYX Publication

Heart congratulations to poetry student Megan Baptista-Geist, whose poem "Elegy for a 1962 Ford Falcon Ranchero" has been accepted for publication in CALYX magazine. Way to go, Megan!

Redactions: Poetry & Poetics Publication

Poetry student Barbara Price strikes again with a publication in Redactions: Poetry & Poetics, which accepted her poem, "Switch." Way to go, Barbara!

Graduate Dean's Medalist and Outstanding Thesis Award

Congratulations to soon-to-be-graduate nonfiction writer, Rachel Jackson, who was selected as this year's College of Arts & Humanities Graduate Dean's Medalist AND recipient of the College of Arts & Humanities Outstanding Thesis Award for her memoir, Here and Gone.

Graduate Research and Creative Arts Symposium

Congratulations to poets Murleen Ray and Marcus Chinn, who will present their poetry at the Fresno State Graduate Research and Creative Arts Symposium!

Brevity Publication

And finally, because no KUDOS post is complete without mention of one of our busiest colleagues, who is having a great year... Nonfiction Professor Steven Church's essay, "Lag Time," which he read at his book release party last Friday (for BOTH of his new books released in 2010), appears in the most recent issue of Brevity. Way to go, Steven-- keep 'em coming!