Northwestern University's MA in Writing & MFA in Prose and Poetry Programs

Sharing an article about Printers Row Lit Fest in Newcity, featuring our former assistant graduate programs director Amy Danzer, currently director of PRLF!
https://lit.newcity.com/2024/08/29/hyperlibrary-what-to-see-and-read-at-printers-row-lit-fest-2024/?fbclid=IwY2xjawE9wCxleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHYg9vs1vh83gH6X1v96FSLx6v5U9GRIxYzGRPyK2ehwkNMHd5c5Lbj8S5g_aem_UK4HLBEYRmeDxxuThpX_GQ

Hyperlibrary: What to See and Read at Printers Row Lit Fest 2024 In conversation with Amy Danzer, the Printers Row Lit Fest's director of programming, on what to see and read at this year's festival.

Mark your calendars, book lovers and street fare fans - September 7 & 8 is the 39th annual Printers Row Lit Fest! Free events all day with many local and non-local writers - detailed schedule here!

Schedule Grid - Printers Row Lit Fest View a map of this year's festival, as well as transit and parking options.

Celebrating three more books by our alumni! Poetry collections by C. Russell Price's OH, YOU THOUGHT THIS WAS A DATE?!: APOCALYPSE POEMS (Northwestern University Press/TriQuarterly) and Tara M. Stringfellow's MAGIC ENUFF (Dial Press) and Tim Chapman's novel THE BLUE SILENCE (Thrilling Tales)!

Our faculty director recently interviewed erstwhile SPS MFA nonfiction professor Miles Harvey about his new book, the prize-winning short story collection, THE REGISTRY OF FORGOTTEN OBJECTS (Mad Creek Books/Ohio State University Press) for Newcity.

Object Permanence: A Conversation with Miles Harvey About "The Registry of Forgotten Objects" The stories in this extraordinary collection feature narratives and characters firmly enmeshed with the physical world, but at times there is also the tantalizing presence of the speculative, along with electric currents of the mischievous and the comedic.

More recent books from our alumni to celebrate: Ignatius Valentine Aloysius's FISHHEAD: REPUBLIC OF WANT (Tortoise Books), Kevin Davis's THE BRAIN DEFENSE (Penguin Press), and Virginia Smith Rice's WHEN I WAKE IT WILL BE FOREVER (Sundress Publications)!

Celebrating three more books by our alumni! Vincent Francone's THE SOFT LUNACY (Blue Heron Book Works), Ross Ritchell's THE KNIFE (Blue Rider/Penguin Press), and Alex Higley's forthcoming novel TRUE FAILURE (Coffee House Press)!

Tomorrow, Friday, Aug. 16! Graduate Reading - MFA in Prose and Poetry and MA in Writing Programs at SPS

Location: SPS Mansion (405 Church Street – Evanston, IL)
Doors: 6 p.m.
Reading: 6:30 p.m.

Recent creative writing graduates will read original work.
Featured readers: Nimra Chohan, Rachel Kennedy, Natalia Nebel, Michele Popadich, Josh Reuss, and Irene Yeh. Snacks and mingling will begin at 6 p.m., program at 6:30 p.m.
Admission is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
For details and to register:

Summer Graduate Reading Registration Form Recent creative writing graduates of the MFA in Prose and Poetry and MA in Writing Programs at SPS will read original work. Featured readers will include Nimra Chohan, Rachel Kennedy, Natalia Nebel, Michele Popadich, Josh Reuss, and Irene Yeh. Faculty Director Christine Sneed will emcee. Date: Frida...

Celebrating three more books by our alumni! Tara Stringfellow's MEMPHIS (The Dial Press),Schuyler Dickson's YAZOO CLAY (Livingston Press), and Allison Epstein's LET THE DEAD BURY THE DEAD (Doubleday Books)!

And 3 more books by our alums: Joshua Bohnsack's BURNT SIENNA, Patricia Crisafulli's THE SECRETS OF STILL WATER CHASM, and Freda Love Smith's I QUIT EVERYTHING: HOW ONE WOMAN'S ADDICTION TO QUITTING HELPED HER CONFRONT BAD HABITS AND EMBRACE MIDLIFE.

Sharing a few more recent books published by our alumni--GHOST HOUSE (stories) by Sara Connell, CHECK ENGINE AND OTHER STORIES by Jennifer Companik, and AMERICAN S*X TAPE (poetry--winner of the Brittingham Prize in Poetry) by Jameka Williams!

Our faculty director recently interviewed Nina Schuyler about her new work of fiction, IN THIS RAVISHING WORLD. Their interview went up today at The Rumpus:

Causation and Carrier Bags: A Conversation with Nina Schuyler - The Rumpus Human exceptionalism is being challenged, and with that, there’s a growing public outcry that it’s time to care for our fellow creatures.

Celebrating a few recent book publications by our alumni:
Cheryl L. Reed's MAP OF MY ESCAPE (Running Wild Press); Laura Adamczyk's ISLAND CITY (FSG Originals); and Jeremy T Wilson's THE QUAIL WHO WEARS THE SHIRT (Tortoise Books) - congratulations!

A word to the wise: Our next admissions deadline is October 15 - MA & MFA degrees in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, dual genre, publishing & professional development.
https://sps.northwestern.edu/masters/prose-and-poetry/

This Friday, August 2, join us for an online event at 6 pm CT: Generative AI, Critical Thinking, and Wonder in the 21st Century: Exploring the Intersection

Admission is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register: https://bit.ly/exploring-ai

Presented by the AAGLSP, Association of Graduate Liberal Studies ProgramsNational Office

Co-hosted by SSan Diego State UniversityMALAS, NNorthwestern University School of Professional StudiesMALS, and DDuke UniversityGLS

Generative AI is a terrific tool that can help save time and costs, spare us from tedious work necessary so we can dedicate our energies to higher level work. But what is it doing to our own abilities to generate ideas, think critically, wonder? How is it impacting human cognition and creativity? Are the minds behind generative AI thinking about ethical and societal implications? Are laws keeping up to ensure creatives’ rights? Join us for a dynamic panel discussion as experts unravel the complexities of the relationship between the ever-evolving landscape of technology and imagination. Featured panelists include James DeMarco (Northwestern University, MSIS), Amanda Starling Gould (Duke University, GLS), and Nicol Turner Lee (Brookings). The discussion will be moderated by Professor William Nericcio (San Diego State University, MALAS).

AGLSP August 2, 2024 7p eastern | 6p central | 5p mountain | 4p pacific

Book review in the new issue of Newcity by our faculty director of DISMANTLING MASS INCARCERATION: A HANDBOOK FOR CHANGE.

What We Want to Fight For: A Review of "Dismantling Mass Incarceration: A Handbook for Change" “Dismantling Mass Incarceration: A Handbook for Change” should be required reading in every U.S. high school and college.

Our next admissions deadline is Oct. 15: MA & MFA degrees in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, dual genre, publishing & prof. development - more info here.

Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) in Prose and Poetry | Northwestern SPS: School of Professional Studies | Northwestern University Explore Northwestern's creative writing MFA. MFA in prose and poetry specializations include poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, popular fiction, publishing and more.

There's still plenty of time to sign up for The NU Summer Writers' Conference this Friday & Saturday, July 19 & 20. Attendees can register for one workshop at $30, 3 for $70, 5 for $100, or $150 for unlimited access.

I'll be teaching a flash fiction workshop from 3:30-4:30 PM CT on Saturday. 🖊 ⚡️

Full schedule and registration information:

Summer Writers' Conference | Northwestern SPS: School of Professional Studies | Northwestern University The Northwestern Summer Writers' Conference includes a diverse array of workshops, panels, keynote speakers, networking events, and literary readings. Learn how to make dialogue pop, edit your writing, and follow the journey from a manuscript to a published book. Hear a keynotes from acclaimed autho...

Congratulations to faculty members Juan Martinez & Rebecca Makkai! Rebecca is the editor of the new issue of Ploughshares, and Juan's "My Refugee" is one of the short stories you'll find within its covers!

A lot of excellent craft classes will be on offer at the The NU Summer Writers' Conference, fully online, July 19 & 20. More information & registration details at the link below - you can sign up for one class ($30), three ($70), five ($100), or unlimited access for both days ($150).

https://tinyurl.com/y8cd828p

Our next admissions deadline is 7/15! MA & MFA degrees in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, dual genre, publishing & prof. development - more info at the link.

https://sps.northwestern.edu/masters/prose-and-poetry/

Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) in Prose and Poetry | Northwestern SPS: School of Professional Studies | Northwestern University Explore Northwestern's creative writing MFA. MFA in prose and poetry specializations include poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, popular fiction, publishing and more.

The 3rd Annual Ida B. Wells Festival will take place on Saturday, June 29th from 8am - 4pm at the Light of Truth: Ida B. Wells National Monument, surrounding neighborhood, and the Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies. The festival will consist of several events that are free and open to people of all ages.

For more information and to register see attached flyer and/or Eventbrite link. Please share with your networks and include in organizational calendars! Space is limited!

Ida B. Wells was a civil rights activist, journalist, suffragist who was born enslaved in Holly Springs, MS in 1862.She started her career as a teacher in rural Mississippi, moved to Memphis where she taught before getting into journalism. She is most well-known for her anti-lynching crusade. After her life was threatened and printing press destroyed for exposing the truth about lynching, she went to New York City, then did a speaking tour in England, before eventually settling in Chicago. She married Ferdinand L. Barnett and they had four children together. Ida B. Wells lived and worked in Bronzeville for over 35 years before she died in 1931. A public housing community was named after her which stood in the community from 1941-2002.

The Ida B. Wells Festival was initiated by Michelle Duster in 2022, a year after the Light of Truth: Ida B. Wells National Monument (by world-renowned sculptor Richard Hunt) was installed at 3729 S. Langley (where the housing community once stood). The goal is to enjoy the monument as a public space, learn about Bronzeville and its rich history, and continue the expansive legacy of Ida B. Wells.

This year's festival was primarily organized by Bernard C. Turner, Executive Director of the Bronzeville Black Metropolis National Heritage Area and Michelle Duster, author/public historian, with assistance from Jamie Nesbitt Golden, journalist and Zada Johnson PhD, professor at NEIU Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies.

Contacts: Bernard C. Turner - [email protected], Michelle Duster - [email protected]

Festival Activities

At Light of Truth: Ida B. Wells National Monument and Surrounds (3729 S. Langley)

8:00am - 9:00am - IdaTrek led by GirlTrek

9:00am - 10:00am - Meditation and Healing Ritual at the Monument with Sylvia Ewing

9:30am - 11:00am - Historical Walking Tour with Laurie Peterson

10:00am - 11:30am - HIstorical Walking Tour with Essence McDowell

11:30am - 12:30pm - Zumba at the Monument with Tara Campbell

At Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies (700 E Oakwood Blvd)

Noon - 2:30pm Bronzeville Community Forum Meet and Greet

Bronzeville Trail Task Force
Chicago History Museum
Chicago ProSocial
Illinois Tech
Organic Oneness
Quad Cities Development Corporation (QCDC)
Urban Juncture

1:30pm - 2:30pm - Author Talks, Performances, Readings

2:30pm - 3:30pm - Discussion with Angela Ford and Mikki Kendall, moderated by Arionne Nettles

Filtering Fact from Fiction in a Media Soundbite World

Organized by Jamie Nesbitt Golden (journalist, Block Club Chicago)

3rd ANNUAL IDA B. WELLS FESTIVAL CELEBRATING BRONZEVILLE--THE COMMUNITY AND THE PEOPLE

Congratulations to faculty member Gina Frangello whose sixth book, ELENA FERRANTE'S NEAPOLITAN NOVELS (Ig Publishing) will be released on July 9!

If you're in Chicago, please join her and Emily Tedrow for the launch party at Women & Children First Bookstore on July 12! Please register at this Eventbrite link:

ELENA FERRANTE'S NEAPOLITAN NOVELS BOOKMARKED by Gina Frangello Frangello contemplates Ferrante's Neapolitan novels through the lens of memoir, literary criticism, issues of authorial identity & gender

Northwestern Summer Writers Conference - fully online, 7/19 & 20. Sign up for 1, 3, 5 or unlimited classes - faculty include Faisal Mohyuddin, Lori Rader-Day, Juan Martinez, Rebecca Makkai, Laurie Lawlor, Gioia Diliberto, Paula Carter, Christine Sneed, Kate Harding, & Megan Stielstra!

Summer Writers' Conference | Northwestern SPS: School of Professional Studies | Northwestern University The Northwestern Summer Writers' Conference includes a diverse array of workshops, panels, keynote speakers, networking events, and literary readings. Learn how to make dialogue pop, edit your writing, and follow the journey from a manuscript to a published book. Hear a keynotes from acclaimed autho...

A lot of excellent craft classes will be on offer at The NU Summer Writers' Conference, fully online, July 19 & 20. More information & registration details here - you can sign up for one class ($30), three ($70), five ($100), or unlimited access for both days ($150):

Summer Writers' Conference | Northwestern SPS: School of Professional Studies | Northwestern University The Northwestern Summer Writers' Conference includes a diverse array of workshops, panels, keynote speakers, networking events, and literary readings. Learn how to make dialogue pop, edit your writing, and follow the journey from a manuscript to a published book. Hear a keynotes from acclaimed autho...

Registration for the 2024 Northwestern University Summer Writers’ Conference is now open
Online, Friday, July 19 – Saturday, July 20

Schedule-at-a-glance below. Details and registration here: https://tinyurl.com/4rrex2ww

Friday, July 19, 2024

9:30am – 10:30am CT
Let Others Carry It: Publishing as Practice with Megan Stielstra

11:00am – noon CT
No Passports or Visas Required: Imaginative Travel Writing with Faisal Mohyuddin

12:30 – 1:30pm CT
Popular Fiction: Character and Story with Lori Rader-Day

2:00 – 3:00pm CT
Beyond the Trauma Narrative with Kate Harding

3:30 – 4:30pm CT
How to Find the Heart of a Story with Gioia Diliberto

Saturday, July 20, 2024

9:30 – 10:30am CT
Let's Get Down to Earth: Writing as Witness for the Natural World Around You with Paula Carter

11:00am – noon CT
I Can't Remember How to Do This: Writing Memory in Fiction and Nonfiction with Rebecca Makkai

12:30 – 1:30pm CT
Good Enough with Juan Martinez

2:00 – 3:00pm CT
Breathing Life into Young Adult Fiction Characters with Laurie Lawlor

3:30 – 4:30pm CT
The Power and Poetry of Flash Fiction with Christine Sneed
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Tuition Options:
Select 1 Session -- $30
Select 3 Sessions -- $70
Select 5 Sessions -- $100
Unlimited Sessions -- $150

For those seeking personalized feedback, individual manuscript consultations with conference faculty are available: $125/each.

Hosted by the Northwestern University School of Professional Studies MA in Writing and MFA in Prose and Poetry programs

A lovely end-of-year dinner to celebrate the success of this year's One Book One Northwestern initiative. Big thanks and congratulations to Faculty Chair Ji-Yeon Yuh, Graduate Assistant Alison Choi, OBON ambassadors, fellows, steering committee, and sponsoring departments for all of their incredible work and support. And huge kudos to OBON Director Nancy Cunniff for being the ever-enthused driving force behind it all, helping to bring together schools and departments across campuses through programs centered around this year's book, CRYING IN HMART by Michelle Zauner. Cheers to all!

Save the date! Friday, August 2pm at 6pm CST
Generative AI, Critical Thinking, and Wonder in the 21st Century: Exploring the Intersection

Generative AI is a terrific tool that can help save time and costs, spare us from tedious work necessary so we can dedicate our energies to higher level work. But what is it doing to our own abilities to generate ideas, think critically, wonder? How is it impacting human cognition and creativity? Are the minds behind generative AI thinking about ethical and societal implications? Are laws keeping up to ensure creatives’ rights? Join us for a dynamic online panel discussion as experts unravel the complexities of the relationship between the ever-evolving landscape of technology and imagination. Featured panelists include James DeMarco, Amanda Starling Gould, and Nicol Turner Lee. The discussion will be moderated by Professor William Nericcio.

Presented by the Association of Graduate Liberal Studies Programs National Office
Co-hosted by San Diego State University MALAS, Northwestern University School of Professional Studies MALS, and Duke University GLS.

For details: https://sites.google.com/aglsp.org/exploring-the-intersection
For bios: https://sites.google.com/aglsp.org/exploring-the-intersection/panelists
To register: https://gscs.formstack.com/forms/2024_aglsp_event_registration