Creative Writing Program

Congratulations! Edelstein-Keller Professor of Creative Writing Charles Baxter has been awarded the 2011 Rea Prize for the Short Story, a $30,000 award given to a writer who has significantly advanced the art form of the short story. past winners have included Tobias Woolf, Grace Paley and John Updike.

Student News

Carrie Lorig has a poem in the inaugural issue of SWINE and a poem up at Everyday Other Things. A review she wrote of m.g. martin's ebook is up at We Who Are About to Die. And she has work forthcoming in May at Everyday Genius.

Chrissy Friedlander’s post "My Puffy Face Moment: VIVA LA SPORTS BRA!" appears on Newsweek's blog.

Wahida Omar will have a poem in the May/June issue of elimae.

J. Fossenbell has a piece up on Everyday Other Things.

Amir Hussain's poem "Toasts" will be published in the September issue of Water~Stone Review.

Molly Sutton Kiefer’s poems "Beacon" and "Rising" are in the most recent issue of The Mom Egg, and her poem "Wrappings" is coming out in the next issue of The Cold Mountain Review.

Chris Keimig’s story, "Bastard," appears in the latest issue of The Fiddleback.

Alumni News

Brian Laidlaw was a finalist for the 2012 Loft McKnght Fellowship for Poetry.

Laura Flynn's essay "Carrefour" was selected for the anthology "Best Women's Travel Writing, 2011" (Traveler's Tales, 2011)

Patrick Hueller has a short story, "Neighbors," in the spring edition of Midwestern Gothic. "'Hocus pocus, dominocus,' my mother says," a piece of flash fiction, appeared in 100 Word Story. Several of his humor pieces were also published in Feathertale, The Yellow Ham, and Errant Parent.

Francine Marie Tolf’s second book of poems, Prodigal, was recently released by Pinyon Publishing.

Amanda Fields' essay, "Cairo Tunnel" has been reprinted in Expressways: Scenarios for Paragraph and Essay Writing (Pearson, Ed. Kathleen McWhorter). She has poetry forthcoming in Contemporary American Voices, July 2012.

Faculty News

Patricia Hampl's essay "F Scott Fitzgerald's Essays from the Edge" appears in the Spring 2012 issue of The American Scholar. She is also the recipient of the Denise Levertov Award from Image magazine (the award ceremony will take place May 24, 2012). She will give a lecture on Vaclav Havel as a poet and politician at the Prague Summer Program (July 2012), and is teaching nonfiction at the Breadloaf Writers Conference (August 2012).

Readings/Events

Thursday, April 26
MFA Poetry Books Celebration & Reading
12:30-1:30 pm, Lind 207A
MFAs Sarah Fox and Mary Feng Chen will read to celebrate the publication of their books. Chen's debut collection of poetry, Butcher's Tree, was recently published by Black Ocean Press. Fox's second collection of poetry, Mother Substance, will be published in fall 2012 by Coffee House Books. Chen and Fox will read from their work and participate in a Q & A. They will be joined by PhD student Katie Robison, whose debut novel Downburst is out now from Quill Press. Light refreshments will be served.

Friday, April 27
Rain Taxi Reading with Amanda Nadelberg
7 pm, The Soap Factory, 2nd St. and 5th Ave. SE, Mpls.
Nadelberg, who will read from her second book of poetry Bright Brave Phenomena, newly released by Coffee House Press.

Saturday, April 28
dislocate’s Booties & Blankets Benefit Reading
4-7 pm, Minnesota Room, St. Paul Student Center (St. Paul Campus)
Join dislocate Literary Journal and the Student Parent HELP Center in celebrating writing and art for all ages. With special guests MFA alums Molly Sutton Kiefer & Kate Hopper, plus current student Elisabeth Workman and more! Please bring baby booties, blankets, or diapers to donate at the door. Children are welcome but not mandatory. Pizza and cupcakes will be served!

booties and blankets

Sat, April 28
Art Start Contest Poetry Reading
12:30 pm, Harriet Island Grounds and Pavilion, Saint Paul, MN (map)
Art Start's poetry contest winner, former faculty Michael Dennis Browne will read the winning poem, "Giver her the River."

Monday, April 30
Lambda Award Reading
7:00pm, Black Dog Coffee and Wine Bar 4th and Broadway, Lowertown Saint Paul MN (map)
Three finalists for the Lambda Award, celebrating excellence in LGBT literaryre, will read from their recent works. Finalists include Christine Stark (Nickels: A Tale of Dissociation), Catherine Friend (Sheepish), and Margot Weiss (Techniques of Pleasure).

Tuesday, May 1
Guy Delisle Reading
7:30pm, Magers & Quinn Booksellers 3038 Hennepin Ave S
Acclaimed graphic memoirist Guy Delisle will discuss his graphic novel / travelogue Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City.

Wednesday, May 2
Louise & Hied Erdrich Reading
5pm, The Loft Literary Center 1011 Washington Ave S # 301 in Minneapolis (map)
This fundraiser for the Loft Literary Center will include a discussion, and book signing with Louise Erdrich and Heid Erdrich. Heid will read from her latest collection of poetry, Cell Traffic: New and Selected Poems, and Louise will give a special preview reading from her forthcoming novel, The Round House, which will be released in October 2012.
This event is co-sponsored by Birchbark Books.

Thursday, May 3
Use Your Words Book Launch
7 pm, Loft Literary Center, Open Book, 1011 Washington Ave S
Alum Kate Hopper will launch her new book Use Your Words: A Writing Guide for Mothers. Friday, May 4th at 7 pm, she'll also be discussing the book at Micawbers in St. Paul.

Thursday, May 3
Anton Treuer Reading
7pm, St. Paul's Episcopal Church 1917 Logan Avenue South, Minneapolis
Birchbark Books and the Minnesota Historical Society Press will present Anton Treuer to celebrate the launch of his new book, Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians but Were Afraid to Ask. Anton Treuer is Professor of Ojibwe at Bemidji State University.

Saturday, May 5
Coffee House Press Presents Biblio Bash
7 - 11pm, Coffee House Press 79 Thirteenth Ave NE, St 110, Minneapolis
Enjoy a carnival-themed evening of word-related events and activities. Cost of admission varies; tickets are required.

Sunday, May 6
Poet Jeffrey Yang Reading
7:00 pm, The Third Place Gallery, 3730 Chicago Avenue South, Studio B, MPLS
Yang will read from his new translation of 2010 Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo's poetry, June Fourth Elegies, and from his own work. Yang will be joined in conversation by Graywolf Press Senior Editor Jeff Shotts. An exhibit of photographer Wing Young Huie's work focusing on China will be on display in the gallery space. This event is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be provided.

Tuesday, May 8
Unsinkable Girls Kick-Off Reading
7 pm, Common Good Books (new location on Snelling Avenue in St. Paul)
Julie Schumacher will read from her new YA book,The Unbearable Book Club for Unsinkable Girls. Check out Julie’s recent interview on our blog here.

Unbearable Book Club

***Check the the Rain Taxi calendar for more local literary events.***