Writing Program

Home Page: http://artsci.wustl.edu/~english/writingprogram/

The Writing Program at Washington University has evolved into a unique community of writers, scholars and critics. While the program is designed by writers for writers, it is an integral part of the English Department, closely associated with other graduate programs within the university. The internationally esteemed faculty is made up of distinguished, award-winning poets and fiction and non-fiction writers and scholars. Some of the prizes the faculty holds include the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Pushcart Prize, the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award and the Academy of American Poets Prize.

The Hurst Visiting Professorship brings to the campus annually one or more distinguished writers. In addition to presenting readings and lectures, these visitors are particularly accessible to students in The Writing Program. Hurst Professors have included Hortense Calisher, Angela Carter, Amy Clampitt, Robert Coover, James V. Cunningham, Percival Everett, Paula Fox, William Gaddis, Albert Goldbarth, Philip Graham, Anthony Hecht, Ursula Hegi, Lamar Herrin, Carolyn Kizer, Maxine Kumin, Joseph McElroy, William Meredith, James Merrill, W. S. Merwin, Lisel Mueller, Iris Murdoch, Charles Newman, Robert Pack, Robert Pinsky, E. Annie Proulx, Ishmael Reed, Marilynne Robinson, Lore Segal, Alan Shapiro, Gary Snyder, Gerald Stern, May Swenson, Ellen Bryant Voight, Reed Whittemore, Joy Williams, Hilma Wolitzer, and Jay Wright, among others.

News Stories & Tip Sheets:

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Renowned poet's third nomination Carl Phillips' 'Speak Low' named National Book Award finalist Oct. 15, 2009 -- Poet Carl Phillips, professor of English and of African and African American Studies, both in Arts & Sciences, at Washington University in St. Louis, has been selected — for the third time — as a finalist for the 2009 National Book Award in poetry. Phillips was nominated for his 10th collection of poetry, "Speak Low," published in April by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

The Provenance of Beauty Poet Claudia Rankine to read for The Writing Program Oct. 20 and 29 Oct. 7, 2009 -- Claudia Rankine Download Poet Claudia Rankine, the Visiting Fannie Hurst Professor of Creative Literature in The Writing Program in Arts & Science, will lead a talk on the craft of poetry at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20. In addition, she will read from her work at 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29. Rankine is the author of four poetry collections, including Nothing in Nature is Private (1995), The End of the Alphabet (1998), PLOT (2001) and the experimental Don't Let Me Be Lonely: An American Lyric (2004), which combines poetry, essays, images and travelogue. Her most recent project is a play, The Provenance of Beauty, A South Bronx Travelogue, for the Foundry Theatre in New York

The One Marvelous Thing Author Rikki Ducornet to speak for Writing Program Reading Series Oct. 1 and 8 Sept. 21, 2009 -- Rikki Ducornet Author Rikki Ducornet, the Visiting Fannie Hurst Professor of Creative Literature in The Writing Program in Arts & Science, will read from her work at 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1. In addition, she will lead a talk on the craft of fiction at 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8. Ducornet, the is the author of seven novels, including The Fan Maker's Inquisition (2004) — a Los Angeles Times Book of the Year—and The Jade Cabinet (1993), a finalist for the National Book Critics' Circle Award.

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Faculty Experts:

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Carl Phillips Professor of English and of African and African American studies in Arts & Sciences Carl Phillips Download Phillips is the highly acclaimed author of 10 collections of poetry. His first book, "In the Blood," won the 1992 Samuel French Morse Poetry Prize and was heralded as the work of an outstanding newcomer in the field of contemporary poetry. His other books are "Cortege" (1995), a finalist for both the ... Expertise: contemporary poetry, African-American literature, 20th-century poetry, homoerotic poetry, contemporary literature, ancient writers, ancient poets, … Direct contact: (314) 935-7133 / cphillips@wustl.edu

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Related News Clips:

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The Poetry of Pain Newsweek June 2, 2008 -- Newsweek's Jerry Adler writes that in her book of poems titled 'Elegy,' Mary Jo Bang finds inspiration in the darkest of places. Bang's poetry was inspired by the grief after her son's death. She teaches creative writing at WUSTL.

Mary Jo Bang Examines Grief's Poetic Form, the Elegy PBS: The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and 1 others April 11, 2008 -- In Thursday night's installment of its Poetry Series, WUSTL writer Mary Jo Bang examines grief's poetic form, the elegy. She is professor of English and director of the Creative Writing Program at WUSTL. Her fifth book, "Elegy," which won of the National Book Critics Circle Award, examines the pain and grief following the death of her son. She shares two poems from the collection. Includes a video link to this story.

Mona Van Duyn, former U.S. poet laureate, dies at 83 New York Times and 11 others Dec. 6, 2004 -- Ms. Van Duyn was selected by the Library of Congress in 1992 to serve a term as the United States poet laureate. She was the sixth laureate and the first woman to be chosen. Mona Jane Van Duyn was born on May 9, 1921, in Waterloo, Iowa. She taught at the University of Louisville, in Kentucky, and at Washington University in St. Louis, as well as at writing seminars and conferences.