Writing Program

Media Assistance: Susan Killenberg McGinn Exec. Dir. of Danforth Campus Communications smcginn@wustl.edu (314) 935-5254

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

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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To Kill a Mockingbird Washington University receives Big Read grant from National Endowment for the Arts (http://news-info.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/11933.html) June 17, 2008 -- The Big Read is a national program designed to encourage literary reading by helping communities come together to read and discuss a single book. In January 2009 Washington University in St. Louis — supported by a $20,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts — will coordinate a St. Louis Big Read focusing on Harper Lee's 1960 classic To Kill a Mockingbird. The month-long series of community-based events will include a wide variety of reading programs, read-a-thons, book discussions, lectures, performances, movie screenings and other activities.

Breaking News Irish poet and novelist Ciaran Carson to read from work April 14 (http://news-info.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/11436.html) April 1, 2008 -- Irish poet and novelist Ciaran Carson will read from his work at 8 p.m. Monday, April 14, for the Writing Program in Arts & Sciences. Born in Belfast in 1948, Carson is the author of nine collections of poems, including The Irish for No (1987) and Breaking News (2003), as well as four prose works, including the novel Shamrock Tea (2001), which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.

The Book for My Brother Poets Tomaž Šalamun and Brian Henry to read from work April 3 (http://news-info.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/11396.html) March 27, 2008 -- Renowned Slovenian poet Tomaž Šalamun will join award-winning American poet Brian Henry for a reading at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 3. Šalamun has published more than 30 books of poetry, including nine collections in English. Henry is the author of five collections, most recently The Stripping Point and In the Unlikely Event of a Water.

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Faculty Experts:

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Carl Phillips Professor of English in Arts & Sciences (http://news-info.wustl.edu/sb/page/normal/143.html) Carl Phillips Download Phillips is the highly acclaimed author of seven 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 ... 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.

Related Information Related Links: • Department of English (http://artsci.wustl.edu/~english/index.htm) Related Groups: