MFA News Room

Sheila O'Connor was named the recipient of 2020 Minnesota Book Award in the Novel & Short Story category for her book Evidence of V: A Novel in Fragments, Facts, and Fictions. O'Connor also won the Minnesota Book Award in this category in 2004 for her novel Where No Gods Came. 

For the second consecutive year, and for the third time in the last four years, five writers connected to Hamline's creative writing programs have been named finalists for the Minnesota Book Awards.

Current MFA Student Jessica Lind Peterson Wins 2020 Deborah tall Lyric Essay Book Prize

Shadowrise, the debut poetry collection from MFA alum Mary Harpin, is out now from Dos Madres Press.

The Minnesota State Arts Board announced the winners of its 2020 Artist Initiative Grants and six of the grantees are part of the Hamline Creative Writing Programs.

Events will be held to celebrate the release of Evidence of V: a Novel of Fragments, Facts, and Fictions by creative writing professor Sheila O'Connor on Oct. 26 and Nov. 3.

Four Alumni of Hamline's MFA in creative writing program earn fellowships in the prestigious Loft Mentor Series.

 MFA Alum Joe Horton and CWP Faculty Richard Pelster-Wiebe have been selected for the Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship Program. The Jerome Foundation seeks to contribute to a dynamic and evolving culture by supporting the creation, development, and production of new works by early career/emerging artists.

The new anthology Under Purple Skies: The Minneapolis Anthology, edited by Frank Burnes from Belt Publishing features short stories by six Hamline University affiliated writers.

MFA Faculty Angela Pelster-Weibe will moderate a reading and interview hosted by Coffee House Press The reading will be at the American Swedish Institute in the Folke Bernadotte Conference Room on Wednesday, April 24 at 7:00 p.m.

Join us on April 12 at 7 pm in the Kay Fredericks Ballroom for a celebration of Ed Bok Lee's newest collection of poetry, Mitochondrial Night, from Coffeehouse Press.

MFA Alum Geoff Herbach is up for an award at the 31st Annual Minnesota Book Awards Ceremony which will take place this Saturday night. Five of the 36 finalists have connections to the Hamline creative writing programs.

MFA Alum Mindy Meji is up for an award at the annual Minnesota Book Awards Ceremony which will take place this Saturday night. Five of the 36 finalists have connections to the Hamline creative writing programs.

Current MFA Student Kimberly J. Brown is up for an award at the 31st Annual Minnesota Book Awards Ceremony which will happen on Saturday. Five of the 36 finalists have connections to the Hamline creative writing programs.

This year’s Summer Writing Workshop will take place from July 28 through August 2nd.

MFA alum Rosemary Ann Davis was featured in a recent article by the Pioneer Press.

BFA/MFA faculty member Angela Pelster-Wiebe's essay “The Trial” has been published in the 2018/19 Winter Edition of Ploughshares.

Current MFA student Will McGrath's debut book of nonfiction, Everything Lost Is Found Again, is out now from Dzanc Books. Congratulations, Will!

Please join the Creative Writing Programs to celebrate the work of the Fall 2018 MFA graduates on November 30 and December 7!

BFA/MFA faculty member Angela Pelster-Wiebe has published a new essay, "White Artists Need to Start Addressing White Supremacy in Their Work," at Literary Hub.

'Writer Go To The Movies,' a film series founded by Creative Writing Programs faculty member Angela Pelster-Wiebe, returns for a new season on Wednesday, October 3 with a screening of "Tangerine," featuring guest writer, activist, and politician Andrea Jenkins MFA '09.

Paige Riehl (MFA ‘14) has published her debut collection of poems, Suspension, with Terrapin Books.

Current MFA student Kimberly J. Brown’s memoir, The I-35W Bridge Collapse: A Survivor’s Account of America’s Crumbling Infrastructure, is out now from Potomac Books.

Footfalls, Donna Isaac (MFA ‘07)’s first full poetry collection, is out now from Pocahontas Press. Congratulations, Donna!

Congratulations to Nicola Koh (MFA ’17), whose list of recent achievements is incredibly impressive—four journal publications, another forthcoming piece, a Loft Teaching Artist position for Summer 2018, and a 2017 VONA Foundation fellowship!

BFA/MFA faculty member Angela Pelster-Wiebe has been named a mentor in Nonfiction for the 2018-2019 Loft Mentor Series.

Until Tomorrow, Mr. Marsworth, by MFA faculty Sheila O'Connor, a Spring 2018 Kids’ Indie Next List Pick and MIBA Midwest Connections Pick, is available now from Penguin.

MFA Faculty Sheila O’Connor and her newest middle-grade novel, Until Tomorrow, Mr. Marsworth, were featured beautifully by the Pioneer Press' Mary Ann Grossmann.

MFA faculty Sheila O’Connor launches her newest, Until Tomorrow, Mr. Marsworth, with two local bookstore events: Saturday, April 7, in Minneapolis and Sunday, April 13, in St. Paul.

Hooper, the latest novel from prolific CWP alum Geoff Herbach (MFA ‘06), is out now from HarperCollins. Don’t miss the launch event at the Red Balloon Bookshop on March 7th at 6 PM

Congratulations to Sarah Ahiers (MFAC '16)  and Caitlin Bailey (MFA '12), both named as finalists for the 30th annual, 2018 Minnesota Book Awards!

The Creative Writing Programs faculty Angela Pelster-Wiebe’s wonderful new craft essay, “On Invention,” is featured in Black Warrior Review's newest issue (44.1).

Congratulations to CWP alum Renee Beauregard Lute (MFA ’12) on the launch of the Winicker Wallace chapter book series! The first four books are available now from Calico (ABDO).

Congratulations to current MFA student Emma Johnson-Rivard, whose list of recent publications – six journal publications from summer 2017, plus two more coming soon - is incredibly impressive! 

Congratulations to CWP alum Mark Rapacz, MFA ‘07, whose newest novel, A Burdizzo For a Prince, is available now in print or ebook, from Fahrenheit Press, crime fiction publishers. 

MFA/BFA faculty member Angela Pelster-Wiebe's new essay "A Map to Now" is out now in the newest issue of Black Warrior Review (Volume 44.1, Fall/Winter 2017) from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Congratulations!

Andrea Jenkins MFA '09 was elected to the Ward 8 seat on the Minneapolis City Council on Tuesday. She is the first openly transgender person to win a council seat in a major city according to MPR News.

The Creative Writing Programs alum Beth Mayer (MFA '08) has won Black Lawrence Review's 2017 Hudson Prize! Her short story collection, We Will Tell You Otherwise, her debut book, will be published in the summer of 2019. Congratulations, Beth! 

Dzanc Books is pleased to announce the winner of the inaugural Dzanc/Disquiet Open Borders Book Prize: Everything Lost Is Found Again by Will McGrath (current MFA). In addition to publication in Fall 2018, the prize comes with a $5,000 advance. Congratulations, Will! 

Congratulations to MFA alums Kate Lucas '14, Ruth Berger '02, Lorissa Gottschalk '08, current MFA student Jennifer Hildebrandt, and Creative Writing Program adjunct faculty Chris Martin for winning 2018 Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grants!

Solve for Desire, a collection of poems by Caitlin Bailey '12 MFA and winner of the 2017 Lindquist & Vennum Prize for Poetry, debuts at Guthire event on Thursday, November 2. Featuring a reception, reading, and conversation.

David Oppegaard's (MFA '06) newest YA thriller, The Town Built on Sorrow, is out today, from Flux Books. KIRKUS calls it, "an intense, page-turning, often harrowing nail-biter." Congratulations, David!

Crossing the Waters, a new collection of poems by Norita Dittberner-Jax, MFA '13, has just been published by Nodin Press. The publication reading & reception is Sunday, September 17. Congratulations, Norita!

Congratulations to Joan Maeda Trygg (MFA '05) and Hallie Wiederholt (MFA '13), both announced as winning fellows of The Loft 2017-2018 Mentor Series. Eight others from CWP community named as finalists. Great work!

Current Masters in Fine Arts student, Ann Tweedy, is awarded the Bisexual Book Award in Poetry for her book, The Body's Alphabet.

Join us in celebrating beloved, no-one-like-her, retiring CWP faculty, Deborah Keenan. June 1, 6-9 pm, upstairs at Sweeney's in St. Paul. All are invited - GLS/CWP instructors, current students, and alumni alike! 

MFA student Savannah Brooks is the graduate student recipient of the 2017 John Wesley Leadership and Service Awards for Students, announced by the Dean of Students Office on behalf of the Board of Trustees.

Nancy Hedin, MFA '13, debuts with Bend, a novel from Anglerfish Press—an imprint of Riptide. Join Nancy and Riptide on the virtual book tour, May 8-12, with exclusive guest posts, content, and giveaways.

Runestone Literary Journal was selected as the 2017 winner for content in the Association of Writers and Writing Program's National Program Directors' Prize for Undergraduate Literary Magazines.

Solve for Desire, a collection by MFA '12 graduate Caitlin Bailey, has won the Lindquist & Vennum Prize for Poetry. The award includes a publishing contract from Milkweed Editions.

Winners of the 2017 MN Book Award include two Creative Writing Programs alumni and a Hamline School of Law alumnus. JJ Austrian (MFAC '12) won in Children's Lit for Worm Loves Worm, Brian Farrey (MFA '09) won in Middle Grade Lit for The Secret of Dreadwillow Carse, and Allen Eskens (JD '91) won in the fiction category for The Heavens May Fall.

Brian Farrey '09 MFA was awarded the 2017 McKnight Fellowship in Children's Literature; four Hamline MFA and MFAC faculty and alumnae received honorable mentions in Children's Lit and Creative Prose.

Gardenia- the newest book by Kelsey Sutton, current student in the MFA- is out now from Diversion Publishing. In this haunting young adult suspense, seventeen-year-old Ivy Erickson knows the exact moment when she will die.

Angela Pelster-Wiebe, CWP faculty, has a new hybrid essay, "Once, Then," published in the newest issue (#38) of Passages North.

Slag Glass City has published a new piece of CNF, "Reconstructing V," by CWP faculty, Sheila O'Connor.

CWP faculty Sheila O'Connor's newest book — Until Tomorrow, Mr. Marsworth — has been sold to Stacey Barney at Putnam. Publication is set for Spring 2018.

Six CWP alums have been named as finalists for the Minnesota Book Awards! Congratulations to J.J. Austrian, Caren Stelson, Brian Farrey, Stephanie Wilbur Ash, and Gretchen Marquette.

CWP faculty member Sheila O'Connor will be in conversation with novelist and MFA '09 alum Mindy Mejia about her new book Everything You Want Me to Be.

A new novel from Mindy Mejia, MFA ’09: Full of twists and turns, Everything You Want Me to Be reconstructs a year in the life of a dangerously mesmerizing young woman.

Three CWP alums are on Kirkus' Best of 2016 list: Jane O'Reilly (MFAC '09) and Brian Farrey (MFA '12) are listed for Middle Grade, and JJ Austrian (MFAC '12) is listed for picture books.

Angela Pelster-Wiebe's essay, Eating the Dead: A Guided Tour, which appears in River Teeth Issue 18.1, has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

CWP Faculty and Alumni Win Minnesota State Arts Board Grants, including Angela Pelster-Wiebe, Sun Yung Shin, Kate St. Vincent Vogl, Molly Beth Griffin, and Marcus Kessler.

Jessica Lind Peterson, current MFA student, received a grant for her theatre company, Yellow Tree Theatre, from American Theatre Wing.

CWP faculty Juliet Patterson’s newest book of poetry, Threnody, is being released. Join Juliet for the launch party on the 27th at the Bryant Lake Bowl.

Hamline MFA ’03 alum, Su Smallen, is celebrating the release of two new books of poetry, Kinds of Snow & You This Close. Reading and Launch on 10/24.

Join Stephanie Wilbur Ash (MFA '08) on Saturday the 22nd at Subtext Books for the launch of her first novel, The Annie Year, published October 11th by Unnamed Press.

Mark Rapacz, MFA ‘08, is releasing his third novel, Boondoggle, on September 20th. Published by 280 Steps—a crime fiction publisher. 

Current MFA student, Ann Tweedy, has published her first full-length book of poetry. The Body's Alphabet is now available from Headmistress Press.

Five of the twelve writers selected for the 2016-17 Loft Literary Center Mentor Series hail from Hamline: Stephanie Chrismon, MFA '14; Lorissa Gottschalk, MFA '09; Erin Sharkey, MFA '15; Anthony Ceballos, BFA '15; and Trisha Collopy, current MFA.

High school students explore creative writing in a four-day workshop with Hamline faculty in the Creative Writing Programs.

MFA faculty, Patricia Francisco, was a featured guest at the recent Breaking New Ground event, along with longtime friends and fellow storytellers, Matthew Sanford and Kevin Kling.

Gretchen Marquette’s MFA ’12 debut poetry collection, May Day, is being released May 3 by Graywolf Press. Marquette is also an adjunct faculty member the Creative Writing Programs at Hamline.

April Vinding (MFA '05), is celebrating the release of her new spiritual memoir, Triptych, published this month by Wipf and Stock. The release party is April 23 at 7 p.m. at Art House North.

Current MFA student Kelsey Sutton is celebrating the release of her middle-grade novel, The Lonely Ones, published by Penguin Random House. Release party is 7 pm on April 26th at Red Balloon Bookshop.

Hamline welcomes visiting writer Joni Tevis March 8-10, 2016 for Public Reading and Author Interview.

Tremolo, a beautiful debut book of poetry from CWP alum Kelly Hansen Maher (MFA '14), is available now from Tinderbox Editions.

Lucie Amundsen's (MFA '14) highly anticipated narrative non-fiction book, Locally Laid: How We Built a Plucky, Industry-changing Egg Farm - from Scratch will be in stores March 1.

Elizabeth Verdick MFAC ’13 found what was missing in her career writing books for children.

Sherrie Fernandez-Williams MFA '05 credits her time in the Hamline MFA program with starting her journey to where she is today: a writing instructor at the Loft Literary Center, a published author, and a program manager for the Loft’s Mentor Series and other events.

After four children and a film career full of twists and turns, Nell Ubbelohde MFA ’12 credits Hamline’s Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing with helping her to achieve her lifelong dream of becoming a writer.

With Hamline’s MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults, Christine Heppermann ’10 developed her craft and launched her career.

Geoff Herbach MFA '06, award-winning published author and university professor, shares how Hamline's MFA in Creative Writing program shaped his life.

Wanting to create more opportunity for writers to share their work, Satish Jayaraj MFA ’06 started a series of reading events in unexpected locations.

Matt de la Peña has won the 2016 John Newbery Medal for his picture book Last Stop on Market Street and Laura Ruby has won the 2016 Michael L. Printz Award for her young adult novel Bone Gap.

Desta Klein '99, co-founder of Meritage and Brasserie Zentral, serves up excellent food and hospitality and takes pride in her top-notch staff.

CWP Faculty, Sheila O'Connor and Juliet Patterson, and MFA alum Vanessa Ramos all won MN State Arts Board Initiative Grants​. 

The Creative Writing Programs at Hamline launched an online literary publication called Runestone.

In this podcast from AWP 2015, introduced by Mary Francois Rockcastle, hear the panelists read from their award-winning essays in "The Meridel Le Sueur Essay: Sixteen Years of Water~Stone Review."

The CWP (BFA/MFA) welcomes new assistant professor in Creative Nonfiction, Angela Pelster-Wiebe, author or essay collection, Limber.

Creative Writing Programs Director Mary Rockcastle wins Kay Sexton Award which recognizes individuals who have shown dedication and work in fostering books, reading, and literary activity.

Hamline hosts Pushcart Prize-winning author Kevin Moffett on Tuesday, April 14 at 7 p.m. in Kay Fredericks Room, Klas Center. Free and open to the public.

Hamline students and alumni bring writing classes and a sense of hope to inmates through the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop.

Countless students and writers have been influenced by Hamline CWP professor and poet Katrina Vandenberg. Among those inspired by her writing is young adult writer and The Fault in Our Stars author John Green.

CWP faculty members John Brandon (BFA/MFA) and e. lockhart, a.k.a., Emily Jenkins, (MFAC) are both celebrating new releases in fiction.

The Creative Writing Programs is pleased to announce that Justin St. Germain will join the faculty in late summer as a visiting assistant professor in creative nonfiction.

CWP faculty Katrina Vandenberg's lovely poem "First Snowfall in St. Paul" was the featured poem on the Writer's Almanac (November 26).

Addie's new book, When We Were on Fire: A Memoir of Consuming Faith, Tangled Love, and Starting Over (from her MFA capstone project), received a starred review in October from Publishers Weekly.

Gene Luen Yang, a member of the faculty in the low-residency Masters of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults program, was named one of five finalists for the National Book Award in Young People's Literature.

Five of the eight winners of the 2013 Loft Literary Center Shabo Award are students and alums of the low-residency program in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Hamline.

Congratulations to the many Hamline Creative Writing Program students and alums named as Loft Mentor Series winners, finalists, and honorable mentions.

The Creative Writing Programs are proud to announce the hiring of Katrina Vandenberg as  full-time, tenure track Assistant Professor in the MFA and BFA programs.

Two CWP alums are nominated for Minnesota Book Awards! Nothing Special, by Geoff Herbach (MFA '06), and Silhouette of a Sparrow. by Molly Beth Griffin (MFAC '09), are both finalists for best young people's literature.

New books by Mindy Mejia (MFA '09) and Melanie Hoffert (MFA '08) featured in Sunday Review, Pioneer Press (January 6, 2013)

MFA students Lynne Maker Kuechle and Susan Nettell, as well as MFA faculty Juliet Patterson, have been awarded Minnesota Arts Initiative grants (prose) from the MN Arts Board.

Emily Jenkins, a.k.a., e. lockhart joins the MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults faculty in January 2013

CWP Faculty Juliet Patterson recipient of 2012 Loft Minnesota Emerging Writers' Grant

Sheila O'Connor's newest, Keeping Safe the Stars, is available October 11 (Putnam Juvenile). Celebrate at two launch events: October 13 at Wild Rumpus and October 21 at Red Balloon.

MFAC students/alums Daniel Bernstrom, Kristin Gallagher, Peter Pearson, and Rebecca Stanborough, and MFA alum Charlotte Sullivan, all recipients of The Loft 2012 Shabo Award for Children's Picture book Writers.

A Million Heavens was featured in the Sunday Book Review edition of The New York Times. [excerpt] 'More than once I handed “A Million Heavens” to a friend and watched the rhythms compel him or her into the thickness of a paragraph...'

John Brandon's new novel, A Million Heavens, was published to rave reviews (McSweeney's 2012). The Daily Beast includes A Million Heavens in three "offbeat must-reads."

Hear Garrison Keilor read Katrina's poems, 'Handwriting Analysis' and 'M', both from her new book of poetry, The Alphabet Not Unlike the World.

Read a lovely new article about Mary and an in-depth review of In Caddis Wood by Mary Stein of the Numéro Cinq web magazine.

Midwest booksellers have nominated their favorite titles for the 2012 Midwest Booksellers, and our own Sheila O'Connor is among the finalists for her novel Sparrow Road

MFA Alumna Kathy Weihe Reads from her new book of poetry, Unless You Count Birds. Friday, June 8 in GLC 100E.

The CWP is developing a new blog site and we're looking at you to help us name it. Submit through the end of June. The winner will receive a shiny new Kindle Touch!

couplets for a shrinking world publication party and reading, June 8 at Open Book

MFA in Writing (fiction) faculty Sheila O'Connor has been granted tenure and promotion to associate professor in The Creative Writing Programs at Hamline.

MFA faculty Sheila O'Connor was awarded the Agnes Hulburd Conger Prize at Honors Day 2012.

See CWP faculty Deborah Keenan and Juliet Patterson read with many great local poets -- from the third annual Great Twin Cities Poetry Read on The CWP Youtube channel.

The Laurel Poetry Collective is full of Hamline CWP alumni, faculty, and friends, including Deborah Keenan, Su Smallen, Nolan Zavoral, Teresa Boyer, Margot Fortunato Galt, Georgia Greeley, Ann Iverson, Regula Russell, Tom Rudd, Nancy Walden, Lois Welshons, and more.

Award-winning writer and CWP favorite, Scott Russell Sanders, will visit campus Friday, April 20. All students interested in creative nonfiction in general, and/or Scott Russell Sander's work in particular, are invited to meet and engage with him in a discussion of his work and of writing.

CWP Directory and faculty Mary François Rockcastle is in good company, nominated for a 2012 Minnesota Book Award in Fiction & Short Story, along with CWP Faculty Jim Moore, nominated for Poetry. Congratulations Mary and Jim!

MFA faculty Sheila O'Connor was honored by the Voice of Youth Advocates for her book Sparrow Road.

Want to try a course, but not sure about a degree program? Sampler Course registration opens on November 28.

The latest edition of Water~Stone includes contributions from emerging, mid-career and well-known writers.

 MFA faculty Sheila O'Connor talks about Sparrow Road in an article written by alum Maureen Millea Smith.

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) nominates MFAC faculty Ron Koertge and Gary Schmidt, MFA alum Geoff Herbach for best fiction.

Patricia Weaver Francisco’s essay, “Cezanne’s Pipe” won second place in the Normal School’s creative nonfiction contest, judged by Eula Biss. It will be featured in the Fall issue.

Congratulations to the MFA and MALS students and alumni chosen as Loft Mentor Series, McKnight Artists Fellowships selections

For more than two decades, K-6 teachers and administrators have come to Hamline’s Saint Paul campus for one week in the summer to discover the most effective and innovative practices in literacy education.

Some of the best known writers of children's books and young adult novels will be at Hamline in July. The public is invited to attend free readings by the authors.

Sheila O'Connor continues to make news for her new novel, Sparrow Road.

MFA students start nonfiction blog – Join the discussion!

"In his new collection "Invisible Strings," St. Paul poet Jim Moore lays out complex human stories in just a few lines. And he often adds a twist."

Listen to Patricia Weaver Francisco discuss the genesis behind and reaction to her widely acclaimed memoir Telling: A Memoir of Rape and Recovery

Some of the best authors of literature for young people are sharing their creations through free public events January 7-16, 2011 at Hamline.

Some of the best authors of literature for young people are sharing their creations through free public events July 9-18.

Hamline University is pleased to invite the public to meet renowned author, speaker, and activist Terry Tempest Williams; she will keynote the university’s annual Mahle Lecture in Progressive Christian Thought "Finding Beauty in a Broken World."