MFA News Room Hide details Erin Entrada Kelly Joins MFAC Faculty CWP is happy to announce that we have added a new faculty, Erin Entrada Kelly to our faculty. She will be starting with us in July! Read More MFAC Alum Receives Newbery Honor, Corretta Scott King Award for New Talent Author, and Morris Award Finalist Honor Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams, MFAC alumna ‘13 receives a Newbery Honor, the Coretta Scott King Award, and is a finalist for the William C. Morris Award. Read More MFAC Alumna Cheryl Bardoe Publishes Book for ChildrenNothing Stopped Sophie: The Story of Unshakable Mathematician Sophie Germain, written by alumna Cheryl Bardoe (MFAC ‘10), is out now from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Read More New Collection from MFAC FacultyMFAC faculty and 2017 Newbery Medal-winning author Kelly Barnhill’s collection of short stories and a novella, Dreadful Young Ladies and Other Stories, is out now from Algonquin Books. Read More Alums Named Minnesota Book Award FinalistsCongratulations to Sarah Ahiers (MFAC '16) and Caitlin Bailey (MFA '12), both named as finalists for the 30th annual, 2018 Minnesota Book Awards! Read More MFAC Faculty AwardedMFAC faculty Sherri L. Smith's young adult novel Pasadena is the winner of the 2017 Southern California Independent Booksellers Association Book Award, in the Young Adult category. Great work, Sherri! Read More New Book from MFAC AlumNew from Chicago Review Press, Bold Women of Medicine: 21 Stories of Astounding Discoveries, Daring Surgeries, and Healing Breakthroughs, by Susan Latta, MFAC '09. Great work, Susan! Read More MFAC Alum Book DebutsThe debut, middle grade novel from CWP alum Melanie Heuiser Hill (MFAC '13), Giant Pumpkin Suite, is out today from Candlewick press. Melanie launched her book, with Pete Hautman, at Red Balloon bookstore earlier this month. Read More New Picture Book by AlumnaIntroducing the "mischievous fun" Halloween Goodnight, a picture book by CWP alumna Rebecca Grabill (MFAC '11), new from Atheneum Books for Young Readers. Illustrated by Ella Okstad. Read More Stars Over Clear Lake by Loretta Ellsworth, MFAC '09Stars Over Clear Lake, the debut adult novel by Loretta Ellsworth, MFAC '09, launched on May 2, 2017 from St. Martin's Press, with the Minnesota Book Launch Party at Subtext Books on Saturday, May 11. Read More Alumni Win MN Book AwardsWinners 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. Read More New Book from MFAC Alum Molly B. BurnhamMolly B. Burnham, MFAC '10, has released the third book in the Teddy Mars series: Almost an Outlaw. Teddy goes from record breaker to rule breaker in this conclusion to the hilarious and heartwarming series by the winner of the Fleischman Humor Award. Read More MN Book Awards FinalistsSix 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. Read More Two MFAC Alums Receive ALA HonorsDebut books from Hamline Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults, Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock ('12) and Caren Stelson ('09) received honors at the American Library Association's midwinter conference. Read More CWP Alums on Kirkus Best of 2016Three 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. Read More MFAC Faculty Marsha Wilson Chall's Newest Picture Book Marsha Wilson Chall, MFAC faculty, is launching her newest picture book, The Secret Life of Figgy Mustardo—published June 7th. Join Marsha for the launch party on the 11th at Red Balloon Bookshop. Read More MFAC Alum Book Release: Christine HeppermannChristine Heppermann MFAC ’10 explores the complexities of being a teenager in her latest young adult novel, Ask Me How I Got Here. The novel in verse is being released May 3 by Greenwillow Books. Read More Yang Named National Ambassador for Young People's LiteratureGene Yang, instructor for the MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults, was named the fifth National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature by the Library of Congress. Read More MFAC Instructors Win Newbery and Printz AwardsMatt 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. Read More Angela Pelster-Wiebe with a new story published in the Kenyon ReviewNew fiction out from CWP / MFA faculty, Angela Pelster-Wiebe. Read More Laura Ruby, MFAC faculty, listed on Publishers Weekly Best Books of the YearMFAC faculty member Laura Ruby’s young adult novel, Bone Gap, has been listed on Publishers Weekly’s Best of the Year List. Read More Best YA BooksFaculty e. lockhart and alum Christine Heppermann (MFAC '10) both have books named to Publisher's Weekly list of best YA books of 2014. Read More Gene Yang Delivers Speech at Library of CongressMFAC faculty Gene Luen Yang spoke about the power of comics to reach diverse audiences at the 2014 National Book Festival gala. Read More Faculty New ReleasesCWP faculty members John Brandon (BFA/MFA) and e. lockhart, a.k.a., Emily Jenkins, (MFAC) are both celebrating new releases in fiction. Read More Faculty Anne Ursu Reviewed in New York Times... "a lovely and sophisticated new middle-grade fantasy that asks readers to wrap their heads around abstractions and accept a lack of absolutes." Read More Two MFAC Faculty Named to NBA LonglistAnne Ursu and Gene Luen Yang named to the 2013 National Book Award Longlist for Young People's Literature Read More Faculty Book ReleaseGene Luen Yang's newest, Boxers & Saints (a two-volume graphic novel project that explores both sides of the Boxer Rebellion), released from First Second Books. Read More CWP Alumni Minnesota Book Award FinalistsTwo 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. Read More CWP faculty Ron Koertge's latest reviewed in the New York Times"Koertge is a master at getting to subtle and uncomfortable emotional truths and relaying them in just a few precise lines." Lies, Knives, and Girls in Red Dresses is a collection of re-told fairy tales. Read More MFAC Faculty Ron Koertge's newest gets starred review from Horn BookIn Lies, Knives, and Girls in Red Dresses, Ron Koertge, "a much-honored poet and novelist retells, in free verse and from various points of view, twenty-three familiar tales..." Read More Katrina Vandenberg featured on MPR's The Writer's Almanac twice in JulyHear Garrison Keilor read Katrina's poems, 'Handwriting Analysis' and 'M', both from her new book of poetry, The Alphabet Not Unlike the World. Read More Help us name our new blog site, win a Kindle Touch!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! Read More MFAC Faculty Marsha Wilson Chall publishes new picture book A Secret Keeps is the new picture book from MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults faculty Marsha Wilson Chall. Published by Lerner Publishing Group, Jan 2012. Read More Accolades abound for Anne Ursu's 'Breadcrumbs'"Best Ofs" from Amazon, Publisher's Weekly; starred reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, and more. Read the astounding list of honors for Breadcrumbs. Read More National Book AwardsGary Schmidt's Okay for Now nominated for a National Book Award Read More MFAC faculty Claire Rudolf Murphy Publication NewsIntroducing Marching with Aunt Susan: Susan B. Anthony and the Fight For Women's Suffrage, the newest book by Claire Rudolf Murphy Read More YALSA 2012 Fiction Nominations include MFA and MFAC faculty and alumniThe Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) nominates MFAC faculty Ron Koertge and Gary Schmidt, MFA alum Geoff Herbach for best fiction. Read More Visit the July Residency schedule and events page to see what's happening. Read More MFA Students Start Nonfiction blog – Join the Discussion!MFA students start nonfiction blog – Join the discussion! Read More Page
Erin Entrada Kelly Joins MFAC Faculty CWP is happy to announce that we have added a new faculty, Erin Entrada Kelly to our faculty. She will be starting with us in July! Read More
MFAC Alum Receives Newbery Honor, Corretta Scott King Award for New Talent Author, and Morris Award Finalist Honor Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams, MFAC alumna ‘13 receives a Newbery Honor, the Coretta Scott King Award, and is a finalist for the William C. Morris Award. Read More
MFAC Alumna Cheryl Bardoe Publishes Book for ChildrenNothing Stopped Sophie: The Story of Unshakable Mathematician Sophie Germain, written by alumna Cheryl Bardoe (MFAC ‘10), is out now from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Read More
New Collection from MFAC FacultyMFAC faculty and 2017 Newbery Medal-winning author Kelly Barnhill’s collection of short stories and a novella, Dreadful Young Ladies and Other Stories, is out now from Algonquin Books. Read More
Alums Named Minnesota Book Award FinalistsCongratulations to Sarah Ahiers (MFAC '16) and Caitlin Bailey (MFA '12), both named as finalists for the 30th annual, 2018 Minnesota Book Awards! Read More
MFAC Faculty AwardedMFAC faculty Sherri L. Smith's young adult novel Pasadena is the winner of the 2017 Southern California Independent Booksellers Association Book Award, in the Young Adult category. Great work, Sherri! Read More
New Book from MFAC AlumNew from Chicago Review Press, Bold Women of Medicine: 21 Stories of Astounding Discoveries, Daring Surgeries, and Healing Breakthroughs, by Susan Latta, MFAC '09. Great work, Susan! Read More
MFAC Alum Book DebutsThe debut, middle grade novel from CWP alum Melanie Heuiser Hill (MFAC '13), Giant Pumpkin Suite, is out today from Candlewick press. Melanie launched her book, with Pete Hautman, at Red Balloon bookstore earlier this month. Read More
New Picture Book by AlumnaIntroducing the "mischievous fun" Halloween Goodnight, a picture book by CWP alumna Rebecca Grabill (MFAC '11), new from Atheneum Books for Young Readers. Illustrated by Ella Okstad. Read More
Stars Over Clear Lake by Loretta Ellsworth, MFAC '09Stars Over Clear Lake, the debut adult novel by Loretta Ellsworth, MFAC '09, launched on May 2, 2017 from St. Martin's Press, with the Minnesota Book Launch Party at Subtext Books on Saturday, May 11. Read More
Alumni Win MN Book AwardsWinners 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. Read More
New Book from MFAC Alum Molly B. BurnhamMolly B. Burnham, MFAC '10, has released the third book in the Teddy Mars series: Almost an Outlaw. Teddy goes from record breaker to rule breaker in this conclusion to the hilarious and heartwarming series by the winner of the Fleischman Humor Award. Read More
MN Book Awards FinalistsSix 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. Read More
Two MFAC Alums Receive ALA HonorsDebut books from Hamline Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults, Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock ('12) and Caren Stelson ('09) received honors at the American Library Association's midwinter conference. Read More
CWP Alums on Kirkus Best of 2016Three 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. Read More
MFAC Faculty Marsha Wilson Chall's Newest Picture Book Marsha Wilson Chall, MFAC faculty, is launching her newest picture book, The Secret Life of Figgy Mustardo—published June 7th. Join Marsha for the launch party on the 11th at Red Balloon Bookshop. Read More
MFAC Alum Book Release: Christine HeppermannChristine Heppermann MFAC ’10 explores the complexities of being a teenager in her latest young adult novel, Ask Me How I Got Here. The novel in verse is being released May 3 by Greenwillow Books. Read More
Yang Named National Ambassador for Young People's LiteratureGene Yang, instructor for the MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults, was named the fifth National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature by the Library of Congress. Read More
MFAC Instructors Win Newbery and Printz AwardsMatt 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. Read More
Angela Pelster-Wiebe with a new story published in the Kenyon ReviewNew fiction out from CWP / MFA faculty, Angela Pelster-Wiebe. Read More
Laura Ruby, MFAC faculty, listed on Publishers Weekly Best Books of the YearMFAC faculty member Laura Ruby’s young adult novel, Bone Gap, has been listed on Publishers Weekly’s Best of the Year List. Read More
Best YA BooksFaculty e. lockhart and alum Christine Heppermann (MFAC '10) both have books named to Publisher's Weekly list of best YA books of 2014. Read More
Gene Yang Delivers Speech at Library of CongressMFAC faculty Gene Luen Yang spoke about the power of comics to reach diverse audiences at the 2014 National Book Festival gala. Read More
Faculty New ReleasesCWP faculty members John Brandon (BFA/MFA) and e. lockhart, a.k.a., Emily Jenkins, (MFAC) are both celebrating new releases in fiction. Read More
Faculty Anne Ursu Reviewed in New York Times... "a lovely and sophisticated new middle-grade fantasy that asks readers to wrap their heads around abstractions and accept a lack of absolutes." Read More
Two MFAC Faculty Named to NBA LonglistAnne Ursu and Gene Luen Yang named to the 2013 National Book Award Longlist for Young People's Literature Read More
Faculty Book ReleaseGene Luen Yang's newest, Boxers & Saints (a two-volume graphic novel project that explores both sides of the Boxer Rebellion), released from First Second Books. Read More
CWP Alumni Minnesota Book Award FinalistsTwo 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. Read More
CWP faculty Ron Koertge's latest reviewed in the New York Times"Koertge is a master at getting to subtle and uncomfortable emotional truths and relaying them in just a few precise lines." Lies, Knives, and Girls in Red Dresses is a collection of re-told fairy tales. Read More
MFAC Faculty Ron Koertge's newest gets starred review from Horn BookIn Lies, Knives, and Girls in Red Dresses, Ron Koertge, "a much-honored poet and novelist retells, in free verse and from various points of view, twenty-three familiar tales..." Read More
Katrina Vandenberg featured on MPR's The Writer's Almanac twice in JulyHear Garrison Keilor read Katrina's poems, 'Handwriting Analysis' and 'M', both from her new book of poetry, The Alphabet Not Unlike the World. Read More
Help us name our new blog site, win a Kindle Touch!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! Read More
MFAC Faculty Marsha Wilson Chall publishes new picture book A Secret Keeps is the new picture book from MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults faculty Marsha Wilson Chall. Published by Lerner Publishing Group, Jan 2012. Read More
Accolades abound for Anne Ursu's 'Breadcrumbs'"Best Ofs" from Amazon, Publisher's Weekly; starred reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, and more. Read the astounding list of honors for Breadcrumbs. Read More
MFAC faculty Claire Rudolf Murphy Publication NewsIntroducing Marching with Aunt Susan: Susan B. Anthony and the Fight For Women's Suffrage, the newest book by Claire Rudolf Murphy Read More
YALSA 2012 Fiction Nominations include MFA and MFAC faculty and alumniThe Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) nominates MFAC faculty Ron Koertge and Gary Schmidt, MFA alum Geoff Herbach for best fiction. Read More
MFA Students Start Nonfiction blog – Join the Discussion!MFA students start nonfiction blog – Join the discussion! Read More