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Eliot Schrefer Faculty Profile

Eliot Schrefer

Graduate Adjunct - CLA
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Eliot Schrefer is a New York Times-bestselling author, has twice been a finalist for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, received the Stonewall Honor for best LGBTQIA+ teen book, and received the Printz Honor Award for Best Young Adult book from the ALA. In naming him an Editor’s Choice, the New York Times has called his work “dazzling… big-hearted.” His science writing has appeared in Discover, Sierra, USAToday, Nautilus, and The Washington Post Magazine. He has an M.A. in Animal Studies from NYU and lives with his husband in New York City.

Visit Eliot's site

Q&A with Eliot Schrefer

Questions and answers about the advising style of Eliot Schrefer, a faculty advisor in the MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults program at Hamline.
How did you come to teach at Hamline MFAC?
I’d gotten so much out of various conferences and workshops I’d been to, and I kept putting it out into the universe that I’d love to teach somewhere. Lo and behold, Coe Booth and Emily Jenkins (who was then on faculty) approached me about joining after my name came up at a faculty meeting. I was thrilled.
What’s your favorite part of residency?
I love workshop—especially finding ways, as a facilitator, to make sure that all students’ voices are heard equally. Since we meet for five days in a row, for two hours a day, we get a chance to really get to know one another. It feels a bit like a family by the end. Bonus: getting to learn from my co-leaders, like Elana K. Arnold, Meg Medina, and Sherri Smith.
How would you describe your faculty advising style?
I think I have a very editorial style of teaching, by which I mean I stay focused on the manuscript, using the specific pages the student has created as our source material, rather than branching out into other self-contained lessons. My goal is to see the student where they are, to communicate back to them what’s coming through in the manuscript, and help them better communicate the elements they wish were coming through stronger. I also give my feedback as an audio file instead of a letter, which I feel is a much warmer way to receive notes.
What’s your favorite book to recommend to MFAC students?
E.M. Forster’s Aspects of the Novel! It’s an oldie but a goodie, and I just love his treatment of round versus flat characters.
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Snapshot of memorable moment at MFAC residency, by Eliot Schrefer
We asked you to send a photo that represents a favorite Hamline memory. What's happening in your photo?
I co-taught a workshop with Meg Medina, and one student, Nancy Kolb, was knitting all the while. I assumed that she was just doing that to stay grounded and present, but it turned out at the end that she was knitting an outfit for Jericho, our workshop chimp! (I bring a stuffed animal to workshop each time, to sit with whoever is having their pages discussed so they will have some extra emotional support.) Brandy Colbert thought Jericho looked so good with his new scarf and hat that she spirited him back to LA to live with her. I will never forgive you, Brandy!!!

Publications

Young adult

Charming Young Man
Katherine Tegen Books (October 10, 2023)

Queer Ducks (and Other Animals): The Natural World of Animal Sexuality (nonfiction)
HarperCollins, 2022

The Darkness Outside Us
HarperCollins, 2021
 
The School for Dangerous Girls
Scholastic, 2010
 
The Deadly Sister
Scholastic Press, 2010
 
The New Kid
Simon and Schuster, 2007
 
Glamorous Disasters
Simon and Schuster, 2006

Middle grade

The Animal Rescue Agency #2: Case File Pangolin Pop Star
Harper Collins, 2022
 
The Animal Rescue Agency #1: Case File Little Claws
HarperCollins, 2021
 
The Lost Rainforest #3: Rumi’s Riddle Magic (illustrated by Emilia Dziubak)
HarperCollins, 2020
 
The Lost Rainforest #2: Gobi’s Gambit (illustrated by Emilia Dziubak)
HarperCollins, 2019
 
The Lost Rainforest #1: Mez’s Magic (illustrated by Emilia Dziubak)
HarperCollins, 2018
 
Orphaned (Ape Quartet 4)
Scholastic Press, 2018
 
Rescued (Ape Quartet 3)
Scholastic Press, 2016
 
Threatened (Ape Quartet 2)
Scholastic Press, 2015
 
Endangered (Ape Quartet)
Scholastic Press, 2012