Ashland University MFA Program

Each month, the Ashland MFA Program receives calls for submissions and contest deadlines, which it publicizes in its monthly newsletter. Listed below are this month's calls for submissions, in order of deadlines, where posted. THE TRUTH ABOUT THE FACT: International Journal of Literary Nonfiction INTERNATIONAL CALL FOR SUBMISSION Literary nonfiction essay, memoir, commentary 1000-5000 words Literary nonfiction narrative poetry Black & white art and photography Submission Deadline December 31, 2012 Submit via email: editor@thetruthaboutthefact.com Published by Loyola Marymount University thetruthaboutthefact.com Origami Zoo Chapbook Contest We are pleased to announce that the first ever Origami Zoo Chapbook Contest is open for submissions from now until January 5, 2013 ! The final judge will be the cataclysmic Matt Bell. Origami Zoo Press has published chapbooks by Laura van den Berg, Chad Simpson, BJ Hollars and Brian Oliu. PRIZES: Winner recei...

Congratulations to Sarah Freligh, current Ashland University MFA student, whose chapbook of poems won the Editor's Choice award in the Accents 2012 Poetry Chapbook Contest! A Brief Natural History of an American Girl by Sarah Freligh "In A Brief Natural History of an American Girl, Sarah Freligh pulls you into the car of a 1950's girlhood and you stay, compelled by the journey through sexual awakening and into womanhood. It's a difficult story. The narrator loses a lot—she gives kisses to the boss at Donut Delite, her virginity to a boy in a cornfield, her body to men she knows, or doesn't. She gives away a baby. She buries her mother. And hope, how 'easy to give her away.' And yet not quite. Through the accumulation of experience, through the ability to look clearly and name what she sees, Freligh insists on possibility. The poems draw our attention, then elicit a shiver of recognition. This is what one girlhood looks like; this is what human exp...

Announcing the pre-sale period for two of our alumni, whose books have been selected for publication by Finishing Line Press.  Please help them out by ordering during their pre-sale time, which helps determine the print run for each chapbook. Lemon Grass and Red Curry: On cooking, cooks, art and life by Kimberly Sinclair Ghaphery Kim Ghaphery‘s chapbook, Lemon Grass and Red Curry: On cooking, cooks, art and life , is a rich, complex journey into the heart and soul of family through the recipes it shares across generations. Food becomes the metaphoric gateway into the passions, the bitter hurts, and the small moments of tenderness that Ghaphery faces head-on with beauty and clarity.--Kathryn Winograd, author of Air into Breath Kimberly Sinclair Ghaphery’s Lemon Grass and Red Curry explores the work and celebration of food as it forges intergenerational bonds between women and the families and cultures they love. While her poems often focus on a personal domesticity—the r...

Each month, the Ashland MFA Program receives calls for submissions and contest deadlines, which it publicizes in its monthly newsletter. Listed below are this month's calls for submissions, in order of deadlines, where posted. Harpur Palate Call for Contest Submissions Have you submitted to our Winter/Spring 12.2 issue? If not, consider submitting your best poetry and creative nonfiction to our two writing contests, the annual Milton Kessler Memorial Prize for Poetry and the brand-new Harpur Palate Prize for Creative Nonfiction. All contest submissions are simultaneously considered for publication. Winners in each contest will receive a $500 prize, publication in the winter issue of Harpur Palate, and two copies of the issue in which the winning piece appears. All writers who submit to our contests, which requires a small entry fee of $15, will receive a one-year subscription to Harpur Palate. For more specifics, please see our contest guidelines on our website. We accep...

Stephen Haven, the Director of the MFA Program, Deborah Fleming, a faculty member in the English Department, and Sarah M. Wells, the Administrative Director of the MFA Program, will be leading workshops for the first Ashland Poetry Workshop weekend December 1-2, 2012 at Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio.  The weekend features guest presenter Lynn Powell, author of two collections of poetry, Old and New Testaments and The Zones of Paradise .  Lynn will also serve as one of the workshop instructors during the weekend. Workshop sessions are near capacity, so register as soon as possible to hold a spot by emailing swells@ashland.edu .  All readings and seminars are free and open to the public even if you are unable to register for the workshops. A participant open-mic will take place Saturday at 2 p.m. in Schar 138, and Lynn Powell will read in the same location at 7 p.m. that evening.  Lynn will teach a seminar on the poetry of Elton Glaser and Mary Oliver, two O...

Mary Biddinger will give a poetry reading at Ashland University as part of the English Department Reading Series Monday, November 12 at 4:30 p.m. in the Schar College of Education Ronk Lecture Hall.  Refreshments will be provided.    Those interested in the MFA Program are invited to stick around Ashland for an open house at 7 p.m. in the Dauch College of Business and Economics Building, Room 104.  Stephen Haven and Sarah Wells will give a brief presentation about the program and will be available to answer any questions afterward.   For more information about the reading series, contact Kari Repuyan, krepuyan@ashland.edu , 419.289.5110.  To register for the open house, please contact Sarah Wells, swells@ashland.edu , 419.289.5957.     Mary Biddinger is the author of four collections of poetry: Prairie Fever (Steel Toe Books, 2007), the chapbook Saint Monica (Black Lawrence Press, 2011), O Holy Insurgency (forthcomin...

Each month, the Ashland MFA Program receives calls for submissions and contest deadlines, which it publicizes in its monthly newsletter. Listed below are this month's calls for submissions, in order of deadlines, where posted. Narrative 30 Below Contest—2012 Narrative is inviting all writers, poets, visual artists, photographers, performers, and filmmakers, between eighteen and thirty years old, to send us their best work. We’re interested in reading your words and seeing your images. We’re looking for the traditional and the innovative, the true and the imaginary. We’re looking to encourage and promote the best authors and artists we can find. Awards: First Prize is $1,500, Second Prize is $750, Third Prize is $300 , and ten finalists will receive $100 each . The prize winners and finalists will be announced in Narrative. All N30B entries are eligible for the $4,000 Narrative Prize for 2013 and for acceptance as a Story of the Week or Poem of the Week . Click here...

Sugar-Tooth Confession by Detrick Hughes November 2012 Congratulations to Detrick Hughes, Class of 2011, whose collection of poems, Sugar-Tooth Confession is now available for pre-order from Nebo Publishing.  A release party and book signing will take place on the campus of the University of Houston (Alumni Center: Great Hall) November 9 at 6:30 p.m. Pre-order a copy from Nebo Publishing

Each month, the Ashland MFA Program receives calls for submissions and contest deadlines, which it publicizes in its monthly newsletter. Listed below are this month's calls for submissions.     Sundog Lit Call for Submissions   Sundog Lit is an independent, online literary magazine and is seeking submissions for our first issue. Sundog Lit is committed to publishing dynamic, vibrant, earth-scorching literature by emerging and established writers. We publish flash fiction, short stories, creative nonfiction (personal, lyric, segmented, and hybrid essays), and poetry. Head on over to SundogLit.com to check out our site and to read our submissions guidelines. Stay tuned for periodic prompts, weekly content, and new features.   Sundoglit.com   Call for Submissions: Short Fiction, Literary Nonfiction and Poetry   Split Lip Magazine, a new online / twice-annual print literary journal is currently seeking well-crafted memoir or personal e...

Stephen Haven, Director of the MFA Program, will present a reading from his most recent collection of poetry at Wellfleet Public Library in Wellfleet, Massachusetts September 19 at 7 p.m.

The Ashland University MFA Program residency craft seminars and readings were all recorded this summer.  The recordings are available on the MFA website and feature presentations by: Mira Bartok Andre Dubus III John Foy Garrett Hongo Laura Kasischke Mark Neely Jerald Walker Bob Cowser, Jr., Jill Christman, and Joe Mackall with Jeff Muse after his defense And all of our phenomenal faculty: Peter Campion Jill Christman Bob Cowser, Jr. Angie Estes Deborah Fleming J.C. Hallman Steve Harvey Stephen Haven Sonya Huber Mark Irwin Thomas Larson Joe Mackall Robert Root Bonnie J. Rough Ruth L. Schwartz Kathryn Winograd

It's the last day of the residency. Pout. Onward into our own quiet rooms to write.  But first, one last craft seminar. Today's Events: "The World of 10,000 Things: The Landscape Poetry of Charles Wright and Du Fu" - Garrett Hongo 1-2:30 p.m., Schar College of Education, Room 138, Ashland University Graduation Celebration 7 p.m., Schar College of Education, Room 138, Ashland University About Today's Presenters:

Today, we celebrate the work of our students alongside the final visiting writer, Garrett Hongo. Today's Events: Graduating Student Reading Cyan Orr, Melissa Condon, John Ballenger, Andrea Sarsfield-Fischer, Jason Dutton, Leslie Nielsen, Jeannine Geise, Karen Donley-Hayes, Deb Stence, and Sue Fahlsing 1-2:30 p.m., Schar College of Education, Room 138, Ashland University Reading - Garrett Hongo 7 p.m., Schar College of Education, Room 138, Ashland University Coming Tomorrow: Garrett Hongo Craft Seminar About Today's Presenters:

As the residency nears its end, we celebrate the work of our students alongside the final faculty and visiting writer presentations. Today's Events: "Structure and Arrangement of Collections of Poems and Essays" - Peter Campion and Bob Cowser, Jr. 1-2:30 p.m., Schar College of Education, Room 138, Ashland University Second-Year Student Reading Ted Kluck, Jeff Mongold, Sarah Freligh, Cheryl Lapp, Doug Rutledge, Charity Reed, Jay Langley, Amber Anderson, and Gawaine Johnson 4:30-5:30 p.m., Schar College of Education, Room 138, Ashland University Graduating Student Reading Kristen Fisher, Kim Whitaker, Jeff Muse, Angela Hendershot, Justin Bessler, Jackie Kalbli, Vana Plaisance, Casey Rusinowski, Kim Ghaphery, Ryan Johnson, and Jen Ochstein 7 p.m., Schar College of Education, Room 138, Ashland University Coming Tomorrow: Garrett Hongo and More Graduating Student Readings About Today's Presenters:

Another full day of seminars and readings in Ashland University!  Here's what is happening today: Today's Events: "The Brain Is Wider Than the Sky" - Mira Bartok 1-2:30 p.m., Schar College of Education, Room 138, Ashland University Reading by Angie Estes, Deborah Fleming, and Thomas Larson 7 p.m., Schar College of Education, Room 138, Ashland University Coming Tomorrow: Peter Campion and Bob Cowser, Jr. and Student Readings About Today's Presenters:

Today's craft seminars are split sessions, with concurrent poetry and nonfiction seminars. Today's Events: "Spreading the Word: Poetry in Public" - Sarah M. Wells 1-2:30 p.m., Schar College of Education, Room 138, Ashland University "Recreating Scenes" - Joe Mackall 1-2:30 p.m., Dauch College of Business and Economics, Ridenour Room, Ashland University Reading by Mira Bartok 7 p.m., Schar College of Education, Room 138, Ashland University Coming Tomorrow: Mira Bartok, Angie Estes, Deborah Fleming, and Thomas Larson About Today's Presenters:

Welcome to Week Two of the Ashland University MFA Program Summer Residency! Today's Events: Reading by Peter Campion, Jill Christman, Bob Cowser, Jr., and Sarah M. Wells 7 p.m., Schar College of Education, Room 138, Ashland University Coming Tomorrow: Mira Bartok, Joe Mackall, and Sarah M. Wells About Today's Presenters:

Today wraps up the first week's events at Ashland University's summer residency program.  Next week features two of our visiting writers-- Mira Bartok and Garrett Hongo-- along with presentations by Peter Campion, Jill Christman, Bob Cowser Jr., Angie Estes, Deborah Fleming, Thomas Larson, Joe Mackall, and Sarah M. Wells.  We'll also have readings by second-year and graduating MFA students. Today's Events: "The Semi-fictive Nature of Narrative, Narrators as Personae" - Thomas Larson and Mark Neely 1-2:30 p.m., Schar College of Education, Room 138, Ashland University Reading by John Foy, Mark Neely, Bonnie J. Rough, and Jerald Walker 7 p.m., Schar College of Education, Room 138, Ashland University Coming Sunday: Peter Campion, Jill Christman, Bob Cowser Jr., and Sarah M. Wells About Today's Presenters:

In today's craft seminar, we'll hear from Laura Kasischke, whose book, Space, In Chains, was a 2012 National Book Critics Circle Award winner. Today's Events: "The Sources and Systems of Poetry" - Laura Kasischke 1-2:30 p.m., Schar College of Education, Room 138, Ashland University Reading by Stephen Haven, Sonya Huber, and Kathryn Winograd 7 p.m., Schar College of Education, Room 138, Ashland University Coming Tomorrow: John Foy, Thomas Larson, Mark Neely, Bonnie J. Rough, and Jerald Walker About the Presenters:

It's the middle of week one, and what a week it has been already.  Gear up for another full day of excellent presentations! Today's Events: "(How) Can I Say This?" Writing the Difficult World - Ruth L. Schwartz 1-2:30 p.m., Schar College of Education, Room 138, Ashland University Reading by Laura Kasischke 7 p.m., Schar College of Education, Room 138, Ashland University Coming Tomorrow: Stephen Haven, Sonya Huber, Laura Kasischke, and Kathryn Winograd About Today's Presenters:

Today's craft seminars are divided into two sessions - one specifically for poetry and one specifically for nonfiction. Please note the location of the nonfiction seminar. Today's Events: "Complications of Meaning: Narrative Strategies in Frost" - Stephen Haven 1-2:30 p.m., Schar College of Education, Room 138, Ashland University "Essaying the Image: Ekphrasticize Yourself" - Robert Root 1-2:30 p.m., Dauch College of Business and Economics, Ridenour Room, Ashland University Second-Year Student Reading Sarah Edwards, Laurie Murray, Megan Snyder, Sandy McWhorter, Ron Book, Carrie Krucinski, Bridget Pool, Elizabeth Christy, Nate Terry, and Jess Van Ness 4:30-5:30 p.m., Schar College of Education, Room 138, Ashland University Reading by JC Hallman, Mark Irwin, and Joe Mackall 7 p.m., Schar College of Education, Room 138, Ashland University Coming Tomorrow: Ruth L. Schwartz and Laura Kasischke About Today's Presenters:

We're ready for another full day of writers and writing... are you? Today's Events: "Authentic Curiosity: the Most Neglected Tool of the Creative Nonfiction Writer" - Andre Dubus III 1-2:30 p.m., Schar College of Education, Room 138, Ashland University Reading by Steven Harvey, Robert Root, and Ruth L. Schwartz 7 p.m., Schar College of Education, Room 138, Ashland University Coming Tomorrow: JC Hallman, Stephen Haven, Mark Irwin, Joe Mackall, and Robert Root About Today's Presenters:

It's day one of the public events for the Ashland University MFA Program! Today's Events: "Enriching the Text" - Steven Harvey and Kathryn Winograd 2-3:30 p.m., Schar College of Education, Room 138, Ashland University Reading by Andre Dubus III 7 p.m., Schar College of Education, Room 138, Ashland University Coming Tomorrow: Andre Dubus III, Steven Harvey, Robert Root, Ruth L. Schwartz About Today's Presenters:

The Ashland University MFA Program announces its public readings and craft seminars.  Unless noted, all events will be held in the Schar College of Education Building, Room 138, on Ashland University's campus.  Click here for maps and directions.  These events are made possible in part by the Ohio Arts Council. More information about the writers presenting at the MFA Program's Summer Residency is available on the program website . Please call (419)289-5110 or email swells@ashland.edu for additional information. Sunday, July 29 “Enriching the Text” - Steven Harvey and Kathryn Winograd Poetry and CNF Faculty Craft Seminar 2-3:30 p.m. Reading – Andre Dubus III 7 p.m. Monday, July 30 “Authentic Curiosity: the Most Neglected Tool of the CNF Writer” - Andre Dubus III 1-2:30 p.m. Reading - Steven Harvey, Robert Root, Ruth L. Schwartz 7-8 p.m. Tuesday, July 31 “Complications of Meaning: Narrative Strategies in Frost” - Stephen Haven 1-2:30 p.m....

Ashland University MFA Program faculty and staff have had an active year with many new publications announced.  Four new poetry books by AU faculty and staff have been published in 2012. Morning, Winter Solstice Deborah Fleming "Winter solstice marks the annual moment of the earth's turn from loss and darkness and its slow, incrememntal re-dedication to light and life. Similarly the poems in Deborah Fleming's Morning, Winter Solstice acknowledge the often devastating impact man has had on the landscape while they crystallize those instances of nature's steadfast reclamation. The act of naming preserves and transforms; names of plants, birds, places encode whole histories and mythologies. In these poems of witness and warning, Deborah Fleming names with specificity that is itself an act of restoration and an affirmation of vitality and place." - Christine M. Gelineau "Deborah Fleming's poems evoke through nuanced detail the disasters - familial, ...