M.F.A. in Creative Writing and Publishing Arts Program Celebrates Return of In-Person Book Festival and Performance, May 14
April 19, 2022
Contact: Office of Advancement and External Relations
Phone: 410.837.5739
The University of Baltimore's M.F.A. in Creative Writing & Publishing Arts program will celebrate the return of its in-person reading and book fair—a showcase for graduating authors and their work—on Saturday, May 14 from 2 to 5 p.m. in the UBalt Student Center's Wright Theater, 21 W. Mt. Royal Ave. The event is free and open to the public.
After going virtual for the past two years due to the pandemic, this annual live event features the graduating class reading from their work, along with a fair in which their new books are available for sale. All books are designed and printed as part of students' thesis capstone, resulting in original works of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. The book fair and a reception will take place in the Bogomolny Room adjacent to the Wright Theater. For those unable to attend in-person, the reading also will be livestreamed.
"This year's books are so wonderfully varied and exciting, in content and design. There's something powerful for every reader," says M.F.A. Program Director Betsy Boyd.
The 2022 graduating class includes:
- Chad Boxley, author of Turnbuckle, a collection of poems;
- Kopper Boyd, author of After Them, a memoir;
- Caitlin Currey, author of Bright Spots, a memoir;
- Kelly C. Flanagan, author of Gatekeeping, a memoir;
- Kia Fortson, author of if I must be honest, a collection of poems;
- Zo Gross, author of Our Own Gods, a collection of stories;
- LeQuita Harrison, author of Stuck, a collection of stories;
- Alexandra Hewett, author of Shimmer, a memoir;
- Elizabeth Holland, author of Let the bees rest, a collection of poems;
- Britt Bell, author of Ella, a collection of stories;
- Beth Phan, author of Later, I'll Wish I Said it Differently, a collection of essays;
- Josh O'Meara, author of Assorted Jerks, a collection of stories;
- Olivia Springer, author of The Ancestors, a collection of stories;
- Jessie O'Dea Walker, author of The Deep End, a collection of essays;
- Micaela Walley, author of Cut the Lights, a collection of poems.
"Many of these students started in their program during the year of lockdown," says Prof. Marion Winik, "and they have surmounted a unique set of challenges, both in adapting to virtual learning and then re-adjusting to in-person classes in the second half of their final semester—not to mention dealing with all the other challenges of the pandemic. I am so proud of them."
The reading and book fair is organized by the M.F.A. in Creative Writing & Publishing Arts graduating class of 2022 and spearheaded by Plork Coordinators Caitlin Currey and Alexandra Hewett.
"We're thrilled to share our work with friends, family, and the UB community in-person for the first time in two years," says Currey.
Hewett notes, "Our authors have poured their hearts and souls into self-published works of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction, and the reading will be a true celebration of all we've accomplished together throughout the program."
2022 graduate and fiction writer LeQuita Harrison says, "When I joined the program in 2018, I loved the idea of graduating with my own self-published book. And now that it's happening, I am very excited to be able to share my hard work and imagination with others."
The University of Baltimore's M.F.A. in Creative Writing & Publishing Arts program has been named one of the most distinctive M.F.A. programs in the country by Poets & Writers magazine, and graduates of the program have gone on to make a notable impression on the literary world and beyond.
Learn more about The University of Baltimore's M.F.A. in Creative Writing & Publishing Arts.
Follow the program's social pages (Instagram and Facebook) for updates regarding the livestream.
Note that the in-person event will adhere to The University of Baltimore's COVID-19 protocols.