The University of Baltimore's acclaimed MFA in Creative Writing & Publishing Arts will host its annual reading and book fair for all graduating students on Saturday, May 9 at 2 p.m. in the UBalt Student Center's Wright Theater, 21 W. Mt. Royal Ave. The event is free and open to the public.
Among the elements that differentiate UBalt's MFA from other master's-level writing programs, all students spend their final year in the program in a two-part thesis experience that results in the writing, editing, design and publishing of their own books. With a finished book in hand, these new graduates can explore the market for writers, editors, graphic designers―even publishers who are looking for people with experience in time-honored book arts.
The annual book fair, which thesis students produce themselves as part of the program requirements, ultimately offers those who are completing the program a sense of what this world is like. It’s equal parts reading, book market (books for purchase), and a celebration of academic achievement. As participants do every year, members of the class of 2026 will read excerpts from their works to a large audience in a formal setting. Afterwards, copies of the students’ books will be sold in a space adjacent to the theater.
"The MFA Book Fair represents the important culmination of three―or sometimes more―years of creative writing and design study for our students," says CWPA Program Director Betsy Boyd. "It's such a special thing to hear them read from thesis books they've not only revised to professional quality but also designed with newfound skill. This year's group is a tightknit circle of friends, their books full of life and huge imagination. No one who cares about the arts in Baltimore should miss this celebration of creativity and of the book itself. Especially in this strange time of 'AI shortcuts' and high-tech 'workarounds,' the purely human ingenuity of our students must be prized, preserved, and held sacred."
The book festival, which typically fills the theater with supporters of the Baltimore arts scene, as well as families, friends and fans of the participants, is organized entirely by the students. They are led by the program's "Plork Coordinators." "Plork" is the program's term for combining work and play as an essential part of the creative journey.
"We are excited to unleash our creative offspring onto the world at this year's festival," says MFA candidate and Plork Coordinator John Guchemand, one of two class members, with Alicia Potee, leading the book fair organization. "Over these past years, we've witnessed our works of art blossom from fragile seeds of ideas, initially holding only hints of maturity. Now, they're finally coming to fruition. It's an uncanny process that comes out of solitude, sharp conversation, and honest analysis. There's nothing else like it."
MFA candidate John Butler, founder of Totem Jou Publishing, says he is looking forward to the validity that accompanies the completion of the UBalt MFA in Creative Writing and Publishing Arts.
"I entered this program feeling like an imposter," Butler says. "After completing it, I now have the skills and confidence to help local artists get published."
"The book as artifact [is truly prized in this program]," adds second Plork Coordinator Potee, "really learning and understanding what constitutes elevated design in a noisy field."
The graduate reading, book fair, and reception are sponsored by the Hearst Visiting Scholars Fund.
Learn more about The University of Baltimore's MFA in Creative Writing and Publishing Arts.
Applications to the program are accepted on a rolling basis.