MFA FICTION AND NONFICTION ALUMNI
As you see from the listings below, our MFA alumnae have distinguished themselves with stellar national recognition, from the T.S. Eliot Prize (won both in 2005 and 2008 by our alumnae poets) and the Gatewood Prize for poetry to the Rosenthal Foundation Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. You'll also see an astonishing range of publications in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, translation, and other genres. Our alumnae's work has appeared in prestigious cutting-edge publications, both online and print, as well as in such venues as The Atlantic and major trade publishers. You will find our alumnae teaching at colleges and universities, editing journals, and making a name not only for themselves, but for their alma mater as well.
Gregory Baxter (MFA 2002) is the author of the memoir A Preparation for Death (Penguin 2010). His work has appeared in the Dublin Review and Southwest Review.
Brent Benoit (MFA 2000) is the author of All Saints’ Day (Overlook, 2002). A graduate of Loyola University in New Orleans, he has been a homebuilder in south Louisiana.
Amanda Briggs (MFA 2007) has had one of her short stories published in the May 2010 issue of The Atlantic.
James Claffey (MFA 2011) had his novel, Motions of Souls, named a finalist in the William Faulkner novel-in-progress category. His prize-winning audio story can be found at the Linnet’s Wings website. This story is also in the summer print issue of this Irish/international magazine. A novel excerpt, “Skull of a Sheep,” appeared in the New Orleans Review, and “Daisy Chain” appeared in the summer issue of Shady Side Review.His stories have also appeared in Salt, Unshod Quills, Scissors & Spackle, Pyrta, A-Minor, Literary Orphans, Extract(s), Wordlegs, The Weekenders Magazine, Bad Penny Review, and Carte Blanche.
Aimee Davis (MFA 2012) was chosen for a postdoc at LSU following her graduation. As an MFA student Aimee served as managing editor of New Delta Review. She also worked for a non-profit organization teaching at-risk high-school students in Baton Rouge.
Ronlyn Domingue (MFA 2003) is the author of The Mercy of Thin Air (Atria Books/Simon & Schuster). Her debut novel was a 2005 Borders Original Voices Award Finalist and was acquired in 11 other countries. Her second and third novels are under contract with Atria and soon to be published. She also writes for The Nervous Breakdown, an online magazine.
Laurie Lynn Drummond (MFA 1991) won the 2005 Edgar Award for Best Short story with a story that was included in her collection, Anything You Say Can and Will Be Used Against You (HarperCollins 2004). She has taught in the MFA Program at the University of Oregon as well as at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas.
Kathleen Fitzpatrick (MFA 1991) was featured in a Chronicle of Higher Education article as one of “12 Innovators Who Are Transforming Campuses.”
Alison Grifa (MFA 2012) was short-listed as a finalist in the Faulkner-Wisdom Competition, the novel-in-progress category in July 2012. She was also a finalist in the short story division. With a B.A. from Barnard College, Columbia University, she taught English in Managua, Guayaquil, Rabat, and Brooklyn. Some of her work can be found in the online publication, 10,000 Tons of Black Ink.
Michael Griffith (MFA 1992) is the author of the novels Trophy (TriQuarterly Books; Northwestern University Press, 2011), Bibliophilia (Arcade, 2003; Northwestern University Press 2012); and Spikes (Arcade 2001). His work has appeared in The Washington Post, Ninth Letter, Virginia Quarterly Review, Southwest Review, New England Review, Five Points, Southern Review, Oxford American, Shenandoah and many other periodicals. He is the recipient of fellowships from the Charles Phelps Taft Research Center, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, and the Louisiana Division of the Arts, among others. An associate professor at the University of Cincinnati, he is the Yellow Shoe Fiction series editor for LSU Press, as well as the fiction editor of Cincinnati Review.
Jamey Hatley (MFA 2007) was the winner of the William Faulkner-William Wisdom Award for Novel-in-Progress. Her fiction has appeared in the Oxford American.
Susan Kirby-Smith (MFA 2010) has had her short story, “The Bear,” selected as one of ten finalists in the Woodstock Fiction competition in Portland, Oregon. It will appear in the anthology, The Woodstock Ten.
Nicola Mason (MFA 1994) has published fiction in Oxford American, Missouri Review, Epoch, New England Review, Shenandoah, and Chelsea. She is now an editor at The Cincinnati Review. Before moving to Cincinnati, she worked for many years as an editor at The Southern Review, as well as at Louisiana State University Press. She has been awarded fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts as well as the Louisiana Division of the Arts.
Dinty Moore (MFA 1990) is a full professor at Ohio University. His books include Between Panic & Desire (winner of the Grub Street Nonfiction Book Prize in 2009), The Accidental Buddhist, The Emperor’s Virtual Clothes, and Crafting the Personal Essay: A Guide for Writing and Publishing Creative Nonfiction. He is the editor of Brevity: The Journal of Concise Literary Nonfiction. His stories and essays have appeared in The Southern Review, Harpers, The New York Times Sunday Magazine, The Philadelphia Inquirer Magazine, Gettysburg Review, Utne Reader and many journals.
Clarence Nero (MFA 2007) is the author of Cheekie: A Child Out of the Desire, Three Sides to Every Story (Broadway Books, 2006), and Too Much of a Good Thing Ain’t Bad (Broadway Books, 2009). A graduate of Howard University, he comes from New Orleans’s lower Ninth Ward—and now teaches at Baton Rouge Community College.
Connie Porter (MFA 1987) has written eleven immensely popular children’s books about a girl named Addy Walker—including Meet Addy and Addy Studies Freedom. Her adult novels include All-Bright Court (Houghton Mifflin, 1991) and Imani All Mine (Houghton Mifflin, 1999). She has taught at Milton Academy, Emerson College, and Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. A regional winner in Granta’s Best Young American Novelist contest, she has also been a fellow at the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference.
Dave Racine (MFA 1992) is the author of Floating in a Most Peculiar Way, published in 1999 by Van Neste Books.
Josh Russell (MFA 1993) is co-director of the Creative Writing Program and an associate professor at Georgia State University (Atlanta). His novels include Yellow Jack (W.W. Norton, 1999), My Bright Midnight (LSU Press, 2010), and A True History of the Captivation, Transport to Strange Lands, & Deliverance of Hannah Guttentag (forthcoming, Dzanc Books, 2012). Dakota, a novella, appeared in Epoch in 2005. His writing has been widely anthologized in such publications as New Stories from the South and French Quarter Fiction—and his stories and nonfiction have appeared in Black Warrior Review and other journals. He has received an NEA Literature Fellowship and the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference Shane Stevens Fellowship in the Novel.
Virgil Suarez (MFA 1987) is a professor of English at Florida State University. His novels include The Cutter (Ballantine 1991 and Arte Publico Press 1999), Going Under (Arte Publico Press 1996), and Havana Thursdays (Arte Publico Press 1995). He is also the author of several volumes of poetry. His awards include Best American Poetry (2004), G. MacCarthur Poetry Prize (2002), and an NEA Fellowship (2001).
Rachel Van Sickle (MFA 2012) was a finalist in the 2010 Williams Wisdom Creative Nonfiction competition. She won the Ruth Elizabeth McClain Cassidy MFA award for screenwriting in 2011 and 2012. Currently she works as a Residency Coordinator in the Orthopaedic Surgery Department at University of Toledo Medical College.
Olympia Vernon (MFA 2002) is the author of Eden (2002), Logic (2004), and A Killing in This Town (2006). In 2004 she won the Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Foundation Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In 2005 she was the recipient of the Louisiana Governor’s Award for Artist of the Year. From 2007-08 she taught at Willamette University as the Hallie Ford Chair in Writing. In 2007 she won the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence.
Wayne Wilson (MFA 1993) has taught fiction at the Harvard Extension School. His first novel, Loose Jam, was published by Washington Square Press in 1992. In 2001 Algonquin published Eddie and Bella. His stories have appeared in Carolina Quarterly and New Delta Review, among other journals. He is also a graphic artist, musician, and editor.
Elizabeth Wing (MFA 1991) is the author of Look Out for Hydrophobia (Birch Press, NY, 1990). Her translations include Poetics of Relation by Edouard Glissant (Univ. of Michigan Press, 1997), Outwitting the Gestapo by Lucie Aubrac (translated with Konrad Bieber, Univ. of Nebraska Press, 1991), Michel Foucault by Didier Eribon (Harvard University Press, 1991), The Book of Promethea by Helene Cixous (Univ. of Nebraska Press, 1991), Against Architecture by Denis Hollier (MIT Press, 1989), Opera or the Undoing of Women by Catherine Clement (Univ. of Minnesota Press, 1988), The College of Sociology by Denis Hollier (Univ. of Minnesota Press, 1988), The Private Picasso by Edward Quinn and Pierre Daix (Little Brown, 1987), and The Newly Born Woman by Catherine Clement and Helene Cixous (Univ. of Minnesota Press, 1986). She has been the recipient of NEH grants in 1983, 1993, and 1994.
Angus Woodward (MFA 1989) is the author of Down at the End of the River (stories, Margaret Media, 2008) and the comic novel Americanisation: Lessons in American Culture and Language (Livingston Press, 2011). His fiction has appeared in Nightsun, Mochila Review, and Alimentum. His nonfiction has been published in Normal School, Sport Literate and the University of Nebraska Press anthology Living Blue in the Red States (2007).
MFA Poetry Alumni
Victoria Brockmeier (MFA 2004) is enrolled in SUNY Buffalo’s prestigious PhD program. Her book, my maiden cowboy names (Truman State University Press, 2009) was the winner of the 2008 T.S. Eliot Prize. Her poetry has been published in the Colorado Review, Boston Review, The Spoon River Poetry Review, Chatauqua Literary Journal, Allegheny Review, The Texas Review, New Letters, and other journals.
Vincent A. Cellucci (MFA 2008) has been published in Exquisite Corpse, New Delta Reivew, The Pedestal and Presa. He contributed, edited, and produced a collaborative audio novel entitled The Katrina Decameron, which has been released as an audio book on itunes. An Easy Place/To Die was published by CityLit Press in February 1, 2011 and is available on Amazon. He also started the Exceptional, Baton Rouge reading series River Writers.
Carolyn Chun (MFA 2009) published a novella, How to Break Article Noun with Parsifal Editions. This same novella is the winner of the 2011 Kenneth Patchen Award for Innovative Fiction.
Claire Dixon (MFA 2007) has been working as a public librarian. Her work has been published in journals such as The Matrix and storySouth.
Maia Elgin (MFA 2012) has had her work published in Ghost Town, GlitterPony, and Indigest. She received a fellowship in 2012 to attend SLS Kenya.
Brit Estep (MFA 2012) has published part of her book, Signals, with Shambhala Publishing’s 35 under 35 young Buddhist writers project online.
Adam Hill (MFA 1994) from Cal Poly website: “Adam Hill (MA, CSU-Fresno, 1991; MFA Louisiana State University, 1994) has had poetry, fiction, and non-fiction appear in such places as The American Poetry Review, The Los Angeles Times, SPIN magazine, and The Seattle Review. Since 1996, he has directed WriterSpeak, bringing nationally recognized writers to read and speak at CalPoly.”
Anthony Kellman (MFA 1989) has published two poetry chapbooks, In Depths of Burning Lights (1982) and The Broken Sun (1984). In 1990 Peepal Tree published his book of poetry Watercourse, which appeared with a glowing endorsement from Edouard Glissant. He is a professor of English and creative writing at Augusta State University in Georgia. A recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, he has seen his poetry, fiction and critical essays have appeared in journals all over the world.
Ben Lowenkron (MFA 2009) grew up in Virginia, where he received his BA from the College of William and Mary. He has taught at Our Lady of the Lake College, and was for a time the local host for All Things Considered on WRKF, Baton Rouge’s NPR affiliate. Ben’s chapbook, Preacher’s Blues was released by Ampersand Books, LLC (St. Petersburg, FL).
Jenn Marie Nunes (MFA 2009) has published poetry (and fiction) in such journals as pork, Drupe Fruits, Monkeybicycle, Alice Blue Review, elimae, and the Sonora Review. Most recently her e-chapbook Strip has appeared in PANK Magazine.
Ben Pelhan (MFA 2012) holds a BA in Creative Wirting from Carnegie Mellon University. He makes poems, videos, screenplays and combinations of poems, videos, and screenplays. His work can be found at OH NO, Prick of the Spindle, Small Fires Press, and YouTube.
Jacqueline Dee Parker has a BA from Sarah Lawrence College and MFA from LSU. Her poetry has appeared in Atlanta Review, The Southern Review, Chelsea, and American Diaspora: Poetry of Exile. Her work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. A recipient of a 2007 Artist Fellowship from the Louisiana State Division of the Arts, Parker is currently an instructor in the LSU School of Art. Her visual work has been featured in Studio Visit, a 2010 juried aretist book published by Open Studios Press. She was also recognized by being awarded a juror’s prize in the 2009 Rauschenberg Tribute Exhibition (Museum of the Gulf Coast).
Mona Lisa Saloy has both an MFA and PhD from LSU. Red Beans and Ricely Yours: Poems, won the T.S. Eliot Prize in poetry for 2005 (Truman State University Press). She is the recipient of fellowships from the National endowment for the Humanities and from the United Negro College Fund/Andrew w. Mellon Foundation. She is associate professor of English and Founding Director of Creative Writing at Dillard University, and Director of The Daniel C. Thompson/Samuel DuBois Honors Program.
Kristen Sanders (MFA 2009) has had her poetry chapbook, Orthorexia, accepted for publication by Dancing Girl Press, which publishes national and international poets. Her poems have appeared in Octopus Magazine and New York Quarterly, and she was awarded a fellowship to the Juniper Summer Writing Institute. She is now an instructor at Loyola in New Orleans.
Christopher Shipman (MFA 2009) has a poetry chapbook, The Terrible Novelty of Light, which was a finalist for the 2010 Copperdome Prize. His full poetry manuscript, Born into This, was a finalist for the 2010 Akron Prize. His poems have appeared in the on-line journal Arkansas Literary Forum, in Poetic Hours, a journal based in England, and in Clark Street Review. Two poems are coming out in Clockwise Cat and one in Fine Line Magazine. Christopher is also the co-writer (with director Sarah K. Jackson) of Metaphysique D’Ephemera, a play that will be presented this April 26-30 at LSU’s Blackbox theater. Most recently, his full-length poetry collection, Human Carrying Flight Technology, has been accepted for publication by Blaze VOX.
Virgil Suarez (MFA 1987) is a professor of English at Florida State University. His awards include Best American Poetry (2004), G. MacArthur Poetry Prize (2002), The Daily News/The Caribbean Writer/University of the Virgin Islands Poetry Prize (2002), National Endowment of the Arts Fellowship (2001), The Book Expo America/latino Literature Hall of Fame Poetry Prize for the Best Book of Poetry (for Banyan) 2001; Winnder of a Florida State Individual Artist Grant, 1998; Nominated for five Pushcart Prizes. His nine volumes of poetry include 90 Miles (Selected & New Poems) Univ. of Pittsburgh Press (2005); Guide to the Blue Tongue Univ. of Illinois 2002; and Banyan LSU Press, 2001.
Jennifer Tamayo (MFA 2010) won the Gatewood Prize for poetry. The award includes having her manuscript collection published by Switchback Books (February 2011). She was also one of two runners-up for the “Discovery”/Boston Review Poetry Competition originating out of New York’s 92nd Street Y. Judges included Nick Flynn, Claudia Rankine, and Susan Howe.
Megan Volpert (MFA 2007) is the author of The Desense of Nonfense (BlazeVox Books, 2009); Face Blindness (BlazeVox Books 2007); and Domestic Transmission (a 2007 chapbook with MetroMania Press, pseudonym Madelyn Hatter).
Afton Wilky (MFA 2012) is a multidisciplinary artist, a painter and poet who works with digital media—and she is a book artist. Afton’s fascination with book structures has been central in not only her book arts practice, but also in her co-organization of New Delta Review’s first annual chapbook series, where she was Poetry Editor. Afton’s work can be found in The Black Warrior Review, BlazeVOX, and Rain Taxi.