
The Spalding MFA Blog has moved to Good River Review, the online journal of the School of Creative and Professional Writing at Spalding University.

The Spalding MFA Blog has moved to Good River Review, the online journal of the School of Creative and Professional Writing at Spalding University.
Many people want to know, “What does an MFA in Writing at Spalding get me?” So we asked our alums of all ages and from all over the world to help us out.
Forty-eight graduates, 19 men and 29 women, starting with the first class of 2003 to the present, responded to our open question: How did the Spalding MFA in Writing low-residency program impact you professionally, creatively, and personally? Their responses extol and probe both surprising and not surprising reasons to pursue an MFA in general, and a Spalding MFA in particular. Continue reading “WHY DO AN MFA IN WRITING, AND WHY AT SPALDING UNIVERSITY?”
Here’s what Spalding MFA students, alumni, faculty, and staff have been publishing, producing, and doing since our last update!
Leah Henderson, who graduated from the Spalding MFA program in 2011 with a concentration on Writing for Children and Young Adults, has just launched her first middle grade novel, One Shadow on the Wall, which takes place in Senegal and centers on an eleven-year-old boy named Mor.
After Mor’s parents die, he becomes head of household and must keep his two younger sisters safe. But it is not easy for someone so young to shoulder such a burden. And the world can be very cruel. The book is a gripping read that explores themes of loyalty, faith, and redemption. I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Leah about her first (surely of many!) publications. Continue reading “PATIENCE, PROCESS, PUBLICATION: Lesléa Newman & Leah Henderson”
The Spalding low-residency MFA in Writing program is gearing up for its spring residency, May 26-June 4 in Louisville, Kentucky. The residency features dozens of special events and sessions, acclaimed guest speakers, faculty craft lectures, and a special performance by the nationally acclaimed Louisville Leopard Percussionists.
In addition, the MFA program is pleased to welcome a new faculty member in writing for children and young adults, as well as a special guest workshop leader in poetry.
Here’s what our Spalding MFA students, alumni, faculty, and staff have been publishing, producing, and doing since our last update!
For Spalding MFAers who write creative nonfiction, the George Getschow Scholarship provides funding to attend the 2017 Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference, July 21-23, in Grapevine, Texas.
The $800 scholarship is available to Spalding MFA students and alums, regardless of area of concentration. The scholarship is made possible by the MFA program and a generous donation from an anonymous MFA alum. Others are welcome to make a tax-deductible donation to the fund. Continue reading “GEORGE GETSCHOW SCHOLARSHIP FOR MAYBORN CONFERENCE BENEFITS SPALDING MFA STUDENTS, ALUMS”
I’m delighted to be leading our Spalding MFA summer abroad residency in Edinburgh, July 12-24, with Katy Yocom, Associate Program Director, and Ellyn Lichvar, Administrative Assistant. With our distinguished summer 2017 MFA faculty Silas House, Shane McCrae, Dianne Aprile, Leslea Newman, Charlie Schulman, and Helena Kriel, we are planning a bonnie curriculum for our students and alumni Continue reading “MY SPALDING MFA WORLD TRAVELS WITH KATY & FRIENDS”
There is a surefire way to clear up writer’s block, and that is to try something new, like: Leave the country to be surrounded by other writers. You’ll be full of ideas by the time you get home. Continue reading “THE INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF CREATIVITY”
By Sena Jeter Naslund
Spalding MFA Program Director
It’s a bit odd to say to a group of students and faculty, recently arrived in Rome, “Welcome Home!” But you know how that goes: wherever the Spalding Master of Fine Arts in Writing gathers, I always say, as program director, “Welcome Home!” and we are at home when we’re with each other. Continue reading “Welcome Home: A Writer’s Return To Rome”