1/2 of the Murray State MFA Nonfiction Posse

If you follow this blog, you know I have just returned from spending 10 days at Murray State University in Murray, KY, where I'm working on an MFA in Creative Writing.

The MFA in Creative Writing at Murray State is a low residency program, meaning we spend 10 days on campus at the beginning of each semester, and the rest of the semester, we do the work on our own at home and either email or mail packages to our professor/mentors. To complete the program, one must earn 48 credit hours and write and defend a thesis. Students choose a genre (There are four: nonfiction, fiction, poetry and writing for children.) in which to specialize. During the residency, we attend classes with others in our genre and discuss both our work and the work of established authors, attend readings by visiting writers (We heard Scott Russell Sanders, Heather Sellars and Linda Bierds this semester.), attend craft and genre seminars, write and network with other writers/students. During the semester, we read (about eight books) and write a lot, sending at least 3 packets of work to our individual mentors.

Eleven of us worked in the nonfiction group this residency. The six of us above, were with one mentor (Karen McElmurray), and there were five others with Chris Hale, the other mentor. Left to right, we are Jacque Pallone, Caitlin Chester, Moi, Rachel Rinehart-Johnson, Jackee Marceau and Jacqueline Howe.