As we begin to look ahead, I want to welcome the incoming MFA in Creative Writing students and congratulate the current students who will be graduate teaching assistants this coming fall semester.
For those who’ve graduated recently, we want you to be aware of your Alumni Benefits, including lifetime access to your email account and ongoing support from Career Services. Erin Berthon is our Career Advisor, and she can be reached at berthon@chapman.edu. If you have questions about alumni benefits, have new contact information, or would like this newsletter to go to a different email address, let David Krausman know. His email is krausman@chapman.edu.
We’d very much like to hear from more alums about what you’re up to, near and far. And we encourage those of you who are on Twitter or Instagram to follow us @ChapmanCWMFA.
—Dr. Anna Leahy, Director of MFA in Creative Writing
Panthers for Life!
Remember, Chapman U alums are Panthers for life! This means your Chapman Email address, as well as Career support and resources are free and forever!
Check out some of the career support Wilkinson College offers current and former graduate students.
Alumni Achievements
Meghan Kemp-Gee '21
(MFA)
Meghan Kemp-Gee's love poem "Your Perfume" was published in Door Is A Jar Literary Magazine. Additionally, her poem "A Newly Discovered Species of Lizard with Distinctive Triangular Scales” was published in Plentitude Magazine.
Marina Samuda '18
(MFA)
Mariana Samuda's short story "Two Leaves In Waiting" was published by Helix Literary Magazine.
Jason Thornberry '21
(MFA)
Jason Thornberry was a guest on the podcast The Thought Row. Additionally, Thornberry's short story "Nothing Has Happened Yet" appeared in Letters Journal and his prose poem "Fool's Gold" was published by Open: Journal of Arts & Letters.
Sean Woodard '21
(MFA)
Sean Woodard's horror flash fiction story "Licrish" and his poem "Blooming Bud" were published in Black Poppy Review and Screenshot Lit, respectively. Woodard's haiku "First Date" won second place in the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) Department of English's New Beginnings Social Media Haiku Contest.
Student Achievements
Audrey Fong
(Dual MA/MFA)
Audrey Fong launched Soapberry Review with Sarah Sakardi earlier this year and continues to publish reviews, critical essays, and author interviews related to Asian American literature. Submissions are open.
Makena Metz
(Dual MA/MFA)
Makena Metz's poem "Preparing for an Interview" was published in Issue 6 of UK-based literary magazine Wishbone Words. Additionally, Metz's story "Fake Jew" and song "You Do You" (co-written by Kat Zimmerman) are being performed in The Braid Theatre Company's upcoming show of "Uncovered." The shows are June 16-26 live and on zoom and are $18 regular, $10 for students. Buy tickets here!
Opportunities
The Lascaux Review is hosting two upcoming contests. The deadline for flash fiction is June 30, 2022, and the deadline for creative nonfiction is September 30, 2022. The entry fee for each is $15, and the journal also considers general submissions with no fee. See more on the website.
Omnidawn's annual chapbook contest is open for submissions. The entry fee is $18, and the deadline is June 30, 2022.
Pleiades is open for submissions during the month of June and does not charge a fee.
With thanks to the Mellon Foundation, the Poetry Coalition is pleased to announce the 2022–23 Poetry Coalition Fellowships, which are paid fellowship positions hosted by founding member organizations Letras Latinas, Mass Poetry, Urban Word, Woodland Pattern, and Youth Speaks. Applications are being accepted until July 3, 2022. The positions will begin on September 5, 2022 and end on June 30, 2023. Interested individuals who are 21 or older are encouraged to apply, including those who are enrolled in or have recently graduated from an MFA program in creative writing.
Hayden's Ferry Review is accepting submissions of poetry, translations, art, fiction, nonfiction, and hybrid work. The review is especially looking for more nonfiction submissions. Deadline is July 15, 2022.
Wordgathering: A Journal of Disability Poetry and Literature is open access and publishes work under a non-commercial, no-derivatives Creative Commons license. This journal seeks submissions of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, book reviews, artwork, video, audio, and more through August 15, 2022.
The University on New Orleans Press seeks submissions for their Publishing Lab Prize. Full-length fiction manuscripts, either short story and novella collections or novels, are eligible. The selected author will receive a $10,000 advance on royalties and a contract to publish with UNO Press. Please enter your manuscript through Submittable with a $28 submission fee. Deadline is August 31, 2022.
The 29th Annual Austin Film Festival is searching for new film screeners to join the 2022 Screening Team. In order to qualify; members of the organization are required to be at least 21 years of age, and will need to undergo a screener test. Interested students or alums may contact Andy Volk at film@austinfilmfestival.com.
Fresh Words is looking for poetry, short stories, essays, essays, and plays.
Kaleidoscope (a publiscation of United Disability Services) seeks fiction, nonfiction, poetry, artwork, and book reviews that challenge and overcome stereotypical, patronizing, and sentimental attitudes about disability. No fee, and it's a paying outlet.
Poets & Writers has an extensive list of literary journals with website links and reading periods included, and you can filter by genre. There is also a good list of contests that rolls according to impending deadlines and a list of book review outlets.
