A note from me to you.

Poster Credits: Straub/Thompson, Fitzgerald/Brown, Sandick/Snyder posters by Michael Fusco. Rae Armantrout poster courtesy of Hai-Dang Phan. Kevin Brockmeier poster by Thea Brown. Others by Nate Brown.

Hey All,

It's been an excellent semester (hell, year) for readings, but alas our school year is over, finished, kaput, finito. But don't be sad. C'est la vie: things change.

Ryan Walsh, a UW-Madison MFA candidate in poetry will take the wheel of this bus next year as the Program in Creative Writing's readings coordinator. It's been swell, and Ryan is sure to make it sweller (eh? sweller? I'm punchy).

Have a great summer, and check back periodically to see what the program's up to. Who knows what Ryan's gonna do with this blog. It could be craaaazy.

Thanks for actually using this thing, and for showing up to our readings.

Hasta luego,

Nate Brown

Tonight: Kevin A. González, Shara Lessley & The Annual Creative Writing Awards

Just a friendly reminder that UW-Madison's Program in Creative Writing will host its final reading of the year tonight at 7 p.m. in 6191 Helen C. White Hall.

Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Fellows Kevin A. González (Carol Houck Smith Fiction Fellow) & Shara Lessley (Diane Middlebrook Poetry Fellow) will read. The reading will be immediately followed by the program's annual award ceremony.

Plays will be read tonight!

Just a friendly reminder that tonight, Tuesday, May 6th, will see the first-ever reading by members of a class run by UW-Madison's Carl Djerassi Distinguished Fellow in Playwriting. That's because this year brought the first-ever Djerassi Distinguished Fellow to campus, and his name is Dan O'Brien, and he's super cool.

Anywho, Dan's been teaching a class in Playwriting this semester, and tonight his students are hosting a reading of their plays-in-progress.

The location is weird: Bock Laboratories Penthouse, 1525 Linden Drive on the UW-Madison Campus, and you can only enter/exit on the hour between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. (so show up at 7, 8, or 9 if you can make it). See: www.map.wisc.edu and search for "Bock" to get a better idea of where this is.

Three Events This Week!

That's right, UW-Madison's Program in Creative Writing doesn't slack off just because it's the last week of classes. No. In fact, we run to the finish line this week with three events. Here they are, in order:


TONIGHT: Monday, May 5th

Graduate students from Jesse Lee Kercheval's graduate poetry workshop will read tonight, May 5th, at 7 p.m. in 6191 Helen C. White Hall.


TOMORROW: Tuesday, May 6th

Members of Dan O'Brien's (Carl Djerassi Distinguished Fellow in Playwriting) playwriting workshop will share their works-in-progress at 7 p.m. in Bock Laboratories Penthouse. The lab is located at 1525 Linden Drive. Due to the building's security system, any interested visitors should arrive on the hour between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. The doors will be locked at other times.


LAST BUT NOT LEAST: Thursday, May 8th

Final Fellows Reading: Shara Lessley & Kevin A. González & Annual Creative Writing Award Ceremony. Thursday, May 8th, 7 p.m., 6191 Helen C. White Hall.

TONIGHT: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Getting an MFA

Just a friendly reminder that the program in creative writing is holding a panel discussion this evening where UW professor Amy Quan Barry will discuss the MFA degree -- everything from the application process to what you do once you've completed the degree will be covered.

Hope you can join us!

Two Upcoming Readings & an Awards Ceremony

On Monday, May 5th at 7 p.m. in 7191 Helen C. White Hall, students from Jesse Lee Kercheval's graduate poetry workshop will share their work. Hali Sofala, Ryan Walsh, Kristen Muir, Lisa Kundrat, Jessica Nordell, Laurel Bastian and Steel Wagstaff will read.


Later that week, on Thursday, May 8th at 7 p.m. in 6191 Helen C. White Hall, Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Fellows Shara Lessley and Kevin A. González will read. The Program in Creative Writing's Annual Awards Ceremony will immediately follow the reading.