Celebrating 30 years of Creative Writing at SMC

Words 30 years of MFA in Creative Writing at Saint Mary's in red and blue over a white background
Celebrating 30 years of the MFA in Creative Writing at Saint Mary's College of California.  We are highlighting our current students and faculty as well as looking back at our alumni and events throughout the past thirty years.
 
The first MFA incoming class was in 1995 and graduated in 1997, upon inception the MFA in Creative Writing was Saint Mary's only Liberal Arts fine art graduate program until MFA Dance was formed. Travel through the years of our amazing program and the voices that fill our rooms.

Students, Faculty, Alumni

black and white rayjon

Questions and Answers with MFA Second Year, Rayjon

Second year Fiction student, Rayjon Young '26, answers our questions about writing process.
Matthew Zapruder

17 Questions with Matthew Zapruder

Poetry Professor Matthew Zapruder answers 17 questions from current MFA Creative Writing Students.
Kindra Stewart and Ryan Harper on campus

Making Meaning as Veterans and Writers MFA Class of 2024

Kindra Stewart MFA ’24 and Ryan Harper MFA ’24 draw on their unique backgrounds as Veterans to spark new ways of sharing and storytelling in the Saint Mary’s community.
marilyn abildskov headshot

Creative Non Fiction's Marilyn Abildskov selected for NEA Fellowship

Creative Non-Fiction Professor, Marilyn Abildskov, selected as 2024 National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellowship. Also featured in this article is Prof. Zapruder's selection as finalist for National Book Critics Circle Awards
Kehinde Badiru, MFA ’23

Kehinde Badiru's story

Nigerian lyric poet, Kehinde Badiru '23, shares his experience and growth while in the program. He was the inaugural Brenda Hillman Award winner.
Brenda Hillman-Prof of the Year

Brenda Hillman, the program founder

Prof. Brenda Hillman who founded the MFA in Creative Writing back in 1995 received the Professor of the Year 2023 award for all her years of teaching at Saint Mary's

Next Steps

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School and Department Information

Chris Feliciano Arnold 
Director, MFA in Creative Writing
cfa1@stmarys-ca.edu
925-631-8556

Collin Skeen
Assistant Director of Admissions and Recruitment 
cas38@stmarys-ca.edu
925-631-4190

 

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