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MFA in Creative Writing

Alumni Mentorship

Choice is a blessing… and a burden. What do you do after graduation? Which of the multiple paths do you take? What is the PhD, publishing, content marketing, (etc., etc.) really like? Find out by joining the MFA mentorship program.

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Alumni Mentorship

Connecting students with alumni writers

What’s wonderful about an MFA in Creative Writing is that there are so many paths you can take post-graduation.

The SMC MFA in Creative Writing program offers alumni mentorship for second year students; students will be matched with an alumnus who is a good fit with their interests and goals. The mentorship program is intended to give students ‘real life’ guidance. Alumni maintain a connection with our MFA program, while doing a service for their fellow alumni and emerging writers.

Alumni mentors and student mentees both agree to a 6-month commitment with suggested monthly meetings or check-ins (alums who have moved out of the Bay Area can substitute video or phone calls).

If you’re interested in being a mentor, please fill out our mentor form. You’ll be asked about your interests, career path, and how you think you can serve best.

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Kaya Oakes

Kaya Oakes, MFA Poetry '97

Looking for a powerful and moving read? Check out Kaya's essay "FORGIVENESS IN THE EPOCH OF ME TOO." You don't want to miss reading this!

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Kaya Oakes

Kaya Oakes, MFA Poetry '97

Kaya Oakes' third book, a hybrid memoir/ethnography, Radical Reinvention, was published by Counterpoint Press in 2012. Her previous nonfiction book, Slanted and Enchanted: The Evolution of Indie Culture, was published by Henry Holt in 2009 and was selected as a San Francisco Chronicle notable book. She's also the author of a collection of poetry, Telegraph, which received the Transcontinental Poetry Prize from Pavement Saw Press. She was the co-founder and senior editor of the Utne Independent Press Award-winning magazine Kitchen Sink, and she currently writes bout religion and feminism for Killing the Buddha Commonweal, and other magazines and websites. Since 1999, she's taught writign at the University of California, Berkeley. She earned an MFA in Creative Writing at Saint Mary's College. Kaya has been the recipient of teaching fellowships from the Mellon Faculty Institute and the Bay Area Writing Project, as well as writing awards from the Academy of American Poets. Kaya's News: Looking for a powerful and moving read? Check out Kaya's essay "FORGIVENESS IN THE EPOCH OF ME TOO." You don't want to miss reading this! On January 28, 2018 Kaya will speak on the role Christianity plays in the Trump Era at Community Church of Mill Valley. Listen to this audio of a panel that Kaya did for the Trying to Say 'God' Literary Conference. Read Kaya's article Meeting on the Bridge: Fr. James Martin's Ministry to LGBT Catholics Becomes a Book that was published in Religion Dispatches. An essay written by Kaya is published on the website Sojourners. You can read "Do We Really Want Our Government Run Like a Business?" online. Kaya will be reading at Beast Crawl: This is the Epicenter on July 16th! Kaya will be the guest speaker for "The Nones Are Alright" on Friday, November 13th at 7:00pm at the American Baptist Seminary of the West in Berkeley! Click here for more details. Kaya did a podcast with The Eastern Shore for her new book, The Nones Are Alright, this past Monday, 10/5. More book details located here. Congrats, Kaya! Kaya will be a panelist for Humanist Haven: A Nonreligious Community Gathering on 5/15, where she will discuss "Belonging without Believing: Building Community Outside of Religion". Check it out here! Our own Kaya Oakes (poetry, 1997) will be reading from her new book, Radical Reinvention this Saturday, 9/27 at 3pm! This event will be held at: Faith Presbyterian Church49th St. at WebsterOakland, CA Click here for more details!