mfa student manual 2012 - 2013 - chatham university, pittsburgh, pa

MFA Student Manual 2012 - 2013

Note: This manual is for the residency program only. The low-residency program has a

separate manual.

Table of Contents

Contact information for MFA Faculty and Staff ................................................................... 1

Curriculum ............................................................................................................................. 2

Course Descriptions……………………………………………………………………….. 5

Email ......................................................................................................................................14

Field Seminars .......................................................................................................................15

Forms .....................................................................................................................................21

Honor Code ............................................................................................................................28

Lindsay House .......................................................................................................................29

MFA Graduate Student Association ......................................................................................31

Reading Series .......................................................................................................................35

Thesis Manual ........................................................................................................................36

Website ..................................................................................................................................46

A Note about Grading ............................................................................................................47

Book Lists ..............................................................................................................................48

MFA Student Manual Page 1

Contact Information for MFA Faculty and Staff

Name Writing

Specialty Email Address Work

Phone Cell

Phone Home Phone

Alexander, Sally

Writing for

Children [email protected] 412-421-6354 412-760-7795 412-421-6364

Auxier, Jonathan

Writing for

Children [email protected]

Ayres, Kathy

Writing for

Children [email protected] 412-365-1322 412-404-8921

Bruckner, Lynne Literature [email protected] 412-365-1185

Coppoc, Jim

Poetry and

Nonfiction [email protected]

Cregan, Mara

Teaching

Creative Writing [email protected] 412-338-6120 412-421-7088

Flick, Sherrie Fiction [email protected] 412-488-1751

Fox, Melanie Nonfiction [email protected] 412-320-1621

Gift, Nancy Environmental [email protected]

Hockley, Libba

Program

Assistant [email protected] 412-365-1685

Jakiela, Lori Nonfiction [email protected]

Katz, Joy Poetry [email protected] 917-886-6489

Lenz, William

American

Literature [email protected] 412-365-1186 412-362-6738

McNaugher,

Heather

Poetry and

Nonfiction [email protected] 412-365-1210

Mendelson, Abby

Nonfiction and

Journalism [email protected] 412-521-6498

Nieson, Marc

Fiction and

Nonfiction [email protected] 412-365-1263 412-441-3273

Oresick, Peter Poetry [email protected] 412-365-1264 412-965-4465 412-362-2772

St. German, Sheryl

Nonfiction &

Poetry [email protected] 412-365-1190 412-759-7286

Sterner, Sandy Poetry [email protected] 412-365-1198 412-521-6650

Stevens, Robert Fiction [email protected]

Tanski, Caroline Publishing [email protected]

Wardi, Anissa

African

American

Literature [email protected] 412-365-1696

mailto:[email protected]




Curriculum

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing is a broad program of study (39 credit hours)

designed to prepare students for careers as writers or other positions requiring similar

professional skills, such as editing, publishing, and teaching; to enable students to improve their

writing in more than one genre through interaction with our faculty and other writing students;

and to become experienced critics of literary works. Our focus on nature, environmental and

travel writing provides students unique opportunities to explore the world and travel as part of

their degree programs.

Most full-time students will be able to complete the program in two years. All students must

complete the program within five years of entrance into the program.

Program of Study

Complete 39 credits hours of graduate coursework beyond the BA or BS. Students who have not

completed an undergraduate major in writing, or in English with a writing focus, may be

required to take a basic core of 3 courses before registering for the advanced curriculum.

Requirements:

One craft course in your primary genre (3 credits):

ENG581 The Craft of Fiction (3)

ENG582 The Craft of Nonfiction (3)

ENG583 The Craft of Poetry (3)

ENG586 The Craft of Writing for Children (3)

Primary genre craft course must be taken during the fall of student’s first year. Craft

courses are prerequisites for all workshops of any genre.

One readings course in student’s primary genre (3) chosen from the following:

ENG531 Readings in Poetry

ENG532 Readings in Fiction

ENG533 Readings in Creative Nonfiction

Two advanced writing workshops (6 credits) in your primary genre chosen from the

following:

ENG535 Writing Poetry: Form Workshop (3)

ENG537 Writing Poetry: Literary Movements Workshop (3)

ENG544 Writing Creative Nonfiction: The Lyric and Formally Adventurous Essay (3)

ENG 545 Writing Creative Nonfiction: Literary Journalism (3)

ENG 548 Writing Creative Nonfiction (3)

ENG 550 Writing Fiction: the Novel (3)


ENG 551 Writing Fiction: the Short Story (3)

ENG 553 Writing Poetry (3)

ENG 554 Writing Fiction (3)

ENG 556 Writing for Children (3)

ENG 557 Writing Fiction: Story Collections/Novel-in-Stories (3)

ENG 559 Writing for Children: Biography and Autobiography (3)

ENG 560 Writing for Children: Mystery and Suspense (3)

ENG 561 Writing for Children: Picture Book (3)

ENG 565 Writing for Children: History (3)

ENG 589 Multi-Genre Workshop (3)

One of Nature Writing OR Travel Writing (3 credits):

ENG 584 Nature Writing (3)

ENG 585 Travel Writing (3)

Four content courses (12 credits), at least 2 of which must be literature-based courses.

Sample courses include:

ENG 519 Frontier Women (3)

ENG 522 American Exploration (3)

ENG 527 Ethnicity and Place (3)

ENG 546 Wildness and Literature (3)

ENG 552 Ecofeminist Literature (3)

ENG 562 Children’s Literature (3)

One ENG 710 Summer Community of Writers (6)

One Thesis Seminar corresponding to the student’s primary genre (3). Choose from:

ENG 605 Fiction; ENG 606 Creative Nonfiction; ENG 607 Poetry; ENG 608 Children’s

Writing

The Thesis Seminar is a prerequisite for Final Manuscript (698)

One ENG 698 Final Manuscript (3)

Dual Concentration Requirements

By taking a craft course and two writing workshops in their secondary genre, students may attain

their MFA with a Dual Concentration. Thus, students choosing this option will take one craft

course, one reading course and six credits in workshops for their primary genre and one craft

course plus six credits of workshops for the secondary genre. The Thesis Project for Dual

Concentration may be composed of work in either genre or a combination of both.


Concentration in the Teaching of Writing

Students who wish to earn a Concentration in the Teaching of Writing take an additional nine

credits specifically in courses designed to study the pedagogy of writing. Students earning this

concentration take related course work throughout the degree program aimed at increasing their

knowledge and understanding of current theoretical and practical approaches to the teaching of

creative writing. During the final semester, students teach in a field placement that they design

and implement in a working classroom or other approved setting.

3 required courses:

ENG 514 Readings in the Pedagogy of Creative Writing (3)

ENG 515 Teaching Creative Writing (3)

ENG 678 Field Placement (3)

Concentration in Literary Publishing

Students who wish to concentrate in literary publishing may take nine hours of related courses to

do so, chosen from the courses below:

ENG 595 Independent Literary Publishing

ENG 569 Practicum: Fourth River 1 and 2

ENG 694 Internship (with a nationally recognized press or journal)

Concentration in Travel Writing

Students who wish to concentrate in Travel Writing must take nine hours of related courses to do

so, chosen from the courses below.

ENG 585 Travel Writing (3)

ENG 674 International Field Seminar (3) (may be repeated once)

ENG 675 National Field Seminar (3) (may be repeated once)

ENG 676 Pittsburgh Field Seminar(3) OR

ENG 693 Independent study in travel writing (3)

Concentration in Nature Writing

Students who wish to concentrate in Nature Writing must take nine hours of related courses to do

so, chosen from the courses below.

ENG 552 Ecofeminist Literature

ENG 555 Shakespeare Ecocriticism

ENG 584 Nature Writing

ENG 546 Wildness and Literature


Course Descriptions

ENG513 Writing About Food (3)

This course focuses on developing specific techniques and skills for nonfiction writing about

food, agriculture, and culture by analyzing texts in history, journalism, cookbooks, ethics,

memoir, advertising, and policy. Students will produce work in a variety of multimodal venues,

with an emphasis on both print and online venues. This course counts as a literature course for

the MFA program.

ENG514 Readings in the Pedagogy of Creative Writing (3)

This course is a prerequisite for ENG515 and focuses on theoretical and pedagogical readings

related to the teaching of creative writing.

ENG515 Teaching Creative Writing (3)

Students explore the genres of poetry, fiction, drama, and nonfiction from the perspective of a

teacher, producing lesson plans, as well as developing a final curricular creative writing unit.

Aspects of lesson design, classroom environment/

management, the writing process, writing workshops, assessment, publication, and performance

will be emphasized. Prerequisite(s): ENG514.

ENG518 The American Nature Tradition (3)

This course explores the vital relationship between American literature, American culture,

Nature, and environmental values, asking how changing literary interpretations of the land have

influenced attitudes toward nonhuman nature.

ENG519 Frontier Women (3)

A number of narratives, novels, diaries, and poems recording the responses of women to the

American frontier have become available in recent years. By reading about these experiences,

and examining differences in perception and conception based apparently on gender, students

will better understand how the frontier functioned within American culture.

ENG522 American Exploration (3)

This course focuses on American fiction that records physical as well as metaphysical journeys;

writers’ exploration of new territories such as the frontier West, Polynesian Isles, and South

Pole; and their imaginative discovery of new truths about nature, society, and self. Includes

works by Poe, Cooper, Melville, Simms, Kirkland, and Chopin.

ENG523 The Craft of Creative Writing: Multi-genre (3)

A multi-genre craft course that includes poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, children’s writing

and hybrid genres. This course fulfills the craft requirement for all genres.

ENG525 Bleak Houses: English Novels in Shifting Landscapes (3)

This course surveys the English novel from 1853 to 2001. Of particular interest will be how

these novels depict their subjects’ relationships with notions of Englishness, and with the

radically changing landscape from estate-culture to an urban-industrialized and, ultimately,

suburban one. Each novel will explore a new sense of Englishness rooted in the social-political

and economic events of the era.


ENG526 Writing About Environmental Science (3)

In this course, students will read, discuss, and practice a variety of methods of communicating

about environmental science, from popular culture to news to government reports. By the end,

students should be able to competently translate scientific results into conversational English,

and should be able to evaluate scientific results from the news in terms of their accuracy and

clarity.

ENG527 Ethnicity and Place (3)

This course focuses on the connection between place and cultural identity. Ethnic, regional, and

linguistic markers help define writers’ distinctive voices. Dislocation from the place of

origination can also result in a creative tension. Students will read a variety of texts that explore

the borderlands between ethnicity and place.

ENG530 Mark Twain and American Humor (3)

A study of selected works of Twain within the context of American literature and the traditional

American humor.

ENG531 Readings in Poetry (3)

This course is a graduate seminar focusing on the close reading of poetry drawn primarily from

the modern and contemporary periods. Designed to complement the poetry workshop, this course

is required of all MFA students specializing in poetry.

ENG532 Readings in Fiction (3)

This course is a graduate seminar focusing on the close reading of fiction drawn primarily from

the modern and contemporary periods. Designed to complement the fiction workshop, this

course is required of all MFA students specializing in fiction.

ENG533 Readings in Creative Nonfiction (3)

This course is a graduate seminar focusing on the close reading of creative nonfiction drawn

primarily from the modern and contemporary periods. Designed to complement the creative

nonfiction workshop, this course is required of all MFA students specializing in creative

nonfiction.

ENG535 Writing Poetry: Form Workshop (3)

A poetry writing workshop focusing on diverse poetic forms. Prerequisite: ENG583.

ENG537 Writing Poetry: Literary Movements Workshop (3)

A poetry workshop focusing on readings from a particular poetic movement, and writing poetry

that models or responds to that movement. Prerequisite: ENG583.

ENG539 Writing Creative Nonfiction: Memoir (3)

A creative nonfiction workshop focusing on personal narrative and memoir. Prerequisite:

ENG582.

ENG544 Writing Creative Nonfiction: The Lyric and Formally Adventurous Essay (3)

A Creative nonfiction workshop focused on lyric and experimental essay forms. Prerequisite:

ENG582.


ENG545 Writing Creative Nonfiction: Literary Journalism (3)

A creative nonfiction workshop focusing on literary journalism. Prerequisite: ENG582.

ENG546 Wildness and Literature (3)

Students read poetry, nonfiction and fiction that explore the relationship between wildness and

humans as well as the relationship between wildness and culture. This seminar will trace the idea

of wildness in American literature through the twenty-first century.

ENG548 Writing Creative Nonfiction (3)

This course is designed to teach the techniques and practice of creative nonfiction through

participation in a process of peer review and commentary, reading and discussions of selections

of other writers and stories, and regular submissions of original creative compositions. The

course is taught in a workshop format. Prerequisite: ENG582.

ENG549 Exiles (3)

This course examines the 20th-century condition of exile in relation to its different

configurations, from European émigrés to postcolonial subjects to experiences of exile in the

United States, to the relation of exile to Diaspora (African, Indian, and Jewish).

ENG550 Writing Fiction: The Novel (3)

A fiction writing workshop focusing exclusively on the novel. Prerequisite ENG581.

ENG551 Writing Fiction: The Short Story (3)

A fiction writing workshop focusing exclusively on the short story. Prerequisite ENG581.

ENG552 Ecofeminist Literature (3)

This course brings together theoretical and creative approaches to the study of women and the

environment. Students will examine how diverse eco-feminist writers problematize and reclaim

the woman/nature paradigm. This course focuses particularly on how representations of women

and can help students rethink and re-imagine their relationships to the Earth.

ENG553 Writing Poetry (3)

This course is designed to teach the techniques and practice of poetry writing through


of other poets and poems, and regular submissions of original creative compositions. The course

is taught in a workshop format. Prerequisite: ENG583.

ENG554 Writing Fiction (3)

This course is designed to teach the techniques and practice of fiction writing through


of other writers and stories, and regular submissions of original creative compositions. The

course is taught in a workshop format. Prerequisite: ENG581.

ENG555: Shakespeare: Ecocriticism

(3) Students in this course study Shakespeare's sonnets and plays from a "green" perspective.

This course looks at how Shakespeare's works engage deforestation, enclosure, the (ab)use of

animals, stewardship, cultivation and the exploitation of natural resources.


ENG556 Writing for Children (3)

This course is designed to teach the techniques and practice of writing poetry and prose for

children and adolescents through participation in a process of peer review and commentary,

reading and discussions of selections of other writers and their work, and regular submissions of

original creative compositions. The course is taught in a workshop format. Prerequisite:

ENG586.

ENG557 Writing Fiction: Story Collections/Novel-in-Stories (3)

A fiction workshop focusing on writing story collections or a novel in story. Prerequisite

ENG581.

ENG558 Contemporary Writers and the Art of Reading (3)

This course will explore the ways creative writers read literature. Students will read both critical

and creative work, examining a given writer’s creative interests, theories, and practices.

Emphasis will be on 20th-century writers from around the world.

ENG559 Writing for Children: Biography and Autobiography (3)

Focused on developing personal histories into stories that entertain, inform, and inspire, students

will write autobiographies and biographies for young audiences using solid research techniques

and storytelling skills. Prerequisite: ENG586.

ENG560 Writing for Children: Mystery and Suspense (3)

This writing workshop requires students to compose and revise via in-class critiques. Students

develop writing skills essential to suspenseful narrative, including the creation character, setting,

atmosphere, critical details, and plot. Readings include high-quality mystery books and stories

for young readers. Prerequisite: ENG586.

ENG561 Writing for Children: Picture Book (3) This course explores the pairing of words and

images in creating literature for the young child. Students write and revise for children from

infancy through the early elementary grades, aiming for lively, lyrical, spare texts that address a

young child's growth, development, concerns, and abilities. Prerequisite: ENG586.

ENG562 Children‘s Literature (3) Designed to complement Writing for Children and

Adolescents, this course surveys the best of children‘s fiction and nonfiction and encourages the

student to examine issues of plot, story development, character, setting, and creative use of

language.

ENG565 Writing for Children: History (3)

This course examines non-fiction and fiction writing for children based on history. Students

examine the use of historical settings and events in high-quality books for young readers. As they

prepare their own manuscripts, students develop active research strategies, which include the

investigation, annotation, and development of primary and secondary sources. Prerequisite: ENG

586.

ENG566 Young Adult Literature (3)

Designed to complement Writing for Children and Adolescents, this course surveys the best of

children’s fiction and nonfiction and encourages the student to examine issues of plot, story

development, character, setting, and creative use of language focusing on young adult literature.


ENG568 Practicum: Fourth River 1 (3)

This course is a practicum in which graduate students publish the print edition of Chatham's

national literary journal, The Fourth River. All phases of the publishing process are addressed,

with a special emphasis on editorial acquisitions and copy editing.

ENG569 Practicum: Fourth River 2 (3)

This course is a practicum in which graduate students publish the print edition of Chatham's

national literary journal, The Fourth River. All phases of the publishing process are addressed,

with a special emphasis on design, production, proofreading, marketing, and distribution.

ENG580 August Wilson and Pittsburgh (3)

This course explores the dramatic work of August Wilson, paying particular attention to

Wilson’s ten-play cycle. We will perform close readings of the plays, examining themes such as

urban migration, the blues and Black Nationalism, while simultaneously using Wilson’s drama

as a lens for reading the history of Pittsburgh.

ENG581 The Craft of Fiction (3)

This is a required course for MFA students specializing in fiction. Students will experiment with

creating scene, sense of place, summary, dialogue, framing, flashbacks, and transitions. Students

will be introduced to the workshop method and given instruction on sending work out for

publication.

ENG582 The Craft of Creative Nonfiction (3)

This is a required course for MFA students specializing in creative nonfiction. Readings and

writing will include scene construction, sense of place, point of view, character and narrator

development. Students will be introduced to the workshop method and given instruction on

sending work out for publication.

ENG583 The Craft of Poetry (3) This is a required course for MFA students specializing in

poetry. Reading and writing will center on the craft of poetry, including music and rhythmic

devices in traditional and experimental forms. Students will be introduced to the workshop

method and given instruction on sending work out for publication.

ENG584 Nature Writing (3) This is a multi-genre course that focuses on the art and craft of

nature and environmental writing. Students will read and study contemporary nature and

environmental writing, and will be expected to generate creative work that illustrates a deep

understanding of the literary tools available to writers in this genre.

ENG585 Travel Writing (3)

This course focuses on the art and craft of travel writing. Students will read and study

contemporary travel writing, and will be expected to generate creative work that illustrates a

deep understanding of the literary tools available to writers in this genre.

ENG586 The Craft of Writing for Children (3)

This course, required for all MFA students specializing in writing for children, examines the

basic principles that guide writers for children and adolescents, beginning with concept and

picture books and extending into full-length works of fiction and nonfiction. Students will

explore multiple genres and audiences in this writing-intensive course.


ENG589 Creative Writing: Multi-Genre (3)

A multi-genre craft course that includes poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, children’s writing

and hybrid genres. This course fulfills the workshop requirement for all genres. Prerequisite:

ENG589 or craft workshop in any genre.

ENG595 Independent Literary Publishing (3)

This course gives students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience as publishers. Students

will research independent literary presses or magazines of their own choosing, and then they will

publish a literary chapbook by an author other than themselves.

Thesis Seminars:

ENG 605 Fiction Thesis Seminar

ENG 606 Creative Nonfiction Thesis Seminar

ENG 607 Poetry Thesis Seminar

ENG 608 Children’s Writing Thesis Seminar

These seminars are workshops focusing on generating a thesis proposal, bibliography and

significant creative work towards completion of the student's thesis. Readings will focus on

creating and articulating a creative process and vision, as well as models for longer creative

projects. Normally taken the first semester of the student's second year, this course is a

prerequisite for ENG698 Final Manuscript.

ENG674 Field Seminar: International (3)

The field seminar is a traveling creative writing workshop designed to push students outside the

realm of comfort and make them question their assumptions about themselves and their culture.

Travel locations and specific topics will vary, but will always be outside the United States. An

additional fee applies to this course. May be repeated for credit.

ENG675 Field Seminar: National (3).

Same as ENG674 but destinations will be within the United States. An additional fee applies to

this course. May be repeated for credit.

ENG676 The Pittsburgh Field Seminar (3)

Same as ENG674 but destinations will be within Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania. An

additional fee applies to this course.

ENG678 Field Placement (3)

During this course, taken in one of the final semesters of the M.F.A., students teach/study in a

supervised field placement and practice the pedagogy of creative writing in a working classroom.

Prerequisite(s): ENG514 and ENG515.

ENG683 Special Topics (3) Literature courses on differing topics, usually thematically based.

ENG691 Independent Study (1) ENG 692 Independent Study (2) ENG693 Independent Study (3)

Independent study on topics of the student’s choosing.


ENG694 Internship (3)

Internship with a publishing company, literary press or other writing organization. Must be

approved by the director.

ENG698 Final Manuscript (3)

Independent work on the final creative thesis and critical introduction.

ENG710 Summer Community of Writers (6)

The ten-day intensive residency in Pittsburgh is required of all MFA students. The residency is

composed of genre-specific craft sessions, workshops, lectures, readings and one-on-one

conferences with mentors.


MFA Program of Study Checklist

1. One Craft Course in your primary genre (must be taken first semester; you cannot register

for a workshop until you have completed the craft course). The following craft courses are

only offered in the fall. (3 credits)

Choose from:

Semester/year taken

581 The Craft of Fiction _____

582 The Craft of Nonfiction _____

583 The Craft of Poetry _____

586 The Craft of Writing for Children _____

2. One Readings Course in your primary genre. (3 credits)

Choose from:

Semester/year taken

531 Readings in Poetry _____

532 Readings in Fiction _____

533 Readings in Creative NF _____

3. Two Advanced Writing Workshops in your primary genre. Generally these will be taken

once per semester after you finish the craft course. Workshops are offered every semester.

(6 credits)

Choose from: Semester/year taken

535 Writing Poetry: Form Workshop _____ _____ _____

537 Writing Poetry: Literary

Movements Workshop _____ _____ _____

539 Writing Creative Nonfiction: Memoir _____ _____ _____

544 Writing Creative Nonfiction: the Lyric

and Formally Adventurous _____ _____ _____

545 Writing Creative Nonfiction: Literary

Journalism _____ _____ _____

548 Writing Creative Nonfiction _____ _____ _____

550 Writing Fiction: the Novel _____ _____ _____

551 Writing Fiction: the Short Story _____ _____ _____

553 Writing Poetry _____ _____ _____

554 Writing Fiction _____ _____ _____

556 Writing for Children _____ _____ _____

557 Writing Fiction: Story Collections/

Novel-in-Stories _____ _____ _____

589 Multi-Genre Creative Writing (may substitute for a craft or workshop) _____


4. One of Travel Writing OR Nature Writing. Offered alternating years. (3 credits)

Semester/year taken

584 Nature Writing _____

585 Travel Writing _____

5. Four Content Courses. Usually you will take one each semester. Any MFA course that is

NOT a workshop, craft course or field seminar counts as a content course. See catalogue for

sample content courses. Note: at least two of these courses must be literature courses.

Publishing and Pedagogy courses do not count as literature courses. (12 credits)

Name and Number of Course Taken Semester/year taken

_________________________ _________

_________________________ _________

_________________________ _________

_________________________ _________

6. Summer Community of Writers. Taken on campus over a period of 10 days. (6 credits)

710 Summer Community of Writers Semester/year taken

_________

7. Thesis Credits. You will register for thesis seminar in your penultimate semester, and final

manuscript in your last semester. You have your thesis committee formed before registering for

thesis hours. You must register for thesis courses with an Add/Drop Form, available on the

Intranet or at the HUB. You must have the form signed by the Program Director. I will

sign the form after you provide evidence that you have your thesis committee together. It

is recommended that you avoid taking thesis credits in the summer.

Thesis Seminar in your genre (3): Semester/year taken

605 Fiction ______

606 Creative Nonfiction ______

607 Poetry ______

608 Children’s Writing ______

698 Final Manuscript (3) ______

TOTAL CREDITS: ______

Total credits: You need 39 credits to graduate.

Each course in the MFA program is worth 3 credits.


E-Mail

All students are required to check their Chatham e-mail account on a daily basis, as instructors

may communicate assignments, announcements, schedules, etc., via e-mail correspondence.

Other, personal e-mail accounts are not permitted to be used for class purposes. It is the

responsibility of each individual student to check his or her e-mail daily, as well as three

days prior to the beginning of each term and at least 24 hours before returning to campus

following a university scheduled break.

An e-mail account will be set-up for each student by the Information Technology (IT) staff at

Chatham University, and all questions regarding technical assistance and support should be

directed to the IT staff. The IT staff are located in Woodland Hall, and may be contacted via

phone at (412) 365-1112, or via e-mail at [email protected].


Field Seminars

Register for field seminars when you register for the spring semester.

For the year 2012 - 2013 all international field seminars will have an additional fee

TBA. In 2012 - 2013, the fee was $1,200.

Fees for national/local field seminars will vary.


CHATHAM UNIVERSITY

Contract for Chatham MFA Field Seminar Courses

I. Participation Conditions – Students must submit the signature page of this contract by

12/15/2012--otherwise your candidacy for the Field Seminar is forfeited.

A. Academic Responsibilities:

The undersigned agrees to the following policies and procedures relative to academic

matters:

1. Attendance: Students must attend all regularly scheduled classes and course

meetings, both on the Chatham University campus and in the foreign country

destinations. If students fail to attend any required classes or course meetings, the

student may be dismissed from the field seminar, without refund.

B. Financial Responsibilities:

The undersigned agrees to the following policies and procedures relative to financial

matters:

1. Administrative Costs: All students participating in field seminars are responsible

for all fees related to the trip as specified in the course description. A $1000

deposit will be required of each student.

2. Additional Costs: While the University subsidizes a large portion of this program

(including airfare, lodging, local transportation, and some meals), portions not

covered by the University shall be the responsibility of each participant – these

items will be explained by your faculty. Passport, visa fees, and costs of

immunizations (if required) are not covered by the University.

3. Spending Money: Students are responsible for their own spending money and for

costs of personal incidentals on the Chatham Abroad course.

4. Refunds: Students have until January 15, 2013 to withdrawal from field seminars

that take place in May, and until April 1, 2013 to withdraw from field seminars

that take place in July. After this date, any amounts pre-paid by the student will

become non-refundable. This refund policy is required as Chatham University

expends monies on behalf of student participants in order to secure travel

arrangements well in advance of the trip.

C. Medical Responsibilities: The undersigned acknowledges that there are certain risks

inherent to international travel and that Chatham University cannot assume responsibility

for the provision of medical services to its students or the payment of medical costs that

might be incurred by students.


Contract for Chatham MFA Field Seminar Courses (cont.)

1. Consultation with Medical Doctors: The undersigned is expected to consult with

a medical doctor prior to participating in the course as he/she deems necessary

regarding all individual medical issues or needs. Further, the undersigned is

aware that Chatham University cannot be responsible for attending to the medical

needs of the undersigned.

2. Hospitalization: The undersigned acknowledges that should he/she be

hospitalized in a foreign country during the course, Chatham University cannot

assume responsibility for the payment of such costs. The undersigned agrees to

assume all risk and responsibility for any such costs. The undersigned agrees to

obtain adequate insurance to meet all needs for payment of medical or

hospitalization costs during the Chatham Field Seminar course.

D. Consent to Emergency Medical Treatment: The undersigned acknowledges that, on rare

occasions, an emergency may develop which necessitates the administration of medical

treatment, hospitalization or surgery. In the event of injury or illness to myself that

necessitates emergency medical care, I hereby authorize Chatham University and/or its

authorized representatives or agents to secure any necessary treatment deemed

appropriate, including the administration of anesthetics and surgery. Chatham University

shall not assume responsibility for student medical expenses. I agree to reimburse

Chatham University for all expenses incurred on my behalf.

E. Health Insurance: The undersigned understands that all Chatham Field Seminar

participants are required to maintain sufficient health, accident, disability, and

hospitalization insurance while participating in this program. Chatham University shall

not assume responsibility for student medical expenses.

F. Release from Liability: In consideration for being permitted to participate in a Chatham

Field Seminar course, the undersigned agrees that Chatham University, its officers,

directors, employees, governing board members, agents, representatives or related

entities shall not be liable for any claims, demands or causes of action based on or arising

out of any illness or injury (including death), property loss or damage, deviation, delay or

curtailment, however caused, that I might suffer in connection with my enrollment or

participation in any Field Seminar.

G. Indemnification: In consideration for being permitted to participate in a Field Seminar

and its attendant activities, the undersigned shall indemnify and hold harmless Chatham

University, its officers, directors, employees, governing board members, agents,

representatives or related entities from any and all claims, demands, and causes of action

and all expenses incidental thereto (including reasonable attorney's fees), based upon or

arising out of any personal injury (including death) and property loss or damage caused

by or resulting from any acts or omissions by Chatham University, its officers, directors,

employees, governing board members, agents, representatives, related entities or any acts

or omissions caused by the undersigned during enrollment or participation in any Field

Seminar course.



H. Behavioral Responsibilities: The undersigned is aware of expected behavioral

responsibilities while participating in a Field Seminar. As a guest in (a) foreign country

(ies), there are certain behaviors which are considered unacceptable and could lead to

possible disruption of the program. The undersigned agrees to conduct herself at all

times in an appropriate manner which does not infringe upon the customs and mores of

the country (ies) in which the course is being conducted. The undersigned further agrees

to conduct herself at all times in a manner, which does not infringe upon the rights and

safety of the undersigned and of other participants in the course. Additionally, the

undersigned agrees to adhere to all policies and procedures outlined in Chatham

University’s Student Handbook and understand that those policies and procedures apply

to the student even when in a foreign country. The undersigned acknowledges that

inappropriate behavior is cause for dismissal from the course without refund, and may

also lead to disciplinary actions as provided in the Chatham University Student

Handbook and Honor Code.

I. Drugs:

1. Illegal Drugs: The undersigned understands that the use or possession of illegal

drugs during the course is prohibited and cause for immediate dismissal from the

course without refund, and may also lead to disciplinary actions as provided in the

Chatham University Student Handbook and Honor Code. In addition, Chatham

University cannot be responsible for the consequences of illegal drug use or

possession.

2. Prescription Medication: Prescription medication should be stored in its original

container with the name and telephone number of the prescribing medical doctor

clearly marked thereon. Students are responsible for ensuring that they have

enough of any prescribed medication to last the duration of the course.

J. Involuntary Withdrawal: The undersigned acknowledges that return passage and all

other expenses incurred as a result of a participant's involuntary withdrawal from the

course shall be the sole and exclusive financial responsibility of the student concerned.

K. Program Cancellation: The undersigned understands that Chatham University reserves

the right to cancel or reschedule any course without notice.

L. Alterations of Travel Arrangements/Accommodations: The undersigned agrees that she

is not permitted to extend or otherwise alter the Field Seminar travel arrangements or

accommodations.

M. Course Beginning and Conclusion: The Field Seminar courses depart from Pittsburgh,

Pennsylvania and return to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Students are not permitted to join

or depart the Field Seminar from differing locations. Students are responsible for assuring

that they are in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania prior to course departures. Thus, insuring their

travel arrangements to Pittsburgh, students will bear sole responsibility for the possibility

of travel delays or cancellations due to poor weather conditions, acts of God, and other

unforeseen circumstances.



N. Documents:

1. Passports: All students are required to obtain—at their own cost—a passport

valid through at least December 2014.

2. Visas: All students are required to obtain—at their own cost—any necessary

visas to travel to course destinations. Chatham University shall not assume

responsibility for student visa applications.

3. International Student Identification Cards (ISIC): All students are encouraged to

obtain an International Student Identification Card, which provides student

discounts and some insurance.

3. Copies of Passport: All students must deliver one clear copy of their passport by

Feb. 15, 2013. Failure to hand in copies of any of these forms may result in

dismissal from the Field Seminar, without refund.


CHATHAM UNIVERSITY

Signature Page

Contract for Field Seminar Courses

I hereby agree to comply with the provisions of the Contract for Chatham Field Seminars. I

certify that I have read this document and that I understand the provisions therein and agree to be

legally bound hereby... I further understand that if I withdraw from a 2012 Field Seminar, I will

be asked to pay a cancellation fee of $1,200.

Student Name (Printed) Program Location

Signature of Student Date

Submit this page to:

MFA Program Assistant


Forms


Guidelines for Independent Study:

1. A student may enroll in no more than one independent study per term.

2. The normal purpose of an independent study is to undertake an academic project not

available in the university’s regular curriculum. The interest and availability of faculty

sponsors will depend upon a number of factors, including the faculty member’s workload

and departmental policy.

3. Before approaching a faculty member concerning sponsorship of an independent study,

student should define his or her goals, interests, and resources, as far as possible, in

writing. The advice and direction available from the faculty member is not a substitute

for the initiative of the student.

4. A faculty sponsor should be in an academic field related to the subject under study. When

a faculty member wishes to sponsor a project outside his or her known competencies, an

arrangement should be made to co-sponsor the study with a faculty member related to the

field in question.

5. Students and faculty should try to define projects well in advance of advising week and

registration.


Due Add/Drop Deadline of the semester in which you are requesting to receive academic credit

How did you find out about the Internship Program? _______________________________________________________ How did you find your internship? _____________________________________________________________________

1. Attach an internship position description to this Learning Agreement.

2. On a separate sheet entitled Learning Objectives, please type your response to the following questions and attach to this Learning Agreement.

a. What do you expect to learn through this experience? In consultation with your Faculty Supervisor, identify at least three (3) Learning Objectives.

b. What activities will help you achieve the above objectives? c. How will these objectives be assessed through the projects you intend to complete

for this Internship? d. Describe how your internship relates to your major.

3. Determine with your Faculty Supervisor which of the following projects will be completed for your Internship credit. Note that internships for more than 3 credits must incorporate sufficient academic work to warrant the awarding of the additional credit(s). Please detail on a separate sheet precisely how the extra credit will be earned with academic work (internships worth 4 – 12 credits only).

Check all that apply with details as appropriate:

JKM Library, 3rd Floor (412) 365-1523 Phone (412) 365-1660 Fax [email protected]

INTERNSHIP LEARNING AGREEMENT

STUDENT INFORMATION

Name________________________________________

ID #_________________________________________

Phone #______________________________________

Email________________________________________

Address______________________________________

City ______________________State ____Zip _______

GPA___________ Major________________________

□ First-year □ Sophomore □ Junior □ Senior □ Grad Student

□ Fall □ Spring □ Maymester □ Summer

INTERNSHIP INFORMATION

Site__________________________________________

Supervisor____________________________________

Site Address___________________________________

City ______________________State ____Zip _______

Phone #______________________________________

Email________________________________________

Fax # ________________________________________

Starting Date _____________ Ending Date______________

# Credits ____ □ Unpaid □ Paid Amount $___________

REQUIREMENTS



□ Portfolio (specify length _______________ and content__________________________________)

□ Video project (give details on separate sheet)

□ Papers: _________(number) papers at ________pages each

□ Reflective journal (number of pages_____ and dates due_________________________________)

□ Other final project (please specify how and how well learning objectives have been met ______________________________________________________________________________)

4. Your Faculty Supervisor will arrange a regular schedule and form of communication with you. Please indicate below the form that this communication will take. Check all that apply:

□ Weekly e-mail updates □ Weekly written reports □ Monthly reports □ Site visit(s) by Faculty Supervisor (number ____ and approximate dates

_____________________) □ Other (please specify)

____________________________________________________________

5. Submit all required paperwork with all necessary signatures to the Office of Career Development for review. If your internship is approved, we will sign this Learning Agreement and provide copies to all parties.

See next page for Approval Signatures


6. Attend and participate in an internship reflection group meeting toward the conclusion of the internship semester to share your experience with other students.

7. Upon completion of the internship semester, a Student Evaluation and a Supervisor Evaluation must be completed and returned to the Office of Career Development with copies provided to the Faculty Supervisor before a final grade can be assigned.

APPROVAL SIGNATURES—Signature authorizes approval and indicates understanding and commitment to comply with and complete all items as outlined on this agreement and attachments.

Student (please print): ______________________________________________________________________

Signature ____________________________________________________________Date ________________________

Faculty Supervisor (please print) ______________________________________________________________________

Signature ____________________________________________________________Date ________________________

Faculty Advisor (If not acting as Faculty Supervisor) (please print) _______________________________________________

Signature ________________________________________________________Date ____________________

Site Supervisor (please print) _________________________________________________________________________

Title ____________________________________________________________________________________

Signature ________________________________________________________Date ____________________

Office of International Programs (International Students Only)

Signature ________________________________________________________Date ____________________

Program Chairperson (signature only needed if doing internship seemingly unrelated to major)

Signature ________________________________________________________Date ____________________

Career Development Director/Counselor

Signature ________________________________________________________Date ____________________


Chatham University Honor Code and Policies

(excerpt taken from the Chatham University Student Handbook)

Chatham University Honor Code

Honor is that principle by which we at Chatham form our code of living, working, and studying

together. The standards of honor at Chatham require that all Chatham students residing on

Chatham’s campus act with intellectual independence, personal integrity, and honesty in all

relationships, and consideration for the rights and well-being of others. As citizens of the campus

community focused on education, students must accept certain obligations that accrue by virtue

of such citizenship. Individual rights are ensured to the degree that these rights require a respect

for the rights of all within the community to the same extent. In accepting admission to Chatham

University, undergraduate and graduate students automatically agree to be personally responsible

in all matters pertaining to honor and pledge to abide by those rules, which are considered by the

community, as part of its Honor Code. While the University articulates specific community

standards, both academic and social, the Honor Code is maintained through the acceptance of

personal responsibility by each community member in their on and off campus behavior.

Upholding the tenets of the Honor Code is essential in promoting a safe and secure living and

learning community for which students, faculty and staff share responsibility. The Chatham

University Honor Code is reviewed every four academic years with student input.

Please see the Chatham University Student Handbook for the complete Honor Code by going to

this link: http://www.chatham.edu/studentlife/documents/studenthandbook.pdf


Lindsay House

Lindsay House is open from 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. You may use the computers on the first and

third floor, and the kitchen facilities on the first floor. PLEASE CLEAN UP AFTER

YOURSELF.

The library on the third floor is for your use. It contains contemporary creative writing

handbooks, novels, collections of short stories, essays and poems, contemporary journals and

copies of all of our MFA theses for you to browse through. We also put calls for submission in a

box on one of the tables. We have also just begun a collection of nature and environmental

creative writing books.

If you wish to take a book out of the house, please check with Sheryl or Libba.


LINDSAY HOUSE BUILDING DIRECTORY FIRST FLOOR

NAME TITLE LOCATION

Bruckner, Lynne Associate Professor of English Second

Office

Oresick, Peter (ON LEAVE) Associate Professor, Asst. Director, MFA Low-Residency Program Near Kitchen

Lenz, William Professor of English & Chair, Writing, Literary, & Cultural Studies

Division Front Office

SECOND FLOOR

Alexander, Sally Lecturer in English/Writing - Children's Literature Mail Slot

Ayres, Kathy Lecturer in English/Writing and Coordinator - Children's Literature Near Copier

Flick, Sherrie Adjunct Lecturer Mail Slot

Gift, Nancy Adjunct Lecturer Mail Slot

Hockley, Libba Program Assistant to Sheryl St. Germain and the MFA Program Third Office

Katz, Joy Adjunct Lecturer Mail Slot

Kingsbury, Karen Professor of International Studies Second

Office

Mendelson, Abby Adjunct Lecturer Mail Slot

St. Germain, Sheryl Director, MFA Residency Program, Professor of English Front Office

Sterner, Sandy Senior Lecturer in English Near Copier

Stevens, Robert Adjunct Lecturer Near Copier

Wardi, Anissa Associate Professor of English Near Copier

THIRD FLOOR

Fourth River/Student Lounge Front Room

McNaugher, Heather Associate Professor First Office

Nieson, Marc Assistant Professor Second

Office


MFA Graduate Student Association

Chatham University MFA Writing Program Council

Governance Document

1 Preamble

The purpose of this document is to outline the principles and procedures that pertain to

the operation and management of The MFA Writing Council at Chatham University.

Although this council is to be run by MFA students, no rule or procedure will take

precedence over the authority of Chatham University.

2 Mission Statement

Writing takes place within a community and a place. Chatham University offers a

place for writing, and it is the duty of the MFA Writing students to make this place a

community. In the fall of 2005 it was clear to a group of MFA students that while the

graduate writers at Chatham were talented and interesting, the fledgling program offered

little in the way of community. In order to rectify this, an MFA Council was established

to link the graduate students and ensure communication, which is vital to a community.

The nature of Graduate Education sometimes inhibits the maintenance of a student

community, as the term of study is brief and current students travel from disconnected

points. To the extent that we wish to maintain a strong communal connection, we are

creating an MFA Council whose purpose is to enrich and sustain the writing community

at Chatham University. The MFA Council is a permanent and facile tool that enables

consistent lines of communication and acts as a focal point of the MFA writing

community.

We understand the writer’s community to include the following areas, entries to which

may be added at any time:

Reading Series

The Fourth River Literary Journal

Workshops

Conferences

Publication Opportunities

MFA Writing Program News

Special Programs

Social Events

Scholarships/ Prizes

Alumni Network

Community Involvement

Treasury


Chatham University MFA Writing Program Council Governance Document (cont.)

3. Composition of the MFA Council

The MFA Council is in no way opposed to individuality, nor is it to be an arm of

Chatham University Administration. It merely seeks to create a central point from which

all MFA Writing students may access the writer’s community. No single individual can

possibly keep the council in operation, nor can this council be effective without a means

of operating itself. To this end, we find it necessary to organize and create a governance

document. This document will establish a board of members and committees to head the

Council to whom we will entrust the maintenance and growth of the writing community.

The MFA Council may alter the composition of its members and committees as it sees fit

with a majority vote.

4. MFA Council Membership

Membership to the MFA Council is granted to all matriculated MFA Writing students.

Members have the right to voice their opinion at every MFA Council meeting, may

participate in any MFA Council committee, and may be nominated to the MFA Council

Board. If a vote is called, every MFA Council member has an equal vote.

5. MFA Council Board

The MFA Council Board will be comprised of one Senior and one Junior Chair, one

Treasurer, one Secretary, one Graduate Student Council Representative, one

representative from The Fourth River, and all of the heads of MFA Council Committees.

In addition, an MFA Council member may sit on the board as a representative if they

would like greater involvement with the council. The Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary

positions are elected and each requires a nomination and majority vote. The Graduate

Student Council Representative will be an active member of the Graduate Student

Council, a separate entity which serves all graduate students at Chatham. The Committee

heads and other representatives volunteer their service.

6. MFA Council Meetings

During the regular academic year, the MFA Council will meet at least once a month.

These meetings will be open to every MFA Writing student and will be announced to the

student body. The purpose of these meetings is to distribute information to the MFA

community, to recruit membership in committees, and to make decisions that concern the

MFA Council.

All questions will be decided by a majority vote, and proxy votes in writing will be

allowed. 2/3 of the Board Members must be present if a quorum is called. In the event

of a tie, the Senior Chair may cast the deciding vote. In extenuating circumstances, an

interim board member may be appointed by the board to fill in for an absent board

position.

The minutes of each meeting will be posted on the online blackboard by the secretary.



7. MFA Council Board Duties

The Senior and Junior Chair are leadership roles that require overseeing the entire MFA

Council and running MFA Council meetings. The Chair will use discretion as to which

questions must be posed to the entire MFA Community, which will be decided in

committee, and which will be decided personally. It is preferable that the Senior Chair is

a student who has completed at least one year of study, and the Junior Chair is a first year

student. The Junior Chair should be strongly committed to the council, and is the logical

choice to succeed the Senior Chair.

The Treasurer is responsible for keeping records of all income and expenditure of the

MFA Council. If there comes a time when the MFA Council has a specific account, the

Treasurer will keep it in good standing. The Treasurer will enable use of funds that have

the authorization of the board.

The Secretary is responsible for keeping the minutes of the meetings and making them

available to all members via online blackboard, or a suitable facsimile.

The Heads of MFA Council Committees are to operate their committees and report to the

MFA Council.

The Graduate School Council Representative will be a member of the Graduate School

Council, a separate entity from the MFA Council. This representative will act as a liaison

between the two councils.

The Fourth River Representative should be an active member of The Fourth River

Literary Journal, and preferably be a graduate student who has secured an internship with

the journal, should that position materialize.

MFA Council Representatives will participate in discussion and potentially assume

responsibilities as they arise. The MFA Council Representative must commit to attend

MFA Council meetings or risk revocation of his/her board status.

8. MFA Council Board Term

Each member of the board agrees to a term of one year. A special election will be held

for a vacated seat, or a volunteer will be called to fill a committee head seat.

MFA Council Committee Heads will serve through the semester in which their duties

begin, and remain in that position until the May semester ends.



9. MFA Council Committees

Much of the detailed discussion of MFA Council business will take place in committee.

These committees take an active role in sustaining and building the graduate writing

community at Chatham, and play the most crucial role in the MFA Council. Committee

heads recruit members for their committees and are responsible for overseeing the

committee.

Committees are created as needed, but there are nine standing committees:

The MFA Graduate Reading Series

Workshops/Writing Groups

Conferences

Publication Opportunities

MFA News/Scholarships

Special Programs/Readings

Social Events

Alumni Network

Community Involvement

Committee Heads volunteer their service, and the Chair confirms their appointment.

Should more than one person wish to head a committee, they may share duties. No ad

hoc committee will have a life beyond one year unless it is written into the governance

document as a standing committee.

10. Open Meetings Policy

Every MFA Council meeting is open to every MFA Council Member, that is, the entire

graduate community. Members are encouraged to sit in on meetings and participate in

committees.


Reading Series

The reading series is an important aspect of the MFA Program.

Every year we feature the Melanie Brown fiction lecturer, and sponsor a Bridges to

Other Worlds Literary Festival.

Go to the MFA website for up-to-date information about the readings the program

sponsors throughout the year (News – Events).

www.chatham.edu/departments/writing /graduate/writing/news.cfm

MFA students sometimes post events on our program Facebook page as well.

http://www.chatham.edu/departments/writing%20/graduate/writing/news.cfm


Thesis Manual

MASTER OF FINE ARTS IN CREATIVE WRITING

THESIS MANUAL

Chatham University 2012 - 2013

Statement of Philosophy

One of the requirements for obtaining a Master of Fine Arts in Writing degree is a thesis project.

The thesis is the culmination of a student’s work towards the MFA. Thus, it should represent the

best work a student is capable of and, when complete, be a manuscript of marketable quality.

The thesis project is to be completed by taking the Thesis Seminar (ENG 605,606, 607 608) in

the student’s primary genre in the Fall (3 credits), and ENG 698 Final Manuscript (3 credits) in

the Spring. Students may not register for both Thesis Seminar and Final Manuscript in the same

semester. The Thesis Seminar is a prerequisite for Final Manuscript.

Checklist for the MFA Thesis and Graduation

1. Complete at least 18 hours of credits in the MFA.

2. At the end of your first year, identify a director (an MFA faculty member working in

your primary genre) and two readers. The readers may be any other MFA or English

faculty. The thesis director will work closely with you throughout the project. The other

two individuals will act in a consulting role and as readers of the initial proposal and of

the final project. Please note that the MFA thesis is an independent project. It is an

opportunity to show that you can craft a significant body of work on your own with

important but minimal input from others.

3. After you have your committee together (director plus two other members), notify the

program director via email of the members of your committee. It is recommended that

you do this the semester before you register for the Thesis Seminar.

4. Register for the Thesis Seminar in your respective genre. Thesis Seminars are only

offered in the fall. Please remember this when you are planning your schedule. If you

are a dual genre student, pick the thesis seminar section that will most assist you with

your thesis.

5. During the Thesis Seminar, you will complete your proposal and a good draft of the first

half of your manuscript. Give a copy of your proposal to all members of your committee

once it is approved by your Thesis Seminar instructor. At the end of the term, turn in all

the work you have done to both your Thesis Seminar instructor and your thesis director.

6. Register for ENG698 Final Manuscript via an Add/Drop form. You will not be able to

register for thesis credits until you have your committee together. Be sure to put the


correct section number of your thesis director in the appropriate place on the Add/Drop

form (each faculty member has a number assigned to her/him as a section number). If

you don’t know the number, put the faculty member’s name in the section number space.

7. Design a schedule with your Director of when you will be turning out work and receiving

feedback from them (usually every 2-3 weeks). It is your responsibility to make sure you

meet your deadlines, and it is your responsibility to make certain your director is able to

read through and comment on your entire thesis BEFORE you turn it out to the whole

committee. Never send your thesis out to the entire committee without your thesis

director’s permission. You should have had at least one rewrite of the entire these and

introduction before it goes to the committee, and often there will be many more rewrites.

If you cannot finish your thesis and think you need to take an incomplete, contact your

thesis director. You must fill out a request for an incomplete, and have good reasons for

taking an incomplete. You will have to register for ENG 800 Continuing Graduate Credit

the following semester if you are not registered for any other classes in order to complete

your thesis.

8. Write your thesis and a 10-15page introduction. The page length range of the thesis

requirement is 50-60 pages of poetry and 125-135 pages of prose. These numbers do

not include introduction, front or back matter (i.e, title pages, table of contents,

bibliography). If you wish to write a longer thesis the length must be negotiated up front

with your director.

The introduction should discuss your work and its various literary influences, how it

relates to or builds on those influences, what you are trying to accomplish and what you

think you have accomplished. It may incorporate personal reflection as well as analytic

language, as long as it places the thesis within a literary tradition. The introduction may

be based on the proposal you wrote or not, depending on how closely you have adhered

to the proposal in the actual writing of the thesis. You will work out the schedule for

writing with your thesis director, but generally you will want to be giving your director

significant chunks of work on a regular basis that have gone through revision already,

then you will meet with your director for comments and suggestions. It is your

responsibility to keep your director and committee informed of your progress and to

make sure you are making progress.

9. Turn in your application for graduation early in the semester you intend to graduate.

10. With your thesis director’s permission, submit a hard copy of your revised thesis to the

other readers and your thesis director. You need to give them 10-14 days to read before

your scheduled board meeting.

11. Set up a time, date and room for your final thesis board. Your thesis defense needs to take

place on or before the last day of class of the semester. It is recommended that you

schedule it a few weeks before the last day of class in case there are revisions suggested

by the committee that need to be submitted before the end of the term.

12. Prepare a ten-minute introduction for your thesis board. You may prepare note cards, but

do not read from your thesis introduction. In your oral remarks, you should be able to

clearly articulate your creative vision, what you think you have accomplished with the

thesis, what challenges you encountered, and what you learned in the process. You


should also be able to talk about what kind of reader you envision for the thesis, what you

hope a reader will take from your thesis, and should be able to discuss literary influences

in a sophisticated manner.

13. The day of your thesis, be sure to bring a copy of your thesis with you to the board.

Make sure it is paginated in the same manner as the copies you have given to your

committee members. See detailed guidelines (next section) on how to prepare for the

thesis board. You may be asked questions about the books from your genre’s book lists

at your final board.

14. After your thesis defense, you may be asked to make more revisions, so you should not

make any bound copies until your thesis director tells you to do so.

15. Make any revisions suggested by your committee and then make three bound copies of

your thesis. Use IKON, in the basement of Coolidge, for binding your thesis. Give one to

your thesis director, and two to the program director. You must also provide the library

with an electronic copy of your thesis. If you do not turn in your final bound copies

and electronic copy to the program director before grades are due, your account

will have a hold placed on it.

Things to think about (and makes notes on!) for the final board:

General comments:

The purpose of your final board is to provide you with an opportunity articulate the extent of

your growth as an artist in the program as well as your future plans for development. The board

is a conversation among writers about the art, craft, and process of writing, using your thesis and

the works you’ve included in your bibliography as focuses. Most often, boards turn into lively

discussions, a final rigorous workshop of sorts, a last test to pass to demonstrate your proficiency

and growth as a writer. This session is directed primarily toward the thesis, but may contain other

topics with which you would be expected to be familiar at the completion of the MFA degree.

During this conversation, you are to synthesize the reading, thinking, and writing that go into

earning the MFA degree. Your board is the first of potentially many occasions when you will be

asked to discuss your work intelligently, as a practicing writer. Whether in interviews for

teaching and other positions or as part of the public appearances and interviews that accompany

book publication, the writer needs to be able to talk about his/her work, placing it in the broader

context of literature and answering questions about his/her writing process and artistic

judgments.

At the board, you’ll be expected to answer a range of questions that have a general focus on your

thesis, your reading list, courses taken, etc., but you should be prepared to speak on a range of

topics in dialogue with your thesis committee as a working artist. Your goal here is to provide a

background and context for your work, discuss the writing and presentation of the work itself,

expand and defend your personal aesthetic principles, and discuss plans for further revision of

the thesis. Consider holistically your experience at Chatham, what you learned, what challenges

you faced, and your plans are after the MFA.


Some specifics:

Consider specific craft issues such as focus/theme, organization/structure; be able to

explain and support your particular artistic choices.

You should be able to talk about what kind of reader you envision for the thesis, what

you hope a reader will take from your thesis.

Be prepared to discuss literary influences in a sophisticated manner, those you used

directly or indirectly for your thesis.

You should also demonstrate that you have a thorough understanding of other work in

the larger literary genre in which you’re writing and be able to answer questions

about your work as related to that genre: What related works are out there? How does

yours fit in with other similar works? How is this project unique and different? How

could you see this being marketed?

Make sure you have also thought about "what's next": Where will you go with the

writing now? What plans, if any, do you have for the project? Will you expand it?

Submit parts/all of it for publication?

Think about what you learned, what posed challenges/problems, and what you might

do differently, etc.

Thesis Format

The complete creative thesis must be printed in a clear and readable font, at least 12 point in size.

All bound copies must be on 8-1/2 x 11 bond paper of at least 20-pound weight containing 25%

or more rag content. The left hand margin should be set at 1.5 to 2 inches and all other margins

should be set at 1 inch. The thesis must be double-spaced throughout, with the exception of

poetry, which may be single-spaced. The appropriate title page, thesis committee approval page,

and table of contents should be included (refer to the end of this section for examples). A student

may also include an acknowledgements page if he/she wishes to do so. A bibliography must

conclude the thesis. Students should follow MLA guidelines for documentation of source

material. The thesis must be bound by Ikon with a black cover that has Chatham’s logo on it.

Elements of the Thesis

1. Signature Page. This page should contain the date, followed by the statement, "We

hereby recommend that the thesis of (insert your name) entitled (insert the title of your

thesis) be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of

Fine Arts." Following this statement, there should be a list of three lines for the names

and signatures (Director, Reader, Reader).

2. Title Page. Include the full title of thesis, your full name, as you would like it to appear

on the final manuscript, and the following language: "A thesis submitted in partial

fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts Chatham University

MFA in Creative Writing". Include the month and year the work is submitted.


3. Acknowledgments (optional). These may include acknowledgments of previous

publications, if parts of your thesis have been published and/or thanks to those who have

been of help to you.

4. Table of Contents, with page numbers.

5. Introduction. The introduction is your opportunity to present your own view of the work

included in the thesis. It should include information concerning the work's development,

literary influences, and aesthetic aims.

6. Text of Creative Thesis. This book-length collection represents your completed and

revised work in your genre of study. Use MLA style. Here is a link to MLA style

guidelines: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/

7. Bibliography. MLA format. Here is a link on MLA-syle formatting:

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_mla_format_examples.shtml

Pagination

1. A thesis contains two sets of numbers. The preliminary pages (items 1-5 of the thesis)

should be numbered consecutively in small Roman numerals. The title page should be

considered "i" but should not be numbered. Beginning with the text, all pages must be

numbered consecutively in Arabic numerals (items 6-7 of the thesis).

Extensions

1. Extensions will be given as long as the student continues working in good faith towards

the completion of the thesis. Students must register for ENG800 (Graduate continuing

credit) to continue working on their thesis in a semester where they are not registered for

any other classes. Students must fill out a request for an Incomplete in order to receive

an “I” for thesis credits.

Grading

Grading will be based on the following criteria:

1. Originality: The thesis is an original piece of writing developed solely by the student.

2. Quality: The thesis is the culmination of the student's program of study and will represent

the best work of the graduate student. Therefore, it will be a final draft of the highest

quality and will include no errors of fact, content, grammar, spelling, style or format.

3. Length: The core of the thesis is a book-length piece of fiction or non-fiction or a

collection of linked, shorter pieces, or a collection of poems.

4. Format: The thesis is to be written according to the printed guidelines.

Professional standards for approval of the thesis will be as rigorously applied as in any

other area. The grade for the thesis will be determined by a consensus of the committee

and will be awarded on a scale of Pass or Fail. Key factors in grading include originality,

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_mla_format_examples.shtml


clarity, voice, and style. Manuscripts that contain errors will be returned to the student for

correction before a grade is determined.

Reading

As the culmination of their thesis project, students will be asked to give a public reading of their

work. These will be arranged and publicized on campus and open to the public.


Children’s and Adolescent’s Writing

1. Format: The writing for children thesis is to be written according to the printed guidelines

of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

2. Literature Review: The thesis will include a thorough and exhaustive literature search

that explores books of similar topic, genre and/or style.

3. Critical Component: The thesis will include a critical component demonstrating a

thorough grounding in children's literature and the place of this work in that context.


Thesis Manual (cont.)

We hereby recommend that the thesis of (insert your name)

entitled (insert title)

be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts.

_______________________________________

Director: (insert name)

_______________________________________

Reader: (insert name)

_______________________________________

Reader: (insert name)

(insert date)



SAMPLE TITLE PAGE

[3 Hard Returns/Enters]

THESIS TITLE


A Thesis in [Nonfiction/Fiction/Poetry] Writing

By

Your Name


Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Fine Arts

Chatham University

August 2010



SAMPLE TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE

Introduction ........................................................................................................................ iv

Chapter One – Chapter Title ................................................................................................1

Chapter Two – Chapter Title .............................................................................................19

Chapter Three – Chapter Title ...........................................................................................49

(Etc.)

Bibliography ....................................................................................................................103

Or,

Poem Title ..........................................................................................................................60


Web Site

MFA in Creative Writing Web Page

http://www.chatham.edu/departments/writing/graduate/writing/

The website contains current events, information about the reading series,

information about the curriculum, important notices, photos from recent events,

and faculty contact information. Consult it frequently.

http://www.chatham.edu/departments/writing/graduate/writing/


A Note About Grading

Following are the kinds of grades you may receive in graduate school and their

meaning:

A Excellent work

A- Good work

B+ Acceptable work

B A sign that you need to work harder

B- Almost failing – verging on not being acceptable

C+ Failure – work does not meet graduate standards

C Failure

You must repeat any grade of C+ or under.

You will receive a P or F for thesis credits. You cannot graduate with your MFA

unless you pass your thesis. Grading for thesis, unlike grading for courses, is

based solely on the quality of your writing and your performance in the final board.

Remember that the thesis represents independent work, and you need to show the

ability to work independently.


Book Lists

Following are book recommendations in several genres. You are expected to read

widely and deeply during your time at Chatham. At minimum, you are expected to

be familiar with the major American writers in your genre.

BOOKS BY CHATHAM MFA INSTRUCTORS

Alexander, Sally Do You Remember the Color Blue? Children's Writing

On My Own: The Journey Continues Children's Writing

Taking Hold: My Journey Into Blindness Children's Writing

Mom's Best Friend Children's Writing

Maggie's Whopper Children's Writing

Sarah's Surprise Children's Writing

Mom Can't See Me Children's Writing

She Touched the World: Laura Bridgman, Deaf-Blind

Pioneer Children's Writing

Ayres, Kathy Up, Down and Around Children's Writing

Matthew's Truck Children's Writing

A Long Way Children's Writing

Macaroni Boy Children's Writing

Stealing South Children's Writing

Silver Dollar Girl Children's Writing

Voices at Whisper Bend Children's Writing

North by Night Children's Writing

Family Tree Children's Writing

Flick, Sherrie Reconsidering Happiness Novel

Green, Derek New World Order Novel

Katz, Joy Fabulae Poetry

The Garden Room Poetry

Lagorio, Kitty Cowboy Sam and Those Confounded Secrets Children's Writing

McNaugher, Heather

Mendelson, Abby

Panic & Joy

Countdown to Renaissance II

Poetry

Wilderness Within, Wilderness

The Pittsburgh Steelers: The Official History

The Pittsburgh Steelers: Yesterday and Today

Pittsburgh: A Place in Time

Pittsburgh Prays: Thirty-Six Premier Houses of Worship

Reckoning with Rainbows: The History of The Pressley Ridge

Schools, and A Century of Caring: The History of Holy Family

Institute

Paradise Boys and Scotch and Oranges

Ghost Dancer and The End of the Road

Jazz Suite

Pittsburgh: Fulfilling Its Destiny, Pittsburgh Characters

The Power of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh: A Place in Time

Pittsburgh Born/Pittsburgh Bred

Nieson, Marc

A View from the Loft, "On Self and Society"

American Way, "The Perfect Shell"

Oresick, Peter Warhol-o-rama Poetry

For a Living: The Poetry of Work Poetry

The Pittsburgh Book of Contemporary American Poetry Poetry

Working Classics: Poems on Industrial Life Poetry

Definitions Poetry

Other Lives Poetry

An American Peace Poetry

The Story of Glass Poetry

St. Germain, Sheryl The Mask of Medusa Poetry

Going Home Poetry

Making Bread at Midnight Poetry

How Heavy the Breath of God Poetry

The Journals of Scheherazade Poetry

Je Suis Cadien Translation

Swamp Songs: The Making of an Unruly Woman Memoir

Let it Be a Dark Roux: New and Selected Poems Poetry

Between Song and Story: Essays for the Twenty-first

Century (Anthology: Co-Editor)

Navigating Disaster: Sixteen Essays of Love and A Poem of

Despair

Nonfiction and

Poetry

Sterner, Sandy

Field Notes from the Interior Editor

Time, Space, Light, Consciousness Editor

Williams, Karen Galimoto Children's Writing

When Africa Was Home Children's Writing

Four Feet, Two Sandals Children's Writing

Circles of Hope Children's Writing

Painted Dreams Children's Writing

Tap-Tap Children's Writing

A Real Christmas This Year Children's Writing

First Grade King Children's Writing

One Thing I'm Good At Children's Writing

Applebaum's Garage Children's Writing

Baseball and Butterflies Children's Writing

My Name Is Sangoel Children's Writing

RECOMMENDED READINGS IN NATURE AND ENVIRONMENT

Baca, Jimmy Santiago A Place to Stand

Bachelard, Gaston The Poetics of Space

Bail, Murray Eucalyptus

Bartram, William Travels and Other Writings

Bergon, Frank The Wilderness Reader

Bonta, Marcia Appalachian Winter (and Summer, Fall, Spring)

Buell, Lawrence The Environmental Imagination

Burnside, John, ed. Wild Reckoning: An Anthology Provoked by Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring

Carson, Rachel The Sense of Wonder

Carson, Rachel Silent Spring

Chatwin, Bruce The Songlines

Courturier, Lisa The Hopes of Snakes and Other Tales from the Urban Landscape

Davis, Devra When Smoke Ran Like Water

Ehrlich, Gretel The Future of Ice

Ehrlich, Gretel The Solace of Open Spaces

Elder, John, ed. The Norton Book of Nature Writing

Emerson and Thoreau Nature/Walking

Galvin, James The Meadow

Gessner, David Sick of Nature

Glotfelty, Cheryl, ed.

Griffiths, Jay

The Ecocriticism Reader

Wild

Halpern, Daniel, ed. The Nature Reader

Hubbell, Sue A Book of Bees

Hurd, Barbara Stirring the Mud: On Swamps, Bogs, and Human Imagination

Kantner, Seth Ordinary Wolves

Krakauer, Jon Into the Wild

Lamberton, Ken Wilderness and Razor Wire: A Naturalist's Observations from Prison

Lear, Linda, ed Lost Woods: The Discovered Writing of Rachel Carson

Legler, Gretchen On the Ice

Leopold, Aldo A Sand County Almanac

Leslie, Clare Walker Keeping a Nature Journal

Lopez, Barry Arctic Dreams

Lopez, Barry Of Wolves and Men

Louv, Richard Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder

McKibben, Bill American Earth: Environmental Writing Since Thoreau

McPhee, John Encounters with the Archdruid

Merrill, Christopher Forgotten Language: Contemporary Poets and Nature

RECOMMENDED READINGS IN NATURE AND ENVIRONMENT

Muir, John Travels in Alaska

Murray, John Writing about Nature: A Creative Guide

Nabhan, Gary Cross-Pollinations: The Marriage of Science and Poetry

Natl Audubon Society Field Guides

Nelson, Dylan, ed. Birds in the Hand: Fiction and Poetry about Birds

Nelson, Richard The Island Within

Pollan, Michael Second Nature: A Gardener's Education

Pollan, Michael The Botany of Desire

Quammen, David The Flight of the Iguana

Ray, Janisse Wild Card Quilt

Ray, Janisse Ecology of a Cracker Childhood

Rogers, Pattiann The Dream of the Marsh Wren

Rogers, Pattiann Firekeeper: Selected Poems

Rogers, Susan Fox, ed. Another Wilderness: New Outdoor Writing by Women

Sanders, Scott Russell Writing From the Center

Sanders, Scott Russell The Country of Language

Sanders, Scott Russell Hunting for Hope

Schlissel, Lillian, ed. Women's Diaries of the Westward Journey

Shepard, Paul The Only World We've Got

Slovic, Scott, ed Literature and the Environment

Snyder, Gary The Gary Snyder Reader

Sullivan, Robert Rats

Taylor, Stephen Building Thoreau's Cabin

Thoreau, Henry David Walden

Torrance, Robert Encompassing Nature: A Sourcebook

Turner, Jack The Abstract Wild

Various The Best American Science and Nature Writing

Vitale, Alice Leaves in Myth, Magic, and Medicine

Weisman, Alan The World Without Us

White, Jonathan Talking on the Water: Conversations about Nature and Creativity

Williams, Terry Tempest Refuge

Williams, Terry Tempest Desert Quartet

RECOMMENDED READINGS IN POETRY

Atwood, Margaret Selected Poems

Baca, Jimmy Santiago Black Mesa Poems

Baudelaire, Charles Flowers of Evil

Behn, Robin, ed. The Practice of Poetry: Writing Exercises From Poets Who Teach

Bishop, Elizabeth The Complete Poems 1927-1979

Broumas, Ogla Rave

Daniel, John Wild Song: Poems of the Natural World

Dante The Inferno

Dickinson, Emily Collected Poems

Ellman, Richard, ed Norton Anthology of Modern Poetry

Emerson, Claudia Late Wife

Felstiner, John Translating Neruda

Frost, Robert Selected Poems

Gass, William Reading Rilke

Hass, Robert Human Wishes

Homer The Iliad

Homer The Odyssey

Hugo, Richard The Triggering Town: Lectures and Essays on Poetry and Writing

King James Translation The Bible

Kinnell, Galway Selected Poems

Merrill, Christopher The Forgotten Language: Contemporary Poets and Nature

Merwin, W.S. Migration: New & Selected Poems

Milosz, Czeslaw A Book of Luminous Things

Milton Paradise Lost

Myers, Jack Longman Dictionary and Handbook of Poetry

Neruda, Pablo Selected Poems

Olds, Sharon Satan Says

Olds, Sharon The Dead and the Living

Parini, Jay Wadsworth Anthology of Poetry

Plath, Sylvia Ariel

Rich, Adrienne Selected Poems

Rilke, Rainer Letters to a Young Poet

Rilke, Rainer Selected Poems

Roethke, Theodore Collected Poems

Rogers, Pattiann Selected Poems

Sexton, Ann Selected Poems

RECOMMENDED READINGS IN POETRY

Shapiro, Karl The Art of Poetry Writing

Thomas, Dylan Collected Poems

Unknown Beowulf

Van Cleave, Ryan, ed Contemporary American Poetry

Whitman, Walt Leaves of Grass

Wolkstein, Diane Inanna: Queen of Heaven and Earth

Wright, James Collected Poems

RECOMMENDED READINGS IN TRAVEL WRITING

Abby, Edward Desert Solitaire

Ackerman, Diane The Moon by Whale Light

Benz, Stephen Green Dreams

Bowles, Paul The Sheltering Sky

Bryson, Bill The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America

Cahill, Tim Pass the Butterworms

Cherry-Garrard,

Apsley The Worst Journey in the World

De Botton, Alain The Art of Travel

Glowczewska, Klara Book of Unforgettable Journeys: Great Writers on Great Places

Hemingway, Ernest The Sun Also Rises

Iyer, Pico Falling Off the Map

Kerouac, Jack On the Road

Mayes, Frances Under the Tuscan Sun

Meek, Sandra Ed. Deep Travel: Contemporary American Poets Abroad

Shapiro, Michael, Ed. A Sense of Place: Great Travel Writers Talk about Their Craft

Theroux, Paul The Old Patagonian Express

Various The Best American Travel Writing

Vowell, Sarah Assassination Vacation

Whitman, Walt Leaves of Grass

Zobel, Purwin Louise The Travel Writer's Handbook

RECOMMENDED READINGS IN CREATIVE NON-FICTION

Bragg, Rick All Over but the Shoutin'

D’Agata, John The Next American Essay

Doty, Mark Still Life with Oysters and Lemon

Flynn, Nick Another Bullshit Night in Suck City

Forche, Carolyn Writing Creative Nonfiction

Gawande, Atul Complications

Karr, Mary Lit

Kincaid, Jamaica A Small Place

Kincaid, Jamaica My Brother

Lanham, Richard Revising Prose

Lopate, Phillip, ed. The Art of the Personal Essay

Maso, Carole Break Every Rule: Essays on Language, Longing and Moments of Desire

McCourt, Frank Angela's Ashes

Monson, Ander Neck Deep and Other Predicaments

Moore, Dinty The Truth of the Matter: Art and Craft in Creative Nonfiction

Perl, Sondra, ed. Writing True: The Art and Craft of Creative Nonfiction

Rankine, Claudia Don' t Let Me Be Lonely

Reichl, Ruth Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table

Root, Robert, ed. The Fourth Genre: Contemporary Writers of/on Creative Nonfiction

Selzer, Richard The Exact Location of the Soul

Slater, Lauren Lying: A Metaphorical Memoir

St. Germain, Sheryl & Whitford,

Margaret, ed. Between Song & Story: Essays for the Twenty-First Century

Thomas, Abigail Safekeeping: Some True Stories from a Life

Various The Best American Essays

Wideman, John Edgar Hoop Roots

Wolff, Tobias This Boy's Life: A Memoir

RECOMMENDED READINGS IN FICTION

Annual Editor Best American Short Stories (Current) The Best American Short Stories (Current) Anthology

Atwood, Margaret The Handmaid’s Tale

Austen, Jane Pride and Prejudice Pride and Prejudice

Baldwin, James Giovanni’s Room Giovanni's Room

Bass, Rick The Hermit’s Story The Hermit's Story Collection

Baxter, Charles Burning Down the House: Essays o Fiction Burning Down the House: Essays on Fiction

Bradbury, Ray Fahrenheit 451 Fahrenheit 451

Burgess, Anthony A Clockwork Orange A Clockwork Orange, The Wanting Seed

Burroway, Janet Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft Craft (and stories)

Camus, Albert The Stranger The Stranger

Carroll, Lewis Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass

Carver, Raymond Where I’m Calling From: Selected Stories Where I'm Calling From: Selected Stories

Chabon, Michael The Yiddish Policemen’s Union The Yiddish Policemen's Union

Chaon, Dan You Remind Me of Me You Remind Me of Me Novel

Chopin, Kate The Awakening The Awakening

Clancy, Tom The Hunt for Red October The Hunt for Red October

Crace, Jim Being Dead Being Dead

Cunningham, Michael The Hours The Hours

Danticat, Edwidge Krik? Krak! Krik? Krak! Collection

Defoe, Daniel Robinson Crusoe Robinson Crusoe

Dick, Philip K. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Dostoevsky, Fyodor Crime and Punishment Crime and Punishment

Dybek, Stuart I Sailed with Magellan I Sailed with Magellan Interrelated S.S.

Eugenides, Jeffrey Middlesex Middlesex

Eliot, George The Mill on the Floss

Fitzgerald, F. Scott Tender is the Night Tender is the Night

Furman, Laura, ed. The O. Henry Prize Stories Madame Bovary

Garcia Marquez, Gabriel One Hundred Years of Solitude One Hundred Years of Solitude

Translator: Gregory

Rabassa

Gibson, William Neuromancer Neuromancer

Gioia, Dana, ed. Longman Anthology of Short Fiction, Compact Fiction Dead Souls Anthology

Golding, William Lord of Flies Lord of the Flies

Haley, Alex Roots Roots

Hemingway, Ernest The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway Stories

Hornby, Nick, ed. Speaking with the Angel Speaking with the Angel Anthology

Hosseini, Khaled The Kite Runner The Kite Runner

Their Eyes Were Watching God


Hurston, Zora Neale Their Eyes Were Watching God

Huxley, Aldous Brave New World Brave New World

James, Henry

Joyce, James

The Turn of the Screw

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

Kafka, Franz The Metamorphosis

King, Stephen The Stand

King, Stephen On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Kingsolver, Barbara The Poisonwood Bible

Kundera, Milan The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Lahiri, Jhumpa Interpreter of Maladies

Le Guin, Ursula K. The Lathe of Heaven

Lee, Harper To Kill A Mockingbird

Martel, Yann Life of Pi

McCarthy, Cormac Blood Meridian, Or the Evening Redness in the West

Morrison, Toni Beloved

Nabokov, Vladimir Lolita, Pale Fire

O'Brien, Tim The Things They Carried

O'Connor, Flannery The Complete Stories, The Violent Bear It Away, Wise Blood

Proulx, Annie Close Range: Wyoming Stories

Robbins, Tom Still Life With Woodpecker

Rushdie, Salman The Ground Beneath Her Feet, The Satanic Verses

Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft Frankenstein

Smiley, Jane A Thousand Acres

Steinbeck, John The Grapes of Wrath

Tan, Amy The Joy Luck Club

Tolstoy, Leo War and Peace, Anna Karenina

Twain, Mark The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Vonnegut, Kurt Slaughterhouse-Five

Walker, Alice The Color Purple

Welty, Eudora The Collected Stories

Wilde, Oscar The Picture of Dorian Gray

Wolff, Tobias, ed. The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Short Stories

Woolf, Virginia To The Lighthouse


STORIES

Alexie, Sherman "What You Pawn I Will Redeem"

Allison, Dorothy "River of Names" Short Story

Barrett, Andrea "Littorial Zone" Short Story

Bloom, Amy "Silver Water" Short Story

Carver, Raymond "Where I'm Calling From" Stories

Cheever, John "The Swimmer" Short Story

Chekhov, Anton "The Lady with the Lapdog" Short Story

Chopin, Kate "The Story of an Hour" Short Story

Davis, Lydia "Story" Short Story

Dubus, Andre "The Intruder" Short Story

Dybek, Stuart "We Didn't" Short Story

Erdrich, Louise "Snares" Short Story

Faulkner, William "A Rose for Emily" Short Story

Gillman, Charlotte Perkins "The Yellow Wallpaper" Short Story

Hemingway, Ernest "Hills Like White Elephants" Short Story

Henry, O. "The Gift of the Magi" Short Story

Jackson, Shirley "The Lottery" Short Story

Jen, Gish "Who's Irish?" Short Story

Joyce, James "Araby" Short Story

Kincaid, Jamaica "Girl" Short Story

Lawrence, D H "The Rocking-Horse Winner" Short Story

Mansfield, Katherine "Miss Brill" Short Story

Maupassant, Guy de "The Necklace" Short Story

Olsen, Tillie "I Stand Here Ironing" Short Story

Ozick, Cynthia “The Shawl” Short Story

Paley, Grace "A Conversation with My Father" Short Story

Stevenson, Robert Louis "A Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" Novella

Updike, John “A & P" Short Story

Welty, Eudora "Why I Live at the P O" Short Story

Wolff, Tobias "Bullet in the Brain"

RECOMMENDED READINGS IN CHILDREN’S WRITING

Bemelmans, Ludwig Madeline

Brown, Margaret Wise The Runaway Bunny, Goodnight Moon

Burton, Virginia Lee Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel

Carle, Eric The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Coerr, Eleanor Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes

DePaola, Tomie Strega Nona

Dr. Seuss Various Titles

Freeman, Don Corduroy

Gag, Wanda Various Titles

Goble, Paul The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses

Johnson, Crockett Harold and the Purple Crayon

Keats, Ezra Jack The Snowy Day

Krauss, Ruth The Carrot Seed

Lobel, Arnold Frog and Toad, various stories

McCloskey, Robert Make Way for Ducklings

Rey, H.A. Curious George

Rylant, Cynthia Henry and Mudge and When the Relatives Came

Sendak, Maurice Various Titles

Yolen, Jane Owl Moon

Zion, Gene Harry the Dirty Dog

NOVELS

Burnett, Frances Hodgson The Secret Garden

Cleary, Beverly Ramona the Pest

Cormier, Robert The Chocolate War

Fitzhugh, Louise Harriet the Spy

Frank, Anne The Diary of a Young Girl

Hinton, S.E. The Outsiders

Knowles, John A Separate Peace

L'Engle, Madeline A Wrinkle in Time

Lewis, C.S. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Lowry, Lois Anastasia

Patterson, Katherine The Great Gilly Hopkins

Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye

Taylor, Mildred Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Voigt, Cynthia Homecoming

White, E.B. Charlotte's Web

RECOMMENDED READINGS IN LITERATURE OF PITTSBURGH

Allen, Hervey The Forest and the Fort

Attaway, William Blood on the Forge

Bell, Thomas Out of This Furnace

Chabon, Michael The Mysteries of Pittsburgh

Chabon, Michael Wonder Boys

Corse, Paola Death by Renaissance

Davenport, Marcia The Valley of Decision

Dillard, Annie An American Childhood

Fifield, Barringer See Pittsburgh

Graham, Laurie Singing the City

Long, Haniel Pittsburgh Memoranda

Vollmer, Judith Level Green

Wideman, John Edgar Brothers and Keepers

Wilson, August Any Play

RECOMMENDED READINGS IN LITERARY CRITICISM

Abrams, M.H. A Glossary of Literary Terms

Barry, Peter Beginning Theory

Benjamin, Walter Illuminations

Benjamin, Walter Reflections

Berger, John Ways of Seeing

Buell, Lawrence The Future of Environmental Criticism

Christian, Barbara “The Race for Theory”

Culler, Jonathan Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction

Eagleton, Terry Literary Theory: An Introduction

Ezell, Margaret Writing Women’s Literary History

Fiedler, Leslie Love and Death in the American Novel

Frye, Northrop Anatomy of Criticism

Gioia, Dana & Mason, David, Twentieth-Century American Poetics: Poets on the Art of Poetry

Schorke, Meg, Ed.

Garrard, Greg Ecocriticism

Gates, Henry Louis “The Signifying Monkey”

Gilbert, Sandra & Gubar, Susan The Madwoman in the Attic: The Woman Writer and the Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination

RECOMMENDED READINGS IN LITERARY CRITICISM

Harp, Jerry & Weissmiller, A Poetry Criticism Reader

Jan., Ed.

Hugo, Richard The Triggering Town

Kolodny, Annette The Land before Her: Fantasy and the Experience of the American Frontiers

Lutz, Gary “The Sentence is a Lonely Place”

Marx, Leo The Machine in the Garden

Morrison, Toni “Rootedness: The Ancestor as Foundation”

Ostriker, Alicia Stealing the Language

Reynolds, David Beneath the American Renaissance: The Subversive Imagination in the Age of Emerson and Melville

Rich, Adrienne On Lies, Secrets and Silence: Selected Prose 1966-1978

Richter, David Falling into Theory: Conflicting Views on Reading Literature

Roethke, Theodore On Poetry and Craft

Rilke, Ranier Maria Letters to a Young Poet

Showalter, Elaine, Ed. New Feminist Criticism: Essays on Women, Literature,Theory

Tompkins, Jane Sensational Designs: The Cultural Work of American Fiction

Walker, Alice “In Search of Our Mother’s Gardens”

Wittig, Monique The Straight Mind and Other Essays