December 2020 Residency

Dear MFA and Post-MFA Students,

Welcome or welcome back! We can’t wait to “see” you at our December Virtual Residency! We know we are all experiencing unprecedented and difficult times, but we are here to support you. Please carefully read the letter from Program Coordinators describing the residency’s logistics. The enclosed MFA/Post-MFA Residency & Semester Student Handbook contains important information that you will need during the residency and beyond:

https://sites.google.com/antioch.edu/mfa/december-2020-residency/residency-handbook-schedule

Please note that as usual, workshops will be mandatory unless there is an extenuating circumstance. In addition, all events will be recorded and posted as quickly as possible, so if there’s something you would like to attend but could not, you can watch the recording and still receive learning activity credit for attending.

Our incoming MFA cohort is called the Cotingas! We’re also pleased to welcome our new Post-MFA certificate students.

Faculty Available as Mentors (some in multiple genres)

Fiction

• Gayle Brandeis

• Naima Coster

• Francesca Lia Block (fiction and writing for young people)

• Lisa Locascio

• Alistair McCartney

• Victoria Patterson

• Sarah Van Arsdale

• Terry Wolverton

Creative Nonfiction

• Gayle Brandeis (fiction and CNF)

• Brad Kessler

• Sarah Manguso

• Sharman Apt Russell

• Marco Wilkinson

• Rachel Zucker (poetry and CNF)

Poetry

• Ari Banias

• Dan Bellm (poetry and translation)

• Victoria Chang (PDS students)

• Jim Daniels

• Carol Potter

• Rachel Zucker (poetry and CNF)

Young People

• Aditi Khorana

• Francesca Lia Block (fiction and writing for young people)

Translation

• Dan Bellm (poetry and translation)

Please note that all faculty are on a rotating schedule so we encourage you not to “save” any faculty members for specific terms as their schedules vary, they may have personal issues that prohibit them from returning, and we regularly adjust faculty based on other factors.

Please Welcome Our Residency Special Guests!

• Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo (alum@work)

• Laura Buccieri (W@W, publicist, Copper Canyon Press)

• Jessica Chiccehitto Hindman (CNF)

• Elizabeth DeMeo (W@W, Tinhouse editor)

• Rae Dubow (performance workshop for writers seminar)

• Tananarive Due (speculative fiction)

• Natashia Deón (Arts, Culture, & Society)

• Garth Greenwell (fiction)

• Allison Joseph (commencement speaker and poetry)

• Erin Aubry Kaplan (Arts, Culture, & Society)

• Julia Kardon (agent)

• Mitali Perkins (young people)

• Carl Phillips (poetry)

• Lise Quintana (alum@work)

• Povi Tamu-Bryant (anti-racism workshop)

• Drew Tewksbury (W@W, NPR)

• Michael Wiegers (publishing and Copper Canyon Press)

Residency Events of Special Note

• Genre Social on Monday 12/14, 4:30-5:30 pm PT: We will be hosting a genre social where you may join your genre group in a Zoom room and socialize with each other.

• Cohort Social on Wednesday 12/16, 4:30-5:30 pm PT: We will be hosting a cohort social where you may join your cohort in a Zoom room and socialize with each other.

• Stretch Breaks for Body and Mind with Terry Wolverton: Faculty member, Terry Wolverton will be hosting several Stretch Breaks throughout the residency. Please check the schedule.

• 12-Step Meetings: We will have multiple 12-Step Meetings throughout the residency. Please check the schedule to attend.

• Residency Hangout: Enjoy some downtime in our Residency Hangout, open all day and welcome to all.

• Commencement and Reception on Sunday 12/20 from 10-11:30 am PT: Please join us for our program Virtual Graduation Ceremony and Reception.

Finally, please read the Virtual Residency and Hangout Code of Conduct which is located here: https://sites.google.com/antioch.edu/mfa/december-2020-residency/code-of-conduct.

We look forward to “seeing” you! Please contact any of us on the MFA team with questions. We’re happy to help you,

Sincerely,

The MFA Team

Greetings, MFA and Post-MFA Students!

We're happy to provide you with these materials to help you prepare for the December 2020 MFA and Post-MFA Virtual Residency. It is important for you to become familiar with the residency materials as soon as possible so that you can do the preparatory reading required for the seminars you plan to attend, as well as prepare for participation in the residency workshops.

You will find all materials related to the December 2020 Residency on the MFA site:

https://sites.google.com/antioch.edu/mfa/december-2020-residency

RESIDENCY HANDBOOK:

You can find The Residency & Semester Student Handbook on the MFA site: https://sites.google.com/antioch.edu/mfa/december-2020-residency/residency-handbook-schedule

The handbook includes residency schedule, seminar descriptions, info about faculty, guest writers, readings, and policies and procedures related to the MFA in Creative Writing program and Post-MFA Certificate in the Teaching of Creative Writing program.

Please note that we will be sharing the schedule with Zoom links for each residency activity a week prior to the residency.

DECEMBER 2020 RESIDENCY READER:

The MFA December 2020 Residency Reader is available online on the MFA Program Google site: https://sites.google.com/antioch.edu/mfa/december-2020-residency/december-2020-reader

The reader contains selected required readings for several seminars and graduating student presentations. Other required and recommended readings include books and online sources. Reading materials may be acquired through the Antioch inter-library loan service, WeDeliver (http://www.antiochla.edu/academics/library/), your local library or bookstore (if applicable), or online.

WORKSHOP MATERIALS:

The workshop booklet and other materials for your particular workshop (MFA only) will be posted on a Sakai site for your group. You will receive an email notification with the instructions how to access the materials from Program Coordinators.

ZOOM RESOURCES:

As you know, the December 2020 Residency will be hosted on Zoom. For complete and most recent requirements, please visit this Zoom Support page: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362023-System-Requirements-for-PC-Mac-and-Linux.

Please contact the MFA Program Office if you need technological support in preparation for the residency.

MFA DOCUMENTATION UPDATE:

Please note that due to the virtual nature of the Residency, signatures on Project Period Contracts are not required.

REGISTRATION REMINDER:

All students should have received correspondence from the Registrar about registration for Winter/Spring 2021. Please register by December 10, 2020. Graduating students do not need to register at all.

Please let us know if you have questions.

Daisy Salas: dsalas@antioch.edu

Natalie Truhan: ntruhan@antioch.edu