June 2020 Residency

Dear MFA Community,

Welcome or welcome back! We can’t wait to “see” you at our Virtual June Residency! We’ve been working hard to provide you with an excellent residency experience and look forward to sharing some information with you. We know this is a difficult time for everyone and we are committed to supporting you during this time. Please also note that we are exercising maximum flexibility during these times. If you have questions, need something, or have issues, please contact us and we can help you solve your issues.

Please note that as usual, workshops will be mandatory unless there is an extenuating circumstance. In addition, all events will be recorded and posted after the residency 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.

Please welcome our incoming MFA cohort, the Kingfishers!

Faculty Available as Mentors (some available in multiple genres):

Fiction

• Reyna Grande

• Jim Krusoe

• Francesca Lia Block

• Lisa Locascio

• Alistair McCartney

• Sarah Van Arsdale

• Terry Wolverton

Creative Nonfiction

• Sharman Apt Russell

• Gayle Brandeis

• Chris Feliciano Arnold

• Sarah Manguso

• Ana Maria Spagna

• Terry Wolverton

Poetry

• Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo

• Jaswinder Bolina

• Victoria Chang (PDS students only)

• Carol Potter

Young People

• Francesca Lia Block

Translation

• Piotr Florczyk

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

There will likely be some shifting of the usual faculty genre assignments (both workshops and mentoring) as enrollment in each genre is finalized.

Please Welcome Our Residency Special Guests!

• Anna Badkhen (creative nonfiction)

• Elise Capron (agent)

• Rae Dubow (performance workshop for writers seminar)

• Matt de la Peña (young people)

• Natashia Deón (Arts, Culture, Society I)

• Julie Fain (publishing at Haymarket Books)

• Aminatta Forna (fiction)

• Eloise Klein Healy (special event)

• Casandra Lopez (poetry)

• Tommy Pico (poetry)

• Lise Quintana (alum@work)

• Dan Smetanka (publishing at Counterpoint Press)

Please note that the seminar by Rae Dubow is now a mandatory seminar for students in their third term (those graduating in December 2020) and all students are welcome to join and observe.

The MFA/Post-MFA Residency & Semester Student Handbook contains important information that you will need during the residency and beyond. It is located here: https://sites.google.com/antioch.edu/mfa/june-2020-residency/residency-handbook-schedule.

Residency Events of Special Note

• Cohort Social on Sunday 6/21, 3-4 pm PT: We will be hosting un-moderated cohort socials where you may join your cohort in a Zoom room and socialize with each other.

• Genre Social on Friday 6/26, 4:20-5:20 pm PT: We will be hosting un-moderated genre social where you may join your genre group in a Zoom room and socialize with each other.

• Stretch Break for Body and Mind, 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.

• Two Facebook Live Streamed Readings: Check our schedule for two live streamed Facebook readings on Monday 6/22 and Thursday 6/25.

• Special Reading and Celebration: Please join us for a special event called Comings and Goings at the end of the residency on Saturday, 6/27 from 2:45-4 pm. We will have a special guest, the founder of our program, Eloise Klein Healy. We’ll be saying goodbye to Bernadette Murphy and welcoming Lisa Locascio.

• Graduation and Reception: Please join us for our Virtual Graduation Ceremony on 6/28 at 10 am PT and the reception that follows at 11:30 am PT.

Finally, we have crafted a Residency and Residency Hangout Code of Conduct which is located here: https://sites.google.com/antioch.edu/mfa/june-2020-residency/code-of-conduct. Please read this before the residency.

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 June 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 during the residency.

You will find all materials related to the June 2020 Residency on the MFA site: https://sites.google.com/antioch.edu/mfa/june-2020-residency

RESIDENCY HANDBOOK:

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

As you know, the June 2020 Residency will be hosted on Zoom. For the 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 June 2020 Virtual Residency.

Please note that we will be sharing the schedule with Zoom links for each residency activity a week prior to the June 2020 Residency.

JUNE 2020 RESIDENCY READER:

The MFA June 2020 Residency Reader is available online on the MFA Program Google site: https://sites.google.com/antioch.edu/mfa/june-2020-residency/june-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 writing workshop booklet and materials for your particular workshop (MFA only) will be posted on a Sakai site for your workshop group. You will receive an email notification with the instructions how to access the materials from Program Coordinators.

Registration reminder:

All students should have received correspondence from the Registrar about registration for Summer/Fall 2020. Please register before June 18, 2020. Please contact MFA Program Coordinators if you have any questions about registration. 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