MFA Thesis

(un)stable is my first collection of fictional short stories, and it was published back in May 2020 through the University of Baltimore.

This was a culmination of three years at my MFA Creative Writing and Publishing Arts program. That means I wrote, workshopped, rewrote, and edited every single story.

But I not only wrote this book... I also designed the entire book from cover to cover. I'm talking down to the material of the paper used in the physical printing process.

I chose the typography, the title, the name of my "press," the cover design, and the interior design.

However, I did not work on this alone. My professors and classmates helped along the way, and I commissioned my undergraduate roommate Kat Dain, who provided the artwork at the beginning of each story. I also commissioned my undergraduate classmate Emily Stainbrook to proofread it for me.

75 physical copies were made, but since this was published at the height of the pandemic, my class didn't have the opportunity to do an in-person reading or book sale.

Either way, at the end of this experience, I was able to truly grasp every single aspect of the publishing world.

This book is also still for sale on my blog, rissystoriesblogs.com, for $19.99 (including shipping) and $16 for non-shipping purchases.