The History of Creative Writing at the University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky has one of the nation’s oldest and most distinguished undergraduate creative writing programs, dating back to 1947, when Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist A.B. Included among the program’s alumni and faculty (past and present) are many writers with national reputations: Wendell Berry, James Baker Hall, Guy Dave
nport, Ed McClanahan, Jane Vance, Gurney Norman, Nikky Finney, Erik Reece, Frank X. Walker, Julia Johnson, and Bobbie Ann Mason. Sixty-seven years after the first fiction class began, the UK English Department is proud to begin a new chapter in our history with a two-year residency Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing Program, the only such program in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. MFA candidates will enjoy many of the benefits of UK's excellent literary tradition, including:
- Literary publications affiliated with the English Department (Limestone, Pluck!)
- Excellent libraries and literary archives
- Local and regional writers conferences of national reputation, including the Kentucky Women Writers Conference
- Affiliation with The Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning
- The University Press of Kentucky
- Campus and local bookstores, which support special events with visiting writers, faculty, and student authors
- Affiliated programs in Appalachian Studies, African American and Africana Studies, Environmental Studies, and Gender & Women Studies
What you need to know about UK’s Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing Program:
The MFA is a two-year residency program that includes 24 hours of coursework and a creative thesis. The application deadline for fall 2014 applicants is April 1st (applications will be reviewed as they are received). Click here to go to the MFA admissions page. Available genres of study include poetry, fiction and non-fiction. Funding opportunities are available for qualified applicants on a competitive basis, including assistantships, fellowships, and scholarships. Current Faculty:
DaMaris Hill - fiction, poetry
Julia Johnson - poetry
Andrew Millward - fiction
Gurney Norman - fiction
Hannah Pittard - fiction
Erik Reece - non-fiction
Frank X. Walker - poetry
Crystal Wilkinson - fiction
For questions about the MFA program, please contact MFA Program Director Frank X Walker at [email protected]
For questions about admissions and policies, please contact Robin Rahija, English Department Manager Associate, at [email protected].
