Eileen Cleary (Poetry, June 2017) has been longlisted for the 2025 Mass Book Award in Poetry, for her book Wild Pack of the Living.
Enzo Silon Surin (Poetry, 2012) is a 2025 Mass Cultural Council grant recipient in literature. He was also a featured speaker at the Spring 2025 Connections Literary Series at the College of Southern Maryland. And he was featured on the Unpacked: Culture Chronicles podcast in an episode “Cultural Identity and the Power of Storytelling.”
Bonita Lee Penn (Poetry, January 2015) served as a judge for the ACT-SO Achievement Program, a local/national NAACP competition at Robert Morris University near Pittsburgh.
Mary Ann Honaker (Poetry, June 2016) has two new poems out: “One of the Guys” in aprosexia.lit and “Snowglobe” in SWIMM Every Day.
Andrea Ballou (Poetry, June 2015) was featured in a reading at the Blacksmith House in Cambridge, reading poems from her collection Other Times, Midnight.
Cynthia Platt (WFYP, June 2014) has a new picture book Turkeys in Disguise, now available for preorder.
Fred Joiner (Poetry, June, 2015) has a debut poetry collection The Mirror in Our Music available for preorder from Birds, LLC.
Robbie Gamble (Poetry, January 2017) has a poem “On the Train from Edinburgh to King’s Cross” in the Spring 2025 issue of Sheila-Na-Gig. He also won 2nd place in the Midway Journal 2025 Action/Words contest with his poem “Altitude.”
Celeste Mohammed (Fiction, June 2017) has a new novel-in-stories Ever Since We Small, now available for preorder from Jacaranda Books. She discusses the making of her new book in an interview in the Trinidad & Tobago Guardian.
KB Ballantine (Poetry, June 2007) has a flock of new poems out in April. “Darker Than a Ruined Sky” and “Vow” appear in the Winter 2025 issue of Lit Shark, and “When the Leaves are Still Green,” “History of Wind,” “Did the Apple Offer You Its Scented Light?,” “Out of Skin,” and “When I Can Do Nothing Else Today” are all published in Dandelion Scribes.
Michelle Knudsen (WFYP, MFA faculty) has a new YA novel Cursed Princess Club, now available for preorder from Penguin Random House.
Hayley Krischer (Fiction, June 2009) has an article in People magazine, “Is the ‘Wellness Industry’ a Scam? One Writer Breaks It Down, From Apple Cider Vinegar to Reiki (Exclusive).”
Kevin Prufer (Poetry, MFA faculty) received an Honorable Mention in the 2025 Society of Midland Authors Contest in the Fiction category for his novel Sleepaway.
Jacqueline Berkman’s (Fiction, June 2023) short story “WagWorld” will be published as part of Made in LA Writers Volume 6: Hollywood Adjacent on July 1st. There is currently a Kickstarter to help raise funds for the printing costs.
Resources & Opportunities
- This May, Lesley MFA alum Hurley Winkler is facilitating A Routine of One’s Own, a class series on writing routines. This class is designed for any writer who’s interested in defining and refining a more sustainable creative practice. Class meets Wednesdays at 7:30PM EST for three weeks starting May 7 and will be recorded. The series costs $200, and you can get $15 off with the code ROUTINE15 at checkout. Learn more and sign up here.
- The Associates of the Boston Public Library‘s Writer-in-Residence program is now open to submissions from authors looking for financial assistance completing one literary work for children or young adults. It will run from October 2025 through September 2026. Applications are open until June 6th.
- Lesley MFA alum Jana Van der Veer is hosting a virtual “Spring/Summer 100 Day Writing Challenge.” For about $1 a day, you will receive inspiration, community, 2 half-day writing retreats, and a meeting with Jana to discuss your project. For more information, please reach out to Jana via her website.
- MFA Faculty in WFYP Tracey Baptiste is offering private, 12-week mentorships. Applications are requested and space is limited. For more information, please see her website.
- MFA Program Director (and nonfiction alum!) Janet Pocorobba and nonfiction alum Holly Claytor are hosting Zoom submissions sessions every other Tuesday evening, starting on January 28th, from 6-7:15pm EST. This group is open to all genres to dedicate time to work on submitting their work for publication. No need to RSVP, email CCW for the link.
Upcoming events
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