Cassie Seinuk (WSS, June 2013/Mentor) has cultivated a list of scripts by Lesley MFA alumni as “A Eulogy for the Lesley MFA Program,” which held its last full residency in January (the final cohort will graduate in June). “This list includes scripts by writers who were inspired by dedicated and exceptional mentors over the last two decades. Consider it my eulogy for an exceptional program.”
Rachel Becker (Poetry, January 2025) has three poems, “Plumbing Emergency in America”, In Each Day, There Are Three Days,” and “Inheritance” in havehashad.com (Feb 3, 2026).
Hester Kaplan (Fiction, Mentor) is interviewed about her new memoir, Twice Born, in People Magazine.
Jasminne Paulino’s (WFYP, June 2023) debut novel, The Extraordinary Orbit of Alex Ramirez, has been named a notable book in the ALSC 2026 list.
Her book is also a finalist for the 2027 Georgia Children’s Book Award (Grades 4-8).
Enzo Silon Surin’s (Poetry, 2012) essay “The Fragile Architecture of Hope: Writing Toward Repair” appears in the South Florida Poetry Journal (Essays 2026-27).
Cynthia Haggard’s (Fiction, June 2015) novel Maiden Tomb has been named a 2026 Distinguished Favorite from the Independent Press Award.
Jasmine Warga’s (WFYP, June 2013) The Unlikely Tale of Chase & Finnegan is listed in the March/April 2026 Kids’ Indie Next List Preview.
Amber Wong’s (Nonfiction, January 2014) essay “Bad Chinese Daughters” is available in print and digital in Under the Gum Tree (Issue 58, Winter 2026).
Mikki Knudsen’s (WFYP, Mentor) The Curse of the Evil Librarian (#3 in the series) is now available as an audiobook on libro.fm.
Suzanne Edison’s (Poetry, June 2016) poem “Letter to America” is available on Terrrain.org (Jan 29, 2026).
Cindy Hunter Morgan (Poetry, June 2016) has two poems, “Catechism” and “Bounty” in the Winter 2026 issue of like a field journal.
Tony Wassom (Poetry, 2025) is a semi-finalist in the 2026 narrative poetry competition for Naugatuck River Review for his poem “A Ghost in the Window”. His poem has been published in the Naugatuck River Review issue 35 contest issue.
Sharisse Zeroonian (WSS, January 2024) was awarded Best Woman Filmmaker at Lulea International Film Festival for her film “Nothing Solid.”
In this episode of The Writing Life Podcast, lawyer-turned-author Celeste Mohammed (Fiction, June 2016) reflects on the role of family, mythology, and Caribbean folklore in her writing.
Her debut picture book, Spree: The Boy Who Made the Steel Pan Sing, is available for pre-order.
Rachel Teferet RC (WFYP, June 2025) is the grand prize winner for a collection of antizionist protest poetry which will be included in Resistance: an Anthology of Overcoming, forthcoming from Awatum Press in August 2026. Their poem, “My Friend Jesse Has Gone Feral” was recently nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and their micro fiction “Rug Gun” was published in Manawaker’s collection of 100 word stories, 100 x 100 Volume 4.
Several titles in Claudia Rueda’s Los Momokis series are now available in Spanish through Penguin Random House.
She Came Back Different by Stephanie Willing (WFYP, June 2017) is available for pre-order.
Other Legacies: Great Unsung American Poets co-edited by Kevin Prufer (Poetry, Mentor) is available for pre-order.
Robbie Gamble’s (Poetry/Nonfiction, January 2017/June 2020) poem, “At the Clark,” has been published in Issue 58 of Ibbetson Street Magazine.
Erin Belieu (Poetry, Mentor) has a poem, “Before You Wreak Havoc on Your Life,” published in the latest issue of Copper Nickel.
Suzanne Cope (Nonfiction, 2007) was featured as a guest on The Italian Radio Hour to discuss the stories of the women in her book, Women of War: The Italian Assassins, Spies, and Couriers Who Fought the Nazis.
Deborah Sosin’s (Nonfiction, January 2015) collection of 70 micro-memoirs, Escape Velocity, is now available to order.
Resources & Opportunities
- The Dylan Thomas Summer School in Wales is extending its application period until March 5. The program runs 5/25 – 6/5. Pricing: £2750 or around $3700, all-inclusive minus airfare to Heathrow Airport. Price includes tuition, transportation, food, and lodging. Contact Pam Petro for more information at pamelapetro@comcast.net.
- Andrea Wang (WFYP, June 2011), the Newbery Honor-winning author of Watercress and author of other award-winning middle grade novels and picture books, is a 2026 PB Rising Star mentor. If you or someone you know would like to work with her, check out her member page for more details. Applications are open until March 13.
- Kate Fussner (WFYP, June 2021) is teaching the course MG/YA Manuscript Toolkit For Publication Success through Grub Street. The class will run May 7 – May 28, 2026 from 6pm – 8:30pm on Zoom. Seats are limited. Registration is required. Scholarships are available. For more information and to register, visit grubstreet.org
- Goodreads is giving away 25 copies of Sara Levine’s (Nonfiction/WFYP, January 2006) newst picture book, A Visit With The Birds: A Hands-On Nature Book. Enter the giveaway through Goodreads.
- Celeste Mohammed (Fiction, June 2016) is facilitating a short story intensive through Bocas Academy. The seven-week session will run April 6 – May 30 via Celeste’s SureFiction teaching portal. Seats are limited. Registration is required. For more information, visit academy.bocaslitfest.com.
- The Writers’ Room of Boston, a writing space available to writers in the Boston area, is offering discounted memberships to alumni and current students of the Lesley MFA in Creative Writing program. For more details, please email us at lesleycambridgecommon@gmail.com.
- Sara Zarr (WFYP, Mentor) will teach a week-long Fiction workshop at The Glen. The workshop will run July 12-18 in San Diego, CA. To register, visit The Glen.
Check out these titles available for PRE-ORDER!
Do you have any recent writing successes or news you’d like to share with the Cambridge Common Writers community? Let us know by reaching out to us at lesleycambridgecommon@gmail.com!
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