Creative Writing Program Infused with Real Writers
January 18, 2017
For nearly 20 years, the Two Rivers Reading Series has introduced students to acclaimed writers. Guest authors have included Robert Bly, Louise Erdrich, Kao Kalia Yang, Alexs Pate and Wang Ping. “When you have the living, breathing author come to campus, that really brings the words to life,” says Professor Chris McCarthy.
With abundant programming, guest authors, published professors and successful alumni, Anoka-Ramsey is a great place to begin a creative writing career. The following are a few examples of the creative writing connections offered to students.
- The Cambridge Campus offers the Minnesota Writers Series, a creative writing club, and a regular creative writing class. Instructor Bill Breen says, “Each semester, I’m amazed at the way my students combine creativity and critical thinking to investigate their lives. We have fun in the class but there’s also serious self-discovery taking place.”
- The course “A Writer’s Life: Publishing, Proposals, and Grants” focuses on publishing, marketing, and public relations. The Associate in Fine Arts (AFA) capstone is a mentorship with a faculty member who writes in the student’s chosen genre. The course culminates in a publishable manuscript that can be used as a writing sample for grant, work, or college applications.
- Poetry City, USA, is a year-long joint publishing project between the AFA creative writing programs at Anoka-Ramsey, Normandale and North Hennepin community colleges. Jasmin Ziegler, editorial professor for Poetry City, USA, also advises the Creative Writing Club that published “Rapids Review”, the art and creative writing journal of the Coon Rapids Campus.
- The Careers in Writing speaker series introduces students to professional writers; guests have included Star Tribune music critic Jon Bream, senior books editor Laurie Hertzel, and senior travel editor Kerri Westenberg.
- Kathryn Kysar is the author of two books of poetry, “Pretend the World” and “Dark Lake”, and editor of “Riding Shotgun: Women Write about Their Mothers”.
January 2017 Creative Writing Faculty, Student, Alumni Briefs
- Professor Elizabeth Tannen was awarded a 2017 Minnesota State Arts Board (MSAB) grant in poetry for $8,500. Tannen will work with a mentor to generate and revise two in-progress poem sequences and to compile her first full-length poetry manuscript.
- Creative writing alumnus Joshua Chase graduated in spring 2016 with a master’s degree in Rhetoric and Writing from Saint Cloud State University, where he served as assistant director of the program’s composition program. He entered a Ph.D. program in Rhetoric, Theory and Culture at Michigan Tech in fall 2016.
- Professor Paige Riehl is the poetry editor for the Midway Journal, an online literary magazine based in Saint Paul.
- Fall 2016 Creative Writing AFA graduate Taylor Houle published his creative nonfiction piece “Miracles” in the fall 2016 edition of “East Fork”, an online literary magazine of work by two year students published by University of Cincinnati—Clermont College.
- Professor Scott Hall is the editor for the Minnesota English Journal, which publishes academic papers, teaching narratives, teaching materials and creative submissions.
- Creative writing alumnus Morgan Hughes graduated with an MFA in Creative Writing from Hamline University in May 2015 and recently published his creative non-fiction essay “God Hates Ventriloquists” in the online magazine “Fogged Clarity”.
- Professor Kathryn Kysar will serve on a panel discussing “To Grade or Not to Grade: Assessment and Undergraduate Creative Writing” and reading her poetry at “Twenty Years of the Two Year College Caucus: A Celebration” at the Association of Writing Program’s 50th Anniversary annual conference in Washington, D.C.
Supplementary Information
-
Recent News
-
English Faculty Member, Paige Riehl, Selected as Outstanding Educator
April 17, 2024
-
The Anoka-Ramsey Community College Celebrates Undergraduate Research, Scholarship April 23-May 2
April 03, 2024
-
Tracy Youngblom Awarded 2024 Juniper Prize for Creative Nonfiction
April 03, 2024
-
Anoka-Ramsey Theatre and Music Presents: Working
March 28, 2024
-
Math+ Alumni Day Connects STEM Students, Alumni and Faculty
March 22, 2024
-
English Faculty Member, Paige Riehl, Selected as Outstanding Educator
-
Anoka-Ramsey In The News
-
First Bank & Trust donates $10,000 to local college students
Hometownsource.comFebruary 12, 2024
-
Candlelight ski at Anoka-Ramsey
County News ReviewJanuary 17, 2024
-
State legislators tour Anoka Regional Community College
ABC NewspapersDecember 03, 2023
-
ARCC Students Staging Fall Play
CTN Coon RapidsOctober 27, 2023
-
Minnesota author: 'I wanted to bring Karachi alive for people' in debut novel
Minnesota Public RadioAugust 15, 2023
-
Khalid El-Amin leaves St. Thomas Academy to coach men's basketball at Anoka-Ramsey Community College
Star TribuneAugust 04, 2023
-
Top Projects of 2022: Anoka-Ramsey Community College, College of Business/Nursing Building
Finance and CommerceJuly 25, 2023
-
Anoka-Ramsey Named 'Hunger Free Campus'
CTN Coon RapidsApril 20, 2023
-
New Food Pantry Opens at ARCC
CTN Coon RapidsApril 03, 2023
-
ARCC Students Staging "Enchanted April"
CTN Coon RapidsOctober 27, 2022
-
Prof. Kristen Genet of Anoka-Ramsey Community College: Institutionalizing UG Research.
Alma Matters PodcastAugust 09, 2022
-
Program helps MN colleges break up the ‘stop out’ pattern
Minnesota Spokesman RecorderMay 23, 2022
-
The Imagine Group Receives First-Ever DE&I Grant from the State of Minnesota
May 23, 2022
-
Angels among us
Isanti-Chisago County StarMay 20, 2022
-
A Playbook to Help Colleges Bring Students Across the Degree Finish Line
Diverse Issues in Higher EducationJanuary 17, 2022
-
First Bank & Trust donates $10,000 to local college students
-
Contact Us
-
Marketing & Public RelationsMedia Relations Contacts: Mary McCarthy
-