Visiting Writers
VCU Department of English

Each year, the MFA Program in Creative Writing at Virginia Commonwealth University invites a number of writers to campus for readings, discussion sessions, workshops, or some combination of these. The visits provide opportunities for MFA students to meet and discuss their work with writers outside the VCU community.

The Department of English also sponsors the Levis Reading Prize in poetry and the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award in fiction, bringing the winners to campus each fall.

In addition, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts near campus co-sponsors, with New Virginia Review, Inc., a readings series titled Poetic Principles, which brings to Richmond and makes available to our students some of the best poets and writers at work today.

Finally, the Graduate Writers Association sponsors The Moveable Feast, a series of readings given by MFA students. Each spring, the series, held at a local non-profit art gallery, features thesis readings by students in their final year in the program.

This year's line-up of visiting writers includes Colson Whitehead, Thomas Lux, Deb Olin Unferth (winner of the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award), Mary Gaitskill, Katie Ford (winner of the Levis Reading Prize), Linda Bierds, Fanny Howe, and our Visiting Writer-in-Residence, Rosellen Brown.

Last year's line-up included Ron Hansen, Victoria Chang, Travis Holland (winner of the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award), Robin Hemley, Matt Donovan (winner of the Levis Reading Prize), Bruce Beasley, Stuart Dybek, and Mark Doty.

In 2007-2008, visiting writers included Rebecca Curtis, CK Williams, Peter Orner (winner of the VCU First Novelist Award), Jean Valentine, Joshua Weiner (winner of the Levis Reading Prize), Thomas Mallon, Terrance Hayes and Bret Lott.

Our 2006-2007 line-up of visiting writers included Charles Bernstein, John Bresland, Joan Connor, Karen Fisher (winner of the 5th Annual VCU First Novelist Award), VCU MFA alum Sheri Reynolds, George Saunders, Ron Slate (winner of the 9th Annual Levis Reading Prize), Gerald Stern and Ellen Bryant Voigt.

The 2005-2006 line-up of visiting writers included Lorraine Adams (winner of the 4th Annual VCU First Novelist Award), Aimee Bender, Dennis Danvers, Beckian Fritz Goldberg, Elizabeth McCracken, Spencer Reece (winner of the 8th Annual Levis Reading Prize) and Mary Ruefle.

The 2004-2005 line-up of visiting writers and readers included David Daniel (winner of the 7th Annual Levis Reading Prize), Michael Byers (winner of the 3rd Annual VCU First Novelist Award), Philip Levine, Alan Shapiro, Allison Joseph, Richard Bausch, Dean Young, and Ron Carlson. Creative writing faculty members David Wojahn, Gary Sange, Clint McCown, and Susann Cokal also gave public readings.

In 2003-2004, visiting writers included Susan Aizenberg (winner of the 6th Annual Levis Reading Prize), Isabel Zuber (winner of the 2rd Annual VCU First Novelist Award), Charles Wright, Samuel R. Delany, John Casey, Kelly Cherry, and Yusef Komunyaaka.

Periodically, the Department of English invites visiting writers for semester-long or year-long stays on campus. Recently, such visiting faculty have included novelist and essayist Maribeth Fischer (The Language of Good-Bye, spring 2003 and 2004, fall 2003); best-selling author David Robbins (Last Citadel, The End of War, Scorched Earth, War of the Rats, fall 2002 and 2003, spring 2003); and poet Talvikki Ansel (Jetty, My Shining Archipelago, fall 2001 and spring 2002).