Janet Wondra: This Wednesday

Our very own Janet Wondra will read from her extensive body of work this Wednesday, November 4th from 5-6pm in the Gage Gallery!

Janet has published nonfiction in Short Takes: Brief Encounters with Contemporary Nonfiction (Norton) and In the Middle of the Middle West: Literary Nonfiction from the Heartland (Indiana University Press) as well as in The Christian Science Monitor, Denver Quarterly, and Bellingham Review. Her poems are collected in three volumes, most recently Long Division, and have appeared in such journals as The Southern Review, Witness, Michigan Quarterly Review, and Exquisite Corpse. Also an experimental filmmaker, she has screened her work at festivals and art museums from Germany to her home state of California.

Adam Morgan Brings Home the Prize

2009's New York Television Festival brought fame--and a hefty cash prize--to our very own Adam Morgan, who is in his second year in the MFA program. His pilot script for a television series, "Liberal Arts," was chosen from over 700 entries and 25 finalists to win the Fox/Proctor&Gamble comedy script contest. Adam, whose concentration is in fiction-writing, took a screenplay course at Roosevelt this past summer, and after he caught wind of the NYTVF contest, wrote the "Liberal Arts" script in less than a week! Not only did Adam's big win help to draw national attention to Roosevelt's writing programs, the pilot is likely to be produced by Fox--with the possibility of the rest of the season to follow!

Congrats to Adam from everyone here at Roosevelt University's creative writing program!

To check out Roosevelt's press release click here.

Follow Adam's personal blog, Mount Helicon.

Alan Wier Visits Monday

Alan Wier will be reading from and taking questions about his work this Monday, October 19th from 5 to 6pm at Roosevelt University's Gage Gallery.

Alan is a fiction writer whose publications consist of several novels, including Tehano, and numerous short stories. Wier is on faculty in the Department of English at the University of Tennessee, where in 2005, the graduate students voted him as the department’s “most outstanding professor in the classroom.” He is also the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Frank X Walker Visits Next Wednesday

The world's first "Affrilachian" poet (Black Box), Frank X Walker is also an editor and a globetrotting lecturer. The author of four poetry collections, among them Affrilachia, which won the Lillian Smith Book Award, Frank's also a 2005 recipient of the Lannan Literary Fellowship in Poetry. He serves as Writer-in-Residence and lecturer of English at Northern Kentucky University. His reading at Roosevelt is cosponsored by the University’s African-American Studies program.

As part of Roosevelt's Gage Gallery Reading Series, Frank will be reading from his award-winning work in the Gage Gallery on Wednesday October 7 at 5pm.

Reminders: Two Events Today

Don't forget, Granta editor John Freeman is visiting Roosevelt today at 2pm, and Scott Blackwood's reading tonight at the Book Cellar at 7pm.

Granta Editor John Freeman Is Coming To Roosevelt

What a coup! Not only is Granta--one of the world's top-tier literary magazines--releasing a special Chicago-centric issue next week, but acting editor John Freeman is visiting one of our very own writing classes to wax philosophical about the publishing industry, what makes for good writing, and which authors we should all be reading.

John Freeman came to Granta just last year after six years working on the board of the National Book Critics Circle. He'll be visiting Scott Blackwood's Intermediate Fiction class next Wednesday, September 16 at 2pm in Room 704 of Roosevelt's Auditorium Building.

However, due to spacing issues, please RSVP with me at earthmorgan(at)gmail.com as soon as possible so that we can ensure there's enough room for everyone!

Columbia Hosts Poetry Reading Tomorrow Night

Our neighbors at Columbia College Chicago kick off their Reading Series tomorrow night with two local stars: Don Share (editor of Chicago's gorgeous Poetry magazine) and Emily Warn (founding editor of the groundbreaking Poetry Foundation).

Wednesday, Sept 9th
Music Center Concert Hall, 5:30pm
Columbia Poetry Reading Series

More Granta Readings

Can't make it to the Chicago-centric Granta kickoff party on Sept 14th? You've got two more chances to see contributors talk about their work.

Thurs, Sept 17
6pm, Harold Washington Library
Stuart Dybek himself, Alex Kotlowitz, and Maria Venegas will read from their work featured in this month's Granta.

Sun, Sept 20
6pm, Rainbo Club
Art Shay talks about his Chicago photography and his relationship with the great Nelson Algren.

Granta Magazine Celebrates Chicago Lit (And Throws A Party)

One of the world's most respected literary magazines is shining a spotlight on Chicago writers this month. Granta will feature stories by Audrey Niffenegger (The Time Traveler's Wife), Aleksandar Hemon (The Lazarus Project), and other Windy City writers in a special Chicago-centric issue.

The best part? They're throwing a party. Head over to the beautiful Chicago Cultural Center (it's just five blocks north of Roosevelt on Michigan Ave) at 6pm on Monday, Sept 14 to see Niffenegger, Hemon, and other contributors discuss "how artists and writers from around the world represent Chicago in their work."

Count me in!

So It Begins...

It's officially the first week of fall term! And Chicago--accomodating as always--has been kind enough to supply us with appropriately autumnal weather.

We've got some major events planned for this semester. Here's a taste, just to whet your appetite:

Sept 16 - Scott Blackwood Reading
Our very own program director will be reading from his lastest touching novel, We Agreed To Meet Just Here, around 7pm at Lincoln Square's Book Cellar, which is hands-down the best bookstore in Chicago.

Sept 21 - Debra Monroe Visit
The Flannery O'Conner award-winning novelist and short story writer Debra Monroe (Shambles) will be visiting Roosevelt University to read from and speak about her work as part of the Roosevelt Reading Series.

Oct 7 - Frank X. Walker Visit
The world's first "Affrilachian" poet (Black Box), Frank is also an editor and a globetrotting lecturer. He'll be reading from his work and talking to our students as part of the Roosevelt Reading Series.

Oct 19 - Allen Wier Visit
Author of the Texan epic, Tehano, Allen is also a short story writer, an essayist, and a professor at the University of Tennessee.

Oct 30 - Halloween Field Trip
Last year, some of our MFA students were brave enough to make the trek to Chicago's Theatre on the Lake, host of the annual Haunted Sanitorium. This year, we know to bring a change of pants.

More details on these events and authors are coming soon!