The Roosevelt MFA Blog

Michael Erard Reading from New Book, Babel No More!

2012-01-25T10:56:00.000-06:00

Michael “hyperpolyglottery is the new black” Erard

The Roosevelt University Reading Series is proud to kick off our 2012 season with a reading from writer, journalist, and metaphor designer Michael Erard! He will be reading from his new book, Babel No More. See what all the buzz is about in this excerpt!

The reading will be in the Gage Gallery, Monday, January 30^th. Doors open at 4:30, reading begins at 5. Get there early for cookies, coffee, and conversation!

Michael Erard’s new book, Babel No More, deals with the controversial subject of hyperpolyglots, or people who claim to be able to speak multiple languages—anywhere from 11 up to a supposed world-record of 72 different languages. According to an article in The Economist, the book asks objective questions of what it truly means to be multilingual— “Is instant availability of native-like competence the only standard for knowing a language? How should partly knowing a tongue be tallied? What if you can only read it?”

Come ready to discuss these and other rhetorical questions in your language of choice as we welcome Michael Erard!

Bernie Cox Published in Latest Issue of Red Lightbulbs

2012-01-23T12:19:00.001-06:00

some light reading.

Given how short the days are at this time of year, people will take light wherever they can find it. Here's a suggestion- the new issue of Red Lightbulbs is out and features three illuminating poems by Roosevelt's own Bernie Cox.

Bernie Cox, ladies and gentlemen.

Shinning out like the Lighthouse of Alexandria, Cox's poems are paeans to being sick on the train, academia and the plight of homeless robots. You can read them here.

Janet Wondra Reading from New Chapbook, Bad Attitude!

2012-01-19T14:21:00.000-06:00

Janet “Good Attitude, Great Poetry” Wondra

Another exciting night of poetry is upon us, as Roosevelt professor, poet, and creative nonfictionist Janet Wondra prepares to read from her new chapbook, Bad Attitude, from Finishing Line Press! We’re just happy she found time in between editing the Oyez Review and making award-winning films to write more of her high quality poetry!

Triple Fudge Cake! Dogs in hats! Poetry Excitement! Guaranteed at least one of those three things will be on the agenda. The reading will be held at the Tamale Hut Café, Saturday, January 28^th at 7pm. Come for the poetry, stay for the open mic. Good times had by all!

Timothy Moore and Tovah Burstein featured in Chicago Reader's Annual Fiction Issue!

2012-01-12T09:44:00.000-06:00

Change the batteries in your smoke detectors and refill those fire extinguishers, because our Roosevelt MFA Students are ON FIRE.

More like MFA-ers on fire, am I right?

If you're in the Chicago area, pick up a copy of today's Chicago Reader and browse through the cover story- the winners of their annual fiction contest. Inside you'll find not one but TWO Roosevelt MFA students, former-GA and megablogger Tim Moore and (also-)former-GA and rhapsodic reviewer Tovah Burstein!

First Step- the Chicago reader...

Next Step- the White House bookshelf.

The judge of this year's issue, Goldie Goldblum, an accomplished Chicago-based novelist and short story writer, clearly has impeccable taste. Reader culture-editor Tony Adler heaped praise upon Tim's story "goofy-touching" story "Thank God for Facebook!," as well as Tovah's piece "Moving on at the Hipster Gym," which he called "a strange, compelling hybrid—a satire that's also a cri de coeu." Well done, T and T!

If you're not in the Chicago area and want to the read Tovah and Tim's pieces, they will be preserved on the interweb for eternity right here.

But that's not all- Tim also has a story forthcoming in the soon-to-be-released Spring 2012 issue of the Oyez Review, Roosevelt's own student-run literary journal. Tim Moore- a publishing force to be reckoned with.

Jake Wrenn Wins Friends of the American Writer's Scholarship

2011-12-28T13:07:00.001-06:00

Jake "+ American Writer = BFF" Wrenn

It's not a stretch to say that we're all friends here at the Roosevelt MFA Program. But there are some friendships at Roosevelt which are, shall we say, a little more valuble than others. I speak, of course, of the coveted Friends of American Writer's scholarship, which is awared to one Roosesvelt MFA student each year. This year's winner is Chicagoland native Jake Wrenn.

The $1000 scholarship, given out by the Chicago based Friends of American Writers is given to a writer who best exemplifies the mission of the organization - "to study American literature, to encourage high standards and to promote literary ideals among American writers."

In addition, Jake recently had a short piece published at The Point. Jake's writing will be hobnobbing it up next to pieces by Roosevelt student James Orbesen and professor Kyle Beachy. I guess you could say we're the appointed contributors to this magazine.

Be sure to give Jake and James a big "tally-ho" (or just say congrats) when you see them next.

Burstein Review in Latest Bookslut

2011-12-19T01:28:00.002-06:00

Tovah "The Granite Stater" Burstein

Proud New Hampshire native, and current MFA Non-fiction candidate, Tovah Burstein, has had an awesome semester! "How did she have an awesome semester?" You might ask. Well, first of all, thanks for asking! And if you must know, her review of the book, "Mutants and Mystics: Science Fiction, Superhero Comics, and the Paranormal" by Jeffrey J. Kripal, has been published in this month's Bookslut!

Bookslut is a monthly web magazine dedicated to those who love to read! They are a constant supply of literary news, reviews, commentary, and insight! Check out their submission page to see how you can submit a review or article!

A published review is not the only reason it's been an awesome semester for Tovah! She has just completed her Fall Internship for Roosevelt's Oyez Review (look for Volume 39 this spring!)! AND she's managed to juggle a variety of jobs on top of that! Including (but not limited to) tutoring at Roosevelt's Writing Center and working with a great reading program called WITS!

WITS (Working in the Schools) is a literacy organization that seeks to increase the reading proficiency and learning capacity of low-income and minority students in Chicago Public Schools! WITS brings together committed and cheerful volunteers to give consistent tutoring and mentoring services to students in need! It's a rewarding program, one that Tovah has spent a lot of time working with! Check out their many different programs and talk with Tovah if you want to volunteer! And then congratulate her on her published review and for her amazingly awesome semester!

James Orbesen Published in Helix Magazine.

2011-12-15T17:06:00.002-06:00

A Double Helix-

Choosing good writers must be in their DNA!

Roosevelt MFA Student, creator of bothtextual and visual wonders, and all around bang-up guy James Orbesenhas a story featured in the new issue of Helix Magazine. James'piece is entitled “Proper Assembly,” and, unfortunately, it isnot available (yet!) for viewing on Helix's colorful website.

What's that on the horizon, James? A future National Book Award?

The magazine is distributed nationally, so go down to yourlocal book store and pick up a copy. In fact, pick up 7, anddistribute them to your seven best friends. As the old saying goes,“There's nothing better for the holiday blues than James Orbesen.”

Congrats James!

End of Semester Reading Tomorrow

2011-12-09T14:49:00.001-06:00

We're 20 times cuter than this guy. And waaay more eloquent.

Alas and Alack, another Roosevelt semester bites thedust. But before us MFAers part ways(for a few weeks) into the tundra that is wintertime Chicago, we shall do what we were meant to do- read.

The Roosevelt MFA End Of Semester Reading is tomorrow night,Saturday the 10^th of December, at 7 PM at the Book Cellar in LincolnSquare. See you there.

Beachy Essay on The Point

2011-12-07T18:52:00.001-06:00

Kyle "The Point" Beachy

What a supremely minor thing! A button that says “like.” But what other habit so minor, besides breathing, or rinsing hands, or perhaps doubting oneself, do we respect with such tiny fervor?

-Kyle Beachy, The Point

Roosevelt Assistant Professor, Kyle Beachy, has a mini-essay on The Point, that can be read here! In Point "47", Kyle confronts modern punctuation, language, and more, in under 200 words! More Points at The Point, can be viewed here!

Chicago-based The Point, publishes a print journal twice a year. Their website features content from the magazine and original articles. They are always looking for reviews, essays on contemporary arts and culture, and new Points, which is a short format for ideas. Do you have something to say about literature, theater, film, philosophy, ethics, sports, economics, politics, nature, metaphysics, art, culture, or even...love? Check out their submission guidelines, read their essays, and submit!

Bernard Cox Published in Up the Staircase Quarterly...and more!

2011-12-04T22:20:00.001-06:00

Bernie "Getting Published Everywhere Lately" Cox!

Fiction MFAer, Bernard Cox (or, as we call him here at Roosevelt, Bernie), has been enjoying the publication wave lately! His story, "The Memory of a Salt Shaker" has been published in Up the Staircase Quarterly. It's his first publication! His second, "A Summer Friend" is forthcoming in Blood and Lullabies this month!

That's not all! His work has also been accepted and will be appearing throughout next year in Collective Fallout, A capella Zoo, and Red Lightbulbs! Check back here for details as the stories and poems (yes, poems!) are published! Did you also know that Bernie is the Assistant Artistic Director at the Tamale Hut Cafe Reading Series? Read more about the wonderful monthly series here!

Just this past Thursday, Bernie was one of the proud Graduates reading from their theses at the Graduate Reading, and was able to show his fantastic oratory skills! He will end his studies at Roosevelt with a bang (!) by carrying the processional banner for the College of Arts and Sciences during commencement! If you're lucky enough to go, make sure to wave at him!

Kolak Published in Latest Inertia

2011-12-02T09:59:00.001-06:00

Marynia Kolak's non-fiction piece, "El Zopilote", is published and live at Inertia! Marynia, a recent MFA Graduate in Non-Fiction, and former (legendary) Graduate Assistant, says that she's excited to have her second piece of creative writing published! What was her first creative writing published you may ask? In OVS Magazine! You can read more about that publication here!

Inertia is based out of New York! Their ultimate goal is to publish the best materials, and "to seek out, discover, and encourage new talent." Check out this online literary journal right here! And submit something! Ask Marynia for advice! But first, say, "Congratulations, Marynia!" She'll know what you're talking about!

Roosevelt's 2nd MFA Graduate Reading is Tomorrow!

2011-11-30T15:39:00.001-06:00

Whoa there, Santa's Little Helper. You've got plenty of time! The reading's not 'till tomorrow!

That's right, we're sending our second batch of graduating MFA-er's off in style.* Tomorrow at 5:00 in the Gage Gallery, The Roosevelt MFA program will hold its second and final Graduate Reading of the semester. Please join us to bid adieu to five fantastic writers who have all graced the Roosevelt MFA programs with their presence for the last several years:

Bernard Cox!

Patrick Garret!

Kasey Mather!


Esley Stahl!

AND

Kelli Worral!

Come down to congratulate these graduating writers and hear them read their sensational writing.

*Style, in this case, being boxed wine and cake.

Rooney and Sneed Reading this Monday!

2011-11-26T19:10:00.001-06:00

KATHLEEN ROONEY

CHRISTINE SNEED

READING AT THE GAGE GALLERY!

This coming Monday, November 28th, Roosevelt's MFA Fall Reading Series proudly welcomes Writer-in-Residence, Kathleen Rooney, and this year's Fiction III/IV Professor, Christine Sneed, for a fabulous Joint Reading! Come at 4:30 for the 3 C's: coffee, cookies, and conversation! At 5:00, the reading begins! After their respective readings, you can even ask them questions!

Like: Hey, Kathleen Rooney, I heard that you are a founder of Rose Metal Press! How come you are so awesome?

Or: Hey, Christine Sneed, I already know that your short story collection, Portraits of a Few of the People I've Made Cried, has won numerous awards. Everyone knows that! But I also heard that your novel, Little Known Facts, was recently acquired by Bloomsbury Press! How come you are so awesome?

Or you can get more in depth and ask questions about Kathleen's books of Poetry and Non-fiction, including, but not limited to: Oneiromance, For You, For You I Am Trilling These Songs, Reading with Opera, and Live Nude Girl, which will be sold at the reading, and which she will gladly sign!

Christine's collection, and winner of the Grace Paley Prize in Short Fiction, Portraits of a Few of the People I've Made Cry, will be sold and signed too!

If you need to learn more about the event, check out the Facebook event page here! Burn that extra Thanksgiving weight by coming to the reading this Monday! Readings burn calories! They feed minds and hearts!

Palmer Recognized as Outstanding Educator

2011-11-23T11:22:00.001-06:00

Katherine "Outstanding Educator Machine" Palmer

MFAer Katherine Palmer, who works as an English teacher at Jones College Prep High School (as well as taking classes at Roosevelt - Goodness!), has been named an Outstanding Educator by the University of Chicago! This is an award given to a high school teacher who has been identified by first year U of C students as influential in "opening new vistas and realms of discovery and channeling their private interests into productive paths for intellectual growth."

Honoring Outstanding Educators for Three Decades!

For three decades, students at University of Chicago have nominated Educators that have inspired and literally changed the course of their lives! Not a small thing! Along with teaching, Katherine is currently working on her thesis, completing her teaching internship at Roosevelt, and finding the means to stop time, to get the appropriate sleep and food required for her impossibly busy schedule! In time for Thanksgiving, be thankful for teachers like Katherine, who, despite having full schedules, have managed to educate and inspire future generations! Give her a high-five when you see her! It's the least you can do!

Roosevelt Representing at Chicago Book Expo 2011

2011-11-18T10:12:00.001-06:00

Chicago "Book Expo" 2011

This November 19-20 (Saturday 10am-6pm and Sunday 12pm-6pm), Roosevelt University's Oyez Review, will be one of the many literary magazines and presses at the 2011 Chicago Book Expo!

Oyez "Literary Magazine Machine" Review

What is the Chicago Book Expo? you may ask.

Thanks for asking!

Brought to you by the Chicago Writer's House, the Chicago Book Expo brings together over forty participating presses and literary magazines under a pop-up-bookstore (inside a former Borders Books-the irony!)! They will have books for sale! Chapbooks! Pamphlets to hand out! Bookmarks!

Kathleen "Workshop Hosting Machine" Rooney

And you can meet some of your favorite authors! Including, but not limited to, Roosevelt Writer-in-Residence, and founder of Rose Metal Press, Kathleen Rooney, who will be heading a workshop, A Flash in the Pan: Getting Started on Short Short Stories, Sunday at 1:00 (click on this link to see all the workshops and panels, scroll below the nonprofit fair!)!

On Saturday, there will also be a nonprofit and service organization fair! See here for the listing of organizations! The Chicago Book Expo 2011 will be in Uptown, at Uptown Broadway Building, 4701 N. Broadway! Google it!

The Future of the Oyez Review, Today!

2011-11-16T14:49:00.001-06:00

The Oyez Review, Roosevelt's award-winning, nationally-recognized, student-run, oft-hyphenated literary journal has just announced its editorial interns for the next three semesters. While most of the key decisions are made by the students who take the Literary Magazine internship class, these three specialized internship positions allow students to gain in-depth knowledge of different elements of the operation of a literary journal.

Presenting our starting lineup-

Dee "the only canon I can stand is the Literary Cannon!" Hogan

For the Spring 2012 Internship (which focuses on marketing, specifically the journal's presence at the upcoming AWP conference), we have, straight from Kansas, the heart of the heartland- Dee Hogan.

OK, fine, so this isn't Eric Balaz, but this is absolutely something he would do. So, close enough.

For The Summer 2012 Internship (which focuses on the submission process as well as the magazine's new-media presence), we have the program's food-truck conoisseur; you'll likely see him with his feet on his bike pedals and his fingers on the pulse of Chicago's literary scene- Eric Balaz.

Zach "Backwards is so the new forwards" Tavrin

Rounding out the team, for the Fall 2012 Internship (which focuses on the production of the magazine itself) we have, from the buckeye state, the man who put the e-book in "probably some day soon, we will all be reading e-books," Zach Tavrin.

CityFiles Press Conversation at DePaul University

2011-11-12T16:59:00.001-06:00

Interested in alternative publishing?! Place-based writing? Photography? This coming Monday, November 14, at 6pm, DePaul University is hosting an event to students interested in all those things! Writers Richard Cahan and Michael Williams, the founders of CityFiles Press, will be speaking at the DePaul Art Museum, at 935 W. Fullerton. Miles Harvey, author of The Island of Lost Maps and friend of Roosevelt, will be hosting! And DePaul is Roosevelt's Joint Sponsor of the AWP "pregame reception"! So many connections!

Chicago's River is Crazy!

Frustrated by the creative constraints of working with traditional publishers, Cahan and Williams decided to set out on their own. Since 2005, they have been publishing wildly ambitious and renown books! The latest of those is The Lost Panoramas: When Chicago Changed its River and the Land Beyond, a collection of photographs of early Chicago and its surroundings, many of which have never been seen before!

I wish I was in this edition! Better luck next century!

Come for the conversation! Leave knowing the secrets of alternative publishing!

Would you like some Gender Discourse with your Tamales?

2011-11-10T17:00:00.001-06:00

This Saturday, the Tamale Hut reading series (Run by current fiction MFA-er Bernie Cox) continues its run of combining thought provoking, always-entertaining readings with Michelle Obama's favorite food. This month's reading features two editors of the recently released anthology Men Undressed: Women Writers on the Male Sexual Experience, Cris Mazza and Gina Frangello.

Science has proven that readings are 300 percent more riveting in the presence of Tamales.

Both Cris and Gina are authors in their own right. Cris Mazza has authored sixteen books, most recently Various Men Who Knew Us as Girls, a novel. Her other fiction titles include Waterbaby, Trickle-Down Timeline, and Is It Sexual Harassment Yet? In 1995 & 1996, Mazza was co-editor for the original Chick-Lit anthologies: Chick-Lit: Postfeminist Fiction, and Chick-Lit 2: No Chick Vics. In 2006, her essay “Who’s Laughing Now: Chick Lit and thePerversion of a Genre,” explaining the co-opting and corrosion of the title, appeared in Poets & Writers Magazine. In addition to fiction, Mazza also has published a memoir, Indigenous: Growing Up Californian, and has another hybrid memoir, Something Wrong With Her, forthcoming from Jadid Ibis Press. A native of Southern California, Mazza grew up in San Diego County. She currently lives 50 miles west of Chicago and is a professor in the Program for Writers at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Gina Frangello is the author of three books of fiction: My Sister’s Continent; Slut Lullabies, a ForeWord magazine finalist for 2010′s Best Book of the Year; and A Life in Men, forthcoming from Algonquin Books in 2013. The longtime editor of the literary magazine, Other Voices, she now serves as the Executive Editor of its book imprint, Other Voices Books, which she co-founded in 2004. She is also the Fiction Editor of the popular online literary collective, The Nervous Breakdown.

To miss out on this would lead to a saturday night devoid of intellect, humor, and most terribly, tamales. The reading happens this Saturday, November 12, at 7 PM at the Tamale Hut.

Tackett's Radio Show is Ablaze!

2011-11-08T13:30:00.000-06:00

MFA Fiction Candidate, Jenna Tackett, is embracing her Nerd! Between 4-5 every Friday, she can be found on Roosevelt University's WRBC The Blaze. Nerdtastic is a show dedicated to YOUR inner nerd. All of the music is from (or about) the internet, books, television, movies, and comic books. And it's all incredibly nerdy!

That's not the only place you can find Jenna, the Nerdiest Nerdster who ever nerded in the Nerdy World! You can follow her on Twitter! You can follow her Tumblr blog, On the Big Adventure! Or her vlog on Youtube! And her other blog (what a nerd!) on Wordpress (an awesome nerd!), quiet in the grasp! If you catch her THIS Friday (November 11th, you nerd!), you can catch her interview with the indie Chicago band, Driftless Pony Club! They are fronted by notrorious YouTuber WheezyWaiter! If you don't know who that is, you need to nerd it up!

Driftless Pony Club!

Save The Date!

2011-11-04T09:58:00.001-05:00

The Heart is for the love of Roosevelt's MFA Program and for Writing!

We know, we know, it's hard to believe that the semester is almost over, but it is, and in a little more then a month, it'll be time for the End of the Semester Reading! What! So read and save the date very carefully:

December 10th, Saturday, at 7:00pm at the Book Cellar.

Expect an email in the coming weeks requesting readers! But until then, save that date so you can make it and enjoy your classmate's poems and stories!

Kathleen "The Rooney" Rooney!

Christine "The Rooney" Sneed! Just go with it!

And on that note - remember that poetry and non-fiction professor Kathleen Rooney and fiction professor Cristine Sneed are having their joint reading on Monday, November 28th (Doors open at 4:30, reading starts at 5:00)! And that very Thursday, there's the second Grad Reading, December 1st (Doors open at 5:00, reading starts at 5:30)! All at the wonderful Gage Gallery! Fill that calender up with hearts! Or something of equal value that will help you remember!

Writing, off the page.

2011-11-02T11:37:00.000-05:00

Aaron "Look for this name on the silver screen" Coats

Not to belittle every writer's good friend, the bleached sheet of paper, but there are an extraordinary amount of ways writing can thrive off the page. Aaron Coats, a current Roosevelt MFA student focusing in fiction, co-wrote the screenplay for the currently-in-production short film Faux Pas. The film follows the complex, touching, and sometimes-painful evolution of the relationship of two close friends over the course of several years. The film itself is the result of collaboration between a wide variety of Chicago-based artists, musicians, and actors, and one can sense the communal spirit by watching the trailer. Aaron has always been interested in the connection between fiction and film, and Faux Pas is the first of what will almost certainly be many film projects that he works on.

The film is currently still in the works, but its creators are looking to bring the film to the festival circuit by early 2012.

You can find out more about the movie by checking out its Official Site, Facebook, or Twitter page!

Blackwood Recieves Prestigious Whiting Writers' Award

2011-10-31T11:59:00.000-05:00

Scott Blackwood, with wife, Tommi, at the Awards Ceremony! Exclusive Pic!

Scott Blackwood, novelist, assistant professor of literature, and famed Director of Roosevelt's MFA in Creative Writing, has received the prestigious $50,000 Whiting Writers' Award, given annually, to emerging writers! The award has been given to the likes of Denis Johnson, Jonathan Franzen, Lydia Davis, Ben Fountain, and Stuart Dybek, to name just a few! Scott is one of ten writers (four fiction, four poets, one non-fiction, and one playwright) to receive the award this past Tuesday, October 25th, in New York City, from the Mrs. Giles Whiting Foundation.

The Legend. The Novel.

The award is not just based on past accomplishments, though Scott has many! His novel, We Agreed to Meet Just Here, released in 2009, won the Texas Institute of Letters Award for Best Fiction, was a winner in the AWP Award Series in the Novel, and was a finalist for the 2010 PEN USA Award! His first book, the story collection, In the Shadow of Our House, was published in 2001.

He's also the Director of our growing program here at Roosevelt! Says Scott, “My hope is that this award will also bring the Creative Writing Program some attention, partly for our focus on our values."

But what are our values, Scott?

This is not what a Roosevelt Writer looks like! No Lone Wolves here!

“Creative writers are not lone wolves. We’re very interdependent and the Whiting Award process, in some ways, is about this interdependence. It’s anonymous and outside the writers’ control, meaning there are no applications, no ambitious writers schmoozing for better positioning, none of that. It’s ultimately about your work and how it affects others. That is the kind of community of writers we are building at Roosevelt University and the kind of community of writers I have been fortunate to have been a part of since my writing career began.”

This is what Roosevelt writers look like! Wolf Pack!

Ah, I remember now!

The Whiting Writers' Award also looks at a writer's exceptional talent and promise. Which works just fine, because Scott is working on his new novel, probably at this very moment! Ask him about it or read about it on the bottom of the Roosevelt article, here! This is a huge award, reported by the likes of the NY Times and Washington Post and Chicago Sun-Times - so, the next time you see Scott, congratulate him enthusiastically!

Graduate Reading this Thursday!

2011-10-24T11:10:00.001-05:00

Graduate Reading, this Thursday, October 27th! At the Gage Gallery! Coffee and Cake at 5:00. Reading starts at 5:30!

WHAT A LINEUP!

Heather Cox. Published Poet, Founding Editor at Ghost Ocean Magazine, Chronic Hugger!

Adam Morgan. Fiction Writer, Published Author, Chronic Hiker!

Arielle Nelson. Published Poet, Full Time Working Machine, Chronic Creeper!

Kim Robbins Oclon. Fiction Writer, teacher, Chronic Smiler!

Lauren Stacks. Fiction Writer, Roosevelt Professor, Chronic Florist!

Watch in amazement as they read from their carefully constructed theses! Celebrate their hard work! And then show them the love they deserve! Check out more event details here!

Cox Published in Midwestern Gothic

2011-10-19T11:47:00.000-05:00

Heather "Million Dollar Smiles Machine" Cox

Roosevelt MFA Candidate, Poet, and Ghost Ocean Magazine Founding Editor, Heather Cox, can now be read in the latest Midwestern Gothic fall publication! Her poem, "This town is a photograph", lies in the coveted final slot in the journal and can be purchased here today!

The Midwest Done Right

Midwestern Gothic is a quarterly literary journal based out of Ann Arbor, Michigan, seeking work about or inspired by the midwest! They've published, along with Heather, the likes of Molly Gaudry, Aaron Burch, Roxane Gay, J.A. Tyler, and many more!

Red Lightbulbs: Online and Dangerous

Heather is coming off a string of big news! She has recently been published in Red Lightbulbs! Her poems, "Fire When Ready" and "What She Told Me From The Brigg" can be viewed here! Her literary magazine, Ghost Ocean Magazine, recently announced the winners for it's first Chapbook contest! And she is currently, probably at this very moment, hard at work on her thesis, and will be reading a selection at the Gage Gallery, with other Graduates, next Thursday! But more details on that later! For now, congratulate Heather on her publications! And give her a hug! She loves hugs!

The Student has become The Master!

2011-10-17T09:21:00.000-05:00

If you are a writer and the phrase "in these tough economic times" makes you want to wretch a little bit because it hits a bit too close to home, take note of these two Roosevelt MFA alums. Both are gainfully employed, sculpting young minds on topics as diverse as social justice and the function of the memoir in society. What dynamic center of learning would scoop up such desirable candidates? Why, Roosevelt University, of course!

Lauren Stacks and Alexander York, both recent graduates of the MFA program (Lauren graduated so recently that she'll be a part of our upcoming gradudate reading on October 27th. More info on that soon!), are currently teaching undergraduate classes at Roosevelt.

Lauren "oh, these? Given to me by adoring students" Stacks

Lauren is tackling two sections of English 102- The Function of the Memoir in Society. Lauren guides her students through critical assessments of several memoirs in order to strengthen their argument, research and analysis skills. She is also working as a writing tutor for graduate nursing students at North Park University.

Alexander "From Groupon to group work" York

Alexander York, meanwhile, is teaching LIBS 201- Writing Social Justice this semester. In addition to teaching, he works full time at Groupon, so feel free to try to hit him up for 50 percent discounts to your favorite restaurants.

Roosevelt's MFA program offers its students practical skills designed to lead to tangible, engaging careers. The program's Teaching Certificate component allows students to get the necessary pedagogical skills, and then get into a classroom in a leadership role while pursuing their graduate degree.

Congrats to both Lauren and Alexander for keepin' it in the family!

Tamale Hut Reading Series Provides Scares and Tamales

2011-10-12T11:43:00.003-05:00

Readings Should Always Have Tamales! And People Reading!

This Saturday, October 15th, celebrate Mid-Halloween (TM) right at the Tamale Hut Cafe! Their long-running reading series continues and promises scares (and Tamales) at their special Halloween Edition of the Tamale Hut Cafe Reading Series.

Kara Taylor, Double Mastering Scary Story Reading Machine

Reading will be current Roosevelt MA Candidate and Chicago State University MFA Candidate (double grad student - WHAT!) Kara Taylor. Her inspirations include Alice Sebold and Stephen King, so don't expect any happy endings!

Chris Hyatt, Award Winner for Best Director for the film, Eye of Cruelty Machine

Chris Hyatt, writer and director of two feature length films, Eye of Cruelty (International Festival of Horror 2004 winner for Best Director), and the upcoming, Bloody Baby, will also be reading! After their readings, there will be an open mic! So bring something to read! Something scary!!

The Tamale Hut Cafe Reading Series is a monthly event in North Riverside, IL, that was started four years ago by Jenny Seay, and is run by her and current Roosevelt MFA candidate, Bernard Cox. It offers a great opportunity for both established and emerging writers to come together in a supportive literary community! Come hear Kara and Chris read this Saturday, at 7:00, at 8300 W Cermak Road, North Riverside, IL 60402!

Give it a Pa-look-a!

2011-10-10T12:09:00.003-05:00

Jake "a writer to watch" Wrenn

Current MFA student Jake Wrenn's story "The Accidental Marathon" was published in the most recent issue of the literary journal Palooka! You can read an excerpt from the piece right here.

The journal's goal is to feature "writers and artists who are hungry and relevant, flying under the radar." In that case, expect to see an issue featuring entirely Roosevelt students at some point in the future.

Congrats, Jake!

Flash Fiction Contest at the Roosevelt Writing Center!

2011-10-07T10:33:00.002-05:00

Flash Fiction So Good That It's Scary!!!

The Roosevelt University's Writing Center is sponsoring their annual Flash Fiction Contest, and they're looking for YOUR work! Bring in your (500 max) word story to the Writing Center (Rm 650, Auditorium Building), or email them at writingcenter@roosevelt.edu! But be sure to include, in your entry, the following words: Corner, Bloodcurdling, Decrepit, Ghoulish, Enigma, Skull, Choke, Morbid, Hellish, Clown, Revolting, Potion, Ghastly, Grotesque, and, of course, Grandfather Clock! You can use any form/tense of these words, but you must use all of them!

The Deadline is Thursday, October 20th! The winning story will be published in the Writing Center Blog and the winner will not only receive a gift certificate to Barnes and Noble but will also read their story Tuesday, October 25th (Rm 650) at 5:00! Check out the Writing Center Blog for complete details! Last year the winner was MFA candidate Ukaisha Al-Amin! This year it could be YOU!

Beachy Interview in New City

2011-09-30T09:43:00.001-05:00

Kyle "The Beachy" Beachy

Have you checked out the latest issue of New City? Chicago's (free) news and arts weekly has an interview with tenure-tracked professor Kyle Beachy in their Lit section! Read as Rachel Sugar grills Kyle on his future projects, his daily writing routine, and things that he's excited about! He also talks about teaching at Roosevelt! Does he mention you? Who knows? I do! Because I read it! And it was great! Now you can read it too, online, right here!

New City is Chicago's only locally owned and operated cultural weekly, and has been around for more than 25 years! Have an art event that needs listing or an idea for a news story? Check out their guidelines here! But first check out their September 29th edition at your local newstand or newspaper vending machine!

From Poems to the Presses!

2011-09-23T11:54:00.004-05:00

Patrick "Uses the same pen for poems and news articles" Garret

Current MFA candidate Patrick Garret's reach as a writer extends far beyond his genre-focus of poetry. Patrick is also a regular contributor to The Roosevelt Torch, school's weekly newspaper. Thus far, Patrick has written extensively about on campus events (including a recent article about fiction teacher Kyle Beachy becoming a permanent addition the Creative Writing department), as well as both film and book reviews. Eventually he hopes to write long-form articles concerning social and economic inequality. You can read all of Patrick's contributions here.

Kolak Published in OVS Magazine

2011-09-21T08:35:00.000-05:00

Marynia "Experimental Writing is the Best Writing" Kolak

Recent Roosevelt MFA Graduate, former Graduate Assistant, and awesome non-fiction writing Gal Pal, Marynia Kolak, has been published in OVS Magazine! Her two poems, "En Leon" and "sensing the perfume of your fresh kill" are in their Summer 2011 issue, which you can order here!

OVS Summer 2011 Issue!

OVS was started in 2009 to give new and established artists and writers a place to publish their work in a respectable peer-critiqued journal. OVS is based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and publishes the very best in poetry and artwork! Marynia joins the ranks of writers like Sherman Alexie and Killarney Clary - who have poetry published in the very same issue (SERIOUSLY, order it here)!

Forthcoming for Marynia is another publication (What!), this time from Inertia Magazine. Her poem, "El Zopilote", will be published in the New York based online literary journal. They hope to seek out the best new talent! That is why her work will be included! Look for it soon!

Marynia is excited to have these major publications, and doubly excited because two of the poems came out of a story in her thesis. She could be triply excited if you congratulate her, and if subsequently asked about the story these poems sprang from, maybe she'll be quadruple enough excited to tell you about it! Who knows!

Dominic Smith Reads at Roosevelt This Monday!

2011-09-16T10:36:00.006-05:00

This coming Monday, as part of the Roosevelt MFA Fall Reading Series, author Dominic Smith will read from his newest novel, Bright and Distant Shores. In the book, Smith has created a fantastical historical world which brings readers from the heights of Chicago's first skyscrapers to a valiant nautical expedition in the South Seas. The books works the challenging topic of America's colonial legacy into an enthralling story filled with fascinating and diverse characters.

The Kirkus Review says of the book, "Written with extraordinary literary grace, Smith's third novel gleams as a gem of evocative historical fiction."

The reading will take place at the Gage Gallery on Monday, September 19th. At 4:30, prior to the reading, there will be refreshments and a chance to meet with Smith and discuss his work. The reading begins at 5 PM.

Sneed Reading at Riverview Tavern

2011-09-14T11:18:00.000-05:00

Christine "Reading is Fun" Sneed!

Roosevelt fiction professor, Christine Sneed, will be reading at Riverview Tavern this Friday, September 16th! Christine will be reading with poet Tyler Mills as part of the TriQuarterly Online Issue 140 Launch Party! Event starts at 7:00! Reading starts at 8:00! There will be additional readings from the editors of the magazine, free appetizers, a cash bar, and also a good time, had by all!

Riverview "Free Appetizers" Tavern!

You can find info and directions to Riverview Tavern right here! Or you could quickly Google Map the address: 1958 W. Roscoe St, Chicago, IL 60657.

Tri "Quarterly" Online!

TriQuarterly Online is Northwestern University's literary magazine, edited by the MFA/MA students in the program. Supervised by faculty, and distributed around the world, the magazine also makes good use of web publishing, using video and audio content as well as the written word! Check them out!

But first, one more bit of news on Christine!

Pen/"Very Big Deal"/O.Henry!

Her short story, "The First Wife", published in the Winter 2011 issue of New England Review, has been chosen for the 2012 Pen/O.Henry Prize Stories Anthology! Coming out in April 2012, she will be published with the likes of Yiyun Li and Salvatore Scibona, in one of the most renown and longest anthology series out there! Goodness! Be sure to congratulate Christine after she reads this Friday, and certainly after you eat the free curly fries and mozzarella sticks!

Morgan Hiking Book Published

2011-09-08T19:16:00.000-05:00

Here's something that happened this summer that you should know about! Recent Roosevelt MFA Grad, and former Graduate Assistant and Oyez Review Editor, Adam Morgan, recently had a book published by FalconGuides, in the Best Hikes Near series! Best Hikes Near Chicago details the best hikes within an hour's drive of the greater Chicago area!

Each featured hike includes hike specs, hiking descriptions, directional cues, and a detailed map! Find it at your bookstore today! And then go hiking! Adam Morgan is currently writing, editing, and reviewing in Chicago. He also has a comedy script in development at Fox!

Worried about balancing your writing with a full time job?

2011-09-03T15:15:00.006-05:00

Lori Rader Day, recent graduate of Roosevelt's MFA program has some advice for you! Lori wrote a guest post on the blog Writer With a Day Job, where she describes how she wrote a draft of a novel while having both a full time job and a teaching gig at her alma mater. Lori was prolific writer while attending Roosevelt, seeing her fiction published in the Southern Indiana Review and Time Out Chicago among many other places, and winning the Inaugural Good Housekeeping short story contest. However, she worried that once she returned to the responsibilities of a full-time job, she would not have enough time to continue writing. Lori worked to make sure that writing would stay a part of her life, and her advice on how she did is worth a read for anyone who worries about balancing a career with creative pursuits.

Lori Rader Day- Time Manager Extraordinaire

In addition to teaching, working, having a family, and writing a novel (phew!), Lori has her own blog where she talks about writing, reading, and her adorable dog.

Wondra Chapbook Has Bad Attitude!

2011-08-31T13:12:00.001-05:00

Janet Wondra, Roosevelt's Oyez, Non-fiction, and Poetry professor, has a new chapbook forthcoming from Finishing Line Press! Andrei Codrescu (author of Whatever Gets You Through the Night: A Story of Sheherezade) says that, with Bad Attitude, Wondra, "like all serious working poets, makes formidable weapons out of tough, small word-boats."

Ask Janet Where She Got The Cover!

Finishing Line Press is an award winning small press publisher. They are located in central Kentucky and have been publishing poets since 1998. Congratulate Janet when you see her in the hallway! Bad Attitude will begin shipping October 21st. You can preorder the book here!

Welcome Back!

2011-08-29T13:56:00.000-05:00

The 2011-2012 school year begins today for all of our wonderful MFAers! There are some exciting new additions to Roosevelt this year, so get excited for the coming Fall and Spring!

Kyle Beachy: Tenure Tracked Skateboarding Machine

Last year's Writer-in-Residence, Kyle Beachy has returned, fully secured in a tenure tracked position! He will be teaching Fiction I this Fall! If you haven't been in one of Kyle's classes yet, you are in for a treat! Besides many published short stories and essays, you can find his acclaimed novel, The Slide, at your bookstore today! And tomorrow too!

Kathleen Rooney: Non-Fiction Poet Writer-in-Residence Machine

Speaking of Writer-in-Residence, Roosevelt welcomes Kathleen Rooney to that very position! Kathleen participates in many Chicago literary events, has her own press, and has books in both poetry and non-fiction! She will be teaching a non-fiction class this fall and a poetry class in the spring!

Christine Sneed: Fiction Writing Grace Paley Prize Winning Machine

Teaching Fiction III/IV this year is award-winning writer Christine Sneed! Her novel, Portraits of a Few People I've Made Cry was awarded the Grace Paley Prize in Short Fiction at AWP in 2009! She also teaches at Depaul! And has a wonderful blog here!

Dominic Smith: Visiting Writer Gage Gallery Reading Machine

Mark your calenders! This September 19th, novelist Dominic Smith, will be our visiting writer at the Gage Gallery! You can read all about him on his website and welcome him as he reads some of his work and visits class! More details forthcoming!

More news and events to come! Keep up with this blog for updates! And send in your good news and publications! Get excited!

Orbesen Web Comic Online

2011-08-10T14:07:00.001-05:00

WAM! SMACK! Is that the sound of a new web comic? Yes, of course it is! "The Breakouts", a new web comic series written by MFA fiction candidate James Orbesen, is online! Created painstakingly with artist and collaborator, Thomas Bacon, this series dares to ask the question: what happens when the lowly henchmen, the backbone of super crime, says enough is enough? The series brings together a band of these outcasts, who decide to strike on their own - in the search for happiness and success in supervillian..ary.

(Art by Thomas Bacon)

Will they succeed? Check out "The Breakouts" every other week right here! POW! And be sure to like their Facebook page here for updates and sneak peeks! And congrats to James for smashing into the web comic landscape! CRACK!

Stachniak Poem Published in Word Riot

2011-08-01T15:12:00.000-05:00

Zander Stachniak, current MFA candidate in poetry, not only has the honor of having the second best name starting with "Z" (after Zoilo), but now has a poem published in Word Riot! Appropriately titled, "How to Survive a Hangover: Jeff Goldblum Describes How He Knows that Today is Going to be Worse than Yesterday", the poem uses intense literary language in the most concise space imaginable. Check it out here. See what people are talking about!

Word Riot is sort of a big deal. It's been around since 2002 and has published up-and-coming writers. They like edgy! They like challenging! They like unique voices! Luckily for them, Zander has been described as all of those things, in many different contexts. So it's a perfect fit! Zander is a co-assistant editor and copyeditor at Ghost Ocean Magazine. He also has work published in Future Cycle Poetry, The Driftwood Review, and The Medulla Review.

Nelson Published in Latest Burner Magazine

2011-07-20T14:48:00.002-05:00

Arielle Nelson, current poetry candidate in Roosevelt University's MFA program, is burning things up with her poetry! Don't worry, no one was harmed in the publication of her poem, "Robot Nanny", in the latest issue of Burner Magazine...YET. You can read it right here (It's issue 4, on page 92).

Arielle has had work previously published in Ghost Ocean Magazine and Pyrta. She was the Editor-in-Chief of Roosevelt's Oyez Review just this past year. She loves rats and creepy things. Her work could be a perfect fit with Burner Magazine, which states that Burner is about science, art, truth, conspiracies, naturalism, cyborgs, music, beauty, sex and everything in between. READ WITH CAUTION.

Markussen Poem Published in Painted Bride Quarterly

2011-07-12T11:46:00.001-05:00

Prairie Markussen, 2007 Roosevelt MFA Alum, has been keeping herself busy! Her poem, "From Blackstone Ave." is in the latest Painted Bride Quarterly! And another poem, "Even Means" is forthcoming in a Accents Publishing anthology! She already has publications in The Fiddlehead, Louisiana Literature, Epicenter, Rattle, and Painted Bride Quarterly. And she's doing this all while living and writing in Daegu, South Korea, where she teaches English to high school students!

Congratulate Prairie through electronic communication or if you happen to be in a Daegu market on a Sunday morning! And you can find "From Blackstone Ave." right here!

Strumecki Poem in Award Winning Anthology

2011-05-31T15:28:00.001-05:00

Touching: Poems of Love, Longing, and Desire, an anthology that features Roosevelt's Yvonne Strumecki's poem, Dream Girl, has won, not one, but two Indie Book Awards! Award Winner in the Anthology Category and Second Place Grand Prize Winner in Non-fiction books, the Next Generation Book Awards is open to independent authors and publishers worldwide! It is the largest not-for-profit book award program for Indie publishers! How cool is that?

You know what else is cool? The anthology itself. Midwest Book Review says, “Thoughtful with black and white photography scattered throughout to accentuate the feeling, Touching is an anthology that will inspire the senses and remind readers of the fire of humanity." Humanity is the best! Congratulate Yvonne when you see her and check out the book here!

End of the Year Reading at the Book Cellar!

2011-05-06T17:58:00.001-05:00

The school year is over! But before you have time to enjoy the summer air and summer sun and summer reading and summer writing, we have to say goodbye to the school year with style! That's right, it's time for the End of Year Reading!

May 7th, Saturday, 7:00 pm! The Book Cellar! Support your grad friends! Grab a drink! Look at books! Have fun!

Rogaczewski Reading at Chicago Durutti Skool

2011-05-04T15:08:00.001-05:00

This Friday, May 6th, the Durutti Skool and Red Rover Series will be presenting a reading with Michelle Taranksy and Roosevelt's Frank Rogaszewski. The reading concerns the role of poetry in addressing and engaging social awareness. Reading is from 7-9, at Outer Space Studio at 1474 N. Milwaukee Ave.

The reading series wishes to address poetry, social existence, Marxism, and Anarchism and poetry itself as a catalyst for social change! Series, important stuff! More info on this, and other Red Rover Series events can be found here. Support Frank, wonderful poetry, and social change all in one night!

New Website for Oyez Review

2011-05-02T15:09:00.001-05:00

Roosevelt's award-winning literary magazine, Oyez Review, just fresh off of releasing their latest annual issue, has just released a new website for your online enjoyment! Powered by Wordpress, and designed by Oyez Review's spring intern, Hilary Davis, this new site will easily navigate details about current issue, previous issues, how to order said issues, and submission guidelines (start submitting August 1st)!

Check out the beautiful new site here!

And check back for forthcoming updates!

RU MFA Graduate Reading This Tuesday

2011-04-25T09:08:00.000-05:00

It's sad, but it's true, they're leaving us! This Tuesday, join us in celebrating the work of Marynia Kolak, Katie Leimkuehler, and Brittany Turski at their Graduate Reading. With beautiful work in both Fiction and Nonfiction, the evening promises to be a literary event worth celebrating. The reading will be in the Gage Gallery (18 S Michigan Ave) at 5:30. Coffee and refreshments will be offered before the reading, so get there early to reserve your seat. We hate to see these talented women go, but we love to hear them read!

photo by the name is Josh

Kolak Thesis Nominated for Ostrowsky Award

2011-04-23T10:35:00.000-05:00

Maynia Kolak, one of the readers in the Graduate Reading this Tuesday, April 26th, at the Gage Gallery (doors open at 5), has had her thesis work nominated for the Samuel Ostrowsky Award, which is conferred each year on student work in Literature and Languages, History, Art History, Philosophy, and Women's and Gender Studies!

A faculty member has to be the one to nominate a student for this prestigious award, and all nominees will be honored along with the winners at the Honors and Awards Ceremony for the Departments of Literature and Languages, Art History, and Philosophy. The Award Committee is convening to select top honors, in the meantime, it being an honor just to be nominated, you should congratulate Marynia when you see her reading at the Graduate Reading this Tuesday - or maybe just wait for her to read first, it's rude to interrupt!

Villarruel Graduates With Outstanding Thesis

2011-04-21T19:05:00.001-05:00

Cecilia Villarruel is graduating Roosevelt's MFA program with a burst of excellence! This past Wednesday, at Research Day in Schaumburg, she was presented the Outstanding Thesis Award for Creative Work for her thesis, Sway, a book based on her experiences as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Africa. After giving kind words for Cecilia and her project, Scott Blackwood presented the auspicious award.

Because of her academic excellence,Cecilia will be carrying the College of Arts and Sciences banner at Graduation on April 30th, leading in all of the CAS graduate students! A great honor, no doubt, but the best part, says Cecilia, is that her parents will be able to spot her easily! Congratulations, Cecelia!

Christine Sneed to Teach Fiction this Fall

2011-04-19T15:17:00.000-05:00

Fresh off of the release of her highly acclaimed short story collection, Portraits of the Few People I've Made Cry, Christine Sneed will be teaching Fiction III/IV in the upcoming fall semester at Roosevelt's MFA program.

Portraits of a Few People I've Made Cry has won numerous awards, including The Grace Paley Prize in Short Fiction (an AWP Award Series) in 2009 and has been nominated by the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in the first fiction category. Christine has had fiction, essays, and poetry published in such journals as New England Review, Ploughshares, Glimmer Train, Other Voices, among many others, and has even had a short story published in Best American Short Stories.

She currently teaches courses at DePaul University and University of New Orleans' low residency MFA program. She blogs about the hardships and joy of writing at Ploughshares Literary Magazine's website, which you can read here!

Undergraduate Reading Gives Us a Peek...Into the FUTURE

2011-04-17T13:11:00.000-05:00

Do you sometimes wonder what the FUTURE holds for humanity? Will we live in a giant bio domes? Travel in flying cars? Will we look onto a sky with two gleaming suns?

Will we love?

Will we know what love is?

Also: what type of writers will there be?

We can answer at least two of these questions, this Monday, April 18th, at 3:00pm. Come to Rm 811 in the Auditorium Building and be amazed by the talented undergraduate creative writers who will someday blossom and change the writing world...forever! The Future will be awesome!

Rogaczewski to Read at Tamale Hut Reading Series

2011-04-14T10:17:00.001-05:00

Frank Rogaczewski, poet and professor at Roosevelt, will be reading this Saturday, April 16th, at the Tamale Hut Cafe Reading Series. The reading starts at 7:00 and will then open up to questions and an open mic opportunity!

The Tamale Hut Cafe Reading Series is a monthly event in North Riverside, IL, that was started four years ago by Jenny Seay, and is run by her and current Roosevelt MFA candidate, Bernard Cox. It offers a great opportunity for both established and emerging writers to come together in a supportive literary community! Come hear Frank read this Saturday, at 7:00, at 8300 W Cermak Road, North Riverside, IL 60402!

John Dufresne closes out Reading Series

2011-04-10T14:23:00.000-05:00

Join us Monday April 11th in the Gage Gallery for the last RU reading series of the semester. Roosevelt welcomes John Dufresne, the author of the novels Louisiana Power and Light, Deep in the Shade of Paradise, and Requiem, Mass., as well as the short story collections, The Way That Water Enters Stone and Johnny Too Bad. He also has two guides to writing fiction, The Lie that Tells a Truth and, most recently, Is Life Like This?

Dufresne will be reading at 5:00 as well as signing your books and answering questions. Don't be shy! Come buy early and sip coffee and eat cookies with us before hand! 18 S Michigan Avenue!

photo from John Dufresne

Stahl to Infuse Awesomeness Into Your Personal Statement

2011-04-07T22:20:00.000-05:00

Esley Stahl, MFA Creative Non-Fiction Candidate and Queen of Awesome, will be hosting a Personal Statement Workshop in the Roosevelt University Writing Center this coming Tuesday, April 12th, and Wednesday, April 13th. The center is at the Auditorium Building, Rm 650, and will start at 3:00 pm.

Worried that you have nothing to write about yourself? Worried that you haven't tussled with enough rattlesnakes or climbed enough volcanoes? Esley says, "Don't worry!" Because this workshop, open to all students, will teach you how to write a compelling and strong personal statement and find the awesomeness in your everyday life!

Stop by next Tuesday or Wednesday, with a pen, some paper, and your own unique and personal story!

2011-12 Writer-in-Residence: Kathleen Rooney

2011-04-05T21:24:00.001-05:00

Roosevelt is proud to welcome poet and non-fiction writer, Kathleen Rooney, as the Writer-in-Residence for the 2011-12 school year! Kathleen will be teaching a Creative Non-fiction workshop in the fall and a Poetry workshop in the spring.

Kathleen Rooney has written the poetry books Oneiromance, and, with Elisa Gilbert, That Tiny Voluptuosness, as well as the non-fiction books, For You, For You I Am Trilling These Songs and Live Nude Girl. Her limited edition chapbook, After Robinson Has Gone, was recently released by Graying Ghost Press. She is an active participant at the Chicago Poetry Brothel, and countless literary events and readings in (and outside of) Chicago, and is even a founding editor at Rose Metal Press. Goodness! If that wasn't enough, she's teaching English and Creative Writing at DePaul University too!

The prolific Kathleen Rooney will be a welcome addition to the Roosevelt MFA program and it's excited students!

Graduate Reading!

2011-04-01T10:00:00.000-05:00

Spring 2011 Graduate Reading

Tuesday April 26th 5:30 p.m.

Gage Gallery

GOSH!

Save the Date! Come out and hear our lovely graduates read their work.

Beachy says Please Read

2011-03-30T22:34:00.002-05:00

What do our professors do when they aren't at schools? Do they, like our second grade art teachers, live in the supply closet? How does new faculty member, Kyle Beachy, spend his time?

Well, as it turns out, when Beachy is not in class, and when he is not wildly marking student manuscripts with clever comments, or going over each weeks reading assignment for a third time, or writing short stories and essays, and when he is not answering the phone calls of acceptance that these stories and essays engender, or polishing his glasses, or praising his dog, Beachy is reading.

Recently, Beachy read The Pale King by David Foster Wallace. His impassioned review of this Little, Brown & Company novel can be found online at St. Louis Magazine. Read the review now, and then add the novel to your summer reading list! If Beachy can do it, so can you!

image by haldhovedgaard

Reading Series Welcomes Kim Dana Kupperman, March 29th

2011-03-28T00:30:00.003-05:00

This coming Tuesday, the Roosevelt Reading Series welcomes Kim Dana Kupperman, author of the critically acclaimed collection of essays, I JUST LATELY STARTED BUYING WINGS, from Graywolf Press. This powerful collection has received the 2009 Katherine Bakeless Nason Prize in Nonficion from the Bread Loaf Writer's Conference. Kim is the founder of Welcome Table Press, which dedicates itself to publish and celebrate the essay and all of it's forms. She also is the current managing editor of The Gettysburg Review and teaches nonfiction at Fairfield University. Her writing has appeared in Alaska Quarterly, Fourth Genre, Baltimore Review, Best American Essays 2006, and many, many more publications.

Come on by, Tuesday, March 29th! Coffee and conversation will commence at 4:30, and the reading itself will begin at 5:00. Say hello to friends and some great literary nonfiction, and goodbye to March as it flies away, on wings, perhaps, perhaps not.

Strumecki and York to read at ACM Salon

2011-03-27T18:04:00.001-05:00

Current Roosevelt MFA student, Yvonne Strumecki, and recent alum, Alexander York, will be reading at Another Chicago Magazine's April Fool's Day Salon this Friday, April 1st! Alexander has a poem published in ACM's Chicago issue, 50.1, along with a large variety of Chicago writers. Yvonne's poem will be published in the second part of ACM's Chicago extravaganza, coming soon!

Joining them at the salon will be the likes of Patrick Culliton, Jen Moore, and Ryan Kenealy. There will be free drinks and cookies and fun and a $10 suggested donation. Doors open at 8:00 and the event starts at 9:00!

The crowd will be capped at 80 peeps, so RSVP now at: editors@anotherchicagomagazine.net

And check out the Facebook event page for more details! Don't be a fool this April Fool's Day! Instead, come to ACM's April Fool's Day Salon!

Save the Date!

2011-03-26T13:18:00.000-05:00

Holy Guacamole! The end of the semester is in sight! Sight is also one of the five senses, which all good writers should use to spice up their work. Spice up the end of your semester by attending the End of the Semester Reading at 7 p.m. on Saturday May 7th. Roosevelt students will share their work and enjoy the lovely ambience of the Book Cellar.

Don't worry, you won't have to wait that long for a literary buffet for your hungry ears...Roosevelt's Graduate Reading will be announced very soon! Stay tuned!

picture by scanna283

Oyez Review's Last Reading of the Spring Semester at Women and Children First

2011-03-24T10:05:00.001-05:00

The editors of Oyez Review are having their final reading of the semester, tomorrow, March 25th, at the historic Women and Children First Bookstore! Roosevelt MFA student, Cecillia Villarruel, published in the latest issue of Oyez, will be reading fiction and non-fiction! Editors from the magazine will be reading their favorite selections! People will be smiling. It will be wonderful.

This is your last chance to hear some great selections from the Spring 2011 issue, or, as the editors have affectionately called it, issue #38! That's this Friday, March 25th, at 7:00 pm.

Women and Children First can be found at 5233 N. Clark Street, in Andersonville.

Beachy to Read at Tamale Hut Reading Series

2011-03-17T09:29:00.002-05:00

Kyle Beachy, having recently accepted the tenure tracked Assistant Professor position here at Roosevelt, will be reading this Saturday, March 19th, at the Tamale Hut Cafe Reading Series. The reading, which starts at 7pm, will be followed with time for questions and an open mic opportunity!

This reading series, nestled in the suburbs, offers a great opportunity for both established and emerging writers to come together in a supportive literary community. Come hear our new Assistant Professor and celebrate his new position at 8300 W Cermak Road, North Riverside, IL 60402!

Hooray for Kyle Beachy!

2011-03-15T14:50:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to Kyle Beachy, who has been awarded the new tenure track position at Roosevelt's MFA program. Beachy has been a great addition to the fiction team this past year, and we are so excited to see him stay on. It's like we've borrowed a book from the library, and then Harold Washington himself tells us just to keep it!

To read some of Beachy's work, check out PANK magazine, which has recently published his short story "Everett Pike, Nearly." You can also let Beachy read this story to you at PANK's website. Hooray for Beachy, for this publication, and for the many wonderful ways you will enhance the MFA program in the years to come!

Casual Reading Opportunity at Brando's Speakeasy: Back From Spring Break Edition!

2011-03-11T17:50:00.005-06:00

Get the word out! Right out of Spring Break and not far from the End of the Semester Readings, why not recharge this Monday with the next Casual Reading Opportunity at Brando's Speakeasy! The popular reading series, started by Roosevelt MFAer Mark Alexander, invites Roosevelt students, guests, friends, and future friends together to read their work in a casual, low key, friendly environment!

Bring you poetry, fiction, non-fiction, grab a seat, then a drink, speak with the great staff at Brando's, support your friends, then read some of your work!

This is a great opportunity to flex your reading muscles while having a great time! Check it out this Monday, March 14th, 8:00 pm! WORD.

Villarruel's Short Story Published in Pyrta

2011-03-08T10:23:00.003-06:00

Cecilia Villarruel's short story, 50 Cent Accomplishments, has been published in the spring issue of Pyrta. Pyrta is an online literary journal that aims to be a vibrant multicultural space. They are based in Meghalaya, India. Meghalaya means The Abode of Clouds.

Cecilla has had work published in our very own Oyez Review, as well as CAF Review and Gallery 37's anthologies, Alchemy and Paper Atrium, but this is the first online magazine she's submitted to and her work has already been accepted! Amazing! Appropriately enough, she will be travelling through India this summer and working there in the fall, and could very well find herself in Meghalaya, walking in the clouds.

Check out her story, today, now, here: http://www.pyrtajournal.com/

Hooray for Spring Break

2011-03-04T09:18:00.000-06:00

Hooray! It's Spring Break! Do something crazy! You're a fiction writer? WRITE A POEM! You haven't submitted your work to anywhere awesome DO IT (there's tons of listings at that link)! Take this time to revise that piece you've been thinking about on your L commute and submishmash it up. Of course there are tons of fun things to do during Spring Break, like jump off a cliff into a warm beach, but no matter where you are, don't let your writing NOT be one of them. Happy Break!

Reading Series welcomes Jericho Brown, March 1st

2011-02-26T13:20:00.001-06:00

This Tuesday the Roosevelt Reading Series welcomes acclaimed poet Jericho Brown. Brown worked as the speechwriter for the Mayor of New Orleans before receiving his PhD in Creative Writing and Literature from the University of Houston. The recipient of the Whiting Writers Award and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Radcliffe Institute at Harvard University, the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, and the Krakow Poetry Seminar in Poland, Brown is an Assistant Professor at the University of San Diego. His first book of poetry, PLEASE, won the American Book Award.

Stop by the Gage Gallery on Tuesday March 1st. Coffee and conversation will begin at 4:30 and the reading will begin at 5:00. With Brown and the RU Reading Series, you can welcome March in like a line of poetry, not a lion.

Oyez Review Book Cellar Reading

2011-02-24T10:28:00.002-06:00

Issue #38 of Oyez Review is coming to the Book Cellar! Is there a better way to celebrate then having a reading?

No. There is not.

In that case, this Friday, February 25th, at 7:00, come to the beautiful, independent, Book Cellar. You will be able to meet Carol K. Howell, whose work is printed proudly within the pages of Roosevelt's award winning literary magazine and who will also be reading. There will also be readings by the editors of their favorite stories and poems from the issue. The cafe selection is plentiful. Get coffee, get wine. The staff is friendly and will smile at you. And there will be books, and the shiny new Oyez Review #38 for you to purchase and hold forever!

That's this Friday, February 25th, at the Book Cellar, 7:00 pm sharp. 4736 N. Lincoln Ave.

Kolak's Article Published in Newsletter

2011-02-22T15:27:00.002-06:00

MFA student, Marynia Kolak, is keeping busy! She has been published in the February edition of the Illinois Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers newsletter. She is the leading co-writer of this article about the Canchias Agricultural Bridge Project for Engineers Without Borders! Not only that, but Marynia has been volunteering for this project as an EWB member for the past two years. She even designed the website for the project, and writes copy for website/marketing materials, and the blog.

Check out the article here!

http://www.isasce.org/web/Newsletters/2011/WD/Feb_2011.pdf

Check out the website for this worthwhile project at: http://ewbcanchias.org/

And then sign up for updates on the blog and follow their twitter at @ewbcanchias! And after you do all of that, give Marynia a big hug for all of her inspiring, amazing work!

Gail Lukasik's Literary Mystery to be Published!

2011-02-19T14:01:00.001-06:00

Congratulations to RU Faculty member Gail Lukasik, whose literary mystery,The Lost Artist, was accepted for publication by Five Star/Cengage. This stand-alone mystery with a Chicago protagonist and an Illinois setting will hit the shelves in May of 2012.

The novel tells the story of Rose Caffrey, a struggling Chicago performance artist. Caffrey uncovers four nineteenth century murals in an old southern Illinois farmhouse, her quest to discover the unknown artist unearths buried crimes and secrets going back over four hundred years with the potential to transform American history—if she can escape the fate of the other lost artists before her.

Sounds like a page turner! Is it 2012 yet?

Blackwood to Read at Tamale Hut Reading Series

2011-02-16T08:29:00.001-06:00

MFA director Scott Blackwood will be reading this coming Saturday, February 19th at The Tamale Hut Cafe reading series. The reading, which starts at 7pm, will be followed by time for questions and an open mic opportunity. This suburban reading series offers a great opportunity for established and emerging writers to come together in a supportive literary community. Come hear our director and enjoy some well steeped words at 8300 W Cermak Road, North Riverside IL 60402.

Casual Reading Opportunity at Brando's Speakeasy: Valentine's Day Edition!

2011-02-13T10:36:00.000-06:00

Why spend Valentine's Day at a fancy restaurant or watching Love Actually AGAIN? This Monday, you can show some real love at the next edition of Casual Reading Opportunity at Brando's Speakeasy! This popular reading series, started by Roosevelt's very own, Mark Alexander, brings Roosevelt students, guests, friends, and strangers together to read their work in a casual, low key, and friendly environment!

Bring your poetry, your fiction, your non-fiction, but, most importantly, bring some love - to the written word! It's done so much for you already!

Come early and grab a seat, grab a drink, and say hello to the wonderful people at Brando's. Make this Valentine's Day one to remember! Starts at 8:30, right on February 14th!

Beachy's Essay in The Collagist

2011-02-10T08:59:00.002-06:00

Kyle Beachy, Roosevelt's current writer-in-residence, and author of the the acclaimed novel, The Slide, has a new essay on the Collagist, Dzanc's online literature site. The Extent of Our Decline confronts the future of the novel in the age of the IPad, terror, and low attention spans.

Here is an excerpt:

"Today's poets strike me as heroic, standing as they do among the enlightened creators who know well to expect nary a dime for their art. Perhaps a dime. There's little space for illusion inside the pursuit of poetry, and the work, for better or worse, is created by and large free the burden of potential jackpot."

It will be published in the forthcoming The Late American Novel: Writers on the Future of Books this March from Soft Skull Press, but you can read it today and be a better person for it!

Roosevelt Students Hired as Teaching Interns

2011-02-08T15:14:00.001-06:00

Tovah Burstein, Bernard M. Cox, and Brittany Turski have been hired as part of the Community of Lake County’s Graduate Student Internship Program for spring semester 2011.

CLC’s program hires MA and MFA students as Intern Adjuncts to work with professors of English or Humanities. The Graduate Student Internship Program at CLC hopes to expose future faculty to a diverse, population of learners; and prepare Graduate students as future instructors with the aid of a teaching mentor.

Burstein is working with Professor Amanda Cash in her English 121 Composition I class. Cox is working with Professor Martin Ley in his English 243 Introduction to Fiction class. Turski is working with Professor Jennifer Staben in her English 108 Strategic Reading and Writing class. Undoubtedly, all will come away from this semester with new skills and ideas for life after Roosevelt.

picture by athena

Bruce Machart at RU 2/7

2011-02-06T07:04:00.001-06:00

Right off the heels of AWP, the excitement keeps coming! Highly acclaimed writer, Bruce Machart, whose debut novel, The Wake of Forgiveness, will be reading from his work, at 5pm, this Monday (February 7th), 18 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago. Coffee and treats and nice conversation will be at 4:30!

Bruce Machart's fiction has been published in some of the country's biggest literary magazines, including Zoetrope: All-Story, Story, One Story, Five Points, and Glimmer Train! He has a short story collection, called Men in the Making, coming out this year from HMH.

The Wake of Forgiveness has been described by author and editor, Hannah Tinti, as such: “In The Wake of Forgiveness, Bruce Machart tells a story of fathers and sons that stretches wide across the Texas landscape, leaving behind its own beautiful wake of remembrance, inheritance, and the unbreakable bonds of family.”

Great blurb, Hannah! We are so excited to have Bruce here! Be excited to and join us this Monday!

Check us out at AWP Booth 116!!

2011-02-03T17:12:00.000-06:00

AWP DC BOOTH #116

Lots of Info, shwag,

fun people to talk to,

magazines, merriment!!

A Warning Pertaining to the Weather

2011-01-31T23:06:00.000-06:00

Dear Weather,

It has been so lovely getting to know the Chicago side of you. I love the variety of four distinct seasons and the endless ways you inform my daily dialogue. I loved each walk along the lake, the crunch of falling leaves, the sprinkled layer of salt, all of it is just so nice.

But you know what is NOT nice? Thirty mile an hour wind is not nice. Lake Shore Drive under water is not nice. Impending storms and severe weather from Sheboygan to Oklahoma City IS NOT NICE!

So listen close, weather, DO NOT flex your muscles this Wednesday. The Roosevelt MFA program, MUST get to DC and the AWP conference. And if you get in the way of that plan, well we will just write terrible demonizing creative nonfiction portraits of you. Be afraid. They will all be published.

Warmest Regards,
RUMFA
Look for us at Booth #116! AWP or bust!

Oyez Review Inaugural Reading

2011-01-26T23:11:00.001-06:00

Issue 38 of the Oyez Review is here, it's sexy, and it's going to be read out loud. The MFA program's award winning literary journal will make its debut on Monday January 31st at Roosevelt's Gage Gallery. Doors open at 4:30, so you can get there and ogle the fantastic artwork of Thomas Jackson. The reading starts at 5:00. There are rumors of a mysterious zebra girl, who is she? Come to the reading and find out!

That's January 31st at the Gage Gallery, 18 S Michigan Ave. Be there and hear the beautiful words of the Oyez Review.

Roosevelt Hiring a New Tenure Track

2011-01-20T15:42:00.000-06:00

The MFA program is so excited to hire a new tenure track professor! One look at this blog will tell you that the program is growing strong and beautiful. Our students are so involved in the publishing world and the Chicago writing scene, that any professor really needs to come ready for action. It will be great to add another teacher, writer and mentor to this thriving community.

In the next few weeks, candidates will be visiting Roosevelt to meet faculty and students. Each candidate will give a small presentation that students are encouraged to attend. Keep an eye on your student email for more information on candidate visits.

photo by Nalini Prasanna

Cox Poem to be Made into a Limited Edition Postcard!

2011-01-13T11:07:00.000-06:00

For MFA student Heather Cox, things keep getting better! Sure, she's going to be published in Pear Noir's upcoming winter issue, which has had the likes of Tao Lin, Lydia Davis, and Blake Butler in their pages! Sure, it's going to five - yes - FIVE of her poems in the issue! But now comes word that one of her poems, "How Quickly a Man Evaporates", has been selected to be one of just two that will be made into a limited edition postcard (read about it here)! A part of the PN! Postcard Series, Pear Noir will provide two limited edition singles with the first fifty copies of Pear Noir! Congrats, Heather!

Preorder it today before the issue and the limited edition postcards quickly EVAPORATE!

Welcoming the two new grad assistants!

2011-01-11T13:39:00.002-06:00

It's the beginning of the spring semester at Roosevelt. That means a new grad assistant... and this year, two new GAs!

Tim Moore has been named the new grad assistant in the Creative Writing program, assisting director Scott Blackwood and lead GA Tovah Burstein. Moore is a fiction writer recently published in Nap, and was awarded the Friends of American Writers scholarship last November. He has a screenwriting background, is a sought-after tutor at the Roosevelt University Writing Center, and can be found at any MFA reading event, rain or shine.

Heather Cox has been named the first-ever grad assistant of the Department of Literature and Languages, assisting department chair Bonnie Gunzenhauser. Cox worked as the departmental administrative assistant last fall and is an impassioned, active participant in all things MFA. She was a leader in Serif and kicked off Ghost Ocean Magazine. Her poetry has been recently published in Pear Noir (including a postcard series), technicolor Magazine, Psychic Meatloaf, and Pyrta.

Congrats to you both !

photo by Heather Cox

Back To School

2011-01-09T22:24:00.000-06:00

On some days, you might wake up and say to yourself: "I have a case of the Mondays." And you might be well within reason to say that, especially if it is a Monday. But this Monday will not be one of those days. This Monday you might wake up and, like a case of oldstyle, crisp and refreshed, you will be ready for school! Just as old style is easy on your wallet, our education will of course be worth so much more than the tuition we paid for it.

Or, you might wake up and feel like the case of Benjamin Button, curious about your professors. Who will they be? What will I write this semester? Will I eat dinner before my evening class or will I starve 'til I get home at 9:30? How can anyone guess? It's only the first day!

Then you might be one to feel like a bookcase. The reading at Brando's is Monday and you've been writing all of break and what ever will you read when there's so many to choose from. Or you might feel like a headcase, or a staircase, step by step, but please not in case of emergency. It's only the start of the semester and we don't want it to get too dramatic too quickly.

Moore's "The Ghost" published in Nap

2011-01-06T10:03:00.001-06:00

Congratulations to MFA candidate Timothy Moore, whose short story "The Ghost" appears in the debut issue of Nap literary magazine. Nap is a quarterly fiction and poetry magazine that will appear online and on kindle. You can catch a glimpse of "The Ghost" online through Nap's website. Tim's work promises to thrill, since Nap seeks writing that is sensory, crisp, detailed, odd, humorous, serious, emotional, visual, dense, charming, imaginative, absurd, animated and experimental. Doesn't sound like something I'd be able to take a nap after!

Casual Reading Opportunity at Brando's Speakeasy: Back to School Edition!

2011-01-03T17:48:00.001-06:00

Classes aren't the only things starting back up January 10th! That Monday at 8:30, get ready for the return of the Casual Reading Opportunity at Brando's Speakeasy! The popular reading series, started by Roosevelt's own Mark Alexander, gives Roosevelt students, guests, and friends a chance to read their work in a casual, low-key, and, most importantly, friendly environment!

Bring your poetry, your fiction, your non-fiction, bring YOURSELF. Meet up with your Roosevelt buddies and make new friends! Share your crazy holiday adventures! Try to come early so you can grab a seat, grab a drink, and say hello to the wonderful people at Brando's! You won't be sorry! Starts at 8:30, right on January 10th!

Start the New Year off right!

Get to Know Your MFA Blog!

2010-12-22T22:24:00.000-06:00

Over your winter holiday, take some time to get to know the RU MFA Blog! The blog can be a great resource for information. Are you wondering about what requirements you need to take this Spring to graduate on time? Check out the Handbook link! Want to learn more about a Professor? Check the Faculty pages!

The RU MFA blog is also a great tool for aspiring authors. Find out about contests and calls for submission on our Submissions listings. Or perhaps you want to get out there and hear what others are writing? Check out our Up Coming events.

And, for the facebook loving soul, The blog is a great social network! Check out the Student Page! These are real people who could really be your friends, well... most of them. Read through old Archived articles to see all the awesome stuff these hep cats are doing! You might even find more on the blog than we knew existed. Quantum blogging. Who knows what other dimensions of RU MFA exist!

Stachniak's Poems to Reappear in Future Cycle

2010-12-17T08:40:00.000-06:00

In the Spring of 2010, MFA student Alexander Stachniak planted a little seed of poetry and now those poems will blossom in print! In March, three of Stachniak's poems were published in Future Cycle Poetry, an online literary journal which looks for high-voltage writing. In 2011, those poems will be in Future Cycle's annual print issue. Stachniak's work will reappear alongside the poems of Gerald Yelle, a contributing author of Roosevelt's own Oyez Review. We are excited to see more work from both poets. Stachniak's "New Year's Eve, at the Store," "For Reasons Unknown," and "We Come Home Blackened" are available for your perusing today on the journal's website.

Nelson's Poems to Appear in Pyrta

2010-12-14T16:56:00.001-06:00

MFA Candidate Arielle Nelson has three poems appearing in the Winter issue of Pyrta. Nelson's work is often haunting and always delightful, which will fit perfectly in this online journal. Pyrta aims to be a vibrant, multi-cultural space and receives submissions from all over the world. The issue arrives on a computer screen near you on December, 15th.

Nelson will be reading in the Chicago area December 16th for Roosevelt's End of the Semester Reading. Take a sneak peek at her poems tomorrow and then come here her, yes even meet her, at the Book Cellar the next day.

End of the Semester Reading

2010-12-11T16:54:00.001-06:00

The semester is over! Feel joy, feel relief, feel nostalgic, feel sadness, come feel all of these feelings at The End of Semester Reading! Students, faculty and friends will gather at the Book Cellar in Lincoln Square to hear MFA students share their work. Doors open at 6:30pm and the reading will begin at 7:00.

photo by insomnia

Jenna cleans Literary Laundry

2010-12-09T15:23:00.005-06:00

MFA Student Jenna Tackett recently joined the editorial board of Literary Laundry. Tackett will be their Assistant Editor of Prose and Poetry. The magazine publishes work online twice a year, as well as quarterly reviews of new poetry and prose collections. They also put together one print edition a year, called The Laundry, which features the best of their published pieces throughout the course of that year. Jenna wanted to remind us that Literary Laundry also awards cash prizes to the best from the three genres (poetry, prose, and drama). Sounds like an opportunity for more Roosevelt students to look in to! Well done, Jenna! We look forward to reading Literary Laundry!

Shoot for Winter Writing Contests!

2010-12-07T14:04:00.004-06:00

Hooray! You're finished with finals. No more assignments due for a blissful month. Whatever will you do with your time? Stretch those fingers, folks because now is the perfect time to get your writing out there. Submit! Not to a teacher, not to the man, but to literary publications and contests everywhere!

Our friend and fellow MFA student, Ryan Norris, clued us into this website. This writing contest blog is devoted to information about writing contests, special submission themes, writing residents, and other great opportunities. Many Roosevelt MFAers have had success getting published, winning all sorts of contest, and getting recognized for the great work they do during the year. Shouldn't you be one of them?

My dad's advice for hockey tryouts was always "the way to get a goal, is to shoot!" Ready, writers? Aim...fire!

photo by JSmith Photo

Reading at Brando's Speakeasy

2010-12-02T08:30:00.004-06:00

They may call it a speakeasy, but it's not easy! Reading takes practice. Is that a hard G? a soft G? What is a long A anyway? But seriously, reading your own stuff out loud to an angry mob can be a little nerve wracking. Well, it's not an angry mob, they are actually really nice people who are interested in what you have to share and love hearing new work. STILL...I sometimes get nervous. Which is why Reading at Brando's Speakeasy is a must!

Bring your new (or old) poetry, flash fiction, non-fiction, or a excerpt from a longer piece. The event usually begins around 9pm, but get there early to get a good seat, a drink, and chat with our excellent friends at Brando's. Readings are fun and low key and a great way to share your stuff and see what else is out there. This event will be our last at Brando's for the season, but stay tuned to hear about the Book Cellar on December 16th and all our Awesome events in 2011.

photo courtesy of Oblong

Beachy concludes Fall Reading Series

2010-11-30T12:01:00.009-06:00

Novelist Kyle Beachy, author of The Slide and Roosevelt's current writer-in-residence, will read selections from his novel and short stories at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, December 1st at the Gage Gallery to close up the Fall 2010 Roosevelt Reading Series. A discussion on the aesthetics and craft of fiction will follow. As always, coffee and cookies will be served at 4:30 p.m.

Here's what one review from the Chicago Trib said of Beachy's novel and writing style:

Beachy writes with quiet force about innocence and corruption, about how even something as transparent as water can be a source of deception. In sizzling dialogue, madcap action and striking soliloquies, Beachy grapples with the toxicity of ambivalence and the complexities of inheritance, grief and the failure to communicate as his brooding young hero begins to discern what it means to be a man.

You are encouraged to check out Kyle's website (kylebeachy.com) to thumb through more of his writing, info, etc. Copies of The Slide will be available for purchase and signing at the reading.

Make it! It's the last Reading Series event of the year!

Faculty Lukasik's novel to be published!

2010-11-28T10:52:00.005-06:00

Gail Lukasik is an adjunct faculty member teaching ENG 153 this semester. Lukasik is in her second semester of teaching creative writing at Roosevelt.

Her mystery/suspense novel, Death's Door, was accepted for publication by Harlequin's Suspense book club program. This is the second book in Lukasik's four-part seasonal mystery series set in Door County, Wisconsin, featuring former Chicagoan, Leigh Girard. Kirkus Reviews described Death's Door as "fast-paced and literate, with a strong protagonist and a puzzle that keeps you guessing."

Congrats!

Fall Break and Some Friendly Advice

2010-11-18T15:28:00.004-06:00

For the first time, Roosevelt MFA students get an entire week off for fall break. Writers-in-action are jet-setting across the country to join friends and family for Thanksgiving meals, from Washington State to New Hampshire. Several of us are also staying in Chicago, pulling out tall boots and reconstructed cowls to combat temperatures finally dipping below 40 degrees.

But before you give way to the final days of fall, consider attending a talk by David Friendly this Friday. The formal journalist and media veteran will discuss his career switch from journalism to show business and the life lessons he learned along the way.

The producer of more than 20 movies, he is best known for “Little Miss Sunshine,” a Sundance Film Festival favorite and Academy Award winner that a number of studio executives initially turned down.

The lecture, “HELP! Strategies for Career Survival in a World Where the Only Constant Is Change,” will take place at 4 p.m. in the McCormick Tribune Center Forum, 1870 Campus Drive, Evanston campus.

Heather Sellers at RU 11/17

2010-11-16T09:28:00.004-06:00

Here's one more thing to be thankful for before Thanksgiving break: Heather Sellers! Sellers, author of the new, critically acclaimed memoir, You Don’t Look Like Anyone I Know, will read from her work, which chronicles a dysfunctional childhood and her rare neurological disorder, prosopagnosia, or face blindness , at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 17 at Roosevelt University, 18 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago. As always, coffee and cookies will be served at 4:30 p.m.

“I remember she came into the class and told us right away that every time she sees a face it’s as if she’s seeing it for the first time. She only knew me by my long blond hair,” said Roosevelt University Creative Writing Program student Lauren Stacks, an aspiring novelist, poet and short-story writer whose idea it was to bring Sellers to Roosevelt University as part of this year’s Creative Writing Program reading series.

Sellers, whose struggle has been featured by the New York Times, NBC Today, ABC’s Good Morning America, People Magazine, Time and other national outlets. Her memoir is also a November pick for Oprah Winfrey’s Book Club. Get to the Gage before Oprah's Book Club does, or there wont be any good cookies left!

Moore wins The Friends of American Writers Scholarship

2010-11-14T20:38:00.005-06:00

MFA student Timothy Moore has been honored by The Friends of American Writers with a $1,000 Scholarship. This is Moore's first award as a writer and he is so happy about it. When several people asked him, he was reported to say "I'm happy!" and we are happy for him!

The FAW is an organization that promotes American Literature and upholds high standards and encourages litarary ideals in American writers. They loved Moore's short story, "This is What it Means to be Displaced". This Chicago based organization is happy to support an incoming Roosevelt student each fall.

Check out Moore's new student bio on our student page! If you're nice to him, he might even let you read his story!

Casual Reading at Brando's Speak Easy

2010-11-10T11:21:00.006-06:00

Roosevelt's Mark Alexander has organized another Casual Reading at Brando's Speak Easy. Just blocks away from Roosevelt, it's the perfect stop to unwind after your Monday night class. Bring your poetry, fiction, non-fiction, or hard-to-pin-down writing and share it with us.

Last reading featured some great work by Roosevelt students as well as a few guest appearances. It's a great way to get your work out there and meet other hep-cats. The fun starts at 9:00. See you there!

Happy Course Registration Time!

2010-11-09T12:51:00.006-06:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Like picking out Channuka gifts or registering your wedding at an academic Crate&Barrel, course registration is all about dreaming big. Will you take night classes? will you have two workshops and a literature course? Will your teacher assign movies to watch outside of class? Will they use blackboard or Norton Anthologies? Will there be potential new facebook friends sitting next to you? The possibilities are endless.

So close your eyes and make a wish and all your courses will come true...wait that's not how we do it anymore. Sign up for an advising session with Scott or Janet to discuss your plan and get your registration code. Then come hang out and chat about what classes you signed up for at RU's next Reading Series event: Heather Seller's Nov 17th.

Image by Mykl Roventine.

MFA Graduate Reading

2010-11-04T13:44:00.003-05:00

Next week, on True Life: I'm an MFA Graduate. On Monday November 8th, Dustin Flickinger, Alexander York, and Gilberto Zamora will share their stories (and poems). Trust us, you don't want to miss this (they're good).

The reading will be held in the Gage Gallery at 5pm, with coffee and conversation at 4:30pm. There have been rumors of cake, but you'll only know for sure if you tune in (and show up) at 18 S Michigan to see for yourself. Come support Roosevelt's magnificent graduates.

Support RUMFA student Heather Cox as she spreads the good word(s)!

2010-11-01T09:34:00.006-05:00

Forget being a full time student, Heather Cox is also the founder and editor-in-chief of Ghost Ocean Magazine. This online literary magazine publishes writing that is clever, surprising, engaging and downright fun to read. Today marks the launch of Issue 2, which features poetry from Susan Slaviero, flash fiction from Cee Martinez, an interview with Chicago independent press Featherproof's Christian Tebordo, and two micro reviews of Featherproof's Patrick Somerville's short story collection The Universe in Miniature in Miniature. Feast your eyes!

Want to get involved? Ghost Ocean is launching a Kickstarter campaign to help them get to the 2011 AWP Conference in Washington, D.C.. Donations will be used to obtain a book fair table--where they will hand out lots of Ghost Ocean goodies, and have the magazine available for browsing. Pledges of $5 and up will all be met with fun, creative rewards! The Kickstarter is open for donations until 1:00 AM on December 1st.

Check out Issue 2, donate some of that pocket change, and look for Ghost Ocean and other Roosevelt affiliated writing at AWP 2011.

Heather Sellers has been Oprahed!

2010-10-30T15:00:00.009-05:00

Heather Sellers' memoir You don't look like anyone I know has been honored in Oprah's book club for the month of November! Get excited to see her at Roosevelt Nov 17th. Coffee and conversation starts at 4:30 in the Gage Gallery. You'd be crazy not to come.

Here are just a few links to Sellers' numerous appearances on NBC Today,

ABC's Good Morning American, People Magazine, Poets & Writers. Snack on these until she's here with us in person!