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Summer Residency
Workshops, seminars and readings to enhance your MFA experience.
Summer residencies are integral parts of the MFA experience. The 14-day residency is held on the campus of Ashland University and features a rigorous schedule of workshops, seminars, and readings. The 2012 Summer Residency will be held Saturday, July 28 through Saturday, August 11. The residency begins with a program dinner on Saturday, July 28. The final Saturday is a travel day.
A typical summer residency day begins with workshops in the morning followed by a catered lunch. Students and faculty then gather for an afternoon craft seminar led by a faculty mentor or a visiting writer. Thesis defenses and readings are scheduled for mid-afternoon. Participants take a break in the late afternoon and gather again for a catered dinner. Evening readings by distinguished visiting writers and faculty mentors are presented in the evenings. After-hours student open mics and musical performances are scheduled throughout the two weeks.
View the tentative summer residency program here.
Writing Workshops
Summer workshops are split into two sessions: Session I is spent working with the mentor with whom students will study in the fall. In Session II, students work with a second mentor, often of their choosing. Workshops are intimate and rigorous, taught by one faculty member. No more than five students are assigned to work with a faculty mentor at a time.
Visiting Writers
Visiting writers slated for 2012 are:
A First Books Panel will take place during the residency featuring John Foy, Mark Neely, Bonnie J. Rough, and Jerald Walker.
Dan Lehman, Ashland University faculty member, will serve as one of the creative nonfiction editors. John Foy will serve as one of the visiting editors in poetry, and Deborah Fleming, Ashland University faculty member, will be the other poetry editor.
Each visiting writer presents a craft seminar and reading of his/her work. Additionally, craft seminars and readings are presented by MFA faculty. Past readings and craft seminars by faculty and visiting writers are available on video through this site.
Meals and Housing
Students are housed on campus in air-conditioned apartments. Air-conditioned dorm rooms are available for those who prefer a single room.
While optional, shared meals with other MFA students, faculty, staff, and visiting writers are an important part of building community in the MFA Program. MFA faculty, staff and visiting writers dine with MFA students during lunch and dinner. Details about room and board, including amenities, costs, etc., can be found on the Room and Board page.
2012 Summer Residency Program