Then What………..What Can You Do With Your Degree in Creative Writing?

 

UMF Creative Writing grads have done lots of exciting things with their degrees—worked in radio, public relations, teaching, journalism, editing, and gone on for MFAs and other advanced degrees. Here is a list of graduates in the BFA program who have provided contact information so you can ask them for advice about graduate school and jobs covering four different areas. Feel free to contact them. The BFA alums list is followed by six web sites that will connect you to jobs for graduates from writing programs.

Alums who have attended graduate schools

Hailey (Santoro) Kehrli, 2001. hsantoro@mhs.sad59.k12.me.us. Accepted (2008) into Stonecoast, Maine’s low residency MFA program.

Valerie Suffron, 2003. vsuffron@kent.edu. Enrolled (2008) in NEOMFA program through Kent State University in Ohio for an MFA in poetry.

Cynthia Ravinski, 2005. cynthia.ravinski@gmail.com. Seton Hill University's MA in Writing Popular Fiction program with a focus on Fantasy Fiction.

Mina Mathews, 2001.araminta.star@gmail.com. MFA in Creative Writing from National University in La Jolla, California in 2007.  Currently (2008) works as a freelance writer and as an adjunct instructor of College Writing and Literature at various universities and colleges throughout Maine.

David DiSarro, 2003. drdisarro@bsu.edu. Enrolled (2008) at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana working toward a Ph.D. in Rhetoric & Composition.

Peter Biello, 2006. peterbiello@yahoo.com. MFA in fiction writing, University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Went on to work as a radio journalist for NPR. Here is one of Peter’s radio features. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93478109

Kate Russell, 2005.  katie.russell@gmail.com MFA in fiction writing, University of Indiana Bloomington

Rachel Ingrid Robbins, 2003. rachelingrid@yahoo.com  MFA in fiction writing, Stonecoast (USM).

James Ryan, 2002. crocodilepencil@gmail.com  MA of Theological Studies, Boston University.

Mark Rice, 2006. mark.r.rice@gmail.com  MFA in Poetry (New York University.

Bernadette Rice, 2006. bernadette.james@maine.edu  MFA in Fiction, Chatham College.

Cynthia Woodworth, 2006. cynthia.woodworth@maine.edu  MFA in Fiction, Chatham College.

Jason MacLeod. jmmacleod@gmail.com.  MFA in Poetry, University of Montana.

 

Alums with supplementary credentials in teaching

Linda Lawson, 1996. llawson123@hotmail.com. MA in secondary English education, City College of New York, 2004.

Rachel Rand McDivit, 2002. europa_olp@yahoo.com. Teacher certification for secondary education physical science, 2003.

 

Alums with teaching positions, past and present

Mina Mathews, 2001.araminta.star@gmail.com. (see above)

Sarah Seveney, 2006. sasafras70@hotmail.com. Completed one-year teaching contract at an ESL school in Korea and is currently (2008) living in Madrid, Spain. 

Rachel Ingrid Robbins (contact info above)  Currently teaching English at Winslow High School

Melissa Falcon, 1997. marlyspruce@hotmail.com. Has held teaching positions at both the high school and college level, including teaching assistantships in graduate school.

Linda Lawson, 1996 (contact info above). Currently teaches high school English in the Bronx, NYC.

Denise Simard, 1994. dmsimard@stmary's-ca.edu. Currently an adjunct professor of English at St. Mary's College of California.

Brendon Vayo, 200. hungry_writer@hotmail.com Held a high-school teaching position (without official certification), 2001-2002.

 

Alums with positions in editing and publishing, past and present

Jennifer Baum, 2005.  jbaum@downeast.com.  Currently Editorial Assistant at DownEast magazine. 

Jan Watson-Hein, 1995.  janwatson88@hotmail.com .  Formerly an Editor at Harcourt Brace, New York.

Julianne LaMay, 1997. (contact info above).  Currently writes marketing copywriting for a law firm in the Boston area.

Rachel Sasseen, 2003. Rachel.sasseen@yahoo.com.  Currently assistant copyeditor in the proofreading department of Penny Press.

Mike Boardman, 1995. mike@mikeboardman.com. Founder and CEO of Boardman Mitchelle Partners, a California firm specializing in writing projects of all kinds.

Lisa Howard, 1995. enjoywriting@hotmail.com. Currently a writer/editor for an educational supply company

Linda Lawson, 1996 (contact info above). Has worked on editing and publishing tasks for a variety of firms in the Boston area.
                                                                                           
Rachel Rand McDivit, 2002 (contact info above). Currently a proofreader at Northeast Publishing.

Deb Showalter, 1998. dschow51@yahoo.com.Has worked as a textbook editor for J. Weston Welch, Publisher, and with Lyceum Communications as a researcher and editor.

Holly Williams, 1995. cyberworksweb@yahoo.com.Currently Publications Coordinator at the University of Maine, Orono.

 

Alums with positions in journalism, past and present

Peter Biello, 2003. peterbiello@yahoo.com. MFA in fiction writing, University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Works with National Public Radio affiliate doing radio essays and reporting.

Darcie Moore, 2003. DarcieMoore@TimesRecord.com.  Works as a reporter at
The Times Record, New Brunswick. ME.

Michele Cooper, 1992. mcooper@centralmaine.com. Currently a staff writer for the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel.
                                                                                                                                               
Shanna McNair, 2002. smcnair@villagesoup.com. Currently a staff writer on arts and culture for the Village Soup Times, online and print.

Faith Sargent, 2003. hobbitfeet10@hotmail.com. Currently a reporter for the Newport Daily Express.

Lindsay Tice, 1998.  LINZI@65DIALUP.COM. Has served in the news business as assistant editor, news assistant and education reporter.
                                                                                                                                                    

Alums with experience in librarianship

Holly Williams, 1995. cyberworksweb@yahoo.com. Has been employed as a catalogue librarian at the University of Southern    Mississippi and as assistant director of the Blue Hill Public Library.

 

Alums in other writing-related employment

Jim Doucette, 2006. doucbrother@yahoo.com. Employed (2008) at the Bread Loaf School of English on the outskirts of Middlebury, VT.

 

Alums in graphic design and other arts

Ben Tracy, 1998. benjamin.tracy@gmail.com. Graphic designer at Hamilton Marine in Searsport, Maine.

Internet sites featuring jobs for writers

www.Inserttexthere.com. "Word stuff for word people." Links for writing jobs in all fields throughout the US.

www.writerswrite.com/jobs/. Jobs in journalism, media, publishing and technical writing.
 
www.journalismnext.com/search.cfm. Searches for jobs in radio, television, newspapers, magazines, public relations.

www.journalismjobs.com. Mostly journalism jobs; also has a large internship section with opportunities both paid and unpaid throughout the US.

www.writerfind.com/freelancejobs/. Lists freelance and telecommuting jobs for writers world-wide.

www.freelancewriting.com/fjb.html. Freelance job bank, contract work.

 

Other Internet sites for Writers:
Readings, open-mics and performances:
UMF Events: https://ecampus.umf.maine.edu/common/events/index.php
Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance Events: http://www.mainewriters.org/Programs/Readings/Listing.html
Portland Press Herald Events Listing: http://calendar.mainetoday.com
Colby College (Waterville):http://www.colby.edu/news
Bates College (Lewiston): http://www.bates.edu/x31996.xml
USM (Portland): http://www.usm.maine.edu/mcr/events
 Bowdoin College (Brunswick):http://www.bowdoin.edu/news/events
 UMaine Augusta: http://www.uma.edu/EventsCal.htm
 Gulf of Maine Books (Brunswick): http://gulfofmainebooks.blogspot.com/
 Devaney, Doak & Garrett Booksellers (Farmington) http://www.ddgbooks.com/
 Farmington Public Library: http://www.farmington.lib.me.us/
 The Daily Bulldog: http://www.dailybulldog.com/

Writers Speaking Out:
http://www.poetsagainstthewar.org/. POETS AGAINST THE WAR
http://www.splitthisrock.org/. SPLIT THIS ROCK. A festival of the poetry of resistance and witness.

Journals and E-zines:
http://www.zeroland.co.nz/art_ezines.html A comprehensive list of e-zines and journals.
http://www.ninthletter.com/ THE NINTH LETTER ("I"). A journal of Creative Nonfiction.
http://www.poetrymagazine.org/  POETRY MAGAZINE
http://www.thecafereview.com/ CAFE REVIEW. A local print journal out of Portland, ME..
http://www.newenglandfiction.com/ NEW ENGLAND FICTION. A print journal.
http://www.creativenonfiction.org/ CREATIVE NONFICTION. A print journal for CNF.
http://www.creativenonfiction.org/brevity/ BREVITY. An on-line journal of brief nonfiction.
http://www.ashland.edu/riverteeth/index2.htm RIVERTEETH. A print journal for nonfiction
http://www.versedaily.org/ VERSE DAILY. An on-line poetry anthology.

Book Reviews and Reviewing:
http://www.bookcritics.org/ NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE. An imporant site about book reviews and reviewing.
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/books/review/index.html The NYT Book Review is a great way to find out about what is being published and join the conversation!

Organizations that Support Writers:
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/. THE POETRY FOUNDATION
http://www.aroomofherown.org/. A ROOM OF HER OWN. A foundation that supports women writers and their writing.
http://www.lambdaliterary.org/. LAMBDA LITERARY FOUNDATION. A foundation dedicated to promoting and supporting GLBT writing and writers.
http://www.queerwriters.com/. QUEER WRITERS.COM. Another organization that supports and promotes GLBt writers and writing.
http://www.mainewriters.org The Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance
http://www.pw.org  Poet's and Writer's magazine
http://www.awpwriter.org/ The Associated Writing Programs Chronicle. As a member of the BFA program, you can use this site and the numerous resources that the AWP provides.

Guides to Workshops, Residencies, Etc.
http://writing.shawguides.com A guide to workshops, conferences and retreats

Places that Offer Classes and Workshops
http://www.haystack-mtn.org  Haystack Mountain School of Crafts (including writing)