https://commons.gc.cuny.edu/members/jedwardrice/activity/ Activity feed for John Rice. Sat, 01 Jan 2050 18:00:18 -0500 https://buddypress.org/?v= en 30 hourly 2 8c84a39d0ed3d7fd3356d95c9661f65a https://qcenglish.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=11245 Wed, 08 Jul 2026 19:58:15 -0400 Alumni Publication: Time Under Tension by Jimmie Shields

]]> c0d6d3b08a17f634fa1e10a98d3b6253 https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=3181 Mon, 18 May 2026 18:55:48 -0400 The Queens Review Launch Party Thursday, May 21 | 6:30 pmThe Queensboro 80-02 Northern BlvdJackson Heights, NY 11372 We are happy to announce that The Queens Review is having its Spring 2026 launch party on Thursday, May 21, and you’re all invited! The launch party will take place at The Queensboro starting at 6:30 PM. This year, we received close to 190 submissions, from which we are publishing 52 wonderful writers and artists. In addition to our usual poetry, nonfiction, translation, fiction, and art sections, we also added a “Young Voices” category highlighting the work of 4 amazing High School students.  Come have a drink or snacks, talk to fellow MFA folks, and if you’re interested, learn more about joining TQR next year from our amazing editing staff (s/o to y’all)! We’ll be selling copies of our Spring issue and hopefully having some of our writers read their work.  See the attached poster for more details! Hope to see your wonderful faces there.  Kind […] “The Queens Review Launch Party”

]]> 84a85d74526a52da98bb8a224586cfdc https://qcenglish.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=11211 Wed, 29 Apr 2026 20:21:42 -0400 Read the Latest Issue of English Matters! Every year, the English Department gathers all the information about what our faculty, students, and alumni have done over the past year […]

]]> 0932f174cb0fc3c30020ffbc12d9407c https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=3161 Tue, 21 Apr 2026 22:14:48 -0400 Lianna Lazaros – NYS Summer Writers Institute This just in– MFA candidate Lianna Lazaros has earned a scholarship to the New York State Writers Institute. The residency includes small workshops and one-on-one meetings with award-winning writers in residence; this year, Lianna will get a chance to work directly with poets Megan Fernandes and Elisa Gonzalez. Phil Lopate with students at the Summer Writers Institute, photo by Ashley Rutland. Since 1987, the Summer Writers Institute has offered students the opportunity to learn from an extraordinary faculty of distinguished writers in a supportive environment. The program, directed by Robert Boyers and Adam Braver, is an offshoot of the New York State Writers Institute on the Skidmore College campus in beautiful Saratoga Springs, New York. […] “Lianna Lazaros – NYS Summer Writers Institute”

]]> df6bd50e038e2992f26a966cf010c92b https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=3151 Thu, 16 Apr 2026 18:49:19 -0400 Jason Tougaw – Grief, Storytelling, and Identity Our very own program director, Jason Tougaw, has a new article in his regular column for Psychology Today, about the revolutionary grief of Lynn Breedlove’s new album. Screenshot The album,  Why I Like Dead Guys, is a series of elegies about those how have passed from Breedlove’s life, including his father and step-mother, who were murdered by his step-brother. Jason Tougaw tracks how these songs aren’t bogged down in pure sadness but tap into larger creative storytelling. As Tougaw puts it: “Tragedy becomes the background for a song cycle focused on the emotional intricacy of relationships. Anger and resentment are part of the story, but so are love, admiration, and wily humor.” Most of us have lost people. Those of us who have, know how heavy that weight feels. Maybe this album, and Jason’s article, are for us–why not sta […] “Jason Tougaw – Grief, Storytelling, and Identity”

]]> 9ed0b56c694ebe40f04c67e7082ff06d https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=3147 Wed, 15 Apr 2026 19:49:17 -0400 Vanessa Pérez-Rosario – Poets and Scholars to Know This Poetry Month In what is a short list, the CUNY Graduate Center is shining a light on our own Professor Vanessa Pérez-Rosario this month in their article “Poets and Scholars to Know This Poetry Month.” Professor Pérez-Rosario is working on the first comprehensive bilingual, English-Spanish collection of the poetry, essays, and letters of writer and activist Julia de Burgos, for which she has been awarded a research grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Congratulations to Vanessa! And please read the full article on the Graduate Center’s News p […] “Vanessa Pérez-Rosario – Poets and Scholars to Know This Poetry Month”

]]> 3646adf3a890d74f4b9f56b0b18c46af https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=3141 Wed, 15 Apr 2026 19:14:21 -0400 A Reading and Celebration of the Chapbook by Birdhouse Prize winner, Sonia Arora May 4, Monday, 7 pmRosenthal Library, Room 300iMoved to a larger room by popular demand! FREE Save the date for our last Writers at Queens event this spring: A celebration of MFA alum Sonia Arora’s chapbook, winner of the 2025 Birdhouse Prize from Ghostbird Press. Sonia will read from Rewinding the Home and the World and be in conversation with Subhra Prakash.  The event will be held at 7pm, Monday May 4, in Rosenthal Library, Tannenbaum Room, 300i. Ghostbird Press is a wonderful chapbook press founded by MFA alum Peter Vanderberg, and the Birdhouse Prize is offered each year to an MFA alum.   Come celebrate our M […] “A Reading and Celebration of the Chapbook by Birdhouse Prize winner, Sonia Arora”

]]> db77fe9a296a5cb672df7eb80174c1a0 https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=3133 Wed, 15 Apr 2026 18:32:30 -0400 4/29 – An Impromtu Reading by Ricardo Maldonado Wednesday, April 29 | 12:30-1:30Klapper Hall, Room 710FREE Earlier in the semester, Distinguished Professor Kimiko Hahn wanted to have a guest writer come speak to her undergraduate poetry workshop. Instead of keeping that reading small, however, she’s decided to open those doors to everyone! If you’re on campus on April 29th, come through to hear Ricardo Alberto Maldonado read from his award-winning poetry and translation work! Ricardo Alberto Maldonado was born and raised in Puerto Rico. A graduate of Tufts and Columbia University’s School of the Arts, he is the author of The Life Assignment (Four Way Books, 2020), a finalist for the Poetry Society of America’s Norma Farber First Book Award, one of Remezcla’s Best Books by Latine or Latin American Authors, and Silver Medalist for the Juan Felipe Herrera Best Poetry Book Award. He is also the translator of Dinapiera Di Donato’s Colaterales/Collateral (National Poetry Series / Akashic Books, 2013) and coeditor of Puerto Rico en mi corazón (Anomalous Press, 2019), a bilingual anthology that raised funds for grassroots recovery efforts in Puert […] “4/29 – An Impromtu Reading by Ricardo Maldonado”

]]> 5e786574a3a51c90e726bf8096efeeeb https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=3111 Mon, 16 Mar 2026 18:08:14 -0400 3/23 – (UPDATED) On Collective Translation: Languages as Mirrors, with Amara Lakhous Monday, March 23, 4-6 pmZoom Our own Ammiel Alcalay will be in conversation with novelist Amara Lakhous about the process of translating his latest novel, The Fertility of Evil, with Drs. Stefania Porcelli (Italian) and Noran Mohamed (French) at Hunter College. If you’re free, then hop on to Zoom: Topic: On Collective Translating: Languages as Mirrors. Discussion with Amara Lakhous Time: Mar 23, 2026 04:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85222997202?pwd=Gp5cWRkTFiUKDSA9nAagsbyLzjzyc7.1Meeting ID: 852 2299 7202Passcode: 041308—One tap mobile+16465588656,,85222997202#,,,,*041308# US […] “3/23 – (UPDATED) On Collective Translation: Languages as Mirrors, with Amara Lakhous”

]]> 13b9575b803e2b6a8a5ef37edc17d159 https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=3107 Thu, 12 Mar 2026 18:53:58 -0400 Tejas Desai Reads – April 15 Wednesday, April 15 at 7PMWORD, 126 Franklin StBrooklyn, NY 11222, USA MFA alum Tejas Desai will be releasing Part II of his groundbreaking pandemic novel with stories, Bad Americans, with a spectacular book launch at WORD Bookstore in Brooklyn. He will read from this new book and be in conversation with William J. McGee, author of Half the Child and Attention All Passengers. Published in two Parts, Bad Americans is a pioneering literary work–“a timeless masterpiece” that” tells the human tragedy of the pandemic era like never before.” Set during the 2020 Covid outbreak, mainly in New York City, the book presents the heartbreaking and hilarious stories of 12 diverse Americans quarantining at a mansion in the Hamptons run by an eccentric billionaire. Part Boccaccio, part Reality TV in prose, part satire and part tearjerker, the book is one of the most original and relevant fictional opuses of the decade. Books will be available for signing and sale after the Q&A. Tejas Desai is the author of the bestselling international crime trilogy The Brotherhood Chronicle (2018-2020), which has won 17 literary honors and has been acclaimed as “awe-inspiring,” “breathtaking,” “riveting” and “a must read that will keep you guessing.” His panoramic portrait of American society, The Human Tragedy, includes the award-winning Good Americans (2013), which was praised by Kirkus Reviews as “a solid collection of rare caliber” that “speaks volumes about the human condition and modern life in America,” and the multiple award-winning, groundbreaking pandemic novel with short stories Bad Americans, lauded by Publishers Weekly as a “powerful rendering of the human experience uniting a divided America,” and as a “timeless masterpiece” by Bestsellers World. The founder of The New Wei Literary Arts Collective & Movement, he has been profiled by numerous publications including HuffPost, Buzzfeed and The London Post. He attended Wesleyan University, University of Oxford and holds two Masters degrees, including a MFA in Creative Writing, from CUNY-Queens College. He was born, lives and writes in New York City, where he works as a supervising librarian for Queens Public Library. William J. McGee was born in New York City and received an MFA in Fiction from Columbia University. Among other pursuits, he teaches undergraduate and graduate Creative Writing; represents air travelers as a competition and consumer advocate for a Washington, DC-based nonprofit; and is an award-winning investigative journalist and columnist. McGee is the former Editor-in-Chief of Consumer Reports Travel Letter and also worked in airline flight operations management and served in the US Air Force Auxiliary. He is the author of Attention All Passengers, a nonfiction exposé of the airline industry published by HarperCollins, and is developing AirFear, a scripted television drama. McGee lives on Long Island, where he is a member of a boxing club, and is–of course–at work on another novel. He is al […] “Tejas Desai Reads – April 15”

]]> eae815dda7521d00a364574e8ab2fa76 https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=3091 Tue, 03 Mar 2026 19:43:12 -0500 John Mistretta Finalist for the Witness Literary AwardsThis just in: MFA student John Mistretta was named as a finalist for the 2026 Witness Literary Award in Nonfiction. Although they only publish the winner of the award, being shortlisted for an award is a great honor! Here’s the official announcement from the magazine: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Witness Magazine (@witnessmag) Founded by Peter Stine in Detroit in 1987, Witness is best known for showcasing work that defines its historical moment; special issues have focused on political oppression, religion, the natural world, crime, aging, civil rights, love, ethnic America, and exile. For more […] “John Mistretta Finalist for the Witness Literary Awards”

]]> 0322c3313bb18c9f25e9d574d7701bac https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=3057 Tue, 03 Feb 2026 21:57:49 -0500 New Book By Nicole Cooley! We’re very excited today to see the official announcement for Nicole Cooley’s new book of poetry, Trash, from Alice James Books. We don’t have a lot of information on the book yet, except that it revolves around grief, existential anxiety, and the things we throw away. As the editor of Alice James Books, Carey Salerno puts it: “The book is so intensely atmospheric. The landscape is drenched in emotion, while the syntax and structure of the poems is meticulous and crisp. Within are lamentations, isolations, a speaker reflecting on what we’ve taken and take for granted, her/our grief and loss, the mourning of the death of her mother, and mothering, helplessness, disillusionment…. We find instead of existential musings which trigger anxiety, the poet grounds herself in cataloging, in naming, in what is concrete and visible around her.” Founded as a feminist press, Alice James Books is committed to collaborating with literary artists of excellence whose voices have been historically marginalized by producing, promoting, and distributing their work, which often engages the public on important social issues. Alice James provides a platform from which to elevate exceptional literary artists and is dedicated to helping its writers achieve purposeful engagement with broad audiences and communities nationwide. Which is exactly why they are proud to have Nicole Cooley among their best and most urgent voices. To see what all our faculty are up to, check out our Faculty page, or keep a lookout for this blog! […] “New Book By Nicole Cooley!”

]]> a631996fe96bb964e5dbc8f520c5571a https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=3053 Mon, 02 Feb 2026 21:26:51 -0500 “Seeing Beyond What I Lost" – Jonathan Rubinov for The Glaucoma Foundation MFA student Jonathan Rubinov has a very heartfelt essay up on The Glaucoma Foundation website. The piece explores them losing their sight and what they gained by engaging the community around them. As they put it in their essay, “Seeing Beyond What I Lost, A Vision Faded — Then Emerged:” “I am feeling less like an outsider. Before, I felt like the only fish in the pond, but now I socialize with people who know the kinds of emotions I have been keeping inside for so many years now.” Jonathan’s thesis project delves into his experience as a high school student with visual impairment, and how schools were not prepared to offer him the technology or understanding he needed as a developing mind. The Glaucoma Foundation is a national nonprofit dedicated to advancing glaucoma research. They also empower patients through outreach and education. ( Clearly, Jonathan is doing […] ““Seeing Beyond What I Lost” – Jonathan Rubinov for The Glaucoma Foundation”

]]> 6173d6c7d19ac18e6908ebe3277e913c https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=3047 Mon, 02 Feb 2026 19:31:05 -0500 The Launch of The Cavalier – 2/6 February 6th | 7:30pmBlack Spring Books672 Driggs Ave. This Friday is the official Brooklyn launch of The Cavalier, which was translated by our own alum, Jonathan Larson. To celebrate, the author, Natalie Quintane, will be here from France to read in both English and French–that’s a recipe for a book launch that’s not to be missed! The Cavalier revisits an education scandal from 1968 in a small French town, where a high school philosophy teacher is fired for “corrupting the youth.” Quintane excavates this moment for reexamination, not just as an award-winning poet and writer, but also as a current high school teacher living in […] “The Launch of The Cavalier – 2/6”

]]> 9a29de96ac872db8dc5f3f07abb82cc0 https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=3043 Fri, 30 Jan 2026 21:49:56 -0500 Muldoon’s Picnic: Harold Schechter, Kimiko Hahn, and The Edna Project – Feb 25 Feb 25 | 7:30 PMButtenwieser Hall at The Arnhold Center92NY$30 in-person/$25 streaming Muldoon’s Picnic is back with another lively evening of words, music, and inspired literary mischief, hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon. This edition brings us readings from Harold Schechter — the acclaimed true crime writer behind 50 States of Murder: An Atlas of American Crime and Killer Colt — and Kimiko Hahn, one of America’s most inventive and influential poets, reading from her acclaimed collection The Ghost Forest: New and Selected Poems. The evening features music from Liz Queler and Seth Farber of The Edna Project, whose genre-defying songs move fluidly between folk and poetry, setting the lyric genius of Edna St. Vincent Millay to transcendent melodies. As always, Muldoon’s Picnic thrives on the pleasure of unexpected combinations: music beside murder mysteries, lyricism alongside laughter, and artists meeting one another — and the audience — in real time. Join us for a festive ev […] “Muldoon’s Picnic: Harold Schechter, Kimiko Hahn, and The Edna Project – Feb 25”

]]> eaab35f78c25cc82ca1a239b04aba56e https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=3029 Tue, 27 Jan 2026 21:30:03 -0500 Brainstorm – 1/30 Fr […] “Brainstorm – 1/30”

]]> 6837d8db357cf0180cf556c09bf15908 https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=3015 Tue, 20 Jan 2026 22:24:32 -0500 MFA Open House – 2/4 Doing your MFA is both a commitment to your writing and a big risk. What if you choose the wrong program, and there’s no one who knows the kind of writing you do, and you’re trapped in a small town you hate, and you wind up in a huge amount of debt??? We’re here to help you chase your writing dreams. Just a few of our current MFA students chasing their dreams at the recent Hudson Valley Writers Center’s emerging writers showcase. We are an MFA Program that values community, encourages risks in craft, and promotes crossing boundaries through imagination and language. Situated in one of the most diverse communities in the world, we at the Queens College MFA Program in Creative Writing & Literary Translation play seriously with language. Small classes and conferences make for individually-guided work. Cross-genre classwork can make translation as much a metaphor for exploring one’s craft as it is a unique opportunity to learn. We offer financial aid and professional opportunities, including internships, residencies, publication awards,  and staff positions on our literary magazine, The Queens Review. Not only do we offer some of the lowest tuition of any MFA program in the country, but we were also able to give every student we accepted last year a significant amount of financial aid. That’s one less thing to worry about as you settle into one of the most diverse parts of one of the greatest cities in the world! Want to learn more? Register here for our virtual Open House, or visit our website […] “MFA Open House – 2/4”

]]> 219e5a9303259acbe13aa8edd6c6bb18 https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=2991 Mon, 12 Jan 2026 19:58:56 -0500 Senia Hardwick on Writer's Block MFA alum Senia Hardwick has a piece on the ‘How To Poet’ section of the Poetry Society of New York website entitled “How to Unblock Writer’s (Poet’s) Block: A Three-Step Guide.” It tackles the hardest part of being a writer–revision–and starts with an exercise from our own faculty member Nicole Cooley, which just goes to show you that you learn so much about your craft when you do your MFA at QC. The things you learn here you take with you and grow on as you develop your own work, just as Senia has done here with this very practical craft piece! Take a read if you’re feeling stuck, or just want to support a fel […] “Senia Hardwick on Writer’s Block”

]]> 588e3802923ab6ad1bf3c85af5ff3cbd https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=2985 Fri, 02 Jan 2026 22:24:50 -0500 Brainstorm – Translation Edition – 1/30 Friday, January 30 | 7pmPete’s Candy Store709 Lorimer StreetBrooklyn, NY Brainstorm, the brainchild reading series by MFA students here at QC, is hosting a special translators’ reading on Friday, January 30 at the legendary Pete’s Candy Store in Brooklyn. Translation is one of things that makes our MFA program truly unique–other graduate programs might offer a single elective class in it, but Queens College is one of the only MFAs with a dedicated translation track of study–so you know we have some incredible translators to bring to the stage! Come through and see this lineup: Annmarie Drury Francesca Hyatt Richard Prins Rebecca Suzuki Plus, we always have open mic time after our headliners, so if you want to try out your own work or ask these translators […] “Brainstorm – Translation Edition – 1/30”

]]> 10698bcc195727120850f0a51a723363 https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=2977 Tue, 23 Dec 2025 21:18:31 -0500 John Weir has an Epiphany […] “John Weir has an Epiphany”

]]> 1b27475166dcfa60cee7b3742099ff38 https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=2945 Thu, 18 Dec 2025 22:30:58 -0500 Reading & Translating On Plants and Animals – 12/19 Friday, Dec. 19 | 8 pmMolasses Books770 Hart St. | Brooklyn, NY Join translator Sean Manning at this book launch for one the most celebrated poets writing in Spanish today, for the English language publication of Ida Vitale’s On Plants and Animals from Point Zero Press, which was co-founded by MFA student David Iaconangelo. Manning will read from Vitale’s work and talk about his work on the book. Afterward, artist Mónica Palma will perform a piece inspired by Vitale’s latest collection. Come listen, watch, and linger by the bar, or frolick among the shelves at Molasses Books! About the Book: On Plants and Animals mingles personal and literary anecdotes over sixty short essays, arranging them like compartments in her own herbarium-bestiary-library. Nothing escapes the gaze of Ida Vitale–this compendium includes entries such as a dancing bean (sliced open by a contentious surrealist) and the variations of toad songs to the loss of a […] “Reading & Translating On Plants and Animals – 12/19”

]]> 0b41f79ee19383b4b60a7efbabac3ae3 https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=2925 Thu, 18 Dec 2025 21:57:04 -0500 Jason Tougaw – Award for Excellence in Mentoring and Teaching Our own Program Director, Jason Tougaw, has won the Graduate Center’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring and Teaching! This is an award that recognizes professors’ “deep commitment to teaching and mentoring CUNY Graduate Center Master’s students.” We’ve got professors so good here that they’re winning awards for teaching at other campuses! Check out what the rest of our faculty are up to b […] “Jason Tougaw – Award for Excellence in Mentoring and Teaching”

]]> 6947d3f44779ca24078545084ebdc910 https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=2905 Tue, 02 Dec 2025 20:08:06 -0500 Rise, Resist, Repeat – 12/4 December 4 | 6:30 PMFree on Zoom If you’re looking for something to do after the MFA Open House this Thursday, you can catch our very own Kimiko Hahn at this virtual reading and conversation for the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), which will explore community building and social change! Literary leaders practice fostering communities in all kinds of ways – some quiet, some raucous. Poems can bring communities together to celebrate, to mourn and even to push for change. At this reading, audiences will hear from some of the most seasoned literary artists in the field as they discuss the ways they engage with challenges, both large and small, in their communities.Camille T. Dungy, Kimiko Hahn, Tyehimba Jess and Paul “Con Queso” LaTorre will explore the connection between poetry and social change. Each poet will read their own work, respond to their colleagues’ poetry and share their advice for using verses to advocate for a better future.Register hereThis event is part of the Dodge Po […] “Rise, Resist, Repeat – 12/4”

]]> 678bc4945fac7af990522bd812654dde https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=2877 Tue, 02 Dec 2025 15:30:00 -0500 MFA Open House – 12/4 December 45-6 PMZoom We’re hosting our annual Open House for the Queens College MFA Program in Creative Writing & Literary Translation on December 4  (5-6 PM, via Zoom). If you or anyone you know is interested in studying creative writing or translation, please come learn more! QC MFA Students, Gianna Baez (front), Cydni Thompson, Mundo Rivera, and Chaim Wachsberger (back), at the recent Hudson Valley Writers Center emerging writers showcase. QC’s MFA Program is supportive and friendly, with a strong sense of community. We are proud of our students and alumni. To take a look at some of their many accomplishments, click here. We offer tracks in Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry, and Translation—and encourage cross-genre exploration. Our 80-campus is lively and verdant.  To register, clic […] “MFA Open House – 12/4”

]]> 5af5b777ab5ee0ca35c343a29137fca0 https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=2783 Fri, 21 Nov 2025 10:00:00 -0500 Another Successful Brainstorm Brainstorm, our […] “”

]]> 179bd0c47d114ae8253aa338a67b43ab https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=2779 Thu, 20 Nov 2025 19:57:55 -0500 Sonia Arora – Birdhouse Prize We are thrilled to announce that the winner of the 2025 Ghostbird Press Birdhouse Chapbook Prize is Sonia Arora for her manuscript, Rewilding the Home and the World. Sonia’s chapbook will be published this spring. Please stay tuned for details about a book launch and reading to be held here at Queens College! Congratulations to Sonia on this wonderful accomplishment! Sonia Arora has been teaching literature and humanities for almost 20 years. Her work as a teaching artist takes her into classrooms across Long Island, New York City and Philadelphia where she explores oral history, digital media, poetry, activism, and film-making with youth in elementary, middle and high schools. She has published short fiction, poetry and essays. Publications include: Apiary; Putting the Movement Back Into Civil Rights Teaching; Prompted, an anthology printed by Philadelphia Stories, 3-2-1 Contact, Sonic Boom, Tinderbox Poetry Journal, Biostories, Lunch Ticket and more. Last year, one of her poems was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She has studied writing with Frederic Tuten, Terrance Hayes, Porochista Khakpour, and Jenn Givhan.  Ghostbird Press is a small, independent chapbook press that publishes collaborations of writing and visual art. Peter Vanderberg, a fellow QC MFA alum, offers the annual Birdhouse Prize to graduating QC MFA students, resulting in a gorgeous full-color chapbook for the winner. Winning a chapbook prize with your thesis is only one of the great opportunities you get as a QC MFA student. Discover more on our Opport […] “Sonia Arora – Birdhouse Prize”

]]> cf2ef3c2bcdb3e62d09280daba8d0e89 https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=2773 Wed, 19 Nov 2025 09:00:00 -0500 Words Bridging Worlds: Arthur Sze, U.S. Poet Laureate Monday, December 8 | 7 […] “”

]]> 6f5cc6c1e159a5ec8cfc20e99e4624b0 https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=2757 Mon, 10 Nov 2025 21:33:35 -0500 John Weir Nominated for Pushcart Prize This just in–our own Professor John Weir has been nominated for a Pushcart! Here’s the catch: his short story “Starting From Paumonak” doesn’t come out in Epiphany for a few more weeks, so you can’t read it just yet–you’ll just have to stay tuned to find out when it drops! The Pushcart Prizes celebrate the best work published in small presses over the course of a year. The annual anthology resulting from the prize is already itself of great renown, but also the Pushcart Prize series itself has been honored with the Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Book Critics Circle in 2005,[12] and the Poets & Writers/Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers award in 2006. If you think this is a big deal (and you’re right that it is) you should also check out what else our facu […] “John Weir Nominated for Pushcart Prize”

]]> 47eddd5020d93f59cf2c0edef059b5db https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=2751 Mon, 10 Nov 2025 09:00:00 -0500 Slapering Hol Press and HVWC Present the MFA Spotlight Reading Nov 23, 2025, 4:00 PM […] “”

]]> 31d2e2476b96ca7a3fe045b8ee7ade48 https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=2741 Wed, 05 Nov 2025 20:44:44 -0500 Alaya Dawn Johnson in the New York Times It’s no secret that the fantasy genre is booming right now. (Maybe we all need to dwell in possibility right now?) The New York Times put together a best-of list of complex and poignant books from the darker side of the fantasy genre, so of course they included our own Alaya Dawn Johnson! The article is called “Great Fantasy Novels With Unlikely Heroes” and focuses on antiheroes and outcasts. Alaya’s book, The Trouble With Saints, is set in a noirish alternate 1940s New York, which features a mixed-race woman passing for white and explores how even in a universe with people with extraordinary powers, they can still be constrained by the color line. Definitely go read that article, and Alaya’s book when you have the chance! As a program, we’ve been so lucky to have Alaya Dawn Johnson here as part of our Visiting Professor program. Every year, we bring a new writer to campus in order to broaden the literary conversation we have here in the program. We’ve had fantasy and YA writers, graphic novelists, and translators teach here as part of that initiative. To learn more about our current faculty, visit our faculty page through […] “Alaya Dawn Johnson in the New York Times”

]]> 56acac3900db831bc454225f08d403c3 https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=2735 Wed, 05 Nov 2025 20:06:03 -0500 Jason Tougaw in Inkwell Ou […] “Jason Tougaw in Inkwell”

]]> 8d3d1e39df7ace16075ad0b120a6c896 https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=2701 Wed, 29 Oct 2025 22:29:39 -0400 Women Who Rock: Deborah Paredez & Ann Powers Monday, November 17, […] “”

]]> a50a22a344509ca7ca5ab568f8ff9cb7 https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=2695 Wed, 29 Oct 2025 19:36:31 -0400 Brainstorm – Nov 5 W […] “Brainstorm – Nov 5”

]]> c4453bb7bef6dc4b0756a0b2a986300b https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=2655 Mon, 27 Oct 2025 21:32:49 -0400 Come to the MFA Open House – 12/4 December 4 | 5 pmZoom You’re a writer. Why wouldn’t you want to hone your craft in a place where language matters? Located in the most culturally and linguistically diverse county in the nation, the Queens College MFA program attracts students dedicated to crossing boundaries in genre, craft, and language. Classes are small, mostly in the evening, and students work closely with faculty mentors. Join an exciting, creative community with affordable public university tuition in an urban environment with a verdant 80-acre campus. Our MFA teaching faculty will be on hand to answer questions about the program, so come prepared to ask us anything about how classes are structured to what opportunities MFA students get to publish and work in their field! Sign up via the Zoom link below, or just click on th […] “Come to the MFA Open House – 12/4”

]]> 5554af99468d8e72766729b15fed5540 https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=2633 Mon, 27 Oct 2025 19:52:24 -0400 MFA Student Gets Named to Academy's Poetry Coalition Fellowship We have exciting news: MFA student Cydni Thompson has been named as one of the recipients of the Poetry Coalition’s 2025-26 Fellowship Program. She’ll be working at the Poetry Society of America as part of the program over the next year. The Poetry Coalition, a national alliance of nearly thirty poetry organizations, selects nine aspiring literary leaders from thousands of applicants each year for paid fellowships and career development opportunities at esteemed national literary organizations. Asian American Writers’ Workshop, Beyond Baroque, Kundiman, Lambda Literary, Mizna, The Poetry Center at San Francisco State University, Woodland Pattern, and Youth Speaks participate in this coalition, along with Poetry Society of America. These fellows take part in poetry and community programming that reaches more than 30 million individuals annually. Getting to put their minds and voices to work on this scale ensures the vitality of the future of poetry and helps grow the next generation of nonprofit leadership. The Academy of American Poets is a leading publisher of contemporary poetry across the United States. The organization annually awards $1.3+ million to more than two hundred poets at various stages of their careers through its prize program. It also produces Poets.org, the world’s largest publicly funded website for poets and poetry; established and organizes National Poetry Month each April; publishes the Poem-a-Day series and American Poets magazine; provides free resources to educators; hosts an annual series of poetry readings and special events; and coordinates a national Poetry Coalition that promotes the value poets bring to our culture. To learn more about the Academy of American Poets […] “MFA Student Gets Named to Academy’s Poetry Coalition Fellowship”

]]> 1dde0c2e6f4af4a8d7c374b80ba18cd1 https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=2617 Thu, 23 Oct 2025 22:27:58 -0400 Jason Tougaw Explores Cazwell’s Politics of Raunch: Queer Rap in Queerty Our own director, Jason Tougaw, has a new piece in Queerty, exploring the 20-year career (so far!) of rapper Cazwell. This queering is more than a change of aesthetics, Cazwell’s music is about gay pride, refusing to hide one’s true self, as Jason puts it: “Cazwell is an autobiographer of queer raunch, and the compilation chronicles the evolution of his persona from club kid to daddy. But he’s no Eminem. He’s not telling stories about his damage. Instead, Cazwell declares the human right to sexual liberation. His queer raunch is as radical today as it was in 2003.”    Interested in reading more? Check out Jason Tougaw’s whole piece, “How Cazwell […] “Jason Tougaw Explores Cazwell’s Politics of Raunch: Queer Rap in Queerty”

]]> b0351bb6d96f4518cbf6bf89827e09ef https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=2563 Fri, 10 Oct 2025 20:22:53 -0400 Celebrate 25 Years of KtB – Oct 18th This year is the 25th birthday of Killing the Buddah, a magazine of religion, culture and politics, and we’re having a party! Please join us for PROOF OF LIFE: CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF KILLING THE BUDDHA MAGAZINE on Saturday, October 18th, from 5-7:30pm at Judson Memorial Church on 55 Washington Square South in downtown New York City. Come hear brief readings from KtBniks past, present, and future; learn about our brand new collaboration with The Commons; enjoy snacks and beverages and great company. Briallen Hopper Elizabeth Spenst Rebecca Suzuki Francsca Hyatt Check the Eventbrite link f […] “Celebrate 25 Years of KtB – Oct 18th”

]]> 7e0cbf8b96f0416952092b70afd767b6 https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=2551 Thu, 09 Oct 2025 18:39:48 -0400 Call for Submissions – The Queens Review It’s not often we post about journals looking to publish literary work (we tend to save that for talking with students and alums directly), but this one is different because it is our own. The Queens Review is a student-run international literary journal that, by publishing writing from around the world, allows our students to enter a world greater than their own. The journal may have gone by a few different names since our program’s founding all those years ago, but by taking on this editorial work, our students have gone on to work for publishing houses, magazines, and presses (both big and small) around the country. It’s another example of how self-starters can get their start at QC MFA! The Queens Review takes its home seriously: we are based in the most culturally diverse place on the planet and the journal seeks work that speaks to the varied landscapes of the world around us, as well exploring the internal topography of our own internal terrain. Submissions will be open from October 15 to December 15. Check out the Review’s Submittable for more info: The journal is just one of the many chances we give our students to advance themselves outside of the classroom. Take a look at our Opportunities page to get a better idea of what […] “Call for Submissions – The Queens Review”

]]> eab86a686455c04a84407451a2905b8b https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=2507 Mon, 22 Sep 2025 20:15:54 -0400 Writers at Queens Fall 2025 Events Writers at Queens, the literary series for the entire Queens College community, has announced their lineup of events for the Fall 2025 semester, and it truly has something for everybody– Want to write comics? Talk about the creative process with rockers? Celebrate with award-winning writers? (Which genre? You pick!) This lineup has it: Monday, Oct 6: Visual Storytelling Day with comics artist (and QC alum!) Kelly Fernandez.   This event is part of Queens College’s celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month Co-sponsored with the School of the Arts, the English Department, the MFA program in Creative Writing and Literary Translation, the Art Department, and the Latin American and Latino Studies Program. Workshop 1:  “Cartooning after College,” 12:15 pm, Klapper 672. Refreshments and books for sale. Workshop 2: “The Life Cycle of a Graphic Novel,” 6:30 pm, Klapper 672. Refreshments and books for sale. Wednesday, Oct 22: 7 pm:  A Celebration of New York State Poet Laureate Kimiko Hahn (co-sponsored with the English Dept, the MFA program in creative writing and literary translation, KCA and QCAP, AACS,  and SOA).  Le Frak auditorium.  Kimiko Hahn will read and be in conversation with MFA poetry alum Sonia Arora. A reception and book signing will follow the event.   (This event will also be live-streamed.) Monday, Oct 27: 12:15-1:15. A talk by bestselling novelist Susan Isaacs, “A Life in the Arts.”  (co-sponsored with SOA). Location TBA. Susan Isaacs will be in conversation with QC sociology professor and novelist Dana Weinberg.  A reception will follow the event. Monda,y Nov 17, 7 pm:  Women Who Rock: A reading and conversation with writers Deborah Paredez and Ann Powers.   (co-sponsorships TBA)  Choral Room, Music Building. Jason Tougaw will conduct the conversation after the reading.   A reception and book signing will follow the event.  (This event will also be live […] “Writers at Queens Fall 2025 Events”

]]> df5514e42428e89d0520d57ac723472f https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=2499 Thu, 11 Sep 2025 19:02:22 -0400 Kimiko Hahn: The Poem Remembers (9/21) Brooklyn Book Festival11:00 am ESTSeptember 21, 2025Main Stage on Borough Hall PlazaColumbus Park Brooklyn NY 11201 United States Poets Kwame Dawes (Sturge Town), Kimiko Hahn (The Ghost Forest: New and Selected Poems), and Patricia Smith (The Intentions of Thunder: New and Selected Poems) will read poems that explore narrative, personal history, and beauty. Introduced by poet Tina Chang (Hybrida). Participating authors Kwame Dawes Kimiko Hahn Patricia Smith […] “Kimiko Hahn: The Poem Remembers (9/21)”

]]> 9dd6096cd65373b0f18bf22d38c4353f https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=2487 Mon, 08 Sep 2025 19:49:25 -0400 Comics Workshops with Kelly Fernández Monday, October 6, 2025 • Klapper Hall 672 Writers at Queens, our campus-wide event series, is proud to bring comics artist Kelly Fernandez to campus for a day of workshops on Monday, October 6. Fernandez will be talking about her award-winning graphic novel, MANU, and teaching several hands-on workshops for both undergrads and graduates of the QC community: 12:15 pm (Free Hour)Cartooning after College:A Comics Workshop6:30 pmLife Cycle of a Graphic Novel:A Comics Workshop Hope to see you there! BIO: Kelly Fernández is a Dominican American cartoonist from Queens, New York. Her debut graphic novel, MANU, was published by Scholastic Graphix in November 2021. Since its publication, MANU received four-starred reviews, was recognized as one of the Washington Post’s Best Children’s Book of the Year, was the Silver Medal Winner at the 2022 International Latino Book Awards, and was recently included in Kirkus’s “Best Books for the 21st Century (So Far)” list. Fernández is employed as a children’s librarian by day and works on her second graphic novel by night. FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLICLIGHT REFRESHMENTS AND BOOKS FOR SALE For more information, contact series director Nicole Cooley at writersatqueens@qc.cuny.edu or visit qcenglish.commons.gc.cuny.edu/writers. Co-sponsored by the Department of English, Department of Art, MFA in Creative Writing and Literary Translation, Latin American and Latino Studies (LALS), Office of the Dean of Arts and Humanities, School of Arts, and Office of the Provost in celebration of […] “Comics Workshops with Kelly Fernández”

]]> ad295e0158f6e0dfc65f9f5e8ef32f90 https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=2479 Mon, 08 Sep 2025 19:36:24 -0400 CONTROLLED DEMOLITION: Book Launch & Reading with Ammiel Alcalay Join us to celebrate the book launch of Ammiel Alcalay’s CONTROLLED DEMOLITION: a work in four books with a reading by Ammiel Alcalay, music by Safira Berrada-Riggs on ‘oud and vocals, and an introduction and conversation with Zhora Saed.  Fri, Sep 19th, 6:00 PM. Martin E. Segal Theatre, CUNY Graduate Center, 365 5th Ave, NYC. Free and open to all. Registration required. REGISTER TO ATTEND Fri, Sep 19 Join Lost & Found and Litmus Press for an evening of readings, music, and conversation to celebrate and launch poet, translator, critic, and scholarAmmiel Alcalay‘s highly-anticipated, monumental new book CONTROLLED DEMOLITION: a work in four books (Litmus Press, 2025). Alcalay will be introduced by Zohra Saed, followed by a musical introduction by Safira Berrada-Riggs on ‘oud and vocals. CONTROLLED DEMOLITION: a work in four books combines three of Ammiel Alcalay’s previously published poetic texts—Scrapmetal (2007), the cairo notebooks (1993), and from the warring factions (2002)—with a new work, “Controlled Demolition.” Unlike most writing categorized as “documentary” poetry, here the author and his process are constant reference points, serving as a prism to refract changes over time and circumstance in what becomes a mix of memoir, poetry, auto-critique, prose narrative, history, and investigative journalism by other means.Books will be available at the reading, which will be followed by a reception. Register to attend here. About the Author Poet, novelist, translator, essayist, critic, and scholar Ammiel Alcalay’s latest books are CONTROLLED DEMOLITION: a work in four books, his co-translation of Nasser Rabah’s Gaza: The Poem Said Its Piece, and the forthcoming Follow the Person: Archival Encounters. In 2017, he received an American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation for his work as founder and General Editor of Lost & Found: The CUNY Poetics Document Initiative; he is a Distinguished Profe […] “CONTROLLED DEMOLITION: Book Launch & Reading with Ammiel Alcalay”

]]> 51e43e4196bcc156b6b0cb2d3d1ff20d https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=2451 Wed, 30 Jul 2025 21:27:13 -0400  Kayla Joan Baur – All the Love in Copper Valley A special congratulations to MFA student Kayla Baur, whose novel All the Love in Copper Valley just launched with Kindle Direct this week! All the Love in Copper Valley is a YA murder-mystery novel set in 1982, and something Kayla was working on just last year in fiction workshop. She says that the advice she got in workshop helped steer this project forward, which is exactly what we love to hear! […] ” Kayla Joan Baur – All the Love in Copper Valley”

]]> 21dacba908c3bc409bf9e5edb39816ae https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=2421 Thu, 19 Jun 2025 09:00:00 -0400 Kimiko Hahn Named Poet Laureate of New York State The New York Writers […] “”

]]> 302923ffabcc6de37c7ddaedfadc2b21 https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=2401 Wed, 18 Jun 2025 19:55:02 -0400 Publication Day for MFA Alum Jay Boss Rubin Today is the publication day for Jay Boss Rubin’s translation of one of the novels by esteemed Tanzanian author Euphrase Kezilahabi, the classic Swahili novel Rosa Mistika, by Euphrase Kezilahabi, now available through Yale University Press. First published in 1971 and censored by the Tanzanian government for its controversial content, Rosa Mistika tells the story of teenage Rosa as she departs from Ukerewe Island in Lake Victoria and enters the mainland of her young adulthood. The novel is at once tragic, humorous, and poignant, and brims with beautiful sentences and thought-provoking questions about agency and authority.  Rubin was first introduced to Rosa Mistika in 2001 as an undergraduate student of Swahili. He decided to attend the Queens College MFA Program so that he could work with MFA faculty member Annmarie Drury, who herself had translated a selection of Kezilahabi’s poems as Stray Truths, which was published by Michigan State University Press in 2015. Today’s publication is the culmination of years of Jay’s work, both during and after studying translation here at Queens College. It just goes to show you what happens when you combine your passions with the right MFA program! Copies are available now through Yale University Press, so what are you waiting for? Go read this sem […] “Publication Day for MFA Alum Jay Boss Rubin”

]]> ec71a4674d2ed238fbccd9d8fa1e725b https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=2395 Wed, 04 Jun 2025 22:10:48 -0400 Kimiko Hahn in WaPo When […] “Kimiko Hahn in WaPo”

]]> b77166570b2077177ea38ec62f444c76 https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=2389 Thu, 22 May 2025 21:01:22 -0400 Graduation Reading | May 29 Thursday, May 29QC Art Center GalleryRosenthal Library, 6th floorApproximately 1pm Come say goodbye with us to the class of 2025! These readings are always a little bittersweet: we are thrilled to celebrate how far our students have come, the hard work they’ve been able to put into their writing, and the bright futures they are going to have, but it also means not seeing them around campus anymore. Fortunately, we decided to host a grand reading to distract you all while we cry a little bit–join us in the QC Art Center Gallery, on the 6th floor of the Rosenthal Library, on the afternoon of Commencement, May 29th. Starting about half an hour after the English Department’s ceremony in Goldstein Theatre, we’ll walk over to the library for a late lunch and readings by our four graduating students: Nina Dalleyhood Maddy Holden Yasir Khairzada and Amani Muthana These newly-crowned MFAs are going to read from their theses, and their thesis advisors are going to say a few kind words about them. Everyone is welcome to attend–you can come cry with us (in a good […] “Graduation Reading | May 29”

]]> 26b05bf26c679fe9fd7732e1b23f7a5d https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=2379 Mon, 19 May 2025 19:34:50 -0400 Queens Review Launch | May 25 This Sunday is the launch of issue 2 of The Queens Review! Join TQR at Unnameable Books in Brooklyn on May 25th at 7pm for readings by: Karl Michael Iglesias Marcus Iwama Ivy Raff Elan Maier The Queens Review is a journal based in Queens: a borough with a multiplicity of cultures, languages, and experiences. Rather than present a single unified voice, we aim to express the varied landscapes around us as well as our own internal terrain. Founded by students and faculty of the Queens College MFA in Creative Writing and Literary Translation, The Queens Review is interested in work that pushes boundaries –– on an emotional level as well as a linguistic one –– poems, stories, translations, and fragments that scatter, ground, croon, and […] “Queens Review Launch | May 25”

]]> 408206c25cae5a09bfdf14fe9c66c388 https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=2367 Wed, 14 May 2025 21:06:18 -0400 A Small Press Brainstorm – 5/30/25 Our team at Brainstorm had a brainstorm of its own: invite small presses to take center stage. Independent publishing is where real literary work comes out to play. Writing can truly be experimental, or groundbreaking, or daring if it doesn’t have to fit into the existing catalogue of a Big 5 publishing house. Indies get to stand up for the work they believe in. No wonder many writers get their start in small presses! Brainstorm, a reading series organized by grad students from the Queens College MFA Program in Creative Writing & Literary Translation, is starting off their commitment to integrate small presses into the reading series by inviting Ghostbird Press to the stage. On Friday, May 30th, you can catch Ghostbird authors Richard Prins (the most recent winner of the Birdhouse Prize), John Reid Currie, along with a special appearance by Ghostbird Founder, Peter Vanderberg. Will they regale you with their ghostly birdsong? Will they talk about the ins and outs of independent publishing? Most importantly, will you be there to add your voice? We hope to see you at […] “A Small Press Brainstorm – 5/30/25”

]]> 3b770a689dc7e27ceef04e123e8a10c6 https://engmfaqc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=2343 Mon, 21 Apr 2025 19:21:10 -0400 A Reading by Richard Prins: Winner of the Birdhouse Prize Monday, May 5, 2025 • 7 pmRosenthal Library, Tanenbaum Room, 300iLive and in-person! Join us for our last Writers at Queens event of the semester, as we celebrate Richard Prins on his winning the Birdhouse Prize from Ghostbird Press. You may remember that over the past year Richard has also been included in The Best American Essays 2024 and won an NEA Fellowship, so we’re overjoyed to celebrate this great year with Richard! Richard will read from his prize winning chapbook of poems, We May Eat Fruit, before he sits down with Ghostbird publisher, Peter Vanderberg, and Professor Roger Sedarat for a rousing discussion on going from manuscript to publication. Ghostbird Press is a small, independent chapbook press that publishes collaborations of writing and visual art. Peter Vanderberg, also a QC MFA alum, offers the annual Birdhouse Prize to graduating QC MFA students, resulting in a gorgeous full-color chapbook for the winner, which just goes to show you the power of the QC MFA communi […] “A Reading by Richard Prins: Winner of the Birdhouse Prize”

]]>