Projects, Publications, Academic Achievements, and More

Department News

Assistant Professor Andrew Scahill was quoted in a New York Times piece about films that normally wouldn't be considered "horror," but utilize many of the style or narrative elements of the genre. Scahill's current "Christmas Movies" course was mentioned specifically.
Student Open Mic Night on Thursday, October 28th, 6:00pm. Come in person to Student Commons 1500, or attend via Zoom. (Link to be emailed to those who RSVP).
Handmaid's Tale writer and Creative Writing alum Lynn Renee Maxcy shares her experiences writing for television.
Instructor Alexander Lumans’s short story “Amchitka: Three Tests” was honored as one of the Distinguished Stories of 2020 in the 2021 Best American Short Stories anthology, edited by Jesmyn Ward. The anthology will be published in October. The story appeared in Territory last year for their "Alaska"-themed issues, and is available online to read here.
Creative Writing student Alejandro Lucero wins first place in the Iris N. Spencer Poetry Award through West Chester University for his sestina, “Returning.”

We are very happy to announce that Caleb Sanford has won the 2020-21 Rex Burns Award for best graduate student essay of the year for “The Echo of Ekphrasis: Affective Function from Aberrant Form in House of Leaves.”
Congratulations also to Sara Webster and James Watkins for winning honorable mentions.
The winners of the 2020-21 Michael S. Gorniak scholarship in Creative Writing are Sang Dao, Alejandro Lucero, and Christina Tegrotenhuis. Congratulations to all three winners.
We are very happy to announce that Rachel Davis, Lejla Muric, and Jonathan Prater are co-winners of the Richard T. Dillon Scholarship award, which recognizes undergraduate excellence in the English Department. Congratulations to Rachel, Lejla, and Jonathan on the well-deserved honor!

Creative Writing alumnus Taylor Kirby’s essay, “The Scopophiliac’s Gift Shop,” which was originally published in Cream City Review, is now listed as a Notable Essay in Best American Essays 2021. Congrats to Taylor!
Kayla Drummond, who is completing an MA degree, will be chairing a panel on “Folklore and Fairy Tale in Gothic Literature and Film” at the 2022 NEMLA conference. Congrats to Kayla on the panel’s acceptance! CU Denver students and faculty are invited to submit abstracts, due by Sept. 30, through the following Link ->. The 2022 NEMLA conference will be held in Baltimore from March 10-13.
Congratulations to Steven Espada Dawson, an alumnus of the Creative Writing program, on being a finalist for a Ruth Lily and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowship. Well done, Steven!