Adrian Blevins
Professor of English
Creative Writing
Are you a creative thinker? Do you love reading and writing? If so, you will find kindred spirits in Colby’s Creative Writing Program.
Whether you’re an aspiring poet or eager to write short stories, lyric or feature-length essays, novellas, plays, scripts, or some as-of-yet undefined new hybrid thing, you will find dedicated professors excited to help foster your imagination and hone your writing skills.
About Creative Writing
Students in the Creative Writing Program work closely with faculty members who are also published authors. Some classes are conducted as workshops—collaborative sessions where students share their work and receive constructive feedback from their instructors and peers—while others take a more generative approach. Students have the opportunity to explore poetry, fiction, and nonfiction every semester. The program also offers special topics courses in documentary radio and poetry, dramatic writing, as well as a January study abroad experience in the Indian Himalayas with a focus on environmental writing. Still other courses incorporate civic engagement experiences. Each spring, an esteemed writer-in-residence offers a course not offered by the permanent faculty.
The Creative Writing Program offers a concentration for English majors and a minor for students with other majors. Students can also participate in co-curricular opportunities, including evening readings and receptions with visiting authors. Each semester culminates in a much-loved Open Mic Night at the Blue Light Pub.
Faculty and Staff
Learn more about the members of the department
Sarah Braunstein
Associate Professor of English (Creative Writing); Co-Chair of English
Johanna Clift
Administrative Assistant, English and Creative Writing Department
Zach Peckham
Jennifer Jahrling Forese Writer-in-Residence (Visiting Instructor) in Creative Writing
Onnesha Roychoudhuri
Assistant Professor of English
Debra Spark
Zacamy Professor of English
Arisa White
Associate Professor of English (Creative Writing); Creative Writing Director
News
Director of Creative Writing, Adrian Blevins wins the 2024 Maine Literary Award in Poetry for her collection, Status Pending: https://www.mainewriters.org/events/2024-winners
Associate Professor of English, Sarah Braunstein releases new book entitled Bad Animals: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/16/books/review/bad-animals-sarah-braunstein.html
Zacamy Professor of English, Debra Spark releases new book entitled Discipline: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203232381-discipline
Congratulations to Amanda Schmidt for being shortlisted for the Weatherglass Books novella prize for a novella she wrote during her time at Colby!
Congratulations to Elly Bookman for winning the 2022 42 Miles Press Poetry Award for her manuscript, Love Sick Century!
Events
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