Graduate Faculty
John Balaban
Director, MFA
Poetry
Author of twelve books of poetry and prose, including Path, Crooked Path and Locusts at the Edge of Summer: New and Selected Poems, which won the 1998 William Carlos Williams Award from the Poetry Society of America. His books on Vietnam include Remembering Heaven's Face (memoir) and Spring Essence: The Poetry of Ho Xuan Huong. Winner of The Academy of American Poets' Lamont prize, a National Poetry Series Selection, and two nominations for the National Book Award. Named 2001-2004 National Artist for the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. Translator of Vietnamese poetry and past president of the American Literary Translators Association. Teaches fiction and poetry and directs theses.
Wilton Barnhardt
Fiction
Former reporter for Sports Illustrated Magazine; he is a veteran of many nationally ranked MFA programs, including UC Irvine and the Warren WIlson Program for Writers. Author of the novels Emma Who Saved My Life, Gospel, Show World, and numerous magazine articles, reviews and short stories. Teaches fiction and screenwriting and directs theses.
John Kessel
Fiction
Author of The Pure Product; Corrupting Dr. Nice; Good News from Outer Space, Meeting in Infinity, which was nominated for a World Fantasy Award, and his most recent collection of stories, The Baum Financial Plan for Independence, for which he received his second Nebula Award (he is a eight-time nominee!). Recipient of the Outstanding Undergraduate Professor Award for teaching, the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award, and the Paul Green Playwright's Prize. Teaches fiction and science fiction and directs theses.
Dorianne Laux
Poetry
Author of five books of poetry, including Facts about the Moon (the recipient of the Oregon Book Award), Awake, What We Carry, finalist for the National Book Critic’s Circle Award, Smoke, and two chapbooks, Superman: The Chapbook and Dark Charms. Co-author of The Poet's Companion, she’s the recipient of two Best American Poetry Prizes, a Pushcart Prize, two fellowships from The NEA and a Guggenheim Fellowship. Widely anthologized, her work has appeared in the Best of APR, The Norton Anthology of Contemporary Poetry, The Seattle Review, Tin House and The Valparaiso Review.
Jill McCorkle
Fiction
Author of the novels The Cheer Leader, July 7th, Tending to Virginia, Ferris Beach, and Final Vinyl Days. Winner of the Andrew James Purdy prize for fiction, the New England Booksellers' Association award, and the Dos Passos Prize. Five of her books have been selected New York Times Notable Books of the year. Her short fiction has appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, Cosmopolitan, and Ploughshares, among other places. She has taught at Bennington and Harvard. Her stories in Good Ol' Girls became an Off-Broadway musical. Teaches fiction and directs theses.
