“I could go on and on about the individual attention,
the rigorous standards, the emphasis on self-direction,
the variety of perspectives and styles, the absence of egos
and competition, the above-all focus on the work.”

Graduate, class of 2002

The Warren Wilson College MFA Program for Writers is the oldest low-residency program in creative writing. Founded by poet and master teacher Ellen Bryant Voigt, the program celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2006. Students range in age from their early twenties to mid-sixties, in profession from teacher and journalist, chemist and bartender, to lawyer and lumberjack, and join us from all over the United States, Europe, and Asia. The faculty have won virtually every major honor in the country, including MacArthur and Guggenheim Fellowships, Pulitzer Prizes, and the National Book Award; several have served as state poets laureate and two have been named national poets laureate. Alumni have published hundreds of books, and their work has recently been featured in the New Yorker and on the front page of the New York Times Book Review.

Students in the Warren Wilson program tend to have been writing and studying writing for some time; the program’s design is akin to an advanced tutorial program, and requires a good deal of independence and discipline. There are no set syllabi or assignments; within the general framework of the degree program, every semester’s reading list and writing objectives are determined by the student in consultation with his or her faculty supervisor.

The program’s semi-annual residencies, in early January and early July, include readings and lectures that are free and open to the public. For a schedule, contact the program office.

The readings, lectures, and classes are also recorded, and copies are available. For a complete list of the nearly 700 recordings and more information about the program, visit its website at http://www.warren-wilson.edu/~mfa/

©2007 Peter Turchi. All rights reserved. Content last modified 12/28/08. Site designed by Tamady.