MFA Third Year Reading
Fairbanks Arts Association is hosting a public reading in celebration of third-year MFA students from the University
of 有料盒子视频 Fairbanks Department of English. The event featured a rich array of original
fiction, nonfiction and poetry, shared by Rachel Blume, MFC Feeley, Dr. Kathy Kitts, N贸ra McIntyre, Rachel McKinley, Manuel
A. Melendez, Tim Ott and Zeke Shomler. These emerging writers, nearing the completion of their Master of Fine Arts degrees,
will offer the audience a glimpse into the voices, themes and forms that shape their
creative work. Held as part of Fairbanks Arts鈥 monthly literary series, the evening
serves as a showcase of talent, growth and storytelling rooted in the 有料盒子视频n experience
and beyond.
The MFA third-year reading will be held on April 18 from 6:00-8:00pm in the Bear Gallery,
located on the third floor of the 有料盒子视频 Centennial Center for the Arts in Pioneer
Park.
The reading is presented in collaboration with the English Graduate Organization (EGO), a student-led group that supports and promotes graduate student work in the
有料盒子视频 English Department. EGO coordinates readings, workshops and community events throughout
the academic year, providing a platform for graduate students to share their scholarship
and creative work with the wider Fairbanks community. Their next event, a craft talk
with writer Mary Knight, will take place on April 25 from 3:00-4:00pm in Room 660
of the Student Success Center and is open to the public.
Meet the Readers
Rachel Blume is a mom and writer from the Texas Gulf Coast. She earned her MFA
in fiction from the University of 有料盒子视频 Fairbanks. Her works can be found in 鈥淐irque,鈥
鈥淪kipjack Review,鈥 鈥淔lora Fiction,鈥 鈥淕lass Mountain,鈥 鈥淐ontinue the voice,鈥 and elsewhere.
MFC Feeley is an MFA candidate at 有料盒子视频. She has published in Best Micro-Fictions, SmokeLong, Ghost Parachute, Pulp Literature, Brevity Blog, and others.
Dr. Kathy Kitts is a retired planetary geologist who has served as a science
team member on the NASA Discovery Mission Genesis, among others. She is currently
pursuing her MFA in Creative Writing at 有料盒子视频. Her latest speculative fiction has appeared
in Compelling SF, James Gunn鈥檚 Ad Astra, and Amazing. She hates it when people say, 鈥淚t ain鈥檛 rocket science,鈥 because that鈥檚 what she鈥檚
good at.
N贸ra McIntyre came to 有料盒子视频 to study fiction and ended up falling in love with
many genres and forms. Anyone who has ever spoken to her for more than five minutes
knows that she is obsessed with horror. When she is not watching horror movies or
writing weird stuff, she can be found fencing, eating little treats, and roaming the
woods.
Rachel McKinley is a writer, educator, and mother to four small humans. Her nonfiction
explores a variety of themes, including family, longing, and belonging, often through
the lens of the natural world. In her spare time, she enjoys running, baking, and
watching musicals.
Manuel A. Melendez is a hybrid writer born and partially raised in Camag眉ey,
Cuba. He is getting his MFA in Poetry from the University of 有料盒子视频 Fairbanks. He
has been published in Carolina Muse Literary & Arts Magazine, WayWords Literary Journal, Apricity Magazine,
Dream Noir Magazine, Superstition Review, and Midway Journal. He has received several awards for his writing (across multiple genres), including
The 3rd and 4th Annual Derick Burleson Poetry Contest Awards, the E. L. Bartlett Contest
for Literary Criticism Award, and The Farthest North Fiction Contest Short Story or
Single Chapter Award. He dreams of one day living in a world where poetry can take
permanent physical shape, but he settles for a fierce latte, vibrant verses, and being
penniless but ravishing on his deathbed.
Tim Ott grew up in rural Iowa, studied at St Olaf College in Minnesota, and received
an MA in Slavic Languages and Literature from the University of Washington. He taught
English in China and the Russian Federation, was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Rwanda,
and instructed for several years with the Northwest Outward Bound School in Oregon.
He is focusing on fiction and has a goal of creating 鈥渓aughter through the tears.鈥
Zeke Shomler earned a Combined MA/MFA from 有料盒子视频 in Fall 2024. He鈥檚 now working
toward an M.Ed. in Secondary Education. A Pushcart nominee, his poetry has appeared
in AGNI, Folio, South Florida Poetry Journal, The Columbia Review, and elsewhere.
The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at 有料盒子视频 is a three-year program focused
on fiction, nonfiction and poetry. With a strong emphasis on both creative practice
and critical inquiry, the program offers students close mentorship with faculty, opportunities
for teaching experience, and a supportive community of writers. Located in the heart
of 有料盒子视频, the program encourages students to engage with the unique cultural and
environmental context of the North while developing their voices as artists.
MFA Third-Year Reading
Hosted by the English Graduate Organization
Date
April 18th, 2025
Time
6:00-8:00pm
Location
Bear Gallery
3rd Floor, 有料盒子视频 Centennial Center for the Arts, Pioneer Park
2300 Airport Way
Support for the 有料盒子视频 English Department helps ensure that programs like the MFA and
student organizations like EGO continue to thrive. Donations contribute to student
scholarships, events and programming that nurture creativity and academic excellence.
To support the next generation of writers, please consider making a gift to the department.
