bcu english and creative writing

Elizabeth Tasker Davis, chair Ericka Hoagland, coordinator of English graduate studies Dugas Liberal Arts North, Room 203 Phone: (936) 468-2101 Fax: (936) 468-2614 P.O. Box 13007, SFA Station Nacogdoches, TX 75962 Web:  sfasu.edu/english

Objectives of the Department

The SFA graduate program in English provides students with a body of learning in British, American and world literature and fosters critical thinking and excellence in creative expression. Through close engagement with texts, professors and fellow graduate students, students develop advanced understanding of the contexts, methods and theories that inform literary study and production.

The 36-hour English, MA    offers the choice of two tracks (literature or creative writing), thesis and nonthesis degree plans, and the option to add in a Certificate in Advanced English Pedagogy.  The program also offers a 12-hour Certificate in Professional Writing. All graduate coursework in English has distance options for students who desire to study remotely.  

Our flexible graduate offerings prepare students for careers in teaching, writing and other fields demanding textual expertise and for further study at the doctoral and MFA level.

Graduate Faculty

• Marc S. Guidry, PhD, Louisiana State University, Medieval British Literature, Arthurian Romance
• Ericka Hoagland, PhD, Purdue University, World Literature (non-Western)
• Steven Marsden, PhD, Texas A&M University, Colonial and 19th-Century American Literature
• Michael Martin, PhD, Illinois State University, Contemporary American Literature
• John McDermott, PhD, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, Creative Writing
• Mark Sanders, PhD, University of Nebraska - Lincoln, Modern Poetry, Creative Writing, 20th-Century American and British Literature; PhD, University of Idaho, Higher Education
• Elizabeth Tasker-Davis, PhD, Georgia State University, Restoration and 18th-Century British Literature, Rhetoric
• Kenneth L. Untiedt, PhD, Texas Tech University, Literature of the American West, 20th-Century American Literature
• Kevin West, PhD, Indiana University, World Literature (European), Literature and Religion

Assistant Professors

• Bridget Adams, PhD, Florida State University, Creative Writing
• Jason L. McIntosh, PhD, University of Nebraska at Lincoln, Rhetoric and Composition
• Sara B. Parks, PhD, Iowa State University, Technical Writing, Rhetoric of Science

Graduate Assistantships

A limited number of graduate assistantships are awarded each year. Interested applicants should contact the coordinator of English graduate studies for additional information. Preferential consideration for assistantships will be given to applications received by March 31 of the prior academic year; however, applications are accepted through May 31. During their first year in the program, graduate assistants are assigned to work on departmental research initiatives, publications and events; English faculty research and teaching support; and in the writing lab and tutoring center. In their second year, after completing eighteen hours of graduate coursework, including ENGL 5380 - Teaching First-Year Composition    and receiving professional development training, graduate assistants teach multiple sections of freshman composition.

Background Requirements

For clear admission to the graduate program a student must have a GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale during the last 60 credit hours of undergraduate work in advanced-level undergraduate English courses. For further information on provisional status, see the  Graduate Admission    section of the Graduate Catalog. Although students may be granted probationary admission with a GPA below 3.0, no students may be granted probationary admission with a GPA below 2.7.

Ordinarily, an English major with an undergraduate degree from an accredited college may pursue graduate study in English; however, any student with fewer than 24 semester hours of undergraduate credit in English may be asked to complete additional work to establish a background for graduate study. Students may be admitted to a graduate minor in English or to complete an elective concentration in English after evaluation of the student’s academic background by the coordinator of graduate studies.

• English, MA
• English, Minor
• English Pedagogy, Advanced, Certificate
• Advanced Certificate in Professional Writing

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English and Creative Writing

The Franklin College Department of English and Creative Writing is committed to the careful study of the individual expression and cultural values found in English, American, and world literature.

The department is one of Franklin College’s most exciting intellectual communities. Our faculty of dedicated teacher-scholars share with students their expertise in, and enthusiasm for, literature from a variety of genres, periods, and cultures—works drawn from the traditional canon to the works of emerging artists, from Greek tragedy to graphic novels, from Shakespearean sonnets to postmodern poetry. Small class sizes mean professors get to know their students and can engage with them in intense debates and deep analyses of literary works that continue outside the classroom.

Our dedicated faculty of practicing writers and scholars guide students in small classes and workshops that cover a variety of genres, as well as provide students with frequent out-of-class opportunities to exercise and hone their craft. Creative writing students can expect a rigorous yet collegial environment that allows for engaged learning, collaboration and experimentation.

• Explore This Page
• Why English and Creative Writing?
• Major Handouts & Course Catalog
• Writers' Series

Meet Our People

Why english and creative writing at franklin college.

Dynamic classroom experiences.

Our professors use a variety of approaches that focus on how language and literary forms recreate both individual experiences and the large, impersonal forces that shape cultures and historical periods. In so doing, we seek in our classes to understand the many varieties of the human condition. In addition to taking courses with our award-winning faculty, our creative writing students benefit from the creative writing program’s reading series, which brings talented poets, fiction writers, memoirists, and playwrights to teach and study with them each year.

Experiences beyond the classroom.

Not only do English and creative writing majors learn a great deal in the classroom, they also take part in activities related to the disciplines. Such activities regularly include working on the editorial board of the college literary journal, the   Apogee  (founded in 1961); attending performances and creative-writing readings; and participating in other events in and around Franklin, Indianapolis, Bloomington, Louisville, and elsewhere in the region.

Global engagement.

With opportunities to study abroad during entire semesters, during the college’s four-week Immersive Term, or over the summer, English majors have recently taken courses in England, France, Spain, Costa Rica, Germany, Uganda, Japan, and elsewhere.

Interdisciplinary commitment.

In keeping with the college’s strong interdisciplinary character, English and Creative Writing majors frequently choose to pursue a second major or a minor in disciplines such as  elementary education ,  French ,  history ,  multimedia journalism ,  political science ,  philosophy ,  psychology ,  religious studies,  or  Spanish . Recent English courses have been cross-listed in  theatre  and the liberal arts program, and students may count an upper-level course in  French  or  Spanish  literature toward their English degree.

Connecting passion with work.

Our faculty advisers are committed to helping students find careers in fields that excite them. Recent graduates have used their English degrees to pursue rewarding careers in teaching, publishing, health care, marketing, business, the performing and creative arts, communications, technical writing, and non-profit management. Others have gone on to graduate programs in English, law, divinity, library science, and counseling.

Spark your imagination.

Program handouts.

• English Major Handout
• Creative Writing Major Handout

Courses of Study

Students who choose to study english and creative writing at franklin college can pursue two different majors — english and creative writing. both are also available as a minor. in addition, we offer an additional minor in professional writing..

Immerse yourself in literature, history and the human condition as a Franklin College English major.

Experiment with language and style, developing a unique voice.

Creative Writing

Carlson-stauffer visiting writers’ series.

The English and Creative Writing department is proud to sponsor the Carlson-Stauffer Visiting Writers’ Series, which brings nationally recognized authors to campus. All events are free and open to the public.

Series Background

The series is named for two beloved professors emerita, Kathy Carlson and Emily Stauffer, both of whom retired in spring 2015. Together, their combined service at Franklin College spanned close to 70 years. The series began in 2015 and has allowed the department to host dozens of writers from across the country. Writers hold a publicly open reading. Typically, they also interact with creative writing students at a meal, visit creative writing classes to conduct a masterclass in their genre, and/or offer feedback on students’ writing.

Participating Writers

Visiting writers have been poets, fiction writers, YA authors, writers of non-fiction, and multi-genre writers. Some notable names include:

• Marcus Wicker, 2015
• Maggie Messitt, 2016
• Jamaal May, 2017
• David Tomas Martinez, 2018
• Terrance Hayes, 2019
• Nafissa Thompson-Spires, 2019
• Ross Gay, 2019
• Adrian Matejka, 2020 (and 2023)
• Brooke Lauren Davis (’15) — YA novelist and alumna
• Samantha Fain (’20) — poet and alumna
• Eugene Gloria, 2021
• Dan Chaon, 2022
• Saundra Mitchell, 2023
• Angela Jackson-Brown, 2023
• Matthew Minnicucci, 2023
• Brittany Means, 2024
• Monica McClure, 2024

This fall (2024), the department will welcome back Samantha Fain (’20) to celebrate the release of her latest poetry collection,  Are You There .

On Nov. 28, 2023, the department welcomed poet Matthew Minicucci for his second visit in our series. Matthew read from his fourth poetry collection, Dual, which was released by Acre Books. The event was held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023 in the B.F. Hamilton Auditorium. A book signing followed the reading.

“I believe that you get a sense of belonging and that you matter. Personally, I enjoy the conversations with professors and other faculty members and getting to know them.”

Emmarae Arensdorff ’22

Express your creativity through apogee, our annual literary journal., apogee is franklin college’s student-run literary magazine that accepts previously unpublished work in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, drama, and visual art. apogee is an annual publication published in late spring. submissions are open during the summer and fall..

Questions about  Apogee ? Contact our Faculty Advisor.

Learn more about English and Creative Writing at Franklin College

Our mission.

By honing a diverse set of reading and writing skills, the English and creative writing department’s majors and minors recognize the artistic achievements, insights, and possibilities inherent in literature to create their own meaningful work as they prepare for professional positions, graduate study, and civic engagement.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students in English and Creative Writing will be able to:

•     Read and communicate effectively through creative and expository writing.
•     Make arguments about texts using literary terms, techniques, history and movements.
•     Access, analyze and synthesize complex information, using diverse perspectives.
•     Solve unstructured problems individually as well as collaboratively.

Our Faculty

In addition to their commitment to the classroom, faculty in the English and creative writing department maintain active scholarly agendas, publishing their research and presenting at major national and international conferences on a wide variety of topics, including the intersections of narrative theory and gender theory; the limitations of humanity in Shakespeare’s  Richard II ; modernist irony as a response to colonial exhibitions; flipped classroom pedagogy; landscape and medieval gender roles; feminist readings of global modernism; and deforestation in contemporary Anglophone Caribbean literature. In addition, our creative writing faculty have won awards and national attention for their work.

Requirements

Introductory courses provide students with an understanding of different creative genres, as well as the fundamentals of creative writing processes, literary citizenship and the contemporary literary landscape. Students learn to read like writers, engaging in literary analysis to appreciate the nuances of text construction. In later courses, students perform genre-specific studies, closely studying, deploying and sharpening particular writing techniques, and engaging in significant revision and experimentation as they hone their unique voices and join ongoing literary conversations.

As creative writers, we untangle texts and cultural contexts to discover new strategies for reading and writing, with students interrogating both the worlds of the texts they read and write, and their own world, understanding how texts communicate, shape and move all of us. Through guided practice, students gain confidence, empathy, and practical critical writing and thinking skills that allow them to make powerful contributions to the world.

Meet the talented professionals who will help guide you on your creative journey.

Emily Banks, MFA, Ph.D.

Katie Burpo, M.F.A.

Susan Crisafulli, Ph.D.

Richard Erable, Ph.D.

Anna James, Ph.D.

George Phillips, Ph.D.

Department of english and creative writing.

101 Branigin Blvd. Franklin, IN 46131 Johnson Center for Fine Arts

317.738.8271

Monday - Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridfay, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Creative Writing doctoral student Abhijit Sarmah named for the second consecutive year as finalist for major poetry fellowship

For the second year in a row, UGA doctoral student Abhijit Sarmah is among 12 finalists for the  2024 Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships . The five Fellowship recipients, who were announced today , will each receive $27,000 and an invitation to publish in  Poetry magazine . All 12 finalists will receive a stipend to attend a professional development opportunity of their choice.

The Poetry Foundation awards five Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships annually. Among the largest awards offered to young poets in the US, the prize is intended to support exceptional US poets between 21 and 31 years of age. The fellowships were established in 1989 by the Indianapolis philanthropist Ruth Lilly and expanded in 2013 with a gift from the Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Memorial Fund.

“Being named a finalist for the prestigious Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowship is really an honor. I am deeply grateful to Professor LeAnne Howe, Professor Barbara McCaskill, Professor Andrew Zawacki and Professor Aruni Kashyap for their support and guidance throughout the application process for this fellowship and beyond. Their faith in my work inspires me to keep achieving bigger milestones. Also heartfelt thanks to the wonderful folks at Willson Center— especially Professor Nicholas Allen, Winnie Smith and Dave Marr— who provide opportunities to interact with prominent poets like A.E. Stallings and Stephen Sexton. Those interactions have taught me a lot, including how to navigate the literary world and edit my own work.” -Abhijit Sarmah

A UGA Arts Lab Graduate Fellow and Ruth Pack Scholar, Sarmah is working on a hybrid memoir and a poetry collection, tentatively titled  Potential Insurgent . Apart from his scholarly and creative work, he volunteers for various events and organizations at UGA, and was a selection committee member for Backlight Student Film Festival, a planning committee member for the International Street Festival and social chair for the English Graduate Organisation. He was awarded a 2024 Michael G. Moran Graduate Student Award by the Department of English at UGA. Currently, he is serving as the guest editor of poetry for  The Headlight Review (Kennesaw State University). 

"I have worked with Abhijit Sarmah for two years at the University of Georgia. A son of Assam, India, Sarmah's poetry is a kaleidoscope of emotions and images provoked by the Indian army’s indiscriminate violence in Assam. Sarmah writes from the experiences of a young man whose friends must flee to survive, violence against his loved ones at the hands of Indian soldiers and numerous events that made many around him take arms against their own country. Yet, Abhijit's poetry is not just an exploration of Indian army's cruelty against the Assamese, it's also a vehicle for memories of a brother's laughter, his sister's experiments in cooking, adventures with boyhood friends, and the community of townspeople he grew up with. His work blisters the heart." -LeAnne Howe  Eidson Distinguished Professor of American Literature &  Director of the Institute of Native American Studies

“This honor speaks to the strength of Abhijit’s work. We are very proud to have him as a student in our PhD program!” -Magdalena Zurawski  Associate Professor of English and Creative Writing &  Director of Creative Writing

Abhijit Sarmah

Abhijit Sarmah is a poet and researcher specializing in Indigenous literatures. He holds a Master of Philosophy (MPhil.) degree from Dibrugarh University, India and is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Georgia in Athens GA, USA. He is also a UGA Arts Lab Graduate Fellow (2022-25) and has received such honors as the Ruth Pack Scholarship from the Institute of Native American Studies and Michael G. Moran Graduate Student Award from the Department of English at UGA. His work has been published in a range of print and online journals, including Poetry , The Margins , Lunch Ticket , Glassworks Magazine , Porter House Review , and The Lincoln Review . Sarmah was a finalist for the prestigious Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships for two consecutive years (2023 and 2024) and has received nominations for the Best of the Net and The Pushcart Prize.

Support English at UGA

We greatly appreciate your generosity. Your gift enables us to offer our students and faculty opportunities for research, travel, and any number of educational events that augment the classroom experience.   Support the efforts of the Department of English by visiting our giving section.  Give Now  

EVERY DOLLAR CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEPARTMENT HAS A DIRECT IMPACT ON OUR STUDENTS AND FACULTY.

School of English

Tracing english through time.

The School of English is a thriving research community conducting research in English Language, Linguistics and Literature from the Middle Ages to the present.

Research clusters

• PhD in English
• Research staff

Research projects

Phd enquiries.

Creative Writing

Cultivating a thriving environment for outstanding practitioners and researchers in creative writing.

English Linguistics

Developing innovative approaches to the study of language in all its forms.

English Literature

Researching English Literature and Drama from the Middle Ages to the present.

We are currently working on a number of projects across all research clusters  within the School of English. 

Midlands4Cities PhD Scholarships

The AHRC-funded  Midlands4Cities Doctoral Training Partnership  (M4C) brings together eight leading universities across the Midlands to support the professional and personal development of the next generation of arts and humanities doctoral researchers. Find out more about opportunities in English below.

PhD opportunities

Ready to make an exciting contribution to knowledge? Find out more about doing a PhD in English at BCU. PhD Opportunities

Our staff are active researchers at the highest level, producing world-leading publications and engaging in international collaborations across the discipline.

Have any questions about doing a PhD in the School of English? Contact the Doctoral Research College to find out more.

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