Writers @ Work hosts a rich array of professionals working in fields related to literary, book, and other arts, but distinct from academia. Showcasing the way writers and other artists find careers in which to apply their skills, and the ways art lovers bring the arts into their lives, editors, publishers, librarians, booksellers, arts administrators and other professionals share how their careers and their love of literary and other arts intersect. Interactive and anecdotal, each forum offers a window into a different part of the literary landscape, providing firsthand accounts of professional trajectories and offering advice from many different parts of the field. Writers @ Work is a program of the MFA for Poets and Writers’ Juniper Initiative for Arts and Action.
Past Guests include:
- Andrea Abi-Karam, The Poetry Project
- Ari Banias, poet
- Michael Barron, New Directions, Supermachine
- Mira Bartok, Mira’s List
- Jedediah Berry, Small Beer Press
- Liza Birnbaum, Holyoke Care Center
- Robert Casper, Poetry Society of America, Council of Literary Magazines & Presses, jubilat
- Robert Cox, Du Bois Library
- Kyle Dacuyan, The Poetry Project
- Carol Ann Davis, Crazyhorse
- Erica Dawson, Poetry Editor, Tampa Review
- Corwin Ericson, The Massachusetts Review
- Melissa Flashman, Trident Media Group
- Brett Fletcher, Poetry Society of America, A Public Space
- Leora Fridman, poet
- Lauren Goodman, Teaching & Learning Director, Berkshire Community College
- James Heflin, The Valley Advocate
- Bonnie Isman, Jones Library
- Chris Janke, Slope Editions
- Heidi Julavits, The Believer
- Alix Kennedy, Family Fun Magazine
- David Kermani, Flow Chart
- Reb Livingston, No Tell Motel
- Frances McCue, The Hugo House
- Lynn Melnick, Outreach Director for VIDA
- Cal Morgan, Harper Collins
- Stephen Motika, Poets House
- Emily Nemens, The Paris Review
- Travis Nichols, Poetry Foundation, Weird Deer
- Lance Olsen, Fiction Collective Two
- Chris Parris-Lamb, Literary Agent, The Gernert Company
- Katie Raissian, Grove Atlantic
- Camille Rankine, VIDA Board of Directors
- Jason Schwarz, Greenpeace
- David Shields, author
- Joanna Rakoff Smith, freelancer
- Karen Skolfield, Poetry Editor, Amherst Live; winner, 2014 PEN New England award in poetry
- Lauren Smythe, Literary Agent, InkWell Management
- Rob Spillman, Editor and Co-Founder, Tin House
- Amy Stolls, The National Endowment of the Arts
- Enzo Silon Surin, poet and publisher, Central Square Press
- Tree Swenson, The Academy of American Poets
- Stephen Tagle, Fulbright Fellowship
- Ryan Walsh, Development/Writing Director, Vermont Studio Center
- Ellen Watson, Smith Poetry Center
- Rebecca Wolf, Fence, Fence Books
- Jung Yun, Director of New Faculty Initiatives in the UMass Office of Faculty Development
- Matthew Zapruder, Verse Press/Wave Books