Alumni Praise MFA Program

"I was always good at telling stories, but Pacific University taught me how to raelly craft them, how to be a professional writer, and how to cherish a rich, diverse writing community."

— Kase Johnstun MFA '11, nonfiction
Award-winning author of Beyond the Grip of Craniosynostosis, forthcoming from Macfarland

"At Pacific University I found what I needed: inspiring mentors and a community of peers all embarked on a common path to deepen our appreciation of the poetic canon, to make fast our commitment as poets and writers."

— Mai Lon Gittelsohn MFA '13, poetry
Author of the chapbook Chop Suey and Apple Pie, forthcoming from Finishing Line Press

"It's really a testament to the cross-genre exposure at Pacific. For two years, I was being inspired by everyone's work on the faculty. ... By way of her mentorship, (faculty member Claire Davis) gave me permission to explore fiction on the side. That was a real gift because it ended up freeing me in ways that strengthened my creative nonfiction and paved the way for Flashes of War a few years down the line."

— Katey Schultz '08
A creative nonfiction student, her published book Flashes of War is a fictionalized collection of stories about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan

"Aside from the faculty and the program's accolades, the department's administration is dedicated and supportive beyond what you might expect from an institution. … This program has demanded me to put in the work. It's been worthwhile, the best thing for me as far as establishing good habits, getting to the grind and touching the work every day as both an artist and professional. I have abandoned the notion that writing is a hobby."

— Bryan Allen Fierro '13
Recipient of the 2013 Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award from Poets & Writers

Alumni share more of their experiences on residencies.