Creative Writing Jobs 2009-10

PLEASE NOTE: This page is misnamed - this information is for jobs starting August 2010 - should be called "Jobs 2010-2011"

Who is using this Wiki:
Poet: 12

Fiction Writer 9

Creative Non-Fiction Writer: 2

Multi-Genre double/triple threat: 8 -("threat"? really?) (bwaaaaaaahahahahaha)

First Time on Market: 4

Unemployed and looking for job: 2

Have job and looking for new one: 6

Have short-term gig, looking for TT: 12

Gluttons For Punishment: 1

Now what?: 1

PhD: 7

MFA: 6

Have 1 book: 6

Have 2 or more books: 8

New Job Listings 2010-11
Note: It might be helpful if folks put the location of where they found the listings next to the actual school names above (e.g. AWP, Chronicle, HR site, etc.)

Tenure-Track Positions
Fiction


 * Arizona State University
 * Cleveland State University
 * Denison University
 * Hollins University (primary field = fiction, but also asking for strong pubs. in poetry)
 * Ithaca College (Higher Ed)
 * Kansas State University
 * Rhodes College (Deadline November 6th)
 * Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
 * Stanford University (tenured Associate Professor)
 * Texas Tech
 * University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa (TT, review of apps begins Oct 15)
 * University of Alabama-Birmingham
 * University of Mississippi (MLA)
 * University of Nevada, Las Vegas (TT, open rank)
 * University of San Diego
 * Western Michigan University (Jan 2010)
 * Willamette University

Poetry


 * Brooklyn College (HR listing)
 * College of Charleston
 * Cornell University (MLA)
 * George Mason University (HR listing)
 * Mesa State College
 * Nebraska Wesleyan University
 * Northern Kentucky University
 * Penn State York
 * Saginaw Valley State University
 * Texas Christian University
 * University of Dubuque (creative writing, TT)
 * University of Houston (AWP as of the October listings)
 * University of Nevada Reno (AWP)
 * University of North Carolina--Greensboro (AWP)
 * University of Oregon
 * University of Wisconsin--Green Bay

Non-Fiction


 * Dartmouth College
 * Ohio University
 * University of Alabama-Birmingham
 * University of Alaska--Fairbanks
 * University of San Francisco
 * USC
 * Western Illinois University (Higher Ed)
 * Wheaton College

Playwriting/Screenwriting


 * RISD

Open Genre


 * Depaul U (MLA JIL)
 * Eastern Illinois State
 * Eastern Michigan University
 * Flagler College
 * Lebanon Valley College
 * New College of Florida (writer in residence, AWP)
 * North Central College
 * Point Loma Nazarene University (fiction or non-fiction)
 * Pomona College (endowed Disney chair) source: http://www.pomona.edu/adwr/academicdean/facultyjobs.shtml
 * Rhode Island School of Design (play-writing and script-writing, but also fiction and/or hybrid forms)
 * Shepherd University

Visiting Positions
 Poetry 
 * St. Lawrence University
 * University of Connecticut (Prof. in Residence)

 Fiction 
 * Amherst College
 * Butler University
 * Murray State University (Visiting Professor in Residence: Fiction and/or Non-Fiction)
 * New College of Florida (Writer in Residence, Spring 2010 semester)
 * Reed College

 Non-Fiction 
 * George Washington University -- Jenny McKean Moore

 Playwriting/Screenwriting 
 * Ursinus College

Fellowships

 * Princeton University -- Hodder Fellowship
 * University of Dayton -- Herbert W. Martin Fellowship in Creative Writing and Diversity
 * University of Louisville, Axton Fellowship in Creative Writing (Fiction)
 * Williams College, Gaius Charles Bolin Dissertation and Post-MFA Fellowships

Departments Requesting More Documents
[NOTE: Please list in chronological rather than alphabetical order.]

Poetry

U. Nevada-Reno - 2 (10/2), 2 (10/19), 1 (10/28) writing sample & dossier.

Fiction

Western Michigan conducted a preliminary round of interviews in late Sept./ early Oct. w/ campus visits taking place this week (10/22) (Note that this position starts in January 2010)

Non-Fiction

Playwriting/Screenwriting

Questions/Comments about Specific Job Listings
POETRY

'''Q: Does anyone know if Houston's listing is for this year, or last year?? On their HR website the due date for app stuff is listed as Oct 1 2008, not 2009. Anyone?'''

'''Q: How did you find this Houston listing originally? It's not on MLA or Chronicle. '''

A: It's in AWP

A: I sent my application in during August. ..

A: They just re-posted their listing on AWP this month to say apps accepted until November but they started reviewing materials Oct. 1

A: I know someone there. They're well into their search.

A: I can confirm that.

C: Texas Christian University (beware: potential inside candidate)

'''Q: University of Oregon--wasn't this listed as awarded to Geri Doran in last year's wiki? Is this a whole new position? '''

A: I think Geri Doran got a visiting writer position.

A: No, Geri is on their permanent faculty. This is a whole new position.

A: I thought she was their visiting writer for 2 years? The UO website has her bio listed as "visiting professor"- how do you know she's permanent?

A: The chair of the dept. at Oregon sent a letter soliciting applications for the job from select candidates, and in it she wrote, "Having hired poet Geri Doran last year, we are close to our goal of having three faculty members in each genre, with Garrett Hongo and Geri Doran in poetry and David Bradley, Laurie Lynn Drummond, and Ehud Havazelet in fiction."

Q: Does this (above answer) mean that Oregon is going to select their candidates from a shortlist of solicited poets?

A: I think not. It's pretty normal for competitive MFA programs to ask more senior writers at other institutions to recommend candidates who might be interested in the position listed, thus the letters. It's meant to broaden and strengthen the application pool--not close it entirely in this case. Plus these letters go out to far more folks than actually apply for the jobs in the end (at least in my experience, I've gotten a few and ignored them as I was not on the market at the time).

A: In my experience, most MFA programs will solicit applications (this year, for ex., Oregon, George Mason, Houston), and many of these applicants often make the MLA & campus shortlists; however, unsolicited apps still often have a chance, because, among other things, universities are always attempting to appear fair and open.

Q: Are Green Bay and Nebraska on AWP? I see them on their home sites--but otherwise can't find them listed. 'Also--can't find St. Lawrence at all--the university employment page says there are no academic jobs in English--what's up with that?'''

A: Wisconsin-Green Bay and St. Lawrence job ads are posted on the JIL. Nebraska Wesleyan on the Chronicle of Higher Education. 

Q: What is does JIL stand for?

A: The MLA Job Information List. See here. You'll need a password and username, which most schools supply for their graduate students. If not, you'll have to join. On a related note, does anyone think it's odd that this year many of the listings are hard to find, only cropping up on the JIL, etc.? Normally everything appears on AWP and/or the Chronicle, and this year that's just not the case. The listings seem haphazard, scattershot, HR sites don't exist or aren't updated, etc.

A: Yes. I think it's very odd since there's a sort of understood agreement among writers that AWP is the go-to listing. Do you think folks are cutting ad-costs due to the economic state of affairs? Or that folks avoiding AWP have inside candidates?

'''Q: Did anyone find it super-weird on the U of Nevada Reno online application that they asked you for "minimum salary desired"? What did you put down?'''

A: 25K in poker chips.

A: It seems to me like western schools do this more than others.

 

'''Q: George Mason--I heard they are interviewing before MLA this year. Has anyone heard anything back from them yet?'''

A: Haven't heard back yet. The ad itself said "Review of applications begins October 1, & selection to be made about December 1," which means they are indeed not interviewing at MLA. Most of the ads this year haven't specified anything at all about MLA, which is unusual. Most years nearly all the ads specify that they'll be interviewing there. I think due to budget issues we'll see more phone interviewing this year.

A: Yeah--but GM is going to do a real campus interview as opposed to phone, I'm pretty sure, so I'm interested to know when calls are made...

'''Q: Green Bay's guidelines say that a Ph.D. or dual MA/MFA is required. Does this mean that those of us with only an MFA shouldn't apply?'''

A: Yes, they want a Ph.D. The ad says a dual MA/MFA "considered." They definitely want someone with additional literature credentials--an MFA alone isn't enough in their eyes. Sorry!

A: Hey, don't take the answer above as law. Some folks on here just want to get rid of any competition. You Should apply anyway!

A: Looking at Green Bay's faculty, all (except for one person, who seems as though she's been there for awhile) have a PhD. Advisers/profs have always told me that you should only apply to the jobs that you are qualified for. A search committee's first goal is to weed out applications. Because Green Bay's job ad wording is pretty specific, they will likely breeze right past someone who cannot even handle close reading. One less application (or one more application) is not going to make the competition any less tight--this current job market, with the carry-over of last year's budget cuts, hiring freezes and cancellations, is going to be brutal regardless. You're better off perfecting the job letters for the schools that you are qualified for; jobs that are open to either terminal degree (MFA or PhD).

Q: For those of you who got a request for more materials from Reno, how much of a time lag was there between when you sent your apps in and when you got the request?

A: I got my request a week later--but if it's been longer for you I would not sweat it--reviews of aps. seldom happen in a terribly organized fashion.

A: My request was also about a week later.

A: Ten days.

'''Q: Folks who have served on search committees: Any idea of a typical number of aps. to weed down to for a) dossier requests and b) initial interviews? '''

A: One TT job with a 3/3 load, NE - 300 applications, 30 dossier requests, 6 interviews.

FICTION

'''Q: Rhodes college asks for "Letter, C.V. and dossier containing three professional references." Does that mean the NAMES of three references or the actual letters of recommendation? '''

A: If they're asking for a dossier, that means actual letters.

A: Definitely letters.

'''Q: Anyone know where I can find info about applying for the Reed Writer-in-residence position? I couldn't find it at the Reed site. '''

A: It's up on the JIL

Q: Anyone know the teaching load of the Ithaca job?

NON-FICTION

'''Q: Dartmouth College - IS THIS LISTING LEFT OVER FROM LAST YEAR? NOT ON CHRON OR DARTMOUTH SITE.'''

A: Dartmouth search is new--see AWP listings. They canceled a fiction search last year due to budget, but reinstated a search this year for CNF.

'''Q: USC -- IS THIS LISTING LEFT OVER FROM LAST YEAR? NOT ON CHRON OR USC SITE?'''

Q: Where is that RISD job listed? A: JIL/ADE

'''Q: Where is the Alabama job listed? (I only managed to track down a listing at the school website after I saw it listed here; they posted it 9/30 and say review begins 10/15? Sounds like they have an inside candidate and are just going through the motions.)(Oh, wait -- there it is, on AWP.  Posted 10/13 with a 10/15 deadline!  What do you make of that?)'''

A: I agree - sounds like a legal requirement/ghost job.

Q: George Washington Jenny McKean Moore Writer-in-Washington: How competitive is this position (guesses welcome)...?

A: In this job market - very.

General Questions about Job Market Preparedness and Job Materials
'''Q: I have a chapbook with multiple stories coming out. How do I present this on my CV? It isn't a book obviously, but it isn't a journal either. Make a new category? (Every bit helps, right?) '''

A: Do you have your CV divided into types of publication? Mine just has "publications" as a general category--I include both books and individual poems in journals. (And I got a TT job, if that makes any difference...)

'''Q: I've heard that it's better to find out who's chairing the search committee, and address the cover letter to that person (instead of "To The Search Committee.") What's the best way to find out who is the chair? Or is this even necessary? And if not, what's the best version of "To The Search Committee" to use? Does any of this matter?'''

A: I'm sure that it's a good idea to find the SC chair's name, but I think "To the Search Committee" is a perfectly reasonable way to begin a letter, and in the long run this particular detail is not going to make a difference in how the committee evaluates your application.

A: It seems to me that if they don't list a specific "send to" name in the posting, then they don't want you to know who the SC Chair is, and thus wouldn't want you to address your letter to said person, even if you could suss out who it was.

A: Having served on search committees in fiction I can assure you that you should not use the chair's name if the listing states to send your letter & materials to "Search Committee." This is not what you were asked to do; why not do as asked in this case? The idea of asking for things to be addressed to the committee generally is to communicate to you that this letter will be screened by a committee of equals. The search chair is usually acting primarily as the moderator of the other committee members and, even more so, as a liaison to the rest of the department and with candidates, and generally has no more voting power. Not even always seniority. You do not know the relationship of the search chair to the other committee members and listing her/his name on the letter might alienate someone else on the committee who has a lot invested in the search, someone who, say, doesn't like the search chair (seriously). All committee members are screening your letter. (At a later time, when you are contacted, or if you feel like contacting the search chair independently of your letter, sure, use her or his name.)

'''Q: Since the search committee usually involves English Department people who aren't creative writers, do any experienced people have suggestions for how applicants should frame themselves in their application letter? In my own case, I'm someone who will be pursuing creative and scholarly projects both (I have both a creative MFA and a lit crit PhD) -- should I emphasize this in the letter, or would this be repellent in some way? '''

A:  Tread carefully with this. The more you can find out about a school's listing, program, and search committee, the better off you'll be. You shouldn't hide your accomplishments--definitely let people know about both--but if you're applying to teach, say, in an MFA program where it's mostly MFA writers, emphasize your creative training and accomplishments in the bulk of the letter. If you're applying to teach in a CW PhD program you might emphasize both equally (CW and lit crit); ditto for an undergrad program where you'll be expected to wear many hats and teach lit. That being said, you'd ostensibly want to be somewhere anyway where you can do both (right?), so if they're put off by your lit crit training, would you really want to work there long-term?

Q: Does anyone know if any of these non-fiction openings would be congenial to applicants whose major emphasis is a different genre, but who also have non-fiction publications?

A: It totally depends on the school and the situation for the particular job. I say apply and let them turn you down. Don't eliminate yourself as a candidate for them. I currently have a TT-job and the listing was for someone working in two genres. I only work in one. I got the job anyway, and it turns out the Dean had tried to make the department squish two searches into one position. The thing I learned from this (and the last job search committee that I sat on) was that often the program/department/faculty have less say over how the ad is worded then they might like (which might not be the case in this situation, but who knows what the committee will be amenable to; anecdotally, schools seem to have a tough time finding CNF hires, so why not toss your hat in the ring if you have some solid pubs in CNF?).

A: While I agree that you might as well apply -- it doesn't cost you anything -- I can say, having served on several search committees at a couple of different institutions, that if someone is advertising for a nonfiction job, they want a nonfiction writer, not a fiction writer with a few nonfiction publications. Conversely, if they're advertising for a fiction job, they don't want someone whose primary emphasis is nonfiction but who might have a few fiction pubs. So yes, you can apply for such a job, and you might as well if you can spare the postage, but rest assured, you will not get it -- especially not in this market. I have no idea what this "anecdotal" evidence is, but I can tell you that the last time we ran a nonfiction search, we literally received hundreds of applications. (Haven't you noticed that there are far fewer nonfiction openings these days than fiction or poetry?) Almost all of them were from people who primarily wrote nonfiction; the few exceptions quickly found their way to the "no" pile. Sorry, but that's the way it is.

'''Q: This is really my first full-year on the market.I half-heartedly tried last year but all eight positions I applied to were canceled due to budget cuts.I graduated from an MFA program in 2007 with a focus on creative nonfiction.I’ve built some lit journal publications, including a book scheduled to come out next summer from a major national press.Though I was a TA in grad school and a managing editor on the program's magazine, the market was so bad that I had to take a 9-5 office job that’s only loosely tied to education. I’m worried that the gap and my time out of the classroom will hurt.And I’m seriously wondering if a PhD is the way to go, which my heart isn't into—a creative writing doctorate even though I have a book?A lit doctorate heavy on theory?Perhaps I should look for a visiting gig?I’ve always been told the work overshadows the degree in creative writing, but a good number of openings are asking for PhDs now.I’m careful not to get my hopes up, and I’m realistic about all that’s involved with a teaching position and of course how competitive things are, but despite all that, I really love the classroom and academia.Again, I'm young and inexperienced in this.I guess I don’t have a true question, but any advice for someone in my position, or the many others like us?'''

A: I think, if you're mobile, visiting gigs are perfect for someone in your position. I got a fancy year-long visiting gig at a place that (at the time) would never have hired me TT, and it meant that the next year, I got way more interviews since I had the 'fancy' school on my c.v. and an extra year of teaching. I'm convinced that this also helped me get my current (TT) job. Also, any other teaching experience you can get in the meantime will help you. Can you teach a local workshop once a week in the evenings at a non-profit center or as an adjunct? I'd be reluctant, if I were on a hiring committee, to hire someone who hadn't logged at least some hours in the classroom as the instructor of record, with good student reviews. Also, what about post-MFA fellowships--have you looked into these (like the GWU, Colgate, UNC Chapel Hill, and Louisville situations)? These switch genres and do rotate through CNF). Congrats on the book!!  Addendum:  Poster #3 makes excellent points too!

A: Try to avoid investing more time in a PhD at all costs. The market can't sustain those already graduated and you will spend 5-8 years spending money, working on material you don't care much about, and not increasing your real skills. If you can't live without teaching, look for other outlets. Humanities PhD's are a vestigal organ, and very few of us will ever make a living off the years we could have spent writing instead. (But I'm not cynical at all.)

A: The first answer here, seems to me spot-on. But I'm not so jaded on the Ph.D.. Here's why: 1) It couldl double your possibilities on the market (many schools still will not look at MFAs) 2) If you choose a top-five program then you may very well be in a place where you are one of several writers who had books published with good presses before applying. 3) It would give you time to write a second book (and 2 books seems scarily the norm for the current competition) 4) I've known plenty of folks to breeze through in 1 1/2 to 3 years (hell, but possible). 4) You may have the opportunity to teach a better variety of courses in your field in a Ph.D. program (particularly if you already have a book). 5) It can't make your writing or teaching worse to read a lot of great literature in a craft-oriented program. 6) Theory? What's that? Ph.D.s in top writing-programs pretty much scorn theory. Al of which is to say--I view my own Ph.D. experience as invaluable--not the drudgery alluded to at all--and I culled infinite wisdom (and network connections!) from the Pulitzer and National Book Award writers I studied with. All that said, though: If your heart's not in it then--well ;that's the key, isn't it. Hard to be happy doing something you don't want to do--regardless of benefits.

A: Bottom line: if you look at AWP's annual report on the job market, there's a spike in 04? 05? of around 160ish T-T CW jobs. Those days will likely either a) never come again, or b) not come again for a long, long time. Schools can essentially ask for whatever they want and receive a wealth of applicants who have that and more, so that even if the minimum requirements are an MFA and one book, one is up against 2- & 3- & 4- book poets with Ph.Ds and many years' experience in teaching. I tell my MFA students that if they're serious about teaching, then fellowships, visiting gigs, and especially Ph.Ds will be useful, if not essential. Whether the MFA should be a terminal degree is, alas, an utterly different question than whether or not it IS. (Of course, other things can and do trump uber-qualification--a splashy debut book, an inside candidacy, a spousal hire, an early major prize--)

'''Q: Is it a general expectation that the writing sample be from one's published work, or are committees open to newer work as well? I have a couple of books published, but like everyone else, I'm sure, I'm most excited about my manuscripts in progress (one is under contract, one is not), and would prefer to lead with that material. Have people found any reason to not just go with what you feel is your own strongest material, regardless of publication status?'''

A: You sound like a prose writer, yes? I think for poets, it's pretty easy to stick a few poems from each collection into a 10 or 20 page sample. That being said, it's easy for me to be infatuated with my new work, but it often takes a while for me to figure out if it's really good. With the published stuff, I know it's at least passed muster with others. Is there a way you might include both? Or include a sample of published work, but a 1-page description of the new project with it? You can always read new new work at a job talk too. But if the new work is somehow stylistically super-different than your earlier work (and again, this seems to happen more with poets) and is indicative of the type of stuff you see yourself writing for a while, you might send that if it's a better match with what the faculty at an institution produce (e.g. if you're a narrative poet that's gone experimental/language-esque and are applying for a job at Buffalo).

A: This might be too touchy-feely, but when I sent in writing samples (for the TT job I eventually got), I sent in the work that I felt was my truest--meaning it best represented the kind of poet I think I am--and that included both published and unpublished work. Another poet in my department later told me that the piece she liked best was the one I've had the most trouble getting published. It was definitely the "riskiest" work I sent. This is all just to say that no, I don't see a reason not to go with what you think is your strongest material, and publication status might be somewhat secondary. To people who have served on search committees: If you are really impressed with a candidate's writing sample, does its publication status influence your assessment of it?

'''Q: Along the lines of the above question--how do people with multiple works negotiate writing about them in that one paragraph (if you abide by that standard, and if you don't, can you say why)? Do you focus evenly on each book or more on one if it seems to relate to the style of institution you're applying to, etc.? '''

A: I have multiple books (more than 2), so I have two paragraphs on my work that deal with the issues and themes my work tackles, and how these have evolved (along with my style) over the course of my projects (including my most recent). At a certain point sticking to the 'one-paragraph on your work' format becomes unrealistic--especially based on the stats listed above for those of us on the list with both writerly and academic interests, rich employment histories, and multiple book publications.

'''Q: Is this it? Are more jobs to come?'''