CreativeWritingPositions

List Information
Welcome to the Creative Writing Job Seekers wiki for 2008-2009! This is intended as a collaborative space for all job seekers to pool their resources. We wish everyone the best of luck in the coming months.

If you also hear, at a later date, from one of the schools listed below, please add your date to the listing.

Please alphabetize all listings.

Wiki Counter (How many people are using this Wiki?) CHOOSE ONE: I'm on the market 47 Have TT job, looking for a new one  17 I'm lurking       1

Primary Genre CHOOSE ONE Poetry 35 Fiction 23 Nonfiction  4 Playwriting/Screenwriting  0 Other (please specify) 1 (applying in fiction and poetry)

How Are You Feeling Right Now? Great, since so many of these requests are for me 0 Hopeful    16 Was great, now not so sure 5 Somewhat at sea    2 Like a pork chop amongst the vegans    7 (unwanted and unloved) Foul-mouthed and/or cursing academia    3 Last night I had a dream where there were lots & lots of emails asking me to each campus (O dreams!) 1 In need of an exorcist (to keep me from checking this Wiki obsessively)   4 Kinda frickin' weird because I actually checked this on Thanksgiving 1 Very thankful for beer 4! Just shoot me (canceled searches, inside candidates, endless wait, etc.)   2 Wishing I hadn't booked that plane ticket already    2 Now hope I won't get an interview; not worth it to fly cross country for one job I probably won't get anyway. 4     Like I might have a better chance becoming one of Ted Turner's girlfriends     1 I treat this like playing the lottery: I won't get excited until I've got the cash, and even then I'll have to pay taxes on it   1

If you know anyone involved in the creative writing job search this year, please tell them about this page. The more people who use it, the more useful it will be.

2009-2010 Creative Writing Job Postings
Poetry

Bethany College, TT position in American Literature and Poetry Writing (12/8/2008)  Carnegie Mellon, Assistant Teaching Professor (10/15/2008) Case Western Reserve, Assistant Professor (11/10/2008) College of Staten Island CUNY Open Rank(11/15/2008) Cornell U, Assistant Professor (12/1/2008) East Tennessee SU, Assistant Professor (12/15/2008) Hampshire College, Assistant Professor (11/30/2008) Illinois SU, Assistant Professor (10/31/2008) Indiana SU, Assistant Professor (12/1/2008) Loyola U, Chicago, Assistant Professor (12/1/2008) Montclair SU, Assistant Professor (11/3/2008) New Mexico SU, Assistant Professor (10/20/2008) Ohio Northern U, Assistant Professor (11/17/2008) Ohio SU Lima, Assistant Professor (11/10/2008) Point Park U, Assistant Professor --Not a poetry position. (see multi-genre Q&A below) Roger Williams (12/01/2008) Seton Hall University, Assistant Professor (12/8/08) Skidmore College, Associate Professor (10/15/08) St. John's U, Assistant Professor (11/14/2008) Salisbury U, Assistant Professor (11/17/2008) - search canceled Texas State U, Assistant Professor (11/1/2008) Trinity College, Assistant Professor (11/1/2008) UC San Diego, Assistant Professor (11/15/2008) UC Santa Cruz, Assistant or Associate (11/01/2008) U of Colorado, Boulder Assistant Professor (10/24/2008) U of Colorado, Denver Assistant Professor (10/01/2008) U of Houston, Open Rank (2 positions) (10/15/2008) U of Missouri, Columbia, Profess/Endowed Chair (11/14/2008) U of Northern Colorado, Assistant Professor (11/01/2008) U of Oregon, Assistant Professor (11/15/2008) U of Rochester, Assistant Professor (11/7/2008) Washburn U, Assistant Professor (10/24/2008) Washington College, Assistant Professor Western New England College, Assistant Professor - search canceled Willamette University (11/7/2008) Wofford College, Assistant Professor (11/7/2008) - search canceled York College, Assistant Professor (No Stated Date)



Fiction

Arizona State U, Assistant Professor (10/13/2008) American U, Assistant Professor (10/13/2008) Arkansas Tech, Assistant Professor (11/25/2008) Arkansas State U, Assistant Professor (01/15/2009) Bowdoin College, Assist/Assoc (12/15/2008) Central Michigan U, Assistant Professor (10/20/2008) Concordia College, Assistant Professor (12/10/2008) Florida International University, Assistant Professor (12/01/08) Georgia C & State U, Limited Term Temp Creative Writer Hartwick College, 3-year visiting prof, possible conversion to TT (11/15/08) search postponed indefinitely, probably canceled 12/5  Kansas State U, Assistant Professor (11/3/2008) Miami U (Ohio), Assistant, Associate, or Full (11/10/2008) - search canceled 11/17  Mills College, Assistant or Associate Professor (11/8/2008) Nebraska Wesleyan U, Assistant Professor (12/1/2008) New Mexico SU, Assistant Professor (10/20/2008) NW Missouri State University, Assistant Professor (11/1/08) Oakland U, Assistant Professor (12/1/2008) Point Park U, Assistant Professor (12/1/08) See multigenre Q&A below. Portland State U, Assistant/Associate Professor (11/7/2008) Salisbury U, Assistant Professor (11/17/2008) - '''search canceled 12/8 San Jose State University, Assistant Professor (11/12/08) Susquehanna U, Assistant Professor (10/15/2008) Syracuse U, Assistant Professor U of Alabama, Assoc/Assist (11/1/2008) U of Louisiana, Lafayette, Assoc/Assist U of Michigan, Visiting Professor (11/10/2008) U of Nebraska, Omaha, Associate Professor U of North Carolina, Greensboro, Assistant Professor (11/15/2008) U of San Fransisco, undergrad teaching position canceled (11-15-08) U of North Texas, Assistant Professor (10/15/2008) Western Illinois U, Assistant Professor (12/8/2008)



Creative Nonfiction

American U, Assistant Professor (10/13/2008) Bentley College, Open Rank (12/01/2008 preference) Dartmouth College, Assistant (11/03/2008) - search canceled Grand Valley State University, Assistant Professor (11/03/2008) Georgia C & State U, Limited Term Temp Creative Writer Nebraska Wesleyan U, Assistant Professor (12/1/2008) State U of NY @ Oswego (1/5/2009) U of Alabama, Assoc/Assist (11/1/2008) U of Wyoming, Assistant Professor



Playwriting/Screenwriting

Ball State U, Assistant Professor. screenwriting & poetry/creative nonfiction (10/15/2008)



Open Genre

Creighton U, Assistant Professor (11/15/2008) - search cancelled Eastern Michigan University (11/15/2008) - "search postponed" -- see below under hiring freezes, etc, for details. George Washington U, Assistant Professor (11/17/2008) Millsaps C, Assistant Professor (11/15/2008) North Central College, Assistant Professor (multiple genre) (11/14/2008) North Georgia C & SU, Assistant Professor (Immediate Review) University of Toronto Scarborough (11/19) York College of PA, Assistant Professor (mid-October) Western State College of Colorado, Assistant Professor (01/26/2009)



Professional Writing

U Mass, Dartmouth, Assistant Professor (11/15/2008)

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

Poetry

UC Denver (10/10) 7; (11/7) 2; (11/18) 1 Texas State (10/22) 2; (11/13) 3; (11/4) 1 University of Utah (10/23) 1; (11/1) 2; (11/6) 1; (11/11) 1 Santa Cruz (11/3) 2; (11/17) 2; (11/19) 4 (11/25) 1 Wofford College (11/4) 3; (11/11) 1; (11/17) 1 Washington College (11/4) 3; (11/12) 4 Iowa State (11/10) 1 University of Houston (11/13) 3 Case Western Reserve (11/14) 10 Northwestern University (11/14) 4 UC Boulder (11/14) 11 ; (11/23) Illinois State (11/18) 5; (11/20) 1 Willamette (11/21) Email 2 Montclair (11/29) 1 Rochester (12/1) 2  Ohio State Lima (12/2) 2  Millsaps College (12/05) 1 



Fiction

U North Texas (10/24) 2 Susquehanna U (10/28) 3 University of Michigan (11/7) 1 Arkansas Tech (11/10) 3; (11/23) 1 U Alabama Birmingham (10/28) 1; (11/11) 3 North Texas (11/11) 1 Texas State (11/11) 2 Kansas State U (11/13) 9 Arizona State (11/14 by mail) U Louisiana Lafayette (11/14) 3 U North Carolina Greensboro (11/15) 3 Texas Tech (11/20) 1 Millsaps College (12/05 email) 2 Rice (12/10 email) 1



Non-Fiction

Grand Valley State (11/5) 1; (11/7) 2



Playwriting/Screenwriting

Ball State (11/25)



Open/Multi-genre North Central College (12/2) 2 



Calls or Emails for Preliminary Interviews
[NOTE: When you list a school, please go ahead and indicate whether or not you received a phone call or an e-mail. It will make the list more efficient, since people end up asking for this info for nearly every entry. Thanks.]

Poetry

Washington College (MLA interview) (11/19) 1; (MLA, via phone 12/3) 1 ; (12/4) 1 UC-Denver (MLA interview)(11/19) 5 Montclair (MLA interview; email)(11/29) 2 U of Northern Colorado (phone interview) (12/2) 6 New Mexico SU (MLA interview; phone) (12/2) 2 College of Staten Island (MLA interview; phone & email) (12/3) 3 Illinois State University (MLA interview; email) (12/4) 7 Case Western (phone interview; email) (12/5) 3 Trinity (MLA interview, email) (12/5) 3 Ohio Northern (MLA interview, email) (12/6) Santa Cruz (MLA interview, phone call) 2 (12/8)

Fiction

Central Michigan: Request for phone interview (11/6) 3 U of Nebraska, Omaha: Request for phone interview (11/12) 1 NW Missouri State (MLA interview) (11/25; phone call) 2 San Jose State University (MLA) (11/30; phone) 2 New Mexico State (MLA interview) (12/2; phone call/ 12/8 phone call) 4 North Texas (MLA interview) (12/3; email) 2 Skidmore (MLA interview) (12/3; email) 1 Susquehanna University (MLA Interview) (12/3) 1  phone or email? U of Louisiana Lafayette (MLA) (12/5) 1 (12/5; email) 1 University of Michigan (MLA) (12/5; phone) 1 Kansas State U (MLA) (12/5; phone) 2 U of Alabama Birmingham (MLA) (12/8; phone) 2 Texas State (MLA) (12/10; phone) 1



Non-Fiction

Grand Valley State (MLA interview) (11/21; phone call) 1 University of Wyoming (MLA interview) (11/20; phone call) 1 University of San Francisco (MLA interview) (12/3) 1 Marshall University (phone interview) (12/9) 1

Playwriting/Screenwriting



Open/Multi-Genre

York College (MLA interview, email) 2 (12/9)



Rejections
[NOTE: When you list a school, please go ahead and indicate whether or not you received a letter or an e-mail. It will make the list more efficient, since people end up asking for this info for nearly every entry. Thanks.]

Poetry

Northwestern University (11/14) 5 Colorado (Boulder) (11/19) Email 14 Carnegie Mellon (12/01) Letter  9



Fiction



Non-Fiction

DePaul University (11/12) 1



Playwriting/Screenwriting



Open/Multi-Genre



Calls or Emails for Campus Visits
Poetry



Fiction



Non-Fiction



Playwriting/Screenwriting



Open/Multi-Genre



Departments Rejecting On-Campus Interviewees
Poetry



Fiction



Non-Fiction



Playwriting/Screenwriting



Open/Multi-Genre



Schools That Made Offers
Poetry



Fiction



Non-Fiction



Playwriting/Screenwriting



Open/Multi-Genre



Hiring Freezes and Canceled Searches
Poetry

Cornell has announced a hiring freeze through March; it is unclear whether it will apply to the current search. (11/7) This is incorrect: the hiring freeze is for staff only (apropos of an email from President Skorton). I'm pretty sure the search (actually, there are two or three in English) is still on. (11/15)

The entire University of California system will very likely be subject to midyear budget cuts, though reports differ as to whether this will affect current searches (11/15).

If the previous message is about the University of Colorado system, a midyear recision (reduction of allocated resources from the state) is possible, but the Denver campus has been assured that this will NOT effect faculty hires, which will go forward.

Western New England College: Received Confirmation of application letter 11/15; cancelled search as of 11/16/08

Salisbury U's poetry search, from their website: "While the University is currently under a hiring freeze for this position, we are still encouraging qualified applicants to apply for this job, so that once this position becomes available; we have a pool of applicants for consideration. We believe that we will be able to determine the status of these searches in early January."

As of December 2, Wofford College's poetry search has been postponed for at least one year. Source: internal memo from the Academic Dean

The search for Reed's one-year appointment in poetry position has been canceled. Source: letter announcing it on December 2.

Utah search reported canceled. Can someone confirm?

University of Missouri's search is suspended due to univeristy-wide hiring freeze. Notification by email. 12/9/08.

A: I must send sympathy on this! I am not in the pool, but I believe it was a senior search, god-f'n-dam't. If senior searches are going let's all be cautious about junior searches, not not hopeful, but cautious.

Fiction

Dartmouth, due to budget considerations. Job will be reposted next year. 11/20

Florida State, canceled due to hiring freeze. They hope to do a search next year. 12/01

Hartwick College, "position is on hold, probably permanently, but certainly for the foreseeable future" according to search chair. E-mail notification. 12/5

Salisbury University, position is "frozen," probably until the fall according to search chair. E-mail notification. 12/8

Creative Nonfiction

Miami had to pull the search due to budget cuts. University of San Francisco has canceled its search because of funding uncertainties and the recession. (hey, what about the folk with int. above?)

Open Genre

Creighton just announced a hiring freeze, but the English Dept. is unsure whether or not that will affect them (11/13).Just got an email from search head saying that the search has been cancelled, and that they hope to do a new one next year, budget pending (12/1). ''Why didn't they notify everyone? Did anyone else get this email?'' (12/5). To answer your question, I had another question for the search head, and upon replying to me, he announced the search was cancelled. (12/6)

Gotcha. Thanks for responding. I wish they had the courtesy to notify everyone. They were one of those schools that wanted everything but your second grade report card with the application too. Doggone it.

Through the grapevine: EMU has had a hiring freeze and any decisions about the position will be suspended until January when the University can sort out it's budget. Thus, no MLA interviews. If the Dept. gets approval in January, then there will likely be AWP interviews in Chicago; if not, then the position will be canceled.

Concordia-New York's search has been canceled. Email notification.

More information and discussion at http://chronicle.com/forums/index.php?topic=53773.60

Questions/Comments About Specific Listings
Poetry

Q: Carnegie Mellon rejection: e-mail or letter?

A: Letter

Q: Did the Carnegie Mellon rejection letter imply that the search had been entirely canceled?

A: No



Q: Washington College: Interview scheduled by phone or over e-mail?

A: Phone



Q: UC Denver: Phone call or email?

A: E-mail

A: Phone



Q: UC Boulder: Was the dossier request sent via e-mail or snail mail?

A: E-mail. Request was for a book (or book-length) writing sample.



Q: Texas State: Was the request for more info for Poetry or Fiction?

A: Poetry.



Q: Did people hearing from Washington College get a request by email or letter?

A: E-mail.



Q: What did Case Western Reserve ask for? Did you get an email?

A: Letters & writing sample via email



Fiction

Q: For those of you who applied to Concordia, did we have to mail in rec letters? I just checked my application online and it's got a slot for rec letters showing their status. I don't remember that being a requirement, but if it is I've completely flaked out.

A: Recs were a part of the application. I had my peeps mail in their letters of rec, so I am not sure whether or not Concordia will update the web app form after the recs arrive, but letters of rec were a requirement. (Don't freak out: I think that if you get the people recommending you to send in letters a tad late, it's fine.)

A: Thank you!

C: Please update the date of contact instead of just adding to it. The poets' listings are accurate--not all of ours are.

Q: Did other folks have their application vanish from the Nebraska-Omaha website?



Q: What additional materials were asked for at the Alabama-Birmingham job? I just got my Affirmative Action letter on 11/20, though the letter itself was dated 10/30....

Q: Same here. I was wondering if they looked at the Associates first, then moved on to the Assistants. A: I received a request for dossier and writing sample via email. A: I received the request for dossier and writing sample via email on 11/11 and received the AA letter 11/21.



Q: For the person contacted by Susquehanna, when did you send in your application? I want to know if there's any hope for me!

A: I applied 10/1/08, but the bad news is that, when they contacted me, they said they'd be doing their MLA invites by 11/21. That date has come and gone (it's 12/4) and I haven't been contacted, so I assume it's over. A: I wouldn't assume that. I was sent what was apparently a second request for materials on 11/18. I'd never gotten the first email. Was told that I could still submit if I did so by 11/20, so perhaps 11/21 is the date that review of materials began? Q: Thanks for your replies. I don't have a book, so maybe the school was a long shot for me? I wasn't contacted at all.



Q: I was just wondering if anyone can offer any insight into just how difficult it is to land an interview in a search such as the one at UNCG or Miami of Ohio. Any knowledge on those particular searches would be appreciated.

A: Hard to say, as every search is different. (Also, how do you measure "difficult?") It depends on whether the institution is going to do preliminary interviews at MLA/AWP, or via phone, or just go straight to their top choices (it does happen!). In past searches UNCG has done phone interviews.



Non-Fiction



Playwriting/Screenwriting



Open/Multi-Genre Q: How did you find out about EMU's cancellation? Email or snail mail?

Q: Is the Point Park University job poetry or fiction?

A: The weblink previously provided under "fiction" was to an ad for last year's search. For 2009-10, Point Park is hiring a fiction/nonfiction writer. The poetry position was already filled in 2008-09.

A: The ad at Higheredjobs.com didn't specify genre: http://www.higheredjobs.com/search/details.cfm?JobCode=175348899

A: Looks like the job ad at Higheredjobs.com has been updated to specify that it's a fiction/nonfiction job opening.



Has Anyone Heard From...?
Q: Hampshire? Bard? Cornell? Claremont McKenna?

A. Claremont McKenna changed its due date for applications to December 15, but that's all I know.

A: Got the diversity questionnaire thingie from Hampshire on 12/3; 11/20.

Q: Is anyone applying to University of Toronto at Scarborough? If so, have you heard anything? Do you know anything about how/when they might contact applicants?

Q: University of North Carolina at Greensboro or Miami University (Ohio)? (both fiction jobs)

A: Request for more info from UNCG sent by mail. Miami job was pulled because of lack of funding.

A: Affirmative Action forms sent out: UNC Greensboro, Cornell, UC Santa Cruz, Creighton, Utah, Case-Western Reserve, Illinois SU, Staten Island, U Oregon

Q. Wesleyan (fiction)?

A. No word here as of 11/21.

A. The Wesleyan search is over. They did first-round interviews early in Nov. and have already notified the candidates they'll bring to campus.

Q: NW Missouri State (fiction)?

Q: Florida State (fiction)? A: FSU canceled their search. This sucks...

Q: Portland State (fiction)? A: No word here 12/10 (x3)

Q: Arizona State (fiction)?

A. More materials requested, week of 11/10. Please update the list!

Q: Hartwick (fiction)? A: "position is on hold, probably permanently, but certainly for the foreseeable future" according to search committee chair in e-mail. 12/5

Q: Salisbury (fiction)? A: Search "frozen" as of 12/8 A: Curious what your source is on this. It is not frozen on the website. The poetry position is "under review" (i.e. frozen), but the fiction search appears to be underway. Do you get an email or call? (12/8) A: I was trying to figure out whether it's worth it to go to MLA so I decided to do the dumb thing and e-mail John Wenke to see where they are in the search, and he e-mailed me today (12/8), was very nice about hearing from me, but said that the search is frozen. Letters about it will go in the mail later today or tomorrow, he said. I assume the website will be updated soon, too.

Q: York (fiction)?

Q: Mills (fiction)?

Q: Syracuse (fiction)?

Search-Related Comments, Questions, Tips, FAQs, Etc.
Q: When a job says, "review begins January X," does that really mean that they won't look at applications until then?

Q: Would it be useful for folks to share some sample questions that often find their way into interviews?

A. I think this is a splendid idea. I'm going to rack/wrack (wreck? ruin? stretch? Pilates-ize?) my brain and try to remember MLA from five years ago.

A: An interview has, usually, five parts--the first if you are ABD or new on the market is the obligatory description of your work. Memorize a paragraph, chant it, and then deliver it with panache. Then questions about your work from the committee. These first two parts can range quite a bit and merge into each other, in the best cases. The next question will be what you'd like to teach. Have several courses for each level that they might need, check web page, for instance, survey, beginning undergrad, advanced undergrad, grad (if applicable). For this wander a bookstore and convince yourself you know literature, which you do. The fourth part (possibly after some moving around and looser conversation, is them asking you for questions. Have at least three prepared, specific to the institution, and make them questions you'd actually like to know the answers to.  Finally, the chair should say that the time is short and the committee will be in touch in so-and-so weeks about invitations to campus. If you've been teaching for a while there are a couple variations (mostly just some historical questions, riffs on the above--how was writing your first book related to your second, when you are done with this where do you see yourself headed...The biggest thing to know about the interview is that these are people--committees like soylent green are made of them--that they like to engage, they like clever back and forth, and the more you think in front of them, pause all you need, the more they can imagine you as someone they'd like to talk with over a coffee.

'''Q: If you say that you cannot make it to AWP due to already existing academic duties, are you out of the bidding? I am assuming yes. It seems ludicrous to schedule this thing under a month in to spring semester. I am amazed.'''

'''Q: Anybody know how many times search committees are likely to meet before selecting their MLA interviewees? Just curious about the process.'''

'''Q: Assuming that the rumors are true and that a lot of searches are on hold until January (when the mid-year budget cuts all shake out), why don't departments notify applicants of this fact? Even a brief e-mail would do. Keeping us in the dark is making an already difficult process all the more so.'''

'''Q: Are the folks who are getting interview requests and dossier requests from the same pool? ie: Are a few people getting multiple requests?

A: 4 dossier requests, 3 interviews--feeling good!

A: I've gotten 3 dossier requests. No interviews (yet!). I'm feeling stupid. --Don't! I just heard that searches can fall through even past the interview stage, even past campus visits. This is the weirdest market year EVER in my 10 years of being on both sides of it. ''Thank you. That was very kind of you to respond.''

A: 8 dossier requests. 3 interviews (as of 12/6).

A: 1 dossier request, 1 interview. Different poetry jobs.

A: 3 dossier requests, 3 interviews (overall, applied to 16 positions)

A to A: Wow! Great odds!

A: 5 dossier requests, 3 interviews; two of the interviews are with schools requesting all materials up front (fiction)

A: 4 dossier requests, 1 interview (interview from different place than dossier request)

A: 4 dossier requests, 2 interviews (one interview is from a different place than the dossier requests)

A: 1 dossier request, 1 interview (different jobs, fiction, as of 12/8)

A: 3 dossier requests, 1 interview

A: 5 dossier requests, 1 interview

A: 3 dossier requests, 1 interview (18 positions) (poetry 12/10)

Q: Is Illinois State University an inside-hire situation?

A: I don't think so, or at least I haven't heard anything. Why are you asking about this school in particular?

A: Qualified person attached to or in the wings, but not part, of dept.

A: Certainly doesn't seem to be the case. I'm talking with them at MLA, and it seems wide open.

'''Q: Book is under contract but not in the world yet. Pointless to apply for CW jobs till it rolls off the presses?'''

A: That is my current situation as well. So far, I have received no interviews. :-(

A: Not pointless, especially if hiring you will put the university's name appears on the book jacket.

Q: Is it insane to be on the market for a CW job when you don't have a book? A: I have a national press book and good publications, and still no interviews. I think you need good publications, and at least a finished manuscript. If you're publishing digitally, or in mixed media having a book is less important--as long as you have alternative publications.

A: No, I was offered a job a few years ago without a book. A decent position, though in an undesirable geographic location. I also had excellent teaching experience. I think the most attractive positions won't consider anyone without a book, but other places expecting fewer applications will take other things into account.

A: Thank you. I am encouraged.

A: Some jobs at smaller state universities and liberal arts colleges will be more interested in hiring good teachers than proven writers. But for research-extensive institutions, or departments with dedicated creative writing programs, forget it -- unless, as the first poster pointed out, you're working in new media or some non-print format.

A. I think you need to read each job description very carefully and then decide whether to apply. I guess I'm more of a hard-liner, but I don't think it's efficient to apply for things where a book is clearly required, when you don't yet have a book. I used to do this when I was a newbie. But now I've thought about it a little more. The fact is, funding lines are attached to those descriptions--the wording is carefully done. In order for a department to receive permission to do a search, they have to be able to prove to the university or college that they intend to hire someone with specific attributes. Job announcements go through rounds of edits before they're posted. Thus, if it says a book is needed, then that's what they mean. I'd encourage you to check out the job announcements that call explicitly for "emerging" or "early stage" candidates. Not trying to harsh your search, but as a candidate you want to use your time efficiently. You don't say whether you have high-profile publications that would count as evidence toward a book--but if you do, then the required "book or equivalent publications" phraseology that appears regularly in job descriptions could be meaningful for you.

A. I would never apply for a position where a book was required. Though the positions that I applied to did not require books, I am assuming many applicants with books still apply for them. This is why I asked the question.

'''Q: If a position states that "PhD is preferred," is it worth applying for if you only have an MFA? Let's say you have an MFA and a book. Or at least an MFA and some decent pubs.''' A: Sure, probably worth applying. Teaching experience counts, too. And a lot of the PhDers have at least a few years of classroom experience under their belts.

A: Correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is that language like "preferred" activates hiring regulations that determine how a search committee may rank applicants. If a qualification is "required," the department many NOT legally hire anyone who does not possess it. If a qualification is "preferred," the department may consider candidates who do not possess it (e.g. an MFA or MA instead of a PhD), but they must first consider all candidates who meet the "preferred" standard before moving on to those who do not. Otherwise, a candidate with "preferred" status who loses out on a job in favor of a candidate with a lesser degree could sue the institution to kingdom come. But this may only apply to state institutions. Anyone have more experience in these matters?

A: My 1st TT offer was from a place that listed "PHD preferred, MFA considered" in their ad; I have an MFA (and pubs, teaching exp, etc), no PhD. Not sure about the other MLA interviewees (I never asked), but of the other 2 on-campus candidates, 1 was also an MFA (no PhD) and 1 was a PhD (no MFA). My ultimate feeling is that the "PHD preferred" language of the ad was to appease some of the other department members, if not necessarily the committee; the PhD "preference" did not seem to have a bearing on the actual hire, at least in this case. So, long answer short: Apply indeed! It's worth a shot & you never know the politics, even behind the wording of the ad.

'''Q: Does anyone know what our "rights" are in contacting schools to see where they are at in the search process? Is it safe to ask them what's up? I know we can, but does contacting a school/committee somehow ultimately work against the candidate? And yes, this waiting game is making me totally nuts'''.

A: I think that's a bad idea. They're busy enough as it is, and an e-mail from an impatient candidate just adds to their workload and might work against you.

A: Don't contact them. Many schools don't call until the 10th or 15th (even the 18th!) of December for MLA interviews. Especially if a committee is more than 3 professors, it can be tricky finding a time to meet. I was on a job committee three years ago and we couldn't find a way to meet until after finals were over, at about the 17th of December! Then the chair made the calls that night for MLA interviews a mere ten days away. This is how it is. And don't think it's not brutal for the committees too. For a position at my school now there are nearly 300 applications! We read them all with care. You can't do that in an afternoon, especially when you teach 2-4 classes, advise, serve on other committees, have a family, etc. If they want to hear from you, you will will be the first (or...tenth) to know! Do you have the "right"? Of course, but why add to the pile that they have to do? Just assume you've been rejected--then if they call in ten days it will be an early christmas present!

A: Unless you have a more pressing need for information than to assuage your own anxiety (i.e. you've been offered a job elsewhere), don't do it.

A: Ditto, don't do it. Committees can be funny (even testy) at this stage, could be a deal breaker.

A: A few years ago, I had a school call me to say that they would contact me after the start of the new year to do a phone interview. I waited patiently into late February. They had called all of my references, but never called me. I sent a very polite email to the school and the chair of the search wrote me a very nasty email back, saying that they had selected a candidate and that I should no better than to contact them. So, I'd say no, don't do it. It's a crappy system that leaves many of applicants a bit broken hearted, but don't let it affect you too much. Just move forward and keep working.

A: You HAVE THE RIGHT to call the office and talk to the usually very lovely chair's assistant or other members of the support staff, you don't need to give your name. If they don't know, they don't know. If they've made calls, they will often tell you. These are folks who don't "understand" the academic job search as those who are on either end of it. I've found that people with jobs that aren't in the specific sadistic situation of this job market are very sympathetic--after all, what other job would you be timorous about inquiring about a job application sometimes as much as THREE MONTHS AFTER applying? On the other hand, I recommend against it. It is just demoralizing, and usually if you're at the point you have to ask...or so I've found.

'''Q: Newbie question from different poster: Will more jobs come up spring semester? Does all of this happen AGAIN?'''

Yes, some new jobs will come out in the Spring--some even come in January. Though, with all the budget cuts and hiring freezes and economic gloom, I wouldn't count on a lot. I imagine that next fall's lists won't be half what this year's offered. Especially for "creative" writing (or, as another colleague puts it: creative "writing") positions. Sad, but perhaps true.

A: I think all bets are off this year, as we're seeing search after search cancelled. But in the past, one would expect a slew of one-year visiting positions to be posted around March & April, to replace all the faculty who've just left to take jobs elsewhere. A: And the sabbatical and other leaves that require replacements, some happen very last minute. I've been hired for one-year gigs weeks before the semester (this was long ago but I think still possible).

Q: Will jobs with closing dates of 12/1 (or after) interview at MLA?

A: Depends on whether the position requests a full dossier at the outset (writing sample, letters etc) or just letter & CV. If the latter, it's hard to imagine the committee meeting, weeding, requesting additional documents, then meeting again, all in time to schedule MLA interviews. Seems more likely they'd go for AWP, or phone interviews. But if you really need to know, email the department and ask. Which position(s) were you thinking about?

A: All midwest jobs (Nebraska Wesleyan, Concordia, Oakland University), and the AWP is in Chicago, right? So it's probably going to be AWP, I'm guessing...

A: Oakland's letter specified that they are indeed going to MLA and that they hope to identify candidates for it by 12/10. The only one I'd definitely rule out for MLA is Nebraska Wesleyan, as they only wanted a CV and letter for their application.

A: Thank you so much!

A: You're very welcome. I'm glad to keep hope alive!

Q: Newbie question: if a school you have applied to asks other people for additional materials and does not ask you, does that mean you are out of the running for an interview?

A: Yes.

A: Not always. Once in a blue moon people on the 'b' list get late interviews, or spring interviews if the Department doesn't go with people on the shortlist. Our department hired someone last year (after going to MLA and having campus interviews) who they didn't interview at MLA. A rarity, but possible.

A: Pretty much yes. Sorry! In my experience most departments would redo the search the following year rather than having to go back to their candidate pool. I'm sure there are exceptions, but don't count on it.

A: No! Not being asked for additional materials does not necessarily mean you won't get an interview &/or aren't on the "A" list. Some places ask for more materials from people whose work they don't know, while they might already be familiar with other candidates. There is also tell of cases when people will get asked for more materials precisely so they can be crossed off the list--too experimental, too traditional, etc. Material requests do NOT translate into interviews, either way.

A: I agree that material requests don't translate into interviews, but I think it's unlikely that search committees would request materials from candidates that they want to cross off a list. The last thing they'd want to do is arbitrarily wade through more paperwork than they have to.

A: I have never heard of a search committee requesting materials specifically in order to cross a candidate off a list. If the conclusion were a foregone one, why not just cross them off right away and save the hassle? Of course, I have heard of search committees doing some pretty wacky stuff, but you probably don't want to work for those departments anyway.

A: Non-dossier requests definitely do not mean b-list: in past years I've gotten interviews at places who asked friends of mine for dossiers, but not me; and I got the interviews and they didn't. Strange system but yes, why else would they ask for more work if not to try and whittle down their list?

Q: Do other people have the sense that things are moving much slower this year than last? I was on the market last year, and I think by this time last year there had already been maybe a third or so of the schools (maybe more) who had set up interviews. Maybe I'm misremembering, but it seems like maybe schools are holding off on setting interviews because of worries about funding falling through? Anyway, does anyone remember where things were at this time last year?

A: It's normal for schools to set up interviews _after_ Thanksgiving.

A: I agree; last year the first call for an interview I got was on Dec. 3rd or so. They came steadily until about Dec. 18th. I've heard of folks getting calls a couple days before xmas. The new thing to me is the email for an interview. I've only ever gotten phone calls for interviews in years past.

A: Things are moving slower. I've been on the market in various guises for 10 years, everything is being pushed back and back and back. I noticed this on search committees I've been on. It is a definite feeling of unaccountability, which we all feel from committees, and the increased pressure on academics to "run" their institutions (illusory of course). Expect last minute notifications.

A: I'm wondering also whether search committees are waiting to hear if their travel budgets will come through, or whether or not their searches will be cancelled.

A: My guess is that a lot of searches are on hold until the mid-year budget cuts shake out in January. If schools do end up going ahead with their search, they can always interview at AWP. Just a guess. It does seem mighty quiet.

A: I do want to echo this post.

A: It would be quite smart of schools whose searches are now on hold and who do get the go-ahead in January to engage in accelerated searches. This would mean jumping to phone/video interviews in early January (not waiting for AWP) and then getting finalists on campus right away. Otherwise, they may lose some of the candidates they're most interested in to schools who do interview at MLA. This would mean, of course, that they'd need to have their short list of interview candidates on hand by the beginning of January, which may or nay not be likely, depending on the department (and how seriously they take filling the position).

'''Q: Is it possible to do MLA interviews without registering for the conference? I'm a member of AWP, not MLA, and I don't want to have to shell out an extra $200 if I don't have to.'''

A: Yes. Most of the interviews are held in hotel rooms or suites, so you're like anyone else visiting a guest at a hotel -- all you need is the room number from your hosting search committee.

A: I don't plan to register and I'd like to get in and out as soon as possible. I only applied to one school, but I expect to get an interview. Does anyone know what days interviews are held? I was thinking of going in on Saturday and leaving out Tuesday afternoon. Is that enough time to get scheduled?

A: Do you have a tip on how to get room numbers gracefully? Will the front desk give them to you? What if calling up to the room is your only option?

A: At MLA, there is always a room where you go to find out from a volunteer where your interview will be held. You give them the name of the school and the position, and they'll give you the hotel/room. I went to this room for several years and was never stopped for not being registered. Sometimes the SC will not have registered with the people in this room, which means other arrangements should've been made ahead of time...

For instance, sometimes the chair of the search committee will give you a contact phone number, or the chair will tell you to go to the front desk at the hotel about fifteen minutes before the interview and ask for him/her by name. The front desk will "put you through" to the room without actually telling you what the room number is. Over the phone, you can ask the chair what room the interview will be in. Be careful with these options and use them only when given permission ahead of time. You don't want to interrupt another interview.

A: With much experience in this, calling up 5 min before is no biggie. It is expected. Usually ints go 45 or less minutes, so calling to the chair's suite is not a problem. The only thing, from my own experience, you might be interrupting, is discussion of the previous candidate, but after 5 minutes or so that peters out. Also, a fairly nice ritual, you hear a voice before you talk to anyone in person.

'''Q: Another related topic to hiring freezes:  travel grant and stipend drought! Any tips on funding the trip to San Francisco? It will cost at least $2000...'''

A: $2000 seems steep! I booked a flight for about $550 and found a hotel off the conference grid but close by for less than $100 a night. I'm going to split the room with another job seeker to save more. Seems to me that you could come out under $1000 if you ate cheaply.

A: This is my first go at this, but if I am understanding this correctly, there is a good chance that an awful lot of us are going to have to go to SF and then AWP. Which is great, because writers are really, really rich.

'''Q: A candidate with an MFA from a top-five program and good/great pubs vs. a PhD. with poor/no pubs: who wins and why? (Lets' say that the job in question here lists workshops as its primary responsibility.)'''

A: Toss up.

A: I'd argue it's not even close to a toss-up. Some schools with search committees run entirely by Ph.Ds are going to always pick the Ph.D., but those ads usually say Ph.D. strongly preferred. If those are the only things in play - degree and publications - the person with the better publications wins; this is particularly true if the job lists workshops as its primary responsibility (and if the job is for teaching at an MFA program, a Ph.D. may actually be a handicap). Of course, I can't imagine any job where the only things in play are degree and publications.

A: There's a new crop of Creative Writing PhDs just now starting to hit the market who have all of the above: a top-five MFA program, strong publications, and a PhD. These people also publish academic articles, translate, run presses and journals, and teach lit classes. They can navigate MFA culture and academic culture, and they tend to have deep teaching experience. This new crop of candidates is putting to rest the idea that folks who seek out a Creative Writing PhD only do so because they can't write or publish.

A: There are not "crops" of translators coming out of graduate programs in Creative Writing. But you can pray for rain.

A: Gosh, I guess the rest of us should just pack it in.

A: Um, yes you should! Or get some auxiliary skills like fire-eating, which would probably be more useful than everything else put together. Seriously, though, I think the point of the above post was that the initial question that started this question was bogus (i.e. folks who pursue CW PhDs are not actually cretins who have no skills or creds).

A; I know, right? But can they do the uneven bars AND the floor routine? That Romanian judge is a stickler...

A: The above comment not at all self-serving. If you're publishing academic articles, translating, running a press and a journal, and teaching lit classes, when on earth do you find time to write? Or do you have a program on your laptop to do that for you? :-) Seriously, though -- there are a few great CW PhDs out there. There are also a few that are simply pumped-up MFAs designed to make students look more competitive. Hiring committees know this. I agree with all the other posters that the degree as such probably doesn't matter as much as other things, like the writing.

A: There are still a lot of Iowa-model MFA programs that don't like to hire PhD's. Maybe this will change.

A: Why do you think that is?

A: Lingering mutual hostility between critics who perceive writers to be flaky & not rigorous, and writers who perceive critics to be pedantic, hostile or overly enamored of theory. Maybe a certain degree of professional insecurity on both sides.

A: Somehow this kind of thinking seems a bit outmoded.

A: VERY outmoded!

A: NOT VERY OUTMODED, though I understand why you'd say that. In a better world it would be. There is no anti-CW PhD feeling in MFA programs -- but there is hostility and mistreatment from the lit Phd to Creative Writing and in response, vice versa. This is because, in part, lit PhDs are most often doing the hiring. They are not frequently all writers. Also the depts that will vote on you (when it is the dept that votes) is a vast majority non-writers. They sometimes think: how will someone without a PhD possibly teach my PhD grad students literature or even how will someone without a phd evaluate a colleague for tenure (I've heard this often)---remember, if you intend to come in anywhere beside the very start of the tenure clock: juniors vote too, some of them are nervous about you as a potential fly in their promotional ointment! Also lit PhDs often, due to the pressures of their fields, don't actually believe in contemporary writing--this due to the growing historicist trend in English depts. I don't mean to be dissing anyone (as it were) but this is a trend I've seen on both sides of creative searches--but not one that fingers ought be pointed about. It will simply exist until the way creative writing is housed becomes more comfortable in the university.

A: I'm not saying I agree with it, only that it's still prevalent, maybe more so than previously. As the entire discipline of literary studies becomes endangered, the wagons start circling. Also, as the above poster on PhDs notes, the discipline is outgrowing the Iowa model, and a lot of MFA programs still have old-school Iowa grads at the helm. It makes sense for them to defend their turf.

A. There's a more practical reason why some MFA programs don't particularly want to hire PhDs. If they hire a PhD (particularly one without a previous MFA), they seem to devalue their own terminal degree (the MFA). It's an important consideration for some schools, and it's reflected in at least a few of this year's job ads. (And by the way, I have a PhD but no MFA, and I can't really argue against these schools. In the end, it's tough out there for everyone, and we'll all get just a few breaks and a multiplicity of ego bruises. Also, despite my PhD credentials, I'm only a cretin on alternating weekends, during the summer, and on Arbor Day.)

A; Sigh. What is it about Arbor Day that brings out the cretin in all of us? I know it makes my brain feel all gooey.

A: In the last four years of job ads, I've seen only one school that has specifically said that they want a candidate with an MFA only and no Ph.D.

A. Off the top of my head, I can think of two ads this year from well-established MFA programs that expressed a clear preference for someone with an MFA. There are plenty of schools that prefer a PhD, too. My main point is there are reasons (beyond the stereotype of critic-writer cage matches) why schools prefer certain degrees. If a school grants a certain degree, the school is likely to value that degree.

A: Yes, but many of the PhDs on the market also have an MFA, so they clearly value the MFA degree as well. Not to mention, these folks are opting to teach in MFA programs rather than academic PhD programs, which they could. Clearly they feel they have a large stake in MFA culture. It sounds like you're saying that hiring PhDs would make people with MFAs look bad, as though they're somehow lacking, which - if it's true - is real a shame for everyone involved.

A. We should really put together a panel on this. (Any takers for a proposal for AWP in 2010?) There are obviously a ton of great candidates on this Wiki — with all kinds of degrees — and this group is just a subset of those on the market. My comment isn't about people or people with certain degrees. It's about perceptions of degrees and about schools maintaining the value of their degrees. If a school really pushes its own MFA as a terminal degree, it might be in the school's best interest to hire someone who has an MFA as a terminal degree. If an MFA program continually hires PhDs, that could degrade the MFA as a terminal degree. Obviously, there are going to be all kinds of biases that we have no control over. Ideally, all of these schools are looking for the best writer, best teacher, and best colleague they can find.

A; I set up an email account for putting together a panel for AWP: phdmfapanel@gmail.com anyone who's into this should email me there! I am nice, I promise!

A: Can a good interview trump all this? That is, if one does well at MLA, on-campus, etc., but doesn't have the ideal degree, do they still have a shot? Or does a candidate's degree predestine that candidate?

A: If you get to the point of being interviewed at MLA and especially on-campus, then you have to assume that you are being seriously considered for the job. If they don't want to interview you, they have plenty of other choices.

A: I think folks need to stop worrying about degrees and concentrate on the writing. I've seen folks with all kinds of combinations of pubs/degrees/no-pubs, etc. At the end of the day, however, it is the writing and the experience that matters. I try not to worry about all this. I just try to produce the best writing that I can. I try to become the best teacher I can. Period.

A:This is simply not the case. “The writing” is often ignored!

A: I'm sorry, but I just don't agree that the writing is ignored for Creative Writing positions. I'm not saying that the search committees base their decisions on a preference for one person's poetry over another. What I am saying is that we have to stay focused on our craft and not get sidetracked by the whims of these search committees. We all know that getting hired involves a confluence of factors. Let's face it, we need some luck. So let's concentrate on that which is within our power!

A: I like how people are harshing on the person who pointed out that not everyone with a PhD sucks (and explained why that's the case) while no one's addressed the implicit hostility/arrogance of the original MFA-holding poster who cast themselves so gloriously (top-5 MFA! great pubs!) against a straw-man PhD grad, who (of course) can't even spell. Good work, people. Nobody even said the PhD folks were more likely to be hired, only that they don't totally suck, are active members of the literary community, etc. The original poster was obviously looking to stir up some hate against the PhD folks in order to comfort themselves about their job prospects, and it's certainly worked.

A: I agree that the writing does really matter. Schools always want writers with strong publications. If you have a novel on a major press or a very large indie, it looks much better than someone who has a book on a small press (especially a start up). I'm not saying this is fair, but it does seem to be the case. Brand recognition is very important. However, there are a few benefits to the PhD. The more professors the school hires with PhDs, the better the school looks on paper when it comes to re-accreditation. Furthermore, in hard economic times such as these, schools cut back on contract instructors and adjuncts. They are more likely to keep those with PhDs over people with MFAs for this very reason. As more and more colleges begin to add PhD programs in Creative Writing, the market will begin to reflect this and it is likely that it will become an expectation for many colleges. It's a very competitive market. Some of the more popular postings have seen as many as 600 applicants for their position. Not only are the freshly graduated looking for a job, but many of those who earned a less than desirable job over the past few years are looking to move on. Having done this job search for several years in my life, I can say that it is a demoralizing process no matter how many publications or what degree you have. Schools have you jump through loops, travel, pay to have your papers sent, disrespect you in the interview, lose your application and ask you to resubmit through fed ex, and then forget to even mail you a rejection letter. They will invite you to MLA just because your CV "looks interesting and they just wanted to meet you." However, it's the system and if we are truly passionate about teaching, we subject ourselves to it. My advice: Don't lose heart. Remember why it is you're doing it. Update your materials as often as possible and try until you have the job you want. Moreover, remember how terrible of an experience it really is when you're in the position of doing interviews.

A: Well, there are also MFA/PhDs who have PhDs in lit. like myself. This is a little murkier, I think, though, in tough times this might (just might) be a good mix. The twofer, threefer, and fourfer are the rule rather than the exception these days as we can all tell from the sometimes comic job descriptions. However, the wisdom from the above responses is all right as well. It simply depends on the committee and institutional ethos you encounter. I like to think of it less as luck than happenstance, but hell.

A: 600 applicants?

A: We are all screwed.

A: No, you're not. I mean, technically, 599 of us are screwed. But probably half of those 600 applicants didn't even meet the minimum qualifications for the job they applied for. I've served on a few search committees, and some of the applications made me wonder if the applicants had even read the job description. What part of "terminal degree required" or "at least one book" don't they understand? Part of the blame, of course, should go to the departments, for writing such weaselly position announcements.

A: This is freaking hilarious!! You say: "I agree that the writing does really matter. Schools always want writers with strong publications. If you have a novel on a major press or a very large indie, it looks much better than someone who has a book on a small press..." So the writing doesn't matter in the least! Only the "quality" of the publishing house! Crikey. While probably true, it's quite a crime, given that a lot of very compelling writers are filtered through independent presses, even "small" ones. Who really wants to be surrounded people who rely on publishing pedigrees to determine what they think is "good" writing, whatever that means. What a joke. What a terrible, terrible joke.

A: Unfortunately for most of us here, it's probably not a matter of choice, or "want[ing] to be surrounded [by] people who rely on publishing pedigrees to determine what they think is 'good' writing...". We're talking necessity here. Unless there's suddenly a rash of poetry mags paying big cash, or other ways to use the skills. Plus, to be fair, many academics have not much experience with contemporary literature, "good" or "not good"; not sure I'd be a reliable reader of, say, 17th century English lit criticism. & While I do think we're in a position to judge potential colleagues as much as they judge us, some of these judgments might not be entirely accurate about the kind of people everyone is, on both sides of the fence. But yeah, the whole system basically blows. Sob. Anyone else think we need a union?

A: 1. You're point is well taken regarding my comment about the publishing houses. Much of the writing I read could be considered "minor" literature or "marginal"/"experimental" (all useless labels I'm sure), but it's great writing and unfortunately not published with large presses. Consequently, many of these authors have had trouble landing jobs because their work is considered "difficult." However, schools must be very careful with their selections. Students, Parents, Alumni, The School's Administration, and Accreditation committees look at these things very seriously. Remember school is a business (something I think many of us hate). We are in a time where more media is published than ever before, brand seems to be more and more important because it helps departments sift through the hundreds of applications they get. I don't agree with it and I have struggled against it myself as a small press has released my novels and I run a small press of my own that releases new writers. But nitpicking about what's fair, doesn't help people who are looking for a job. The bottom line is this: if you're looking for a job, get all your things in order. Research the department of every school in which you apply and cater each letter to that school. Publish, publish, publish. Write a very strong and precise letter of application. Make sure you're letters are updated. Don't pad your CV, but make sure it tells them exactly who you are. Read the ad thoroughly and give them exactly what they ask for and nothing more or less. Think of it as a three year process. And when you do get your first job, it's probably not going to be where you'd like to end up. Academics move around pretty frequently because everyone wants to end up in a good school in a nice city. Also, remember that many of these schools might be a terrible fit for you. It might not seem like it now, but a bad fit could be much worse than not having a full-time teaching position.



'''Q: Someone mentioned below a previous fiction search that yielded 100 applicants. Can anyone speak to the typical number of applicants for one of the poetry jobs?'''

A: I received a count of 200 in one of my job response letters from a department this fall.



'''Q: With the economy in turmoil, is there a real chance that MLA and/or final interviews will be canceled? Will institutions try to save a buck by doing more over the phone? Is there precedent for actions like these?'''

A: Yes, yes and I'm not sure. Anyone remember the last big downturn?

Q: Do you think jobs that have Dec.1 deadlines are going to start reviewing and contacting people before that date, or will they wait till everything is in?

A: I think they will wait until everything is in.

A: I disagree. My department is doing a non-creative writing search whose deadline is Dec. 1st and the committee is made copies of all the incoming application materials on a rolling basis. So by the time the deadline comes around they will have already looked over most everything.

A: My department waited until the deadline to start looking through materials. There were exactly 100 applicants. This was for one of the fiction positions.

A: I've always reviewed apps on a rolling basis. It simply makes sense. But I haven't figured out whether there is an advantage to being early or not, that's my one constant surprise from jobs.

A: It's better to be early.



'''Q: Can we talk about the inside folks? Which jobs have them?'''

A: I think it's alright to indicate you think there is an inside candidate for a job, perhaps without mentioning their name? What do others think?

A: I don't see why not, as long as names aren't named.

A: Poetry inside candidates:

Willamette; Case Western Reserve; Loyola; UC Denver; Washington College; U. of Oregon

A: This is just heart-breaking. I've received a dossier request from lots of these places. I know the inside candidates may go elsewhere, things may fall through, etc. etc., but this whole practice is just dreadful. Please, someone come up with a more humane process.

A: I wouldn't sweat inside folks too much. They are often in an equally awkward position. I think very few are guaranteed the position in any implied or explicit way. They've just been interviewing for a year. Here's a link to an interesting first-person piece in the Chronicle about the inside biz: http://chronicle.com/weekly/v52/i26/26c00201.htm. No need for broken hearts.

A: I agree. Hiring inside isn't always the most advantageous move for a department.

A: I agree that a department probably doesn't just want to settle on a current adjunct for at TT gig, but if you look at the faculty sites of these schools the insiders can be a bit scary. Sheesh.

A: I always look at the faculty list (including the instructors) and compare it to the job description. If you have a school with a very descriptive listing that asks for an author who writes hybrid image/text poetry and has a strong interest in Virginia Woolf and then see that they have a Virginia Woolf Scholar with seven books of hybrid image/text poetry as a visiting professor...chances are they have a pretty good idea who they are going to hire. But yes...sigh...it is frustrating work.

A: How are they scary exactly? I'm not sure quite what you mean.

A: Well, there are insiders to some of the jobs above who have as many as five or six books published, prizes, etc. That's scary to me. And heartbreaking.

A: It's not as if you can stop insiders from applying for jobs at the schools they're teaching. I second or third the observations above that insider hiring is not necessarily to the department's benefit. Nor does it necessarily give them an advantage. The opposite, sometimes.

A: A few of the jobs with inside candidates are specifically tailored to these candidates; the search is done as a legal obligation, not because the department is looking for other possible employees.

A: Another thing to consider with an inside candidate is the dynamics of the committee/department. There may be a person or faction pulling for the inside candidate, and there may be a person/faction opposed to the candidate.

A: I've seen inside candidates (spousal hires, for example). I felt really sorry for the other candidates.

A: There's also the myth of the "inside candidate" i.e. it's unfair for we outsiders to consider someone an insider just because s/he may be adjuncting some place that is hiring. There's the old "why pay for the cow..." adage which may be in play, to the adjuncter/insider's detriment.

Q: Any inside Fiction folks?



'''Q: Is it unusual to get no requests for further documents by now? (Nov. 18th) I've applied to about 60 jobs.'''

A: It depends on a number of factors. How many jobs did you apply for this year? It seems like a lot of places have yet to request additional information at this point.

A: I've been contacted for further documents (writing sample) as late as mid-December.

A: Thanks for sharing. I feel like less of a leper. Can I also vent about how hard it is to have to prepare two full-length writing samples (one critical, one creative)!?! Sometimes, I wish I was a medievalist.



Q: So do creative writers on the job market need to plan to attend MLA as well as AWP?

A: Most places interview at MLA, but this year it seems like there are more listings saying they will interview at AWP. Bad news for job seekers.

Q: Why is that bad news for job seekers? The timing?

A: Yeah, that messes up the timing pretty bad, actually. Since they're about 6 weeks apart. To say nothing of doing both trips. Lots of schools will be doing their campus visits in mid-late Jan/early February before the schools interviewing at AWP have even met with a single candidate for initial interviews. It just gums up the works basically. Potentially searches that began at MLA could make an offer before AWP searches have even finished their campus interviews, let alone decided on a candidate, or made an offer. Oh well.

A: It's also expensive to have to plan two trips like this (airfare, hotel, and conference). When it's just one conference it's an easier gamble that you'll have to be there.



Q: I'm curious if there's another resource for listings beyond the mla and awp postings?

A: www.newpages.com tends to list a small amount jobs on their blog, but again, there is a lot of overlap between there and AWP/MLA. Most departments go through the formal channels.

A: ADE site; http://www.higheredjobs.com/; http://chronicle.com/jobs/



'''Q: I'm curious about how others respond to an initial request for a "description of your work" (usually specified as one or two pages), particularly for poets. I borrowed from a description written for a grant application and mostly discussed my manuscript-in-progress. But for creative writing, this seems like a strange requirement; maybe it's a holdover from other job listings that ask for a dissertation abstract or description of current research. Any thoughts about this?'''

A: Sounds like a holdover to me, or maybe the department has a template for any listings, be they writing or lit or whatever. I'm a prose writer, not a poet, but I've never been asked for a description of my work, just samples.

A: Not strange at all. If you’re unable to articulate a poetics, you’ll do poorly with a job talk, not to mention falling short in the classroom itself.

A: You should always describe your work in your cover letter, at least a paragraph. And it will serve you well in your interview or job talk if you're able to describe compellingly -- and perhaps theoretically -- what you're trying to accomplish as a writer. This is even more true if you're applying at a research-intensive institution. Liberal arts and teaching colleges often want to hear more about your teaching. If your poetics inform how you teach, so much the better. If not, better prepare to talk about your dream courses.



'''Q: Every time I apply for a position I receive a follow-up letter or email asking me to complete an affirmative-action questionnaire. Most of these mailings state that completion of the survey is voluntary and anonymous, though most also require you to list your name, which seems to contradict at least the anonymous claim. So is participation really voluntary? If you don't fill this out and return it (and sometimes return postage is not pre-paid, either), will the hiring committee or the department hold this against you?'''

A: This came up on the Chronicle of Higher Education forums-the consensus there was that search committees and department chairs should not/would almost certainly never see the AA forms, and wouldn't know if a specific individual filled them out. Some people there still urged everyone to fill them out, because there's apparently a slim possibility that a search could be canceled by administrators if they decided that the applicant pool wasn't large enough or diverse enough.



Q: How many requests for additional materials are generally sent, when a department narrows its applicants that way?

A: Most common narrowing process is a) an initial pool of 20-30 minimally qualified candidates, requested to send additional material; b) winnowed to 10-12 for initial interviews (MLA, AWP or telephone), c) 2-3 for a campus visit. Search committees often have in mind a third or fourth "backup" candidate if the initial campus visitors are unacceptable. Bear in mind that this year may see more telephone interviews, as search budgets are cut back and conference trips are cancelled. With telephone interviews there is less pressure to narrow the pool quickly. A: I'm on a committee that had 90 applicants for poetry, we choose 17 for additonal material, and the committee head strictly held us to 8 for MLA interviews.



'''Q: How many people are actually posting here? I get the sense that there are a couple of friends posting back and forth with different answers...?'''

A: Yes I've answered a few of my own questions, guilty!

List-Related Comments & Suggestions
Q: Anyone know why some of the added listings keep disappearing?

Q: Where is last year's wiki?

A: Gone. No trace of it.

Q: Any ideas on how we can "spread the word" about this wiki more effectively?

A: key search terms...like so: poems, poetry, jobs, jobs in poetry, creative writing gig, creative writing job, work in creative writing, creative writing wiki, creative writing search results, job searches, how to make a cv, how to land a creative writing job, new hire in fiction, fiction jobs, etc...add more...

A: Email everyone! Please!And if you read this but don't post: start posting!

A: Post about it on listserves.

A: Blog about it.

Q: Perhaps we should list the updates in chronological order, rather than alphabetizing them? This would make it easier to see the recent updates.

A: While chronologically makes it easier to see what's new any given day, it's really hard to find particular schools, and generally much harder for those of us who don't check every day, or who need to refresh our memories. Is there a way to do both?

A: There were multiple calls to alphabetize last year, for the same reasons mentioned above. It seems there's not any easy solution.