MFA in Creative Writing - Alumni
To date, more than 380 students have received degrees from the SMC MFA in Creative Writing. Alumni have published more than 80 books, appeared in countless journals and magazines, and won many distinguished literary prizes. Others have started internationally known presses and publications like Omnidawn and the East Bay Review, and founded important reading series in the Bay Area such as Woolsey Heights, East Bay Poetry Summit, Literary Arts & Wine and the Studio One Reading Series.
Here is a sampling of alumni who have published books with houses across the U.S. and around the world.
Alumni Publication Highlights
Alumni Books
Ballad of a Slopsucker (short story collection) by Juan Alvarado Valdivia
MFA class of 2010
published February 2019, University of New Mexico Press
¡Cancerlandia!: A Memoir by Juan Alvarado Valdivia
MFA class of 2010
published in 2015 by The University of New Mexico Press
Stay (fiction) by Zachary Amendt
MFA class of 2014
published in June 2014 by Montag Press
Locus by Jason Bayani
MFA class of 2010
published April 2019, Omnidawn
Amulet (poetry) by Jason Bayani
MFA class of 2010
published in April 2013 by Writebloody Publishing
Where We Think It Should Go (poetry) by Claire Becker
MFA class of 2006
published in 2010 by Octopus Books
Book Scavenger (novel) by Jennifer Bertman
MFA class of 2001
published in 2015 by Henry Holt & Co.
The Unbreakable Code (novel)
by Jennifer Bertman
MFA class of 2001
published in 2016 by Henry Holt & Co.
The Alcatraz Escape (fiction) by Jennifer Bertman
MFA class of 2001
published May 2018, Henry Holt & Co.
Relativity (novel) by Cristin Bishara
MFA class of 1998
published in September 2013 by Walker Books for Young Readers
SPI: The Case of the Dark Shadow (fiction) by Teresa Bonham
MFA class of 2003
published in 2012 by Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.
The Daddy Diaries (novel) by Josh Braff
MFA class of 1997
published in 2015 by Prince Street Press
The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Green (novel) by Josh Braff
MFA class of 1997
published in 2004 by Algonquin
Peep Show (novel) by Josh Braff
MFA class of 1997
published in 2010 by Algonquin
Rust or Go Missing (poetry) by Lily Brown
MFA class of 2007
published in 2010 by Cleveland State University Poetry Center
The Color of Dusk (poetry) by Robin Caton
MFA class of 1997
published in 2001 by Omnidawn
simple constructs for the lizzies (poetry) by Lisa Cattrone
MFA class of 2001
published in May 2016 by Trembling Pillow Press
Gutenberg's Apprentice (fiction) by Alix Christie
MFA class of 1999
Fall 2014 by Harper in the U.S. and Headline in the U.K
A Real Time of It (poetry) by Sally Delehant
MFA class of 2009
published 2012 by the Cultural Society
How Do You Deal with a Dead Girl? (fiction) by Andrew Demcak
MFA class of 1997
published in March 2018, independently published
Alpha Wave (fiction) by Andrew Demcak
MFA class of 1997
2018 by Harmony Ink Press
Ghost Songs (novel) by Andrew Demcak
MFA class of 1997
April 2014 by Harmony Ink Press
If There's a Heaven Above (novel) by Andrew Demcak
MFA class of 1997
published in January 2013 by JMS Books
Night Chant (poetry) by Andrew Demcak
MFA class of 1997
published in 2011 by Lethe Press
A Single Hurt Color (poetry) by Andrew Demcak
MFA class of 1997
published in 2010 by GOSS 183:: Casa Menendez Press
672 Hours (poetry) by Andrew Demcak
MFA class of 1997
published in 2009 by Gold Wake Press
Pink Narcissus (poetry) by Andrew Demcak
MFA class of 1997
published in 2009 by GOSS 183:: Casa Menendez Press
Zero Summer (poetry) by Andrew Demcak
MFA class of 1997
published in 2009 by BlazeVOX Books
Catching Tigers in Red Weather (poetry) by Andrew Demcak
MFA class of 1997
published in 2007 by Three Candles Press, winner of The Three Candles Press Open Book Award, selected by Joan Larkin
To Boil Water (short fiction) by Myha T. Do
MFA class of 2009
published in 2013 by Kore Press
How to Build a Fire (nonfiction) by J. Scott Donahue
MFA class of 2014
published in May 2017 by Cider Mill Press
50 Ways to Save the Honey Bees (and Change the World) (nonfiction) by J. Scott Donahue
MFA class of 2014
published in June 2016 by Cider Mill Press
Letters to Quince (novella) by Jenny Drai
MFA class of 2006
published in March 2015 by Artistically Declined Press
Song of Myself: and Other Poems by Walt Whitman
Co-edited by Bob Hass and Paul Ebenkamp MFA class of 2009
Published in 2010 by Counterpoint Press
Writing the Silences by Richard O. Moore
Co-edited by Brenda Hillman and Paul Ebenkamp MFA class of 2009
Published in 2011 by University of California Press
The Etiquette of Freedom: Gary Snyder, Jim Harrison, and the Practice of the Wild by Gary Snyder
Edited by Paul Ebenkamp MFA class of 2009
Published in 2011 by Counterpoint Press
Modernist Women Poets: An Anthology
Co-edited by Bob Hass and Paul Ebenkamp MFA class of 2009
Published in 2014 by Counterpoint Press
Particluars of Place (poetry) by Richard O. Moore
Co-edited by Garrett Caples, Brenda Hillman and Paul Ebenkamp MFA class of 2009
published 2015 by Omnidawn Publishing
Arrives, then Steady Pace with the Hour by Rebecca Eland
MFA class of 2014
Published in November 2016 by Plein Air Editions, the imprint of Bootstrap Press
Sudden Lake by Rebecca Farivar
MFA class of 2008
Published in 2017 by Dikemble Press
Correct Animal (poetry) by Rebecca Farivar
MFA class of 2008
published in 2012 by Octopus Books
Full Meal (poetry) by Rebecca Farivar
MFA class of 2008
Published in 2015 by Boaat Press
Wider than the Sky (novel) by Katherine Field Rothschild
MFA class of 2001
published in 2020 by Soho Teen
Goodnight Saint Paul (travel memoir) by Kevin Finley
MFA class of 2009 (creative nonfiction)
published in 2015 by Think Piece Publishing
Axel Vervoordt: Living with Light (nonfiction) by Michael Gardner
MFA class of 2005 (creative nonfiction)
published in October 2013 by Flammarion
Without Repair (poetry) by Colby Gillette
MFA class of 2011 (poetry)
published in December 2014 by Called Back Books
The Seed Bank (poetry) by Gabe Gomez
MFA class of 2000
published in 2012 by Mouthfeel Press
The Outer Bands (poetry) by Gabe Gomez
MFA class of 2000
published by University of Norte Dame Press, winner of the Andrés Montoya Poetry Prize
The Stone Roses (nonfiction) by Alex Green
MFA class of 1997
published in 2006 by Continuum
Emergency Anthems (poetry) by Alex Green
MFA class of 1997
published in January 2015 by Brooklyn Arts Press
The Heart Goes Boom (fiction) by Alex Green
MFA class of 1997
published in 2016 by Wrecking Ball
Ecopoetics: Essays in the Field (nonfiction) co-edited by alumna Angela Hume and Gillian Osbourne
MFA class of 2008
published in March 2018 by University of Iowa Press
The Middle (poetry) by Angela Hume
MFA class of 2008
published in 2013 by Omnidawn
Middle Time (poetry) by Angela Hume
MFA class of 2008
published in 2016 by Omnidawn
The Archivist (poetry) by Jennifer Jean
MFA class of 2001
published by Big Table Publishing
In the War (poetry) by Jennifer Jean
MFA class of 2001
published by Big Table Publishing
The Fool (poetry) by Jennifer Jean
MFA class of 2001
published in 2013 by Big Table Publishing
Voz (poetry) by Jennifer Jean
MFA class of 2001
published in 2023 by Lily Poetry Review
Object Lesson (poetry) by Jennifer Jean
MFA class of 2001
published in 2021 by Lily Poetry Review
Summoning the Phoenix: Poems and Prose About Chinese Musical Instruments (children's book) by Emily Jiang
MFA class of 2009
published in 2014 by Shen's Books
Life Lessons Harry Potter Taught Me by Jill Kolongowski
MFA Class of 2014
Published October 2017, Ulysses Press
Bearded Lady (memoir) by Allison Landa
MFA class of 2006
forthcoming by Pen-L Publishing
A Hotel in Belgium (poetry) by Brett Fletcher Lauer
MFA class of 2007
published in March 2014 by Four Way Books
Upstream (novel) by Melissa Lion
MFA class of 2000
published in 2006 by Wendy Lamb Books
Swollen (novel) by Melissa Lion
MFA class of 2000
published in 2004 by Wendy Lamb Books
Gentlemen Prefer Asians: Tales of Gay Indonesians and Green Card Marriages (memoir) by Yuska Lutfi
MFA class of 2014
published in 2016 by ThreeL Media
Starting Up Silicon Valley by Katherine Maxfield
MFA class of 1998 (fiction)
published in 2014 by Greenleaf Book Group
I Shall Be Near To You (fiction) by Erin Lindsay McCabe
MFA class of 2010
published in January 2014 by Crown Publishing
Beyond the Chainlink (poetry) by Rusty Morrison
MFA class of 1999
published in January 2014 by Ahsahta Press
After Urgency (poetry) by Rusty Morrison
MFA class of 1999
published in 2010 by Tupelo Press and winner of the Tupelo Press' Dorset Prize
The True Keeps Calm Biding Its Story (poetry) by Rusty Morrison
MFA class of 1999
published in 2008 by Ahsahta Press
Whethering (poetry) by Rusty Morrison
published in 2004 by Colorado State University’s Center for Lit. Publishing
Mortar (poetry) by Sara Mumolo
MFA class of 2009
published in October 2013 by Omnidawn Publishing
Day Counter by Sara Mumolo
MFA class of 2009
published 2018 by Omnidawn Publishing
Hive-Mind (memoir) by Gabrielle Myers
MFA class of 2010
published in September 2015 by CreateSpace
There Was a Fire Here (nonfiction) by Risa Nye
MFA class of 2011
published in June 2016 by She Writes Press
Crave, a Memoir of Food and Longing (memoir) by Christine O'Brien
MFA class of 2011
published November of 2018 by St. Martin's Press.
Telegraph (poetry) by Kaya Oakes
MFA class of 1997
published in 2007 by Pavement Saw Press
The Nones Are Alright (memoir) by Kaya Oakes
MFA class of 1997
published in October 2015 by Orbis Books
Slanted and Enchanted (nonfiction) by Kaya Oakes
MFA class of 1997
published in 2009 by Henry Holt
One Day You'll Burn (novel) by Joseph Schneider
MFA class of 2015
published February, 2020, Poisoned Pen Press
Futuring (poetry) by Mike Sikkema
MFA class of 2006
published in 2008 by Blazevox Books
January Found (poetry) by Mike Sikkema
MFA class of 2006
published in 2014 by Blazevox Books
Stanton, California (short stories) by Sam Silvas
MFA class of 1997
published in 2016 by Silver Birch Press
Prison as Punishment (nonfiction) by Ralph Spinelli
MFA class of 2006
published in 2014 by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
The Women's Guide to Successful Investing: Achieving Financial Security and Realizing Your Goals (nonfiction) by Nancy Tengler
MFA class of 2009
published in 2014 by Palgrave Macmillan
Crown of Dust (novel) by Mary Volmer
MFA class of 2005
published in 2010 by Soho Press
Reliance, Illinois by Mary Volmer
MFA class of 2005
published in April 2017 by Soho Press
Dear, Companion (poetry) by A.E. Watkins
MFA class of 2007
published in 2012 by Dream Horse Press