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
(short story collection) by Juan Alvarado Valdivia
MFA class of 2010
published February 2019, University of New Mexico Press
by Juan Alvarado Valdivia
MFA class of 2010
published in 2015 by
(fiction) by Zachary Amendt
MFA class of 2014
published in June 2014 by
by Jason Bayani
MFA class of 2010
published April 2019, Omnidawn
(poetry) by Jason Bayani
MFA class of 2010
published in April 2013 by Writebloody Publishing
(poetry) by Claire Becker
MFA class of 2006
published in 2010 by Octopus Books
(novel) by Jennifer Bertman
MFA class of 2001
published in 2015 by Henry Holt & Co.
(novel)
by Jennifer Bertman
MFA class of 2001
published in 2016 by Henry Holt & Co.
(fiction) by Jennifer Bertman
MFA class of 2001
published May 2018, Henry Holt & Co.
(novel) by Cristin Bishara
MFA class of 1998
published in September 2013 by Walker Books for Young Readers
(fiction) by Teresa Bonham
MFA class of 2003
published in 2012 by Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.
(novel) by Josh Braff
MFA class of 1997
published in 2015 by Prince Street Press
(novel) by Josh Braff
MFA class of 1997
published in 2004 by Algonquin
(novel) by Josh Braff
MFA class of 1997
published in 2010 by Algonquin
(poetry) by Lily Brown
MFA class of 2007
published in 2010 by Cleveland State University Poetry Center
(poetry) by Robin Caton
MFA class of 1997
published in 2001 by Omnidawn
(poetry) by Lisa Cattrone
MFA class of 2001
published in May 2016 by Trembling Pillow Press
(fiction) by Alix Christie
MFA class of 1999
Fall 2014 by Harper in the U.S. and Headline in the U.K
(poetry) by Sally Delehant
MFA class of 2009
published 2012 by the Cultural Society
(fiction) by Andrew Demcak
MFA class of 1997
published in March 2018, independently published
(fiction) by Andrew Demcak
MFA class of 1997
2018 by Harmony Ink Press
(novel) by Andrew Demcak
MFA class of 1997
April 2014 by Harmony Ink Press
(novel) by Andrew Demcak
MFA class of 1997
published in January 2013 by JMS Books
(poetry) by Andrew Demcak
MFA class of 1997
published in 2011 by Lethe Press
(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
(poetry) by Andrew Demcak
MFA class of 1997
published in 2009 by BlazeVOX Books
(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
(short fiction) by Myha T. Do
MFA class of 2009
published in 2013 by Kore Press
(nonfiction) by J. Scott Donahue
MFA class of 2014
published in May 2017 by
(nonfiction) by J. Scott Donahue
MFA class of 2014
published in June 2016 by
(novella) by Jenny Drai
MFA class of 2006
published in March 2015 by Artistically Declined Press
by Walt Whitman
Co-edited by Bob Hass and Paul Ebenkamp MFA class of 2009
Published in 2010 by Counterpoint Press
by Richard O. Moore
Co-edited by Brenda Hillman and Paul Ebenkamp MFA class of 2009
Published in 2011 by University of California Press
by Gary Snyder
Edited by Paul Ebenkamp MFA class of 2009
Published in 2011 by Counterpoint Press
Co-edited by Bob Hass and Paul Ebenkamp MFA class of 2009
Published in 2014 by Counterpoint Press
(poetry) by Richard O. Moore
Co-edited by Garrett Caples, Brenda Hillman and Paul Ebenkamp MFA class of 2009
published 2015 by Omnidawn Publishing
by Rebecca Eland
MFA class of 2014
Published in November 2016 by Plein Air Editions, the imprint of Bootstrap Press
by Rebecca Farivar
MFA class of 2008
Published in 2017 by Dikemble Press
(poetry) by Rebecca Farivar
MFA class of 2008
published in 2012 by
(poetry) by Rebecca Farivar
MFA class of 2008
Published in 2015 by
(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
(nonfiction) by Michael Gardner
MFA class of 2005 (creative nonfiction)
published in October 2013 by Flammarion
(poetry) by Colby Gillette
MFA class of 2011 (poetry)
published in December 2014 by
(poetry) by Gabe Gomez
MFA class of 2000
published in 2012 by Mouthfeel Press
(poetry) by Gabe Gomez
MFA class of 2000
published by University of Norte Dame Press, winner of the Andrés Montoya Poetry Prize
(nonfiction) by Alex Green
MFA class of 1997
published in 2006 by Continuum
(poetry) by Alex Green
MFA class of 1997
published in January 2015 by
(fiction) by Alex Green
MFA class of 1997
published in 2016 by
(nonfiction) co-edited by alumna Angela Hume and Gillian Osbourne
MFA class of 2008
published in March 2018 by University of Iowa Press
(poetry) by Angela Hume
MFA class of 2008
published in 2013 by Omnidawn
(poetry) by Angela Hume
MFA class of 2008
published in 2016 by Omnidawn
(poetry) by Jennifer Jean
MFA class of 2001
published by Big Table Publishing
(poetry) by Jennifer Jean
MFA class of 2001
published by Big Table Publishing
(poetry) by Jennifer Jean
MFA class of 2001
published in 2013 by Big Table Publishing
(poetry) by Jennifer Jean
MFA class of 2001
published in 2023 by Lily Poetry Review
(poetry) by Jennifer Jean
MFA class of 2001
published in 2021 by Lily Poetry Review
(children's book) by Emily Jiang
MFA class of 2009
published in 2014 by Shen's Books
by Jill Kolongowski
MFA Class of 2014
Published October 2017, Ulysses Press
(memoir) by Allison Landa
MFA class of 2006
forthcoming by Pen-L Publishing
(poetry) by Brett Fletcher Lauer
MFA class of 2007
published in March 2014 by Four Way Books
(novel) by Melissa Lion
MFA class of 2000
published in 2006 by Wendy Lamb Books
(novel) by Melissa Lion
MFA class of 2000
published in 2004 by Wendy Lamb Books
(memoir) by Yuska Lutfi
MFA class of 2014
published in 2016 by ThreeL Media
by Katherine Maxfield
MFA class of 1998 (fiction)
published in 2014 by
(fiction) by Erin Lindsay McCabe
MFA class of 2010
published in January 2014 by
(poetry) by Rusty Morrison
MFA class of 1999
published in January 2014 by Ahsahta Press
(poetry) by Rusty Morrison
MFA class of 1999
published in 2010 by Tupelo Press and winner of the Tupelo Press' Dorset Prize
(poetry) by Rusty Morrison
MFA class of 1999
published in 2008 by Ahsahta Press
(poetry) by Rusty Morrison
published in 2004 by Colorado State University’s Center for Lit. Publishing
(poetry) by Sara Mumolo
MFA class of 2009
published in October 2013 by
by Sara Mumolo
MFA class of 2009
published 2018 by Omnidawn Publishing
(memoir) by Gabrielle Myers
MFA class of 2010
published in September 2015 by
(nonfiction) by Risa Nye
MFA class of 2011
published in June 2016 by
(memoir) by Christine O'Brien
MFA class of 2011
published November of 2018 by St. Martin's Press.
(poetry) by Kaya Oakes
MFA class of 1997
published in 2007 by Pavement Saw Press
(memoir) by Kaya Oakes
MFA class of 1997
published in October 2015 by
(nonfiction) by Kaya Oakes
MFA class of 1997
published in 2009 by Henry Holt
(novel) by Joseph Schneider
MFA class of 2015
published February, 2020, Poisoned Pen Press
(poetry) by Mike Sikkema
MFA class of 2006
published in 2008 by Blazevox Books
(poetry) by Mike Sikkema
MFA class of 2006
published in 2014 by Blazevox Books
(short stories) by Sam Silvas
MFA class of 1997
published in 2016 by Silver Birch Press
(nonfiction) by Ralph Spinelli
MFA class of 2006
published in 2014 by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
(nonfiction) by Nancy Tengler
MFA class of 2009
published in 2014 by Palgrave Macmillan
(novel) by Mary Volmer
MFA class of 2005
published in 2010 by Soho Press
by Mary Volmer
MFA class of 2005
published in April 2017 by Soho Press
(poetry) by A.E. Watkins
MFA class of 2007
published in 2012 by Dream Horse Press