Wilkes University’s Maslow Foundation Salon Reading Series, which highlights the June 2020 residency for the University’s Maslow Family Graduate Program in Creative Writing, will be available for free to the public virtually via online videos. The series features alumni, guests and creative program faculty, many of whom are prize-winning authors, as guest readers. The program is holding all of the classes and events of its June residency virtually from June 12-19. Readings are nightly from June 14-18. Traditionally the residency is held on campus.
Readings are available to members of the community as recorded videos at https://wilkes.edu/readingseries. Please note that Monday, June 13 is not a reading that is available to the community outside of the creative writing program. All other readings can be accessed via the recordings.
Guest readers during the week include Maureen Corrigan, book reviewer for National Public Radio, and Tim Seibles, former poet laureate of Virginia, whose poetry book “Fast Animal” was nominated for the National Book Award. Corrigan and Seibles are featured in the Thursday evening reading. The following are the featured recorded readings and the writers and the genres represented:
Sunday, June 14
The readings on this evening will include poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction. Featured readers are: Rashidah Ismaili Abubakr, Laurie Loewenstein, Lenore Hart, Donna Talarico, David Poyer, Christine Gelineau, Taylor Polites
Tuesday, June 16
Readings on this evening include fiction and creative nonfiction. Featured readers are: Kevin Oderman, Jeff Talarigo, Laurie Jean, Beverly Donofrio, Kaylie Jones, Robert Mooney, Jacquelyn Mitchard
Wednesday, June 17
This evening is playwrights night and includes staged readings of faculty work. Featured faculty playwrights are: Jean Klein, Gregory Fletcher, Juanita Rockwell, Bonnie Culver, Jan Quackenbush
Thursday, June 18
The final evening of the series will feature fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry. Featured readers are: J. Michael Lennon, Maureen Corrigan, Tim Seibles, Nancy McKinley, Phil Brady
The mission of the Maslow Family Graduate Program in Creative Writing is to educate students in the craft, life, and business practices of seven areas of study — fiction, poetry, screenwriting, playwriting, creative nonfiction, publishing and making documentary films — through a commitment to excellent mentorships, publishing opportunities, and industry-specific internships. The program offers a nationally recognized and widely reputed graduate creative writing program where students and faculty find the writing support, community, and market opportunities to become lifelong, productive, professional writers in all fields.
The Graduate Creative Writing program is offered in two formats. In the low-residency format, students learn online during the project semester and usually attend two eight-day in-person residencies each January and June. For the weekender program, students learn online and attend four face-to-face weekend class sessions each term. The weekender program also is being conducted entirely online at this time.
Wilkes offers the master of arts and master of fine art degrees in fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, screenwriting, playwriting, publishing and documentary filmmaking. Program faculty are working, producing writers who mentor students one-on-one through the process of creating a full-length creative project.
