Antioch University Santa Barbara recently welcomed its inaugural cohort of MFA in Writing and Contemporary Media students for their first week-long residency in Santa Barbara.
Eight students from across the state and the country gathered for group mentorship, thesis project support, and expert-led workshops as part of this low-residency MFA program. Students in AUSB’s MFA program complete courses and work online, supplemented by a 7-day intensive residency on the Santa Barbara campus each semester.
“Great speakers!” said Becca Braren, a student in the program. “Getting to meet and discuss relevant topics with professionals is a major part of why I’m glad I chose Antioch.”
To celebrate the inaugural MFA cohort, AUSB held a special event with guest Richard Russo, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and screenwriter whose novels include Nobody’s Fool, Empire Falls, and the recently published Everybody’s Fool. An interview with Russo was hosted by KCRW; listen to the recording online at kcrw.org.
“Where to start? What a wonderful week!” commented MFA student Gabriela Garay. “I loved the conversations, the lectures on beginnings, middles and ends. Richard Russo was amazing as well. I loved the readings, and hearing about different fields people are working in. Ultimately my favorite part was the writing information and bringing it all together to examine how story is story, regardless of the genre.”
