When I had my brother on the phone a few months ago, he asked me out of the blue if I was proud to be Jewish. I told him, of course, I was. My first book of poetry, which hadn’t been released yet, would be titled Kosher, a title that I chose to pay homage to my Jewish roots (despite not keeping kosher during my meals).
Antioch Spotlight: MFA in Creative Writing Alum Leslie Lehr
Many writers dream of having their book developed into a TV show. For Leslie Lehr, a 2005 alum of the Antioch MFA in Creative Writing, this dream is coming true. Her 2021 memoir A Boob’s Life: How America’s Obsession Shaped Me… and You was optioned by HBO Max Comedy.
Best Of: Victoria Chang on Literary Citizenship
Victoria Chang, the prominent poet and Antioch MFA core faculty is a longtime advocate for “literary citizenship”—she says we ought to create writing worlds full of collaboration, generosity, and mutual…
Victoria Chang Wins 2023 Chowdhury Prize in Literature
Victoria Chang has won the 2023 Chowdhury Prize in Literature, the prestigious international award given to a mid-career writer both for their body of work and for their future potential…
Living a Life Centered Around Writing
When Reyna Grande walked into this year’s Texas Book Festival, she was greeted with hugs and exclamations. Everywhere she went, someone was excited to see her. People knew who she was.
This wasn’t the case ten years ago. “When my first book came out,” she says, “I was the new kid on the block. No one knew who I was.” For Grande, an alum of Antioch’s MFA in Creative Writing who now teaches in that same program, all it has taken is sixteen years of hard work, building relationships, and publishing numerous books to claim her space in the writing world.
S4E8: Writing for Film and Stage Requires Collaboration—and Sometimes Just Doing It Yourself
The worlds of theater and film often seem impenetrable and full of barriers, especially for people from less privileged backgrounds—how can we navigate it?
Inaugural Crandall Social Courage Award Supports Creative Community Builder
The Bruce and Arlene Crandall Social Courage Award is a scholarship established by Antioch Board Member Steve Crandall. It celebrates the life and legacy of both his parents, both of whom were exceptionally courageous people in their own right.
Day of the Dead Altarista Uses Grief, Justice, and Joy as Her Medium
Early in the month of October, the Los Angeles home of MFA alum Consuelo G. Flores becomes an explosion of boxes and bins, ornate paper flowers, and bolts of colorful fabric. This is when her busy time begins. The artist, writer, and advocate will spend the following weeks preparing to build altars for Day of the Dead celebrations—a practice she began as a teenager.
The Importance of Writing When the World Wishes You Wouldn’t
Wendy Ortiz came to Antioch as a young person with an important story to excavate. She found literary mentorship, a psychology career, and even lifelong partnership. But that doesn’t mean the rest has been simple.
Honoring Parents and Helping Veterans Access Higher Education
With establishment of Social Courage Award, Steve Crandall builds on his family’s legacy of service and study.
Victoria Chang Brings in New Voices as NYT Magazine Poetry Editor
When Victoria Chang started as the Poetry Editor for The New York Times Magazine this year, the first thing she did doesn’t sound very poetic—she made a spreadsheet.
MFA Program Publishes 21st Issue of the LUNCH TICKET
Lunch Ticket, the literary and art journal from Antioch’s low-residency MFA in Creative Writing community, published its 21st issue with work from writers, artists, and translators from all over the…