Michener Center for Writers

The Michener Center for Writers is an interdisciplinary Masters of Fine Arts program in fiction, poetry, playwriting, and screenwriting at the University of Texas at Austin. It is widely regarded as one of the top creative writing programs in the world.

History

The program was founded in the early 1990s through a generous endowment from James A. Michener and Mari Sabusawa Michener. It was originally called the Texas Center for Writers, but changed its name to honor Mr. Michener after his death in 1997.

Fellowships

The MFA in Writing is a three-year, full-time residency program, unique in its interdisciplinary focus. While writers apply and are admitted in a primary field of concentration—chosen from fiction, poetry, playwriting or screenwriting—they have the opportunity to develop work in a second field during their program of study. The program operates through competitive entry and offers a generous fellowship that includes tuition, a stipend, and other fees. Classes are taught by faculty from the Departments of English, Radio Television and Film, and Theatre & Dance, and the program also hosts visiting faculty of nationally recognized writers, who often participate in a public Reading Series.

Notable alumni

• Kevin Powers, National Book Award Finalist for The Yellow Birds
• Fiona McFarlane, Dylan Thomas Prize winner for The High Places
• Karan Mahajan, National Book Award Finalist for The Association of Small Bombs
• Philipp Meyer, Guggenheim Fellow, Pulitzer Prize Finalist, and author of American Rust and The Son
• Domenica Ruta, author of the memoir With or Without You
• Kelly Luce, author of Pull Me Under and Three Scenarios in Which Hana Sasaki Grows a Tail
• James Hannaham, author of God Says No and Delicious Foods
• Brian Hart, author of Then Came the Evening and The Bully of Order
• Smith Henderson, author of the novel Fourth of July Creek
• Brian McGreevy, novelist and co-creator of Hemlock Grove
• Mary Miller, author of Last Days of California
• Sarah Cornwell, author of What I Had Before I Had You
• Alix Ohlin, author of Inside and Signs & Wonders
• Roger Reeves, Poet, author of King Me
• Michael McGriff, Poet, author of Dismantling the Hills, Home Burial
• Carrie Fountain, Poet, author of Burn Lake and Instant Winner
• Bruce Snider, Poet, author of The Year We Studied Women and Paradise Indiana
• Jenny Browne, Poet, author of Dear Stranger, The Second Reason, and At Once
• Matthew Dickman, Poet, author of Mayakovsky's Revolver and All American Poem
• Michael Dickman, Poet, author of The End of the West and Flies
• sam sax, poet
• Kirk Lynn, playwright and author of Rules for Werewolves
• Beau Thorne, Screenwriter, Max Payne
• Kieran Fitzgerald, Screenwriter, Snowden
• Elizabeth Phang, Producer
• Ray Wright, Screenwriter, The Crazies
• Abhijat Joshi, Screenwriter

External links

• The Michener Center for Writers