The Fiction Writing Department is pleased to announce two upcoming publications.
 
Shawn Shiflett, Associate Professor in the Fiction Writing Department, will have his chapter, "The Importance of Reading to Your Writing," published by The Professional Higher Partnership Limited, UK this spring. Shiflett was asked to submit the chapterafter Sharon Norris, a professor at Roehampton University, London and the editor of the book, heard Shawn speak at a National Association of Writers in Education Conference in York, England. Mr. Shiflett’s panel, which also included the Fiction Writing Department’s Randy Albers and Patty McNair, discussed Fiction’s Critical Reading and Writing classes, how they work, and how they differ from more traditional literature classes. The chapter, addressed to student writers, offers exercises and instruction to help themlearn to read like writers by studying how accomplished writers present their material on the page.
 
In other exciting news, MFA in Creative Writing-Fiction student Christopher Marnach received First Place in the quarterly Short Story Award for New Writers from the well-respected literary journal, Glimmer Train. His story, “Death Week at the Funeral Card Company,” will be published in the magazine in 2014. The piece is a poignant, sometimes humorous tale of death, love, and song lyrics. Chris has also written an essay for the February issue of Glimmer Train’s monthly bulletin, circulation over 90,000. Entitled “Apocalypse Not,” it addresses the over-reaction to the concern that print is dead.

Congratulations to Shawn and Chris for their well-earned successes.