Congrats to Spring 2026 graduate Lauren Lee! "My time at Spalding has been the best possible transition into retirement - doing exactly what I want to do, but better. Now, I write short stories. I'm grateful for the community, excellence, and support of the Naslund-Mann School of Writing."

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re revisiting Lynnell Edwards's moving article, in Mad in America, on her son's experience with mental illness and the ways poetry can witness, preserve, and sometimes transform that experience into deeper understanding. Read it here: buff.ly/IjpBoEk

We're proud to announce that TWO of our alums are winners in the 2026 Indy Film Fest! SONS OF DETROIT (Best Doc Feature), produced by Amanda Burr Xido (F/CNF ’18) JUST ONE MAN (Best Hoosier Feature), a documentary by Andie Redwine (SW ’20) @andieredwine.bsky.social Congrats, Amanda and Andie!

Congrats to Spring 2026 graduate Julie Delegal! "Graduating from Spalding, I've never felt freer, more authentic, or more developed as a writer. I've also never enjoyed as much professional kinship as I am now cultivating, both with my accomplished author-mentors and my brilliant fellow students."

Congrats to Summer 2026 graduate Colleen Alles! (@colleenalles.bsky.social) "Spalding University has given me everything I hoped for: a writing family, a home, and mentors and peers who have genuinely changed the way I see the page."

This week on our faculty blog, Nancy McCabe writes about what she learned about revision from playing a Munchkin onstage. Read it now at Good River Review: buff.ly/fsQbE8y

Congrats to Spring 2026 graduate Laura Candler! "I came to Spalding to learn poetry & not only did Spalding deliver on that but I also gained an entire community of writer friends & supporters. Spalding set the bar high for craft while fostering an atmosphere of care for everyone. And we had FUN!"

The spring issue of our award-winning online literary journal, Good River Review (@goodriverreview.bsky.social), is hot off the presses! Featuring poems, stories, essays, book reviews, and more! Check it all out here: www.goodriverreview.com/issue-eleven

This week on our faculty blog, associate programs director Lynnell Edwards spring cleans her way through her to-be-read pile(s) in honor of National Poetry Month! Read her piece now at Good River Review: buff.ly/95jaXJq

Announcing three new faculty mentors! Welcome, Willie, Jennie, and Danni! More info here: buff.ly/FbrStZU

Happy National Poetry Month! Carmichael’s Bookstore, Louisville Parks and Rec, and Louisville Free Public Library have teamed up to host a self-guided poetry walk in Joe Creason Park featuring work by KY Poets Laureate, many of whom are Spalding alums and faculty! Accessible to the public all month!

Have you ever dreamed of standing by the misty waters of Windermere and walking the same paths that inspired literary legends such as Wordsworth and the Brontës? Join us this September as we travel to Edinburgh and the Lake District! More info: www.goodriverreview.com/post/travel-...

Our chair Kathleen Driskell sums up what you can expect from our upcoming spring residency on campus at Spalding! Read all about it here: buff.ly/jLyqNRT

Congratulations to Spalding alum Roy L. Burkhead, recipient of the 2025–2026 Part-Time Excellence in Teaching Faculty Award at Western Kentucky University! "You try to lead a humble life. You show up every day, you work hard, and then hopefully you get rewarded at some point." — Roy L. Burkhead

We’re proud to celebrate Spalding alum Amina McIntyre, whose historical play QUEEN BESS tells the story of Bessie Coleman, the first Black and Native woman to earn a pilot’s license. Presented by Theatre du Reve, running from March 11–29 at 7 Stages Theatre in Atlanta. More info: buff.ly/3pY2UUh

She Dreams Entertainment & Women in Film KY have teamed up to offer the first Kentucky based screenplay competition! They're searching for a narrative feature, short film, or TV pilot of any genre set in the state of Kentucky. Deadline: April 1 More info: kentuckyfilmandtv.com/kentucky-bas...

We’re proud to celebrate Spalding student Morrow Dowdle, who gave a powerful poetry reading at AWP hosted by Riot in Your Throat & Small Harbor Press. Their upcoming book Heartsick Requiem explores major moments in the poet’s life while navigating chronic grief. Congratulations, Morrow!

We’re happy to share that MFA alum and award-winning cinematographer Michael Fitzer was featured on the podcast MFA WRITERS. Michael discusses building a creative career in Louisville’s growing film scene & how Spalding low-res MFA transformed his writing path. Listen on most podcast platforms!

We’re on our way to the AWP Conference! Join the Naslund-Mann School of Writing at the Baltimore Convention Center this week. Stop by Booth 963 to say hi!

In celebration of Black History Month, we're proud to spotlight Crystal Wilkinson, Spalding alum, educator & recipient of a Writing Freedom Fellowship. Her national-bestselling memoir & cookbook PRAISESONG FOR THE KITCHEN GHOSTS, features recipes from five generations of Black women in her family.

Announcing the Distinguished Visiting Writer for our Spring 2026 residency! In partnership with the Louisville Free Public Library, Kaveh Akbar will visit Louisville May 25 to discuss his work with our literary community. More info on his visit, and LOTS more info for students, here: buff.ly/AvjcWhL

In celebration of Black History Month, we are proud to spotlight Spalding faculty Douglas Manuel. Recipient of the Dana Gioia Poetry Award and a fellowship from the Borchard Foundation Center on Literary Arts, Manuel’s poems explore identity, race, and masculinity.

In 2018, Lynnell joined our team as Associate Programs Director & has since been an excellent leader for Spalding's Naslund-Mann School of Writing. On July 1, she will retire from her current position & transition to serving as a faculty member & mentor. Congrats to Lynnell on this next chapter!

In celebration of Black History Month, we're proud to spotlight Frank X. Walker: poet, educator, and Spalding alum. Co-founder of the Affrilachian Poets, Walker's collection “Turn Me Loose: The Unghosting of Medgar Evers” earned the 2014 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Poetry.

In celebration of Black History Month we're spotlighting alum & faculty member Leah Henderson. Inspired by the words of George Floyd’s daughter, her children’s book “Daddy Speaks Love” celebrates the multifaceted roles of fathers & highlights the lasting impact of fatherhood across diverse families.

While impossible to confine the impact of Black voices to one month, Black History Month is a good time to reflect on the past & celebrate Black voices of the present. Naslund-Mann is committed to amplifying Black writers in our own community, honoring Black history & inspiring voices of the future.

This week on our faculty blog, screenwriting faculty Sam Zalutsky offers five exercises to help scriptwriters to develop your ideas, to become unstuck, to delve deeper into your own scripts. Read it here: buff.ly/GhDzyPS

Big congrats to alum Jennine "Doc" Krueger who was just named a Dramatists Guild Foundation Fellow for 2026! The DGF Fellows program is a year-long intensive for professional dramatists looking to develop their existing work at the next level of their careers. Read about Doc here: buff.ly/umonUo3

Have you checked out the fall issue of our online journal Good River Review yet (@goodriverreview.bsky.social) Our tenth issue is out now!

Congrats to Fall '25 graduate Mike Fitzer! “What an incredible program! I'm going to miss the residencies, working with my peers and mentors, and the tremendous support from faculty. This is the best gift I've ever given myself. I wish I could do it again, just without the student loans!”

Congrats to Fall ‘25 graduate Lori Marra! “Because of Spalding, I have a warm, welcoming writing community. We all share passion for the creative process and respect for one another's hard work, creativity, and talent.”

Congrats to Fall ‘25 graduate Ben Swindler! “Being part of this MFA program at Spalding University has been a wonderful experience. I've met so many great people, made many new friends, and learned so much about my writing. Leaving the program with new stories and a polished novel, is amazing.”

Screenwriting alum Andie Redwine is at the Heartland Film Festival with her film The Tenderness Tour. They are very close to winning an audience choice award! You can stream it online for the next four days and vote 5 for Audience Choice: buff.ly/IwYaefF

Fiction and CNF faculty Lee Martin provides a playful writing exercise for those interested in the lyric essay. Read it now on our faculty blog at Good River Review! buff.ly/jA8RYlK

Fall students and faculty! Be sure to check out Kathleen's preview of fall residency! We have a pre-residency kickoff reading by faculty, arts events, a labyrinth walk, and more! Read all about it: buff.ly/keovpED

Emerging prose writers! The Masters Review Novel Excerpt Contest is open to submissions from unpublished or in-progress novels. The winning excerpt earns $3,000, online publication, & a consultation with literary agent Marin Takikawa. Apply by Nov. 9, 2025: mastersreview.com/novel-excerp...

Support the Spalding Graduate School of Writing: buff.ly/993gXpq On behalf of the Spalding community, we would like to express our gratitude to everyone who has already donated! If you haven’t made a contribution yet, there is still time! We’re inching closer to our fundraising goal. Thank you!💙💛

Our students, alums, & faculty have enjoyed Vietnam! Did you know about our travel enrichment option? Current Naslund-Mann students may opt to fold travel into their studies. The trip may be especially appealing to students who attend virtual summer residency.

Beware the too-good protagonist. This week, Beth Bauman looks at the shades of complexity needed for compelling characters. Read it now on our faculty blog at Good River Review! buff.ly/hCWxDme

Giving Day is noon Wed, Oct. 1, through noon Thurs, Oct. 2, but psst—the giving portal is open! Now’s your chance to support the Naslund-Mann School & the Spalding MFA Alumni Association. Thanks to generous alums, gifts to the Naslund-Mann School up to $2k will be matched $1 to $1! buff.ly/muFMWLX

@pacificalit.bsky.social is seeking submissions of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction for our upcoming issue. If you haven't heard, PLR is an independent mag based in Seattle. For guidelines on how to submit, check out their submissions page: www.pacificareview.com/submissions/

Announcing our Spalding School of Writing faculty workshop leaders for the Fall residency: Whitney Collins (Fic), K.L. Cook (Fic), Keith S. Wilson (Poetry), Erin Keane (Creative Nonfiction),Lesléa Newman (Writing for Children and YA), Charlie Schulman (Playwriting), and Bruce Marshall Romans (SW).

In a move that aligns all of Spalding’s creative writing programs, the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Creative Writing has joined its graduate-level sister programs under the umbrella of the Sena Jeter Naslund-Karen Mann Graduate School of Writing. Send your undergrads our way! buff.ly/VUWaEmi

One of Kathleen Driskell's Kentucky Poet Laureate projects is the Kentucky Writer’s Notebook, a podcast which shares great writing by contemporary Kentucky authors, lit news about events happening around Kentucky, & some thoughts about writing. The first 2 episodes are now available! buff.ly/J8hOC5I

In this excerpt from the introduction of her forthcoming book Creating Some Measure of Beauty: The Healing Power of the Artful Essay, Spalding faculty Nancy McCabe tackles some myths and misunderstandings around writing about trauma. Read it now: buff.ly/8WkIegx

This Thursday! Each ticket for this event includes a copy of House’s collection of poetry, ALL THE GHOSTS. Purchase your tickets here: www.eventbrite.com/e/silas-hous...

The Missouri Review’s 35th annual Jeffrey E. Smith Editors’ Prize is accepting entries. This is a cash prize & publishing opportunity. $5000 each is awarded for the best story, set of poems, & essay. Winners will be published in the Spring 2026 issue. More info: missourireview.com/contests/jef...

Every serious writer can benefit by playing in other genres. Join this hourlong virtual info session w/Lynnell Edwards, associate programs director of the Naslund-Mann Graduate School of Writing, & Karen Mann, co-founder of the Spalding MFA program. Reserve your slot now: buff.ly/m7QdDC9

Extra extra! Announcing the Distinguished Visiting Authors for our fall residency, also the winner of the 2025 Spalding Prize for the Promotion of Peace and Justice in Literature! www.goodriverreview.com/post/writing...

This week on the blog, faculty member Lynnell Edwards makes some discoveries when she takes on the book-a-day #SealeyChallenge. www.goodriverreview.com/post/sealeyc...