Alumni Opportunities

The writing journey doesn’t end with graduation, and the Naslund-Mann School and its volunteer-led MFA Alumni Association provide a rich array of support to alumni throughout their writing lives. Kathleen Driskell, chair of the Naslund-Mann Graduate School of Writing, says, “My national experience convinces me that our MFA alumni association is the best and the most active in the country.”

Opportunities abound year-round for our alumni, no matter where they live. In-person and virtual learning opportunities, social gatherings, professional development, generative writing sessions, and accountability groups give alumni many ways to stay involved. The School stays in touch with a quarterly newsletter, faculty blog, alumni news roundup, and more. Current offerings include:

1. Membership in the Spalding MFA Alumni Association. When you graduate, you’re automatically inducted — with no membership dues and no fees.
2. Homecoming, offered in-person at Spring residency in Louisville and virtually during virtual Summer residency. Lectures, alumni readings, writing-life chats, writing sprints, shared meals, a labyrinth walk and more are led by alumni.
3. Alumni Celebration of New Works showcases alumni accomplishments in the areas of publishing, play production, and filmmaking. At residency, faculty, students, and alumni celebrate the success of Spalding graduates by attending their readings and screenings. The evening culminates with a book signing and meet-and-greet with the authors and filmmakers.
4. International travel opportunities with the School each September for a writing enrichment trip. We’ve traveled together to Vietnam, Portugal, Edinburgh and the Lake District, and other literary destinations around the world.
5. Writing at the Brown writers’ retreat, each Spring and Fall residency. The retreat provides alumni with space to write in quiet, pleasant surroundings at the Brown Hotel, the Naslund-Mann School’s home away from home near campus. Participants may attend residency sessions, such as faculty and guest lectures.
6. A post-graduate residency. Alums are welcomed back anytime for a full residency of faculty-led study and a renewed connection to the community.
7. Post-master’s Certificate in Writing Enrichment or Teaching: The School offers a 15-credit-hour, one-semester Post-master’s Certificate in Writing Enrichment to study creative writing. A related version of the certificate allows alums to study the teaching of creative writing. Naslund-Mann alumni, as well as graduates of other programs holding the PhD, MFA, or MA with creative writing thesis, may enroll. The certificate may prove a useful credential for career advancement.
8. Post-graduate residency assistantships. In exchange for doing the behind-the-scenes work that make for a memorable student experience, a handful of alums get to participate in an entire residency in Louisville. PGRAs receive a room at the Brown Hotel and may have the opportunity to sit in a workshop alongside current students.
9. Free registration for alums at the annual AWP conference. It’s the place to network in the academic and publishing worlds — and to reconnect with the Naslund-Mann family at a festive gathering.
10. The Business of Writing Seminars are virtual curriculum offerings for current students. For a nominal fee, alumni can attend the half-day seminars, led by industry experts, some of whom are our own alumni.
11. Alumni gatherings around the country, ad hoc: From a simple meet-up at a restaurant to multi-day retreats, alumni are invited to plan get-togethers where they live, with the support of the MFA Alumni Association.
12. Distinguished MFA Alumni Lecture: Each spring and fall, graduates of the residency’s featured area are invited to propose a craft lecture in their genre. The selected lecturer delivers their presentation to the entire Naslund-Mann community and receives an honorarium and travel expenses.
13. SpaldingCon, our virtual alumni writing conference each summer, features a wide variety of faculty-led workshops.
14. Online alumni writing workshops. Whether in New York, L.A., Louisville, or Singapore, any alum can participate in ongoing virtual writing critique groups, organized twice a year by an alum volunteer.
15. Write with Me sessions are designed to inspire you to rekindle or maintain a regular writing practice. Hop on a Zoom link and check in with the group, then mute your mic, turn off your camera, and write. At the end of the session, check back in to celebrate getting words on the page. We currently offer three sessions a week.
16. News from Home, the Naslund-Mann School’s quarterly e-newsletter, keeps alumni informed about upcoming opportunities and shares alums’ writerly news.
17. Our MFA alumni website is designed to be a resource and a home base for alums.
18. Our social media reach. Alumni share their news on the School of Writing Facebook and the MFA Alumni Association Facebook pages. The latter is open only to Naslund-Mann students, faculty, and alums, making it ideal for discussion within the alumni community.
19. Lifetime access to our audio archive of recent faculty lectures. Listen to high-level talks on craft, major authors, and literary movements.
20. The MFA blog provides a biweekly dose of writerly wisdom and craft lessons from MFA faculty members, as well as programmatic news from the Naslund-Mann chair.

Our offerings evolve and grow constantly thanks to alumni who create new ways to stay connected with their literary home. Coming soon: An alumni book club.