Creative Writing

The University of Maine at Farmington’s Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing is the only such degree in the state of Maine, and one of only three in New England. It’s a very selective program that offers a strong combination of writing and literature courses in the context of study in the liberal arts.

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The classes are small (normally no larger than 15 people) and the writing community is very connected. The program features three areas of writing: fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, with additional courses offered in screenplay writing and writing for the stage. The students hone their craft with regular conferences with professors and a strong workshop environment.

BFA students attend readings by some of America’s most important writers, who also visit writing classes. These writers include winners of the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and other prizes. Past writers include: Terrance Hayes, Zakes Mda, Sy Montgomery, Steve Almond, Lucille Clifton, Tobias Wolfe, Major Jackson, Billy Collins, Richard Ford, Tony Hoagland, Bill Roorbach, and Mary Oliver, among many others.

One of the nation’s most important poetry presses, Alice James Books has made its home on the UMF campus since 1994. Each semester the press offers students apprenticeships in every aspect of book publishing, from design and editing to distribution and marketing.

A special feature of the program is the writing apprenticeship and internship requirement, which allows BFA majors to work for area newspapers, one of three student publications on campus, or Alice James Books.

A highly active student organization for writers on campus, the Writers Guild sponsors student workshops and readings, discussions and dinners with visiting writers, and trips to readings and writers conferences from Fort Kent to Boston.

The professors in the creative writing program are not only effective teachers, but active writers, who have published their work in such magazines as Creative Nonfiction, The Atlantic Monthly, The New Yorker, Orion and the Georgia Review. They have among them several books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, and a number of national prizes and fellowships. Each semester these professors are joined by guest faculty, including well-published writers from throughout the Northeast and the World.

Recent graduates in UMF’s writing program have begun careers in journalism (radio, TV, and print), teaching, librarianship, and publishing. Skills learned in the program are also appropriate for technical writing, advertising, and public relations. Writing majors going on to graduate study have taken degrees at Columbia University; Cornell University; North Carolina, and Virginia among many others.