Contact: Morgan Tubbs
STARKVILLE, Miss.--During a Tuesday [April 2] public program at Mississippi State, the English department's creative writing program will celebrate its 40th year at the university.
Getting under way at 7:30 p.m. in Giles Hall's Harrison Auditorium, four faculty members will share their newly published works and discuss works in progress. They include:
--Associate professor Becky Hagenston, the author of short stories "Strange Weather" (Press 53, 2010), winner of the Spokane Prize for Short Fiction, and "A Gram of Mars" (Sarabande Books, 1998), which received the publisher's Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction. A master of fine arts graduate of the University of Arizona, she also has been honored with Salem College's Reynolds Price Award in Short Fiction and the national O. Henry Award.
--Michael Kardos, the creative writing program's co-director and a University of Missouri doctoral graduate. He is the author of the novel "The Three Day Affair" (Mysterious Press-HighBridge Audio, 2012), which was among Esquire magazine's Best Books of 2012, and "One Last Good Time," (Press 53, 2010), a story collection that received the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Award for Fiction. Additionally, he serves as editor of the department's Jabberwock Review, a journal of literature and art.
--Associate professor Catherine Pierce, the program's other co-director who also is a University of Missouri doctoral graduate. She is the author of two books of poetry, "The Girls of Peculiar" (Saturnalia, 2012), winner of a Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Award for Poetry, and "Famous Last Words" (Saturnalia, 2008), winner of the publisher's Poetry Prize. She also produced the chapbook, "Animals of Habit" (Kent State University Press, 2003), and her poems have appeared in The Best American Poetry, Slate, Boston Review and Ploughshares.
--Professor Richard Lyons, a University of Houston doctoral graduate. He is the author of three award-winning books of poems: "These Modern Nights" (University of Missouri Press, 1988), winner of the publisher's Devins Award; "Hours of the Cardinal" (University of South Carolina Press, 2000), winner of the publisher's James Dickey Award; and "Fleur Carnivore" (The Word Works, 2006), winner of the publisher's Washington Prize. His poems have appeared in The Nation, Poetry and The Paris Review, among other publications.
For more information on the event, contact Kardos at mpk36@msstate.edu.