About the Program

Goucher College has one of the most established undergraduate programs in creative writing in the nation. Students specializing in creative writing must major in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. Regardless of their concentration, all students majoring in English learn about British and American literature, critical analysis, and critical theory. Upon graduation, successful creative writing concentrators can expect to become well rounded thinkers and writers who have the tools to gain publication.

Goucher’s Kratz Center for Creative Writing complements the creative writing program. The Center brings nationally recognized authors like ROBERT STONE and SEAMUS HEANEY to Goucher College for lectures, readings, and semester-long residencies. These authors work closely with students within the creative writing program to provide a stimulating intellectual and creative environment in which the highest quality of writing is encouraged. The Kratz Center functions cooperatively with the undergraduate creative writing program, enhancing and expanding the curriculum with distinguished visiting guest writers and new course offerings.  

Published Alumnae/i & Seasoned Professionals

Goucher’s Creative Writing Program has helped produce many well-regarded published authors, including the following celebrated Goucher alumnae/i: DARCEY STEINKE, Class of '85 and author of Suicide Blonde and many other publications; JENN CROWELL, Class of '99 and author of Necessary Madness, and more; JOHN MCMANUS, Class of ’99, and author of Bitter Milk and more; ELEANOR WILNER, Class of ‘59, author of Reversing the Spell and more. Creative writing alumnae/i have also gone on to become public and private school teachers, professors, editors, administrators for nonprofit organizations, television producers, journalists, playwrights, and more. Visit our News Clips page for information on the publications and work of our alumnae/i. For samples of our graduates' writing, visit our Goucher Fiction Workshop Sampler.

Representative Courses

ENG 120: Introduction to Fiction Writing | ENG 202: Short-Story Writing | ENG 205: Introductory Poetry Workshop | ENG 226: Creative Nonfiction I | ENG 300: Fiction Workshop Taught by the Kratz Writer-In-Residence | ENG 305: Writing Workshop: Poetry | ENG 306:
Writing Workshop: Fiction | ENG 307: Creative Non-Fiction II | ENG 315: Advanced Seminar in Creative Writing

The Directors of the Program

MADISON SMARTT BELL: Internationally recognized novelist, essayist, Distinguished Professor of English at Goucher College and Co-Director of the Kratz Center for Creative Writing, PROFESSOR BELL heads Goucher’s creative writing program. He is the author of many award-winning novels including The Stone That The Builder Refused.

ELIZABETH SPIRES: Award-winning poet, Distinguished Professor of English at Goucher College and Co-Director of the Kratz Center for Creative Writing, PROFESSOR SPIRES also heads the creative writing program. Her poetry collections include Now The Green Blade Rises.

Standing Faculty Within the Program

JESSICA ANYA BLAU joins us as a visiting professor for 2011 and 2012. She is the author of The Summer of Naked Swim Parties and numerous stories. Her latest novel is Drinking Closer to Home.

JOELLE BIELLE joins us as a visiting professor for 2011 and 2012. Professor Biele is the author of Elizabeth Bishop and The New Yorker: The Complete Correspondence, and such books as White Summer, which won the Crab Orchard Award Series in Poetry.

KATHY FLANN teaches fiction, creative nonfiction, and humanities courses. Her short story collection entitled Smoky Ordinary won the 2008 Serena McDonald Kennedy Award and was published by Snake Nation Press. Her fiction appears or will appear widely in The North American Review, Shenandoah, Crazyhorse, The Barcelona Review, and other magazines.

WILLIAM (BILL) U’REN teaches fiction, screen-writing, and humanities courses. He is a fiction writer and film adaptation specialist who has published 40 short stories in magazines such as Chicago Review, Michigan Quarterly and The Minnesota Review, and his fiction has won the Barthelme and Cambor Awards. His adaptation work began in 1988 when he wrote Box 100 for Columbia Pictures.

JOHNNY TURTLE teaches poetry, fiction, rhetoric, and humanities courses, and he is the Director of Operations for the Kratz Center for Creative Writing at Goucher College. His poems, stories, essays, and criticism appear in the James White Review, Fence Magazine, Dance Magazine, the Washington Review, Baltimore City Paper, Philadelphia City Paper, Radar, Columbus Alive, and other publications.