Ex Libris

Latest Posts Under: Alumni News

by Kendall Polidori on October 31, 2025

Alumna Spotlight: Avery Cunningham

Last year, Avery Cunningham (MAWP ‘16) released her debut novel The Mayor of Maxwell Street via Disney/Hyperion. “The year is 1921, and America is burning. A fire of vice and virtue rages on every shore, and Chicago is its beating heart,” the book states. The novel follows a Black debutante who hires a low-level speakeasy manager to uncover the head of an underground crime syndicate, against the backdrop of Prohibition-era Chicago.  We chatted with Cunningham about the extensive historical research the book required, what inspired her to write the story, her experience in editorial for… Read Article →

by Kendall Polidori on October 14, 2025

Alumna Spotlight: Caroline Macon Fleischer

In 2022, Caroline Macon Fleischer (MFA ‘20) released her debut novel The Roommate, a work she started as a graduate student at DePaul for her MFA thesis. Fleischer is a writer, editor, and theatremaker, and teaches creative writing at Loyola University. Her second novel, A Play About A Curse, is set for release on October 21, 2025, via CLASH Books. We sat down to chat about the upcoming release and its key inspirations, writing processes, her time at DePaul and background in theatre, and what advice she has for students.  This interview has been edited for clarity… Read Article →

by Ex Libris on October 2, 2025

Alumna Book Signing This Sunday!

On Sunday, October 5, Avery Cunningham (MAWP ’16) will be at the Maxwell Street Market from 12-1 p.m. for a discussion around the history of Chicago’s Maxwell Street Market, and the role it plays in her debut novel The Mayor of Maxwell Street (Disney/Hyperion 2024). Books will be available to purchase from Da Book Joint, and Avery will be signing books on site!

by Ex Libris on May 19, 2025

THANK YOU!! + 7 More Calls for Submissions + Summer & Autumn Internships (Includes AQ Teaching Internship Placements)

Happy Monday, everyone! First, a huge thank you to everyone who attended our Spring English Conference & Celebration last Friday! We were excited to see so many students, alumni, friends, and family supporting our panelists and our award recipients. From the writing and accomplishments of English BA and MA students, to Prof. Mark Turcotte’s recent appointment as Illinois Poet Laureate, to the completion of MFA students’ theses, there was so much to celebrate! We’d also like to thank everyone who participated in our conference—especially our student panelists, who presented insightful literary analyses and meaningful creative… Read Article →

by Ex Libris on May 9, 2025

NOW ANNOUNCING: 2025 Spring English Conference Schedule of Events!

Join us Friday, May 16, for the English Department’s biggest event of the year—our Spring English Conference & Celebration! In addition to presentations from Literary Studies and Creative Writing student panelists, this event will also feature a networking opportunity and career discussion with DePaul English alumni, work from MFA students, and an awards ceremony where high-achieving English students will be recognized with certificates. (There will also be a celebration cake, morning refreshments, and a buffet-style lunch!) Scroll down to view our full schedule of events and other conference materials! What is the Spring English Conference?… Read Article →

by Ex Libris on April 23, 2025

Nico Lang Reading Tonight + Announcing Our Alumni Panelists for May 16!

Good afternoon, everyone! First, we’d like to remind everyone that our next Visiting Author event, with Nico Lang, will be held tonight from 6:00 to 7:30 PM in SAC 154. (This reading is open to the public; snacks will also be provided!) Nico will give a reading and talk on their recent book, American Teenager. In addition to being an award-winning author, reporter, and editor, Nico is also one of our DePaul alumni! (Click here for the flier with full details.) And speaking of alumni—we’re excited to announce our alumni panelists for the department’s Spring… Read Article →

by Ex Libris on March 20, 2025

Upcoming Visiting Author Event: Nico Lang (April 23)

Good afternoon, everyone—and happy first day of spring! For our next Visiting Author event, join us in welcoming Nico Lang back to campus for a reading and talk on their recent book, American Teenager! In addition to being an award-winning author, reporter, and editor, Nico is also one of our DePaul alumni. This reading is open to the public and will be held on Wednesday, April 23 (6:00–7:30 PM) in Rm. 154 of the SAC. Read the flier below for full details!

by English GA on April 10, 2023

An Interview with Anna Sortino, Author of “Give Me a Sign”

Recently, I had the chance to chat with Anna Sortino, a DePaul MAWP alumni whose first novel, Give Me a Sign, is being published at Penguin Random House. Anna shared some insights on graduating, shed some light on her process, and expressed what it was like representing Deaf culture. Give Me a Sign comes out July 11 and can be pre ordered here Thank you for taking the time to talk with me, Anna, and congratulations on the upcoming release of Give Me a Sign. How does it feel to be so close to the… Read Article →

by English GA on January 17, 2023

Congrats To DePaul Alumni Erika J. Simpson Whose Essay, “If You Ever Find Yourself,” Has Been Featured In Best American Essays 2022

Erika was the very first student to work on a Big Shoulders Books project – before BSB even existed, in fact. After DePaul, she graduated with an MFA in African-American speculative fiction from University of Kentucky. Her award winning essay, “If You Ever Find Yourself,” has earned her a book deal with Scribner and will be expanded into a memoir, This Is Your Mother.

by Ex Libris on May 16, 2022

Upcoming Book by DePaul Alum, Zhanna Slor: Breakfall

Author of At The End of the World, Turn Left, Zhanna Slor’s upcoming book Breakfall is a domestic thriller about a young mother, fresh off a divorce, whose sultry affair with a married police officer leads to a scandal, but when people at her Jiu Jitsu gym start dying and disappearing, the only connection is Mina herself. To be published by Agora Books and released in Spring 2023

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