MAWP’s Megan Krone has a new book out via Bloomsbury in July titled Navigating the Dissertation Writing Process: Finding Your Path from First Drafts to Submission. The book is “a supportive guide for the unique academic task of writing a doctoral dissertation.” Esther Choy, a member of the MFA program, has a new book out via HaperCollins Leadership in May, titled Winning Without Persuading: A New Framework for Leading with Curiosity and Story Discovery. The book offers an approach on leadership storytelling that is built on revealing stories beneath the surface that “change everything.” Congrats… Read Article →
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Join us for another Graduate Reading Series at Uncommon Ground (3800 North Clark Street) on Thursday, April 2, 2026 from 7-9 p.m. The event will feature seven graduate writers in the MAWP/MFA programs, who will share their works of poetry or short prose. It’s a wonderful opportunity for fellow writers and readers to come together and celebrate creative storytelling! The reading is free and open to the public, but requires registration here to secure a seat. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the reading will begin at 7 p.m. Contact Kendall Polidori at kpolidor@depaul.edu… Read Article →
Submit your work to the 17th Annual Spring English Conference! We are now accepting submissions for literary essays and creative writing pieces for the conference, where you will have the opportunity to present and discuss your work with audience members and fellow student panelists. The deadline for submissions is April 15, 2026. The Spring English Conference is a time-honored tradition that originated in 2010 as the EGSA (English Graduate Student Association) Spring Conference. We have been very pleased to accept work from both graduate and undergraduate students over the years, expanding our annual conference into… Read Article →
Becky Wills, a 2016 graduate of the English Department, is celebrating the release of her new book Stun: A Novel in Pieces via Tortoise Books at Uncommon Ground on Wednesday, April 1 at 6 p.m. Wills received a BA from DePaul University, an MFA from The New School, and a PhD from University of Surrey, where she teaches creative writing.
Has an academic advisor made a difference in your progress toward your educational goals? If an academic advisor has provided you with outstanding guidance, please nominate her/him/them for the Gerald Paetsch Academic Advising Award! Please click here for additional information. The Gerald Paetsch Academic Advising Award recognizes DePaul academic advisors who demonstrate excellence in advising undergraduate and/or graduate students. Any faculty, staff or administrator involved in the delivery of academic advising services is eligible for this award. Nominations will be accepted until March 25, 2026! Submit your nomination here.
Last month, ahead of the Blue Demon Challenge, alumna Anna Sortino (MAWP ’19) visited DePaul for a Q&A with graduates in the MFA and MAWP program. The visit was recorded for the Blue Demon Challenge, where Anna discussed her time at DePaul, what led her to writing in the YA genre, any advice she has for current students in the program, and so much more. Check out the full video below, and if you missed the interview we did with Anna last month as part of her visit, you can read it here.
Last month, ahead of the Blue Demon Challenge, Depaul’s Big Shoulders Books hosted a livestream to discuss how students are editing a group of oral narratives from people in Calumet City and near the Calumet River, on Chicago’s South Side. This year, the Blue Demon Challenge raised more than $6.3 million in support of students. Check out the full video below to learn more about Big Shoulders Books and the book they are currently working on, as current graduate students walk through the narratives that stood out for them.
Thank you SO much to everyone who came out last night to support our first grad reading series at Uncommon Ground! It was so special to get together, share our work and support each other. We hope to host a monthly series, so stay tuned for more information on upcoming readings, and how to get involved.
Nominate an LAS faculty member who has made a significant impact on your learning at DePaul. Use the link below to submit a letter to the LAS Awards Committee explaining why your nominee excels as a teacher and how they have positively influenced your experience. Nominations can be submitted individually or collaboratively with fellow students. All letters will remain confidential. Submit your nominations here by Monday, February 16. If you have any questions, contact LAS_ETA@depaul.edu.
After Anna Sortino graduated from DePaul’s MAWP program in 2019, she applied for a publishing mentorship program called Pitch Wars (which is now defunct) and was picked by renowned YA author Aiden Thomas. At the time, the program was encouraging authors to write stories inspired by their own lives and identities, which ultimately pushed Sortino to write stories centered with disabled characters living their lives and falling in love. She has published two YA books—Give Me A Sign (2023 via Penguin Random House) and On The Bright Side (2024 via Penguin Random House)—with another set… Read Article →
Galena LitFest returns this January with a month-long celebration of literary arts. The fest concludes with an engaging evening of poetry and conversation with Illinois Poet Laureate Mark Turcotte on January 29 from 6 to 8 p.m. In collaboration with the Galena Public Library and the Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation, the event will be held at the Mąą Pįį Preserve and Center’s historic Hess House at 1221 N Ferry Landing Rd in Galena, IL. This free, hybrid event allows participants to choose between attending in person or virtually via Zoom. Register here!
Libby Kalmbach Clark, an alumna of the MAWP program at DePaul University, published her essay Borders as Fiction in Witness, a magazine of the Black Mountain Institute. Libby is a nonfiction writer and a legal representative at the National Immigrant Justice Center. Her work has appeared in Electric Literature, Ascent, and the Prairie Schooner blog. She lives and works in Chicago. For more information, visit her website here.