December 2, 2014 (Boulder, CO)-Naropa University’s Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics announces the recipients of its Anne Waldman, Allen Ginsberg, and Anselm Hollo Graduate Fellowships. Awarded annually to incoming MFA Creative Writing & Poetics students, the fellowships fully cover tuition and fees for the two-year program and provide an $8,000 stipend and graduate instructor position.
Naropa University also announces that it is accepting applications for its 2015 fellowships. To be considered for these fellowships, applicants must submit an application to the MFA in Creative Writing & Poetics program, as well as a three-page cover letter, and a ten-page critical writing sample. The fellowship application is included within the admissions application for the MFA Creative Writing & Poetics program. These materials must be submitted by the priority deadline of December 15, 2014. Apply to Naropa’s MFA Creative Writing & Poetics program online at naropa.edu/mfa-writing.
“The fellowships of the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics provide a unique opportunity to honor our founders, Allen Ginsberg and Anne Waldman, as well as beloved faculty member Anselm Hollo, whose fellowship was made possible by the generous donation of Jane Dalrymple-Hollo,” said Dean of the Jack Kerouac School, Michelle Naka Pierce. “In addition, they elevate the profile of the MFA in Creative Writing & Poetics. We are delighted to support promising writers such as Cait, Heather, and Alex and upcoming writers in the future, as these fellowships are awarded annually. JKS is ‘the academy of the future,’ as Anne Waldman calls it. Our program not only nourishes writers creatively and intellectually, it also fosters awareness of embodied writing/life practices that extend beyond the degree.”
The recipient of the Anne Waldman Graduate Fellowship is Caitlin Turner. She is interested in the intersection between politics, poetics, and pedagogy. Other research areas of interest include democracy and pedagogy, activist writing, and proletarian literature. When not writing or studying, Turner enjoys arguing about geopolitics with strangers on the Internet, preferably while listening to a really good record.
The recipient of the Allen Ginsberg Graduate Fellowship is Heather Sweeney. Her poetry and book reviews have been published in Dusie, Cutbank, Shampoo, and canwehaveourballback?. When she is not in Boulder, Sweeney lives in San Diego with her husband and beloved dog, Dexter. The recipient of the Anselm Hollo Graduate Fellowship is Alexandra Thompson. With a background in the arts and in business, Thompson’s work has been published in magazines, websites, and other publications, both in print and online. She is a graduate of Temple University and a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious academic honors society. Thompson is currently working on completing a book of poetry. In her spare time, she enjoys learning how to code and exploring the outdoors.
The Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics was founded in 1974 by Allen Ginsberg and Anne Waldman and offers a BA in Creative Writing & Literature, an MFA in Creative Writing & Poetics, a low-residency MFA in Creative Writing, as well as the internationally renowned Summer Writing Program (SWP). Emphasizing innovative approaches to the literary arts, the Jack Kerouac School’s programs problematize genre while cultivating contemplative and experimental writing practices. Each year the school invites more than sixty guest writers and artists, including the Allen Ginsberg Visiting Fellow and the Leslie Scalapino Lecturer in Innovative Poetics.
About Naropa University (www.naropa.edu)
Located in Boulder, Colorado, Naropa University is a private liberal arts institution offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Celebrating its 40th Anniversary in 2014-2015, Naropa University is a leader in contemplative education, an approach to learning and teaching that integrates Eastern wisdom studies with traditional Western scholarship. Naropa University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
