Creative Writing at Carolina: Faculty
Good teaching is, and always has been, the heart of Creative Writing at
Carolina. One reason the program has flourished so long is its excellent
faculty, award-winning teachers who devote themselves to their classes,
dedicating considerable time and energy to students and their manuscripts.
The number of faculty has grown as the program itself has grown, but
quality of teaching has remained its primary emphasis. In 1995-96, the
teachers of Creative Writing included:
- Daphne Athas. Athas -- who studied writing here herself --
has published four novels, including Entering Ephesus (1971), a
travel memoir, a book of poems, and a play produced by the Theater Guild.
- Doris Betts. As Alumni Distinguished Professor of English,
Betts has published eight books of fiction; her most recent novel,
Souls Raised from the Dead, won the Southern Book Critics Circle
award in 1995.
- Marianne Gingher. Gingher has published a much-praised novel,
Bobby Rex's Greatest Hit -- which was made into an NBC Movie of the
Week in 1992 -- and a collection of stories called Teen Angel.
- William Harmon. As James Gordon Hanes Professor of English,
Harmon -- poet, critic, and anthologist -- is well-known for his poetry
literature classes, and sometimes offers a creative writing course.
- Robert Kirkpatrick. A teacher of Romantic poetry and Freshman
Honors poetry writing, Kirkpatrick was named a Bowman and Gordon Gray
professor in 1995 for his excellent work with undergraduates.
- Michael McFee. McFee -- a 1976 graduate of the program -- has
written five books of poems and edited an anthology of contemporary North
Carolina poetry, The Language They Speak Is Things To Eat.
- James Seay. Director of the Creative Writing Program for the
past ten years and author of three books of poems and a film, Seay
received an Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and
Letters.
- Alan Shapiro. Author of five books of poetry, a book of
criticism, and a memoir, Shapiro won a prestigious Lila Wallace Reader's
Digest award for 1991-94.
- Bland Simpson. Author of two novels and a book of non-fiction
as well, Simpson is a member of the internationally acclaimed musical
group The Red Clay Ramblers, with experience on Broadway and in films.
Maintained by Daryl L.
Houston