Texas State MFA Creative Writing

Home to @txst MFA in Creative Writing and @PorterHouseLit.

[Texas State MFA Creative Writing @txstmfa]

Last week, the #TXSTMFA program gathered to celebrate the work of graduating students at its annual 3rd Year Reading! We are so proud and can’t wait to see what the future holds for these talented writers! 🎓🎉

@TXSTEnglish @txstla @TXSTGradCollege

[Texas State MFA Creative Writing @txstmfa]

THE SEEDS was also a finalist for the PEN/Voelcker Award, and was also recently reviewed by MFA Poetry alum Melanie Robinson for @The_Rumpus.

[Texas State MFA Creative Writing @txstmfa]

#TXSTMFA Professor Dr. Cecily Parks has been named the winner of the 2026 Rilke Prize for her collection THE SEEDS! Granted by @UNTCreativeWrit, the award includes a $10,000 prize and visit to UNT on November 4-5 for a reading and book signing. 🌟

@TXSTEnglish @txstla

[Texas State MFA Creative Writing @txstmfa]

Of the winning collection, the judges write: “THE SEEDS…is born of a mother’s desire to confront and understand the damage scarring the world even as she attends to its abundance.”

@AliceJamesBooks

[Texas State English @TXSTEnglish]

Celebrating Class of '26 graduating students in English graduate programs: MFA Fiction/Poetry, MA Literature, MA Rhetoric & Composition, MA Technical Communication 💫

[Texas State MFA Creative Writing @txstmfa]

Pictured:

✨Saint Kinnebrew
✨Madison Isbell

[Texas State MFA Creative Writing @txstmfa]

Last week, the #TXSTMFA program gathered to celebrate the work of graduating students at its annual 3rd Year Reading! We are so proud and can’t wait to see what the future holds for these talented writers! 🎓🎉

@TXSTEnglish @txstla @TXSTGradCollege

[Texas State MFA Creative Writing @txstmfa]

Pictured:

✨Kathryn Bailey (also the event's emcee)
✨Theresa Andrews
✨Nicholas Jimenez

[Texas State MFA Creative Writing @txstmfa]

Dedicated to the visual and concise, this unique presentation format consists of 20 images, each show for 20 seconds, collected to tell a larger story.

Watch Burgin's performance here: https://t.co/YQgtE4phkd

[Texas State MFA Creative Writing @txstmfa]

Current #TXSTMFA first-year fiction student Burgin Streetman spoke about her life in books, being a writer and artist, teaching, and returning to school as part of Vol. 48 of the recent @pechakuchasat presentations.

@TXSTEnglish @txstla @TXSTGradCollege

[Texas State MFA Creative Writing @txstmfa]

The #TXSTMFA program cordially invites you to join us for our annual 3rd Year Reading, featuring graduating MFA students! 🎓

When: Thursday, May 14, 1-3 PM
Where: Katherine Anne Porter Literary Center

We hope to see you there! ✨

@TXSTEnglish @txstla @TXSTGradCollege

[Texas State English @TXSTEnglish]

Excited to welcome back to @txst Marise McDermott ('96), grad of @txstmfa Creative Writing program in Fiction and new executive director of @TheWittliff Collections

https://t.co/oMkD9yr9gc

[Texas State MFA Creative Writing @txstmfa]

Of the event, MFA Director Charlotte Pence writes: "We had a beautiful farewell reading for the legendary poet Naomi Shihab Nye! Her words have long reminded us to find tenderness in the everyday and it was a joy to celebrate her and the lasting mark she's made on our community."

[Texas State MFA Creative Writing @txstmfa]

On April 1, the Department of English and MFA Program had the pleasure of celebrating the work of dear colleague Naomi Shihab Nye at the Katherine Anne Porter Literary Center. 💫

@TXSTEnglish @txstla @YPPLaureate

[Texas State MFA Creative Writing @txstmfa]

https://t.co/AGeXUGphvP

[Texas State MFA Creative Writing @txstmfa]

As #NationalPoetryMonth comes to a close, we’re still buzzing over Associate Professor Dr. Cecily Parks’ recognition as a finalist for the 2026 PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry Collection for her collection, THE SEEDS (@AliceJamesBooks).🌱 @TXSTEnglish

Congrats again, Cecily!✨

[Texas State MFA Creative Writing @txstmfa]

Last month, Dr. Parks was honored along with other finalists & winners at the #PENLitAwards in New York City.

Of the book, @PENamerica writes, “Far-reaching and layered, this is a vivid and sometimes dark examination of womanhood, domesticity, and our relationship with nature.”

[Texas State English @TXSTEnglish]

Write with us! Poetry in the Quad is happening now! 🪶#nationalpoetrymonth

[Texas State English @TXSTEnglish]

Tomorrow: Poetry in the Quad! Grab a poem on your way to class or stay a while and add to our Quad poem a.k.a. corpse poem🪶 Don't know what that is? Come by and find out! 😘 #nationalpoetrymonth