Current Students

Read about some of our dynamic Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Poetics students, their educational backgrounds, and writing interests.

2018 Cohort

Eric Acosta

Undergraduate Institution: University of Texas at El Paso
Undergraduate Degree: Creative Writing

Writing interests: Prose, poetry

Other Interests: Old movies, cable TV, Godzilla, music, comic books, standup comedy, reading

Marina Burandt

Undergraduate Institution: Chapman University
Undergraduate Degree: English Literature

Writing Interests: Extremely short stories, graphic novels, non-fiction, memoir, sexuality, queer studies, feminism. 

Other Interests: Sushi, my two darling baby cats, smoothies, moss, lichens, mushrooms, illustration, rock collecting, fuzzy socks, apple cider, sea glass

Nicolas Hauser

Undergraduate Institution: University of Washington Bothell
Undergraduate Degree: Media and Communication Studies, a minor in Creative Writing

Writing Interests: Poetry, experimental writing, screenwriting, academic work, short-form prose, social commentary, and mythology/history 

Other Interests: I also enjoy music, art, history, photography, traveling (especially around Washington), and spending time with those important to me...including my cat

Sabina Livadariu

Undergraduate Institution: "Al. I. Cuza" University of Iasi, Romania
Undergraduate Degree: Romanian Language and Literature, English Language and Literature
Other Degrees or Certificates: Master's Degree in American Cultural Studies

Writing Interests: writing for children, science fiction and fantasy, memoir, satire and dystopias

Other Interests: hiking, camping, mothering, getting to know other people and their stories

Abigail Mandlin

Undergraduate Institution: Portland State University
Undergraduate Degree: English major, writing minor

Writing Interests: novels, video games, TV shows, flower language, authentic dialogue, literary allusions, love conquers all, linguistics, LGBTA+ themes, character studies, allegories

Other Interests: puppies and kitties, babies, Japanese language/culture, scarves and furry boots, coffee and tea, the sound of rain, sunsets, warm hugs, a good pun

Ashley Noelle

Undergraduate Institution: Western Washington University
Undergraduate Degree: Therapeutic Recreation with a Minor in Psychology

Writing Interests: poetry, prose, memoirs, creative non-fiction, novels

Other Interests: yoga, mental health, cooking, podcasts, French bulldogs, true crime

Matt Porter

Undergraduate School: Ithaca College
Undergraduate Degree: English

Writing Interests: absurdity, horror, poetry, plays, every day stuff, disorientation

Other Interests: music, more music, experimental sound, performance art, big coats

Stephanie Segura

Undergraduate Institution: California State University, San Bernardino
Undergraduate Degree: English
Other Degrees or Certificates: BA in Entrepreneurial Management

Writing interests: Surrealism, prose poetry, cultural identity, documentary poetics, experimental writing

Other interests: Drawing endless blind continuous portraits, Frank Ocean, tacos, sunsets that melt into purple, patterned socks, photoshoots in the desert, perfect lattes, Chamoy Lucas popsicles, colorful leaves, and hiking

Nicholas Sweeney

Undergraduate Institution: Western Washington University
Undergraduate Degree: English with an Emphasis in Creative Writing
Other Degrees or Certificates: TEFL Certification from ITTT

Writing Interests: Speculative Fiction, surrealism, magical realism, prose poetry, badass women, fairy tales, mythology, “smutty” queer fiction, word-riddled poetry, and fractured realities

Other Interests: Hot cups of tea, D&D, partner dancing, burritos, languages, staring off into space, world myths (religions), Undertale, tarot cards, puppies, wolves, doodling, astrology, and incense burning

2017 Cohort

Woogee Bae

Undergraduate Institution: SUNY Buffalo
Undergraduate Degree: English
Other Degrees or Certificates: SUNY Buffalo, MA in English

Writing Interests: Translingual and transcultural poetry, documentary poetics, ecopoetics

Other Interests: Black coffee, Slytherin House, Geminis, Cate Blanchett, veggie pho, Cotes du Rhone, Sasha Velour, my friend's beagle pointer Neville, Celine Dion, Montreal, happy hours, Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc, Camembert and truffle spread on a baguette, RPDR, Spades, Rihanna (and her Instagram), homemade sugo, LotR, Archer, Pandemic the board game, satire and sarcasm
 

Aya Blackburn

Undergraduate Institution: Ringling College of Art and Design
Undergraduate Degree: Digital Filmmaking

Writing Interests: Short novels and novellas, short stories, poetry, novels in verse, screenplays, horror, made-up occult rituals and fake mythologies

Other Interests: Art, monsters, bunnies, dogs, indie movies, being alone, comfortable silence, modern dance, oddities, swimming, autumn, coffee, trees
 

Peter Buller

Undergraduate Institution: The Evergreen State College
Undergraduate Degree: Creative Writing

Writing Interests: Poetry, Literary Criticism; contemporary philosophy, surrealism, myths and myth-making

Other Interests: Letterpress printing, photography, new wave cinema, theatre
 

Reed Lowell

Undergraduate Institution: University of Washington Bothell
Undergraduate Degree: Culture, Literature, and the Arts

Writing Interests: Fantasy, science fiction, angsty poetry (primarily the less angsty stuff), and writing anything that will leave an impression on the world, though writing for writing's sake is just fine

Other Interests: Reading, listening to really chill music, video games, editing, travel, film, recording podcasts with his friend, politics (no fuzz on that), and speaking in the third person
 

Dana Middleton

Undergraduate Institution: University of North Carolina at Asheville
Undergraduate Degree: Literature- Creative Writing and a minor in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies

Writing Interests: prose poetry, experimental exercises, erasures, bodies and power, the boundaries of reality, poetry as an act of resistance/ acts of resistance as poetry, book thief vents rage on laureate's poetry with shotgun

Other Interests: Louise (pictured), bookmaking, crop tops, astrology, boxing
 

W. Sean Mosman Sinclair

Undergraduate Institution: The Evergreen State College
Undergraduate Degree: Philosophy/English

Writing Interests: Philosophy: Academic, Literary, and Otherwise; Speculative Fiction; “Experimental” Fictions; Good Stories; Fairytales, Folklore, Parables, Metaphors, and Analogies of All Stripes; Memoir; Poetry (and all that this entails); Physics, Math, and other Science-ish Things; Radical Literature: Feminist, Anarchist, &c.; Visual “Texts.” &c. &c., &c…

Other Interests: Critical Thinking, Community, Teaching and Learning, Not Starving to Death in the Street, The Dog Friend (Grga), Photography and other Visual Arts, Problem Solving, The Fine Art of Good (generative) Arguing, Music, Pattern Finding and Manipulation, Play, Clowning and Circus Arts. &c, &c, &c.
 

Jason Michael Tentor

BA in American Studies and MA in Cultural Studies, Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences, University of Washington Bothell
Associates of Arts in Software Development from Manchester Technical College, Connecticut

Writing interests: Hip Hop, short fiction
Other Interests: Socially engaged art

 

 

Virginia Soileau

Undergraduate Institution: University of Washington Tacoma
Undergraduate Degree: Writing Studies
Other Degrees or Certificates: Associates in Liberal Arts with an endorsement in Written Communications from Pierce Community College

Writing Interests: exploratory intermixing of Poetry and Creative Nonfiction

Other Interests: painting and photography

 

Siolotuma Thompson

Undergraduate Institution: University of Washington Seattle
Undergraduate Degree: Comparative Literature

Writing Interests: Graphic novels, comic books, cartooning, science fiction, creative non-fiction

Other Interests: Art, art history, cooking, wild swimming, animals with short legs
 

Taesung Eom

Undergraduate Institution: University of Washington Bothell
Undergraduate Degree: Culture,literature, and the Arts

Writing Interests: Fantasy, drama

Other Interests: Making sushi, reading, solitary walks in nature