By Sean Olson, University Relations
Poet and Professor Mark Smith-Soto will be the director of the new Center for Creative Writing in the Arts.
With names like Fred Chappell and Randall Jarrell lending it luster, the writing scene at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro has always been vibrant, but the future is about to get a lot brighter.
The university has established the Center for Creative Writing in the Arts, approved by the UNCG Board of Trustees in its November meeting. The center will be a nexus of creative writing at the university, from playwrights and screenwriters in the theatre and cinema to novelists and poets in the university’s famed MFA Creative Writing Program. The center will sponsor interdisciplinary opportunities to engage numerous areas of the university community in the creative writing environment.
“The center will support, coordinate and promote the various creative writing endeavors in English, broadcasting and cinema, theatre and Romance languages,” said Dr. Denise Baker, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
The center will be a place where various parts of the UNCG writing community can communicate with and nourish one another, said Dr. Mark Smith-Soto, who will direct the program.
“The center will also serve as a bridge between campus and the general community, making it easier for each to know and benefit from what the other is doing to promote creative writing,” he said.
As part of its efforts, the center will draw from the expertise of former and current faculty and alumni alike.
“There are a lot of fine writers in this area, including many who received their MFA from this institution and who have gained national prominence,” Smith-Soto said, “and we look forward to drawing on this expertise.”
During the first five years, the center will pursue the following goals:
• Provide a physical space for student and faculty creative writers.
• Foster opportunities for undergraduate and undergraduate students to take classes in and participate in creative writing.
• Organize, promote and implement events such as summer workshops, seminars, conferences, and festivals.
• Seek external funding to support the goals of the center.
• Examine the relationship between creative writing and scholarly writing.
• Support the publication of print magazines such as “The Greensboro Review” and “The International Poetry Review,” and explore the publication of other print or electronic media.
• Explore outreach opportunities with other organizations such as CALL, A+ Schools, Triad Stage and Greensboro Poetry Month.
The initial budget of the center will be $30,000 and will provide for course releases for the director, a graduate assistant, summer support for the director, and office supplies such as computers. The budget will be funded by the College of Arts and Sciences.
Contact information:
• The College of Arts and Sciences: 336-334-5241.
• Dr. Denise Baker, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences: 336-334-5241.
• Dr. Mark Smith-Soto, director of the center: 336-334-5655.
• Sean Olson, University Relations: 336-334-3890.
