In the late 1980s, the acclaimed writer James Michener spent three years at the University of Miami working on a novel that recounts the history of the Caribbean.
His time on the Coral Gables campus inspired Michener to give back to the University, leading him to endow a creative writing program for graduate students.
Michener, known for writing historical novels deeply rooted in specific places, would no doubt approve of what the Master of Fine Arts in creative writing program has accomplished over the past three decades. In addition to producing award-winning fiction writers, poets, and memoirists, the M.F.A. program has become deeply rooted in Miami and its many languages.
“We encourage students to braid their home languages that might not be English into their work,” said Chantel Acevedo, the director of the M.F.A. program, which is housed in the College of Arts & Sciences. “We also encourage students to experiment with different kinds of English because English is not spoken the same way everywhere.”
In addition to being the only M.F.A. program in the country with a broad multilingual focus, the University of Miami program also has one of the most diverse faculty, Acevedo said. This diversity is reflected in writing workshops, where faculty strive to create an inclusive environment.
“I think you have a lot of folks who have been told their experience is somehow wrong because it doesn’t reflect the majority,” Acevedo said. “Rooted in a sense of equity, our workshops really allow writers to thrive and to grow into the spaces where they need to grow.”
This spring, the program—which welcomed its first students during the 1993-1994 academic year—is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a series of events.
The celebration kicks off on April 12 with an alumni reunion reception at The Betsy Hotel sponsored by Dean Leonidas Bachas. The next day, alumni will meet for a writing workshop on the University’s Coral Gables campus, followed by a reading by second-year M.F.A. students at Books & Books.
“We’re celebrating with our community and also bringing our community back together and reconnecting with those who we may have lost touch with over the years,” Acevedo said.
The alumni have many reasons to celebrate. This “tiny but mighty” program, as M. Evelina Galang, the former director, calls it, has helped its graduates to launch successful literary careers. Recent alumnus Andrew Boryga published his debut novel with Doubleday in March, and another recent alumnus, Bobuq Sayed, has a novel forthcoming from Harper, to name just two examples. Poetry alumna Christell Victoria Roach currently holds a prestigious Stegner Fellowship at Stanford University. Previous generations of alumni have achieved similar accolades.
The M.F.A. program’s small size has contributed to its success. The program admits only six students—three poets and three fiction writers—a year, which allows the faculty of award-winning writers to provide extensive support. Michener’s legacy lives on through the James Michener Fellowships and Teaching Assistantships, which provide students with tuition waivers and stipends, allowing them to focus fully on their writing and teaching.
“We get to know their work and we get to know them as artists in three dimensions and not just as someone you meet one semester and never see again,” Acevedo said. “A real community forms here, and it’s a very supportive one.”
Alumni of the M.F.A. program, and anyone who is interested in attending the Books & Books event, can find more information about the upcoming festivities on the 30th anniversary webpage.
