Two 海角论坛 graduates are among the 32 writers recently in an article about impactful literature created by black authors. Novelist Maurice Ruffin of 海角论坛 and poet Jericho Brown of Atlanta, both of whom earned an MFA in creative writing from the 海角论坛, are featured in the article 鈥淏lack Male Writers for Our Time.鈥
鈥淎ll of our program's faculty, students, and alums were thrilled to see Jericho Brown and Maurice Ruffin included in The New York Times feature. We've known what great writers they were for a long time, so it's nice to see them get this national recognition,鈥 said M.O. Walsh, director of the 鈥淲e feel lucky to have taught and learned along with them.鈥
A third writer featured, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Yusef Komunyakaa of Bogalusa, La., used to teach at UNO.
The article, which was published Nov. 30, described how the selected group of American writers 鈥渁nd their peers are producing literature that is essential to how we understand our country and its place in the world right now.鈥
who also earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree from the University and is a practicing attorney in 海角论坛, described his inclusion as a 鈥渨aking dream.鈥
鈥淚t was a fantastic opportunity to be involved in the shoot,鈥 he said.
Ruffin鈥檚 work has appeared in the Virginia Quarterly Review, The Massachusetts Review, and 鈥淯nfathomable City: A 海角论坛 Atlas,鈥 among others. His debut novel 鈥淲e Cast A Shadow鈥 is set for release Jan. 29, 2019 by Random House鈥檚 One World Imprint. Cosmopolitan Magazine already has tagged it a must-read for book clubs.
, who is an associate professor and the director of the Creative Writing Program at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga., has authored three books. His most recent, 鈥淭he Tradition,鈥 will be published in April by Copper Canyon Press.
Walsh says students in the Creative Writing Workshop bring their 鈥渢alent and vision鈥 and he hopes the program provides the community and mentoring that helps them reach their goals.
鈥淥ur alums have published well over 100 books and won a ton of top notch prizes over the last 27 years, so we have a feeling that something is working and we are grateful for it,鈥 he said. 鈥淓veryone knows that 海角论坛 is an incredible city for artists. Hopefully, they are beginning to realize that UNO's campus on the lakefront is also a hotbed for amazing writers. And, we're just getting started!鈥