Writing at Wesleyan

The Distinguished Writers/New Voices course, the Recent American Poetry series, and the Millett Fellows program offer students the chance to hear contemporary writers discuss their work.  Among recent visitors are John Ashbery, Grace Paley, Robert Caro, Jamaica Kincaid, Robert Stone, Russell Banks, Gish Jen, Yusef Komunyakaa, Robert Creeley, C.D. Wright, Susan Howe, Julia Glass, William Finnegan, and Eileen Myles.

Graduates of Wesleyan are admitted to the nation's top writing and journalism programs, and alumni have recently won the Whiting Writers' award, the Drue Heinz Prize (for a collection of short stories), the Edgar Allan Poe Award (for best mystery novel of the year), the National Magazine Award (for fiction), the Robert F. Kennedy Jouralism Award, a nomination for the National Book Award, and the Pulitzer Prize (biography).

This week-long program in fiction, poetry, film, nonfiction, literary journalism, and publishing is held annually the last week in June. Participants from the US and abroad come to campus to study with the Conference's faculty of distinguished writers. Both experienced writers and new writers are welcome.  Wesleyan students may enroll or work on the Conference staff. Scholarships are available. Call or e-mail for a brochure: 860-685-3604 or agreene@wesleyan.edu.

Students who are writing course papers, honors theses, or creative pieces consult the Writing Workshop at all stages of their writing process- whether they want help getting started, need editorial advice about drafts, or seek long-term tutoring.

The Freeman Writing Program provides English-as-a-second-language services through the Writing Workshop.  Alice Hadler coordinates ESL tutoring and academic services for international and bi-lingual students.

Students who have learning disabilities find the Workshop's services and the Writing Mentor Program helpful.  Please consult the director of Writing Programs.

Director of Writing Programs, Anne Greene: 860-685-3604 or agreene@wesleyan.edu

ESL program coordinator, Alice Hadler: 860-685-2832 or ahadler@wesleyan.edu

These programs are sponsored by grants from the Ford Foundation and the Mellon Foundation.

Wesleyan was one of the first universities to train undergraduates as writing tutors.  Each year approximately 120 students serve as writing tutors in the Writing Workshop, in courses emphasizing writing, and in the new Writing Mentor program, which provides personal writing tutors for first-year students.

Tutor Info               Tutor Application

Tutors are trained in the Ford Teaching Seminar (English 491 or 492).  They receive course credit and a stipend.

Most courses in the humanities and social sciences ask students to write. Faculty members have identified selected courses across the curriculum that particularly emphasize writing. These courses ask students to revise their papers and to discuss work-in-progress with the instructor or with writing tutors assigned to the course. The University's First-Year Initiative Program offers all first-year students the opportunity to take a small seminar or inter-disciplinary course. These FYI courses often offer close attention to students' writing.

The Director of Writing Programs selects and trains student writing tutors for the Writing Workshop and for courses with special emphasis on writing. A grant from the Ford Foundation, designed to encourage students to consider careers in academia, provides funding for the writing tutor program and for the training course, the Ford Teaching Seminar.

Fiction, Poetry, Narrative Nonfiction, Literary Journalism, Screenwriting and Writing for the Stage

The English Department regularly offers writing courses in fiction, poetry, and nonfiction.  Courses in writing for the stage and screenwriting are offered occasionally.  Wesleyan's writing faculty include Phyllis Rose, Kit Reed, Gayle Pemberton, Elizabeth Willis, John Vincent, Kate Rushin, Elizabeth Bobrick, and Anne Greene.  Annie Dillard was a member of the faculty for many years.  Other recent visiting writing teachers include Jonathan Schell, Amy Bloom, Roxana Robinson, Alexander Chee, Paul LaFarge, and Honor Moore.