We have book deals, releases, chapbooks, literary journal publications, job announcements, and fellowships galore:

Book releases & deals

• Current Students

• Josh Galarza signed a deal for his debut novel, The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky, which will be published by Henry Holt & Co. Books for Young Readers (an imprint of Macmillan), slated for release spring/summer 2024. His agent, David Dunton of Harvey Klinger Inc. brokered the deal with editor Jess Harold. Find out more at joshgalarza.com. Follow Josh on Instagram (@authorjoshgalarza).

• Faculty

• Geoff Bouvier’s Us From Nothing, a historical epic prose poem about the most important milestones in world history from the Big Bang to the near future, will be published by Wolsak & Wynn in October 2023 (Canada), and by Black Lawrence Press in 2024 (USA). Find out more at geoffbouvier.com. Follow Geoff on Instagram (@geoffbouvier) or Facebook.

• Jessica Hendry Nelson’s memoir, Joy Rides Through the Tunnel of Grief, about the creative imperative, wonder, addiction, anticipatory grief, and the life-sustaining properties of female friendships, is the winner of the Sue William Prize in Creative Nonfiction and will be published by University of Georgia Press in September. Find out more at jessicahnelson.com. Follow Jessica on Twitter (@jhnelson427), Instagram (@jhnelson427), or Facebook. 

• SJ Sindu’s middle-grade fantasy graphic novel, Shakti, about South Asian witches, ancestral magic, and mean girls, will be published by HarperCollins in May. Sindu’s literary short story collection, The Goth House Experiment, about a variety of loners and artists dealing with dramatic life changes, is forthcoming from Soho Press in October. Find out more at sjsindu.com. Follow Sindu on Twitter (@sjsindu), Instagram (@sjsindu), or Facebook.

• Alumni

• Rachel Beanland’s (MFA class of 2020) second book The House Is On Fire was published in April by Simon & Schuster, and was selected as a Good Morning America Buzz pick and one of 10 noteworthy books for April by the Washington Post. Find out more at rachelbeanland.com. Follow Rachel on Instagram (@rachelbeanland).

• Craig Beaven’s (MFA class of 2003) second poetry collection, Teaching the Baby To Say I Love You, was selected by Ellen Bass as the winner of the Anhinga Press Poets Prize. Find out more at craigbeaven.com. Follow Craig on Twitter (@beaven_craig).

• Matt Clingempeel’s forthcoming co-written graphic novel Terraria Volume 1, based on the video game Terraria, will be published in August. Follow Matt on Twitter (@Clingempeel) or Facebook.

• Steven T. Collis published Praying With the Enemy last year with Shadow Mountain Publishing. The book was selected by the American Library Association as one of the best historical novels of 2022. Find out more at steventcollis.com. Follow Steven on Twitter (@steventcollis), Instagram (@steventcollis), or Facebook.

• Roselyn Elliott (MFA class of 1995) has a full-length poetry collection, The Pause Between Inhale and Exhale, coming out in August from Main Street Rag Press.

• Emilia Phillips’s fifth poetry collection, Nonbinary Birds of Paradise, is forthcoming from Akron Press in February 2024. Follow Emilia on Instagram (@emdashphillips).

• Cheryl Walsh (MFA class of 1998) has a forthcoming novel, Unequal Temperament, coming out in September from American Buffalo Books. The novel is the winner of the inaugural Buffalo Books Fiction Prize, and the opening of the novel was published in the journal Embark. Follow Cheryl on Twitter (@IrishRoad) and Instagram (@cherylwalshbooks).

• Diane Woodcock’s (MFA class of 2004) fifth full-length collection, Holy Sparks, will be published in June by Paraclete Press. Diane’s next book, Heaven Underfoot, won the 2022 Codhill Press Pauline Uchmanowicz Poetry Award and will be published later in 2023.

Chapbooks and publications

• Current students

• Nolan Capps’s CNF piece “Strange Fire” is forthcoming from Arts & Letters in the fall of 2023.

• Kayleigh Hughes has two essay publications: “Body Images,” published by Michigan Quarterly Review; and “Bathtubs, a Diptych,” forthcoming in Northwest Review. Find out more at kayleighhuges.com. Follow Kayleigh on Twitter (@kayleighqueue) or Instagram (@kayleighq).

• Alumni

• Craig Beaven’s (MFA class of 2003) chapbook, In Arcadia, will be published by 7 Kitchens Press in the Rane Arroyo Chapbook Series.

• Nan Byrne’s new poetry chapbook, Wonder City, was published by Plan B Press. Find out more at nanbyrne.com.

• Vincent Chavez has three pieces out: “Drain Plug” in The Adroit Journal, forthcoming in April; “Fake Jordans” in The Southern Review; and “Heirloom” in Wigleaf.

• Lee Hodge’s first chapbook, Pics or It Didn’t Happen, came out from Dancing Girl Press. Lee’s second chapbook is coming out in May.

• Gabrielle Nigmond’s CNF piece “In All Her Glory Presenting My Mother: Sharon” was published in Snapdragon Journal, and “About Face” was published in The Smart Set.

Jobs, awards, fellowships, & other news

• Current students

• Nolan Capps signed with literary agent Will Roberts at The Gernert Company to represent his novel

• Faculty

• SJ Sindu’s second hybrid chapbook, Dominant Genes, was selected by the American Library Association as a Stonewall Barbara Gettings Honor Book.

• Alumni

• Vincent Chavez won a MacDowell Fellowship, was selected as a 2023 Anthony Vaesna So Scholar in Fiction by The Adroit Journal; and got a Best Small Fictions 2023 Volume Nomination for “Heirloom” from Wigleaf.

• Neta Harris and April Sopkin received Elizabeth George Foundation grants to help fund their work on their novels and short story collections.

• Lee Hodge was named a 2022-2023 Luminarts Creative Writing fellow.

• Matt Phipps (MFA class of 2015) is now an assistant editor at G.P. Putnam’s Sons (an imprint of Penguin Young Readers), where he is acquiring picture books, middle grade, young adult, and graphic novels for all ages. Follow Matt on Twitter (@leavesofplaid) and write to him at mphipps@penguinrandomhouse.com.

Do you have news to celebrate? We’ll be rounding up news blasts every month starting in the fall semester. Please email SJ Sindu (sathiyaseels@vcu.edu) to be included in the news blast emails and Sonja Livingston (slivingston@vcu.edu) to be featured on our social media.

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