As a senior in high school, I had a hard time deciding where to continue my education. There were a lot of factors to consider: to stay in St. Paul or move away, big or small student population, private or public, etc. Ultimately, I made the decision to follow where my passions led. As far as I could find, the only university in Minnesota with a Bachelors in Fine Arts (B.F.A.) specific to creative writing was Hamline.
In my four years of undergrad, I have come to appreciate my program as the highlight of my collegiate experience. The professors, the classes, the literary publications and opportunities on and off campus have all been invaluable. They nourished my existing love for writing and afforded me the opportunity to connect with other writers and their inspiring work. This experience was made possible largely because of resources (T.A.s, off-campus connections, a faculty network) from Hamline’s renowned M.F.A. program for creative writing — which the current interim provost and interim president have recently announced they are intending to shut down.
Established in 1994, this was the first M.F.A. program for creative writing in Minnesota. Graduates of the program include award-winning authors such as: Erin Sharkey (“A Darker Wilderness: Black Nature Writing from Soil to Stars”), Mubanga Kalimamukwento (“The Mourning Bird”) and Jessica Lind Peterson (“Sound Like Trapped Thunder”). The M.F.A. students run the graduate literary journal, Water~Stone Review — an award-winning, nationally renowned publication with contributions from incredibly talented and influential writers. Because of this program’s recognition and influence, it also has a huge connection to the Twin Cities literary community. Alumni have worked with Graywolf Press and Milkweed Editions. Red Bird Chapbooks was founded by Hamline M.F.A. students, inspired by a class assignment. Robyn Earhart, production manager at Coffeehouse Press, is an alum of the program. She is also the longtime managing editor of Water~Stone and has taught the undergraduate course, Runestone: Introduction to Literary Publishing. These are just a few examples of the outreach that the M.F.A. has, as well as its impact on the B.F.A. Undergraduate students are taught by M.F.A faculty and adjunct professors who are often alumni themselves. The M.F.A. puts on author and publishing panels, brings published alumni back to campus and generally organizes programming for undergrad and graduate students alike. They provide networking opportunities and bring the robust literary community of the Twin Cities into the heart of Hamline — for everyone’s benefit.
Now, Water~Stone Review’s funding has been completely cut. The executive editor, Meghan Maloney-Vinz, is being ousted from her position. Maloney-Vinz is the one-woman force that essentially keeps both the M.F.A. and B.F.A. programs running, all with a joyful smile and a book to recommend. She has visited two of my classes to teach us about literary publishing and bookmaking; a hands-on craft that she does with creativity and grace, giving the words on the page a tangible vessel for readers to hold. Without her leadership, it won’t just be the M.F.A. that goes. The B.F.A., already down to just three full-time faculty members, is surely next.
Both the B.F.A. and M.F.A. for creative writing are draws for incoming students at Hamline. It is a huge mistake to pull the plug on these programs. They are not lacking in interest. They are not already dead. To assume so is to deprive a wealth of current students of their passions and opportunities, as well as innumerable prospective students of a life-changing professor or conversation with a visiting author. Does Hamline really want to kill a program whose alumni produce nationally awarded books? By doing so, they are throwing away claims to success. If they won’t be swayed by arts advocacy, then maybe they will by the fact that these programs bring in money and marketing opportunities.
But more importantly: in a time where federal orders are scaring institutions into rolling back their commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion, it is imperative to hold a place for artists. It is all the more necessary to create and share work that, as professor Alice Paige (M.F.A. alum) said in a creative writing class last semester, “speaks truth to power.” On the front page of Hamline’s website are the words “Empowering Changemakers.” Are they aware of how many writers have advocated for justice, led the way to new frontiers and enabled progress? Now is not the time to remove the writers. Even in fiction, we’re writing humanity’s truths and commenting on societal structures. What’s the truth, Hamline? Is it easier to come for the artists rather than uphold your commitments to “building a better society through education”, as written in your statement of purpose? Good luck claiming that you’re “doing all the good we can, in all the ways we can” after severing ties with writers and artists whose work has and will create a path to a better future.
If I’ve swayed you at all with this plea, then email the interim provost, interim president and board of trustees urging them to keep the M.F.A. program, Water~Stone Review and Meghan Maloney-Vinz. Reach out to your professors about this. Not just in creative writing, but all of them. This decision ultimately has to go through a curriculum committee to pass and if enough people care, then Hamline’s writers can continue their paths as artists, heralds and changemakers.