news
Didi Jackson’s Tennessee Book Award to be celebrated
May. 1, 2026—Humanities Tennessee will celebrate Didi Jackson, the recipient of the 2025 Tennessee Book Award for Poetry. The reading and reception will take place Saturday, May 2, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM at Parnassus Books in Nashville. Didi Jackson is an assistant professor of English and the author of the poetry collections My Infinity and Moon...
Merrill Moore creative writing awards announced
Apr. 23, 2026—The Department of English and Creative Writing Program congratulate the recipients of the 2026 Merrill Moore Prizes for outstanding work in their respective genres. The awards go to graduating seniors based on “literary promise and the psychological or practical usefulness of the award.” Merrill Moore Prize for Fiction: Katerina Grace Krizner (Tallahassee, Florida) Merrill Moore...
Amanda Little’s student-led journalism project highlighted by Nashville Banner
Apr. 21, 2026—The Nashville SUNN is a high school student-led journalism project founded by Writer in Residence Amanda Little. It was recently highlighted by the Nashville Banner, which wrote, “Nashville’s teenagers are bringing back print news.” The Nashville SUNN is a training ground for students to learn about journalistic practices and ethics. These students pitch, report, fact-check...
Major Jackson’s poems we should know by heart
Apr. 20, 2026—In a recent feature for the New York Times Style Magazine, Director of Creative Writing Major Jackson and fellow poet Frederick Seidel name six poems we should all know by heart. The list includes works by 20th-century poets Lucille Clifton, Galway Kinnell, Philip Larkin, and Rainer Maria Rilke and classics by Milton and Shakespeare. The interactive...
Second-year MFA student Lana Reeves announces book deal
Apr. 6, 2026—Penguin Random House will publish second-year MFA student Lana Reeves‘ debut poetry collection KAMA’ĀINA in 2027. Lana hails from O’ahu, Hawai’i and received her BA with honors from Harvard University, where her thesis, under the direction from former U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith, was certified summa cum laude. Learn more about Lana and her work...
Creative Writing Program to host reading of MFA graduates – April 23
Apr. 6, 2026—On Thursday, April 23, the Creative Writing Program will celebrate our graduating cohort with a reception and reading of new work, featuring Langston Cotman, Kumari Devarajan, Ajla Dizdarević, Sydney Mayes, Athena Nassar, and Iman Saleem. Thursday, April 23 Alumni Hall 202 Memorial Hall 6:00 PM Reception 7:00 PM Reading Open to the public ...
Queer Latinx social dancing lecture and workshop – March 26/27
Mar. 24, 2026—More news
Lux Magazine to discuss gender and politics in the university – April 1
Mar. 23, 2026—More news
SWING literary magazine event features MFA professor Tony Earley – March 25
Mar. 12, 2026— Wednesday, March 25 6:30 PM Reading Vanderbilt Special Collections Library 1101 19th Ave South Nashville, TN 37212 On Wednesday, March 25, at 6:30pm, join Nashville’s Porch Writers’ Collective and Vanderbilt’s Special Collections and University Archives to celebrate the launch of the latest issue of...
Jared Harvey to publish chapbook “Ten Islands”
Mar. 10, 2026—Lecturer Jared Harvey, whose pen name is Jared Joseph, will publish a new chapbook, Ten Islands, with Essay Press. The work is part of a larger project, One Thousand Islands, wherein the author eats a Reuben sandwich each week and documents the experience. “A juicy, idiotically thorough chronicle of one of the more important deli...