BA Alumna Takes Vita.mn Fiction Prize

The Twin Cities weekly newspaper Vita.mn, which is produced by the Star Tribune, announced the winner of their fourth Annual Summer Story Contest, and BA alumna Regan Smith ('09) took first prize, worth $750. The 260 entrants wrote 300-600 word short stories on the theme of the Seven Deadly Sins. Smith's entry, "Spud," explored sloth through the vehicle of an enslaved potato.

MFA Alums Win Emerging Writers Grants

MFA alumnae Yuko Taniguchi ('01) and Katie Hae Leo ('09) were selected as two out of five 2012 Loft Minnesota Emerging Writers' Grant Winners. The winners receive grants of up to $10,000 and will also be provided with professional assistance "to develop and implement multifaceted plans for their artistic endeavors." The Loft received 200 qualified entries, which were narrowed down to 20 finalists. Leo is a playwright and essayist; Taniguchi, a poet and novelist. Congratulations!

CLA's Reach Magazine Features Alums

Four books by English alumnae/i are featured in the summer issue of the CLA publication Reach: The latest collections by poets and BA alums Ed Bok Lee and Jim Moore are reviewed by MFA candidate Christine Friedlander and MFA alumna Molly Sutton Kiefer respectively. MA alumna Mary Francois Rockcastle's novel In Caddis Wood is reviewed by Reach editor Mary Pattock, and MFA alum Gayla Marty's memoir Memory of Trees by MFA alum Terri Sutton. Readers can get 20 percent off books reviewed in Reach's Bound to Please section at Coffman Bookstore (online as well).

Baxter Noted in Kaler Article

Seeking to reacquaint Minnesotans with the U's impact on "every one of Minnesota's 87 counties," University President Eric Kaler published a July 2 opinion in the Star Tribune listing recent accomplishments. Second on his list is the granting this spring of the Rea Award for the Short Story to Edelstein-Keller Professor of Creative Writing Charles Baxter. Kaler goes on to mention an English alumnus: "In Minnesota, 'above average' is important, but with apologies to Garrison Keillor (class of '66), this university is excellent--and far better than many realize." Kudos to Kaler for celebrating the importance of English and the humanities along with the University's technological and scientific achievements.