NEOMFA : Northeast Ohio Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

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NEOMFA : Northeast Ohio Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

The nation’s only consortial MFA creative writing program. Three gateway campuses: The University of Akron, Cleveland State University, & Kent State University.

Four genres: fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, & playwriting. < neomfa.org > The only consortial MFA program in the country, NEOMFA is a collaboration between Cleveland State University, Kent State University, The University of Akron, & Youngstown State University:
| One Program | Four Universities | Unlimited Opportunities |

06/04/2026

Congratulations to alum Ali Black, a finalist for the 2026 Ohio Book Awards, presented by the Ohioana Library! Ali’s 2025 collection We Look Better Alive (Burnside Review Press) was nominated in the Poetry category.

The winners will be announced in a virtual ceremony on October 15. Find out more at https://www.ohioana.org/programs/ohio-book-awards/.

Order your copy of Ali’s nominated collection at https://burnsidereview.org/we-look-better-alive.html.

06/03/2026

Coming up soon!!!

NEOMFA ALUMNI READING
Thursday, June 11 at 6:00 pm
Visible Voice Books
4601 Lorain Avenue, Cleveland

Hosted by Lindsey Maple

Featuring Carrie George, Isaiah Hunt, Jessica Jewell, Benjamin Anthony Rhodes, Alexandra Salata

This event is free and open to the public, with no tickets or reservations required.

https://www.visiblevoicebooks.com/calendar-of-events

06/01/2026

Join recent NEOMFA guest faculty Xan Forest Phillips for “Radical Revision: A Poetry Workshop,” presented by Literary Cleveland via Zoom, Wednesdays at 6:30pm from June 10 - July 22. “A space for editing preexisting poems using dynamic poetic forms.” More info at https://www.litcleveland.org/classes-workshops/radical-revision-a-poetry-workshop

05/29/2026

NEOMFA faculty member emeritus Philip Brady reads with Jacqueline Marino on Wednesday, June 3 at 7:00 pm at Westside Bowl in Youngstown. Presented by Lit Youngstown as part of the First Wednesday Reader Series. Hosted by Michele Gatts with an open mic to follow.

Note: This reading will be downstairs in the Trophy Room, accessible only by stairs. Meagan Albani will provide ASL interpretation.

Find more info at https://westsidebowl.com/event/philip-brady-jacqueline-marino/.

05/28/2026

This Saturday, May 30 @ 6pm! Catch faculty member Hilary Plum at Visible Voice Books (4601 Lorain Avenue, Cleveland). Hilary joins Brendan Joyce and Andrew Rihn in a reading for the Cleveland Review of Books Vol. 4.1 launch. Free event with copies of the issue available for purchase. More info at: https://www.visiblevoicebooks.com/calendar-of-events/cleveland-review-of-books-launch

05/27/2026

Congrats to alum Steven Caumo (YSU, 2022), whose debut novella THRILL KILLERS is out on May 30 on Grindhouse Press!

In this new work of horror, the perfect vacation turns into a sadistic nightmare. It’s your ideal summer beach read, if you have a strong enough stomach!

Pre-order your copy now for a release just 3 days away.

https://grindhousepress.com/2026/04/16/cover-reveal-and-pre-orders-2/

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GX36ZDF7

05/22/2026

NEOMFA Post #31 is available online! Read our latest issue and sign up for future releases at https://neomfa.org/newsletter.

This issue’s alumni Q&A is with Sony Ton-Aime, who graduated from the NEOMFA via KSU in 2019. Sony’s first book of poetry, Konbit, was released this year, and was hailed by Percival Everett as “a marvel” and by Shara McCallum as “an incantatory work.” The book focuses on Sony’s native Haiti including its history and language.

“In this collection, I am trying to understand what made it possible for my ancestors to be so bold as to defy history, and provide some alternatives that can still be found in Haitian culture to help us imagine better alternatives for our own future.” – Sony Ton-Aime

Read more at https://neomfa.org/newsletter.

Buy Konbit at https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/K/bo265673332.html.

05/21/2026

Only one place to get NEOMFA Alumni Collective swag! That’s the first-ever alumni reading, coming up soon!

NEOMFA ALUMNI READING
Thursday, June 11 at 6:00 pm

Visible Voice Books, 4601 Lorain Ave, Cleveland

Hosted by Lindsey Maple

Featuring Carrie George, Isaiah Hunt, Jessica Jewell, Benjamin Anthony Rhodes, & Alexandra Salata

This event is free and open to the public, with no tickets or reservations required.

Event page: https://neomfa.org/neomfa-alumni-reading

Venue calendar: https://www.visiblevoicebooks.com/calendar-of-events

05/19/2026

Congrats to recent grad Mish Gajewski-Zambataro (CSU), winner of the 2026 AWP Intro Journals Project contest in fiction!

Mish’s nominated story “Churn” was selected by judge Allegra Solomon for publication in Iron Horse Literary Review.

Find more info at https://awpwriter.org/AWP/Contests/Intro-Journals-Project/2026-Winners.aspx.

05/15/2026

Congratulations to alum Pamela Anderson, who won the 2026 Wheelbarrow Books Poetry Prize (Emerging)!

Pamela’s manuscript "Grabbing the Beast by the Throat" was selected by final judge Carol V. Davis and will be published in early 2027. Look for it on the Wheelbarrow Books imprint of Michigan State University Press!

https://poetry.rcah.msu.edu/news/2026-wheelbarrow-winner-announce.html.

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Cleveland, OH

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Website

http://www.neomfa.org/

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