Sena Jeter Naslund-Karen Mann Graduate School of Writing

09/04/2026

We are excited to share that Spalding University fiction faculty and alum Silas House will be hosting a book launch following the release of his newest novel, THE TULIP POPLARS.

The event will be held at The Burl Lexington on October 13th. Tickets will be on sale soon!

09/01/2026

The countdown to the Gathering continues! Angela Jackson-Brown is the Director of Creative Writing at IU Bloomington and teachers in the graduate program at the Naslund-Mann Graduate School of Writing at Spalding University in Louisville, KY. She is published in journals like The Louisville Journal and the Appalachian Review.

Her class at this year’s Gathering, The Weight of Every Word: Mastering Compression in Fiction, explores the ability to make every sentence carry multiple layers of meaning without sacrificing clarity of emotional impact. Through compression, Jackson-Brown will offer techniques that strengthen scenes by making every word matter.

Tickets for the Gathering are available at the link in our bio!

09/01/2026

Are you stuck on a scene, or can't quite find a home for a particular story or essay? Send in a submission (up to 6000 words, fiction or CNF) to the CRAFT Summer Feedback Sprint for editorial feedback within two weeks! You’ll receive line-level marginal notes, as well as a two-page global letter discussing the strengths of the writing and the recommended focus for revision.

Deadline to submit is September 13, 2026.

See details here: https://buff.ly/l1pBrT2

08/30/2026

Like a great cross-training workout, reading and writing in another genre offers outsized benefits. Even if you never intend to become a genre-hopper, simple cross-genre exercises can

~deepen your craft in your own area
~give you new insights into your writing projects
~spark creative breakthroughs

Join us to learn about these benefits and more. (If you're thinking of teaching, cross-genre work is essential!) We'll also tell you about Spalding's nationally recognized low-residency MFA, where you can study fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, writing for children and young adults, or writing for TV, screen, and stage. Whatever you study, you'll gain exposure to the other genres.

You'll meet Naslund-Mann Chair Kathleen Driskell, who is also Kentucky Poet Laureate, along with novelist Karen Mann, the Naslund-Mann School's Administrative Director and co-founder.

It all happens on Zoom, Tuesday, September 8, at 1 p.m. Eastern / 10 a.m. Pacific. Reserve your spot now: https://buff.ly/6bcO2WI

Hone your literary craft through Spalding's flagship graduate writing program.

08/28/2026

Fiction and Non-fiction Writers! The CRAFT 2026 Flash Prose Prize is now open for submissions of both flash fiction and flash creative nonfiction until September 13th.

Submit a story or essay that speaks to the soul of the human experience in under 1,000 words.

This year's guest judge, Amy Hempel, will select her favorite three entries from a shortlist of twenty-five. These winners will each receive $1,000, a bundle of Rose Metal Press Field Guides, and publication in CRAFT.

See more information on submission guidelines and submit here: https://buff.ly/fCfrFc6

08/27/2026

In addition to doing well, writing for children faculty Lesléa Newman hopes her newest poetry collection, The Last Flame Last, does good and helps repair the world. Read this latest post on our faculty blog at Good River Review: https://www.goodriverreview.com/post/the-last-flame-last-poetry-for-a-worthy-cause

08/25/2026

We're proud to share that current Spalding University MFA screenwriting student Summer Shelton's screenplay "Praying to a Laughing God" has been named a finalist for the 2026 Nashville Film Festival Screenplay Competition in the Genre Feature Category. The screenplay is an adaptation of the novel by the same name written by Kevin McColley.

Winners will be announced at the festival in September!

Full details here: https://buff.ly/C2b2Yk2

08/22/2026

Spalding Community! Spalding University CNF faculty Erin Keane will be in conversation with Kevin Wilson, author of "Run for the Hills," at the South Central Regional Library on September 16th at 6:00 p.m.

This event is presented in partnership by Carmichael's Bookstore and Louisville Free Public Library.

The event is free but they ask everyone to register: https://buff.ly/OWdFMnX

08/21/2026

Congrats to our own Whitney Collins on the publication of her story "Delphine" in the 71st issue of the Tampa Review!

"Delphine" tells the tale of a billionaire who desires to have his own mermaid. Instead of a real sea creature, he's introduced to a human anomaly: a 17-year-old freediver.

Check it out here: https://buff.ly/xZ2fbv5

08/19/2026

Congrats to former Spalding University fiction faculty Eleanor Morse on her newest novel, THIS FOREIGN LAND.

Set in 2018 when "zero tolerance" became the official U.S. Immigration Policy, the book follows Vincent's journey of moral clarity, courage, and endurance after his outrage over the mistreatment of immigrants and separation of children from their parents.

A portion of every book sold will be donated to the Rio Valley Relief Project and the Maine Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project.

Get a copy of your own from Littoral Books here: https://buff.ly/aHxTkdQ