Toni Morrison, Sharon Olds, Salman Rushdie
The wonderful thing about studying in the red hot center of the
literary world is that everybody lives here, or visits here; and
it is astonishing how many of these distinguished writers have a
soft spot for Hunter College. So don't be surprised if Salman Rushdie
or Michael Ondaatje turn up in class (they have already) or if Lucille
Clifton or Anne Carson come to read and talk to you, or you find
yourself high above Manhattan, at dinner in the President's dining
room, and there is Toni Morrison, just across the table.
Great writers are often great teachers, and you'll come across many
of them when they read at our celebrated Distinguished Writers Series
or walk into your classroom and take their seat at the table.
Refer to our Calendar to see who else is coming to visit us. Or enter your email address in this box to receive updates:
In the list below, all writers gave readings of their work.
*Marks writers that also led an MFA craft class or workshop.
†Marks writers that also attended a dinner with MFA students.
Distinguished Writers Series
Spring 2008 |
Russell Banks*†, April 17
Frank Bidart*, April 9
Anne Carson, March 13
Frank McCourt, March 4
Anne Winters and Gary Shteyngart*, February 21
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Distinguished Writers Series
Fall 2007 |
Lynn Emanuel, December 6
Michael Cunningham, November 13
Robert Pinsky, October 25
Annie Proulx †, October 4
Kathryn Harrison, September 20 |
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Distinguished Writers Series
Spring 2007 |
Peter Carey & Tom Sleigh, May 1
Claire Messud, April 24
Eavan Boland*, April 12
Nathan Englander*†, March 13
Colum McCann, February 13
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Distinguished Writers Series
Fall 2006 |
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Marie Howe, November 30
Ian McEwan*†, November 6
Deborah Eisenberg*, October 12
Richard Price*, September 26
[Seamus Heaney was unable to attend, for personal reasons]
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Distinguished Writers Series
Spring 2006 |
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Sharon Olds, Robert Pinsky and
C.K. Williams, May 4
Jonathan Franzen*, April 4
Eva Hoffman, March 21
Junot Diaz*, March 13
Philip Gourevitch, February 28
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Distinguished Writers Series
Fall 2005 |
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Derek Walcott, December 8
Colson Whitehead, November 15
Louise Gluck*†, October 27
Adrienne Rich, Cornelius Eady, Joy Harjo, Yusef Komunyakaa, Jan Heller Levi and Donna Masini, October 6
Walter Mosley*, September 13
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Distinguished Writers Series
Spring 2005 |
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Jean Valentine*, May 10
Jhumpa Lahiri †, April 21
Julian Barnes †, April 13
Mark Doty, March 9
Paul Auster, February 15
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Distinguished Writers Series
Fall 2004 |
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Tribute to Lucille Clifton, featuring
Toni Morrison, Sharon Olds, Robert Hass, Brenda Hillman, Maxine Kumin, Li-Young Lee, Elizabeth Alexander, Quincy Troupe, Kevin Young, Haki R. Hadhubuti, Gerald Stern, Galway Kinnell, Walter Mosley and Sonia Sanchez,
November 18
Jamaica Kincaid, November 1
Andrew Sean Greer*, September 28
Salman Rushdie*†, September 21 |
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Distinguished Writers Series
Spring 2004 |
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Toni Morrison, May 20
Anne Carson, May 6
Michael Ondaatje, April 15
Wallace Shawn, March 9 |
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Other writers who have visited the MFA program
2002-2003 |
Siri Hustvedt & Robert Hughes, December 2, 2003
Paul Auster, Ariel Dorfman & Edith Grossman, November 11, 2003
Carol Muske-Dukes, May 15, 2003
Nancy Milford, December 4, 2002
Gary Shteyngart, October 1, 2002
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Blair Writers-in-Residence
1999-2003 |
Brenda Hillman*, 2003
Li-Young Lee*, 2002
Mona Simpson*, 2002
Cristina Garcia*, 2001
Philip Levine*, 2000
Grace Paley*, 2000
Michael Cunningham*, 1999
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Blair Reading Series
1999-2003 |
Brenda Hillman*, March 26, 2003
Li-Young Lee*, April 18, 2002
Mona Simpson*, March 21, 2002
Mark Doty*, April 4, 2001
Peter Ho Davies, March 15 2001
Dorianne Laux, February 26, 2001
Cristina Garcia*, November 7, 2000
Billy Collins & Cornelius Eady,
May 5, 1999
Lucia Cordell Getsi & Joan Larkin,
April 13 1999
Pearl Abraham & Emer Martin,
March 25, 1999
Cristina Garcia*, February 11, 1999 |
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Program Directors & Executive Directors
| Peter Carey |
Executive Director |
2007 - Present |
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Program Director |
2003 - 2007 |
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| Tom Sleigh |
Program Director |
2007 - Present |
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| Donna Masini |
Interim Director |
2002 - 2003 |
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| Chang-rae Lee |
Program Director |
1999 - 2002 |
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FICTION Faculty, Past and Present
Peter Carey
Colum McCann
Nathan Englander
Jenefer Shute
Colson Whitehead
Andrew Sean Greer
Susan Daitch
David Gates
Chang-rae Lee |
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POETRY Faculty, Past and Present
Tom Sleigh
Donna Masini
Jan Heller Levi
Meena Alexander
William Pitt Root
Mark Doty
Sharon Olds |
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MEMOIR Faculty, Past and Present
Louise DeSalvo
Eva Hoffman
Kathryn Harrison
Meena Alexander
Nuala O'Faolain |
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