Poetry – Creative Writing

Poetry creates a visceral experience through the compressed potential of sound, image, and form. Directed by acclaimed poet Elizabeth Bradfield, our concentration invites you to dive into the vast possibilities of craft by reading widely across styles, time periods, and identities.

You will work alongside an award-winning faculty of practicing poets—including faculty like CMarie Fuhrman, Maya Jewell Zeller, Byron Aspaas, Erica Reid, and Cameron McGill. These mentors specialize in diverse fields such as Eco-Poetics and formal mastery, helping your unique aesthetic join a global conversation. We move beyond clarity to help you evoke the actual feelings you explore in your work, ensuring your voice is both heard and felt.

Your journey in the Poetry concentration is designed to be as deep and transformative as the work you create. Under the direction of acclaimed poet Elizabeth Bradfield, you will move beyond technical clarity to help your unique voice evoke the actual feelings you explore.

Apprenticeship with Masters

You will be mentored by an award-winning faculty of practicing poets including CMarie Fuhrman, Maya Jewell Zeller, Byron Aspaas, Erica Reid, Tyson Hausdoerffer, and Cameron McGill. In addition to your core faculty, you will have the unique opportunity to learn from and engage with legendary guest speakers such as Linda Hogan, Ellen Bass, Ross Gay, and J. Drew Lanham, ensuring your aesthetic joins a truly global conversation.

Your Creative Path

• The Summer Residencies: Your experience centers on intensive summer residencies in Gunnison. MFA students attend three residencies focused on program preparation, chapbook creation, and the professional presentation of their work. MA students attend the first two residencies.
• Flexible Online Learning: Throughout the academic year, you will complete two six-credit courses each semester via video conferencing. This low-residency format allows you to engage deeply with poetics while maintaining your professional life.
• The Culminating Work: To complete the MFA, you will develop a book-length poetry manuscript under the dedicated supervision of a faculty mentor. MA students complete their degree through foundational coursework and residency requirements.
• A Visceral Experience: We explore the compressed potential of sound, image, and form, reading widely across styles, time periods, and identities to help you find the precise shape for your vision.