New School MFA Creative Writing Program thesis readings recordings
Abstract
The collection contains audio recordings of students in the MFA Creative Writing Program at The New School reading their thesis work.
Dates
- 1999-2007
Creator
- New School (New York, N.Y.) (Host institution, Organization)
- New School (New York, N.Y.). Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing Program (Sponsor, Organization)
Extent
25 1/4 inch Audio Cassette
Language of Materials
English
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of audio cassette recordings of readings of thesis projects by graduating students in the Master of Fine Arts Creative Writing Program of the adult division of The New School. The collection does not contain recordings from the years 2001 and 2002. New School Archives staff do not know if thesis readings from these years were recorded and subsequently lost or were never recorded.
Archives staff do not know which concentrations are represented in the readings because the cassette label inscriptions do not indicate speakers or concentrations, only dates.
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research use. Access to audio cassettes may be available in The New School Archives reading room, depending upon the condition of the cassettes once they are evaluated by Archives staff. Researchers desiring remote access and willing to pay a digitization fee may do so upon consultation with The New School Archives. Please contact archivist@newschool.edu for appointment or for further information.
Conditions Governing Use
In accordance with The New School's Intellectual Property Rights Policy, copyright is held by each thesis' respective author. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the user.
Historical note
The New School established a Master's in Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing in 1996, after six decades of offering non-credit writing workshops. The Graduate Writing Program, as it was called in promotional material distributed by The New School, was situated in the Schools of Public Engagement, formerly known as the Adult Division, the "founding" division of the New School for Social Research as it was conceived in 1919.
Robert Polito was the first director of the Graduate Writing Program, who joined the Adult Division faculty of The New School in 1989. Designed as a full-time, four semester program, the MFA in Creative Writing was largely modeled on the workshop method of instruction, in which a teacher who was also a prominent professional writer would work closely with students on their individual manuscripts, rather than give lengthy lectures. Courses in literature, as well as writing forums, which existed as part of the New School’s special events and reading series, would complete the program curriculum.
The initial program offered four writing concentrations: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Writing for Children (after 2017, Writing for Children and Young Adults). As of Fall 2024, a fifth concentration was added in Arts Writing. Also included in the curriculum as of 2025 are literary readings sponsored by organizations such as the Cave Canem Foundation, The Story Prize, National Book Foundation (presenters of the National Book Awards), National Book Critics Circle, Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP), PEN America, Academy of American Poets, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Poetry Society of America, and Publishing Triangle.
As of 2025, the Creative Writing Program is directed by John Reed, and the MFA Writing chairs are: Laura Cronk, Poetry; Caron Levis, Writing for Children and Young Adults, Coordinator; Helen Schulman, Fiction; and Margaret Rhee, Arts Writing.
References
Course Catalogs, New School Course Catalog Collection, 1919-2017, The New School Archives Digital Collections, New York, New York.
“Creative Writing Program.” The New School. Accessed May 20, 2025. https://www.newschool.edu/writing/.
Dickey, Elizabeth. “New School MFA Writing Program Proposal with Accompanying Memorandum to New School Provost Judith Walzer.” January 11, 1995. The New School Schools of Public Engagement Executive Dean's Office Records, NS.02.01.04, The New School Archives Digital Collections, New York, New York.
Arrangement
Recordings in the collection are arranged chronologically.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Recordings dated May 13, 2003 and prior were transferred to The New School Archives by Pam Tillis, Director of Public Programs, The New School for Public Engagement in 2012. Those dated after May 13, 2003 were transferred in 2024 directly from The New School Creative Writing Program.
Processing Information
New School Archives staff based all description in this finding aid on audiocassette container inscriptions. Staff did not listen to the tapes to verify content.
- Audiocassettes (Type of Material) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Creative writing -- Study and teaching (Subject) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Masters theses (Type of Material) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Sound recordings (Type of Material) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Title
- Guide to The New School MFA Creative Writing Program thesis readings recordings
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- New School Archives and Special Collections Staff
- Date
- May 5, 2025
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin