ANNOUNCEMENTS

Dear Stonecoast Alumni,

In 2027, Stonecoast MFA will celebrate an incredible milestone—our 25th anniversary!

For a quarter century, Stonecoast has been shaped by the extraordinary writers and storytellers who have passed through our community. You are the heart of Stonecoast’s story, and we can’t imagine celebrating this anniversary without you.

We’re thinking about opportunities to reconnect, and we’d love your input. Tell us how you’d like to celebrate, what memories stand out, and how you’d like to be involved.

Please take a few minutes to complete this brief form by August 1st.

We are looking forward to hearing from you!

CURRENT STUDENTS

Miles Meth (Fiction) has a short story titled “compass” that appeared in issue 25 of The Stonecoast Review. 

ALUMS 

J Brooke‘s (Poetry, S’19) debut book, I Can Tell You The Version That Will Make You Take My Side(released June 2 by Driftwood Press and available for purchase; Order from an indie bookstore or order from Amazon.) made the USA TODAY Best-selling Booklist at #17 for week of June 10. J’s upcoming readings and events can be found on their website jbrookewrites.com but BIG shout out to Aaron Hamburger who will join J in conversation July 19 at Politics & Prose in Washington, DC. Also, in their role as Book Reviews Editor for The Rumpus, J encourages members of the Stonecoast community with interest in writing a sharp, get-noticed book review for an upcoming small press title to contact them at J.Brooke@therumpus.net 

Shannon Bowring (Fiction, W’22), author of the Dalton Novels trilogy and former Editor-in-Chief of the Stonecoast Review, is pleased to announce that she now offers freelance editing services, including editorial assessments, copy/line edits, and proofreading. She accepts work of all styles, lengths, and genres, from writers in any stage of their career. She is actively looking for and eager to read new projects. For more details, see her website or contact her directly at shannon@shannonlbowring.com. Be sure to mention the Stonecoast connection for a discount on her regular fee!

Kathy Briccetti (Creative Nonfiction, W’07) received a Bronze Solas Award for Best Travel Writing from Travelers’ Tales for her essay “Facing the Beast” about climbing Mt. Etna. 

Linda Buckmaster (Creative Nonfiction, S’11) has had two short pieces accepted to the anthology Thinning Light, to be published by 12 Willows Press in the fall. 

teri elam’s (Poetry, S’19) screenplay The BattleGround, about a father and daughter who end up on opposite sides of Georgia politics, each vying to become the state’s first Black governor, was a Final Round Selection for the International Screenwriters Association (ISA) Diversity Initiative.

Lo Galluccio (Poetry, S’19) is excited to be teaching two workshops in July as part of the Cape Cod Writers conference in Hyannis, July 30th through August 2nd, at the Margaritaville resort. One is an exploration of great poems and songs and the other is on the lyric essay.  Both workshops will include time for discussion and writing. Here’s the brochure link if anyone is interested.

Terri Glass (Poetry/Creative Nonfiction, S’13) is happy to announce her chapbook, A Bridge Between Worlds, has just been released by Kelsay Books. A finalist for the Blue Light Poetry Prize, these haiku move through the four seasons with some comical senyru at the end. The book is available through www.amazon.com and Kelsay Books. If you would like a signed copy, send Terri an email at terri@thefoxpath.net. 

Brenda LaTorre‘s (Popular Fiction, W’25) debut horror novel, Bruja’s Nest, is out in the world on October 6th, 2026! “The Love Witch meets Monstrilio in Bruja’s Nest, where a young woman’s abuse history and ambition erupt into body horror, class war, and monstrous motherhood.”

Nadja Maril (Fiction, W’20) is pleased to share that her micro flash fiction piece, “Shopping Confidential” was a Runner-up in the Commuter Lit Flash Fiction Week Contest. You can read it here. Nadja, who lives in Annapolis, Maryland, would like to remind writers there are still a few days left (deadline is Sunday, July 5th) to submit your flash Creative Nonfiction, fiction and poems related to the theme “Al Dente” to Instant Noodles Literary Magazine.

Marisca Pichette (Popular Fiction, S’21)has a new story out in Strange Horizons! You can read “For a Handful of Salted Teeth” free online in the fund drive issue and support another year of Strange Horizons on backerkit.com. Marisca’s poem “snapshots viewed from the stasis pod window” is appearing later this summer in the 2026 Dwarf Stars Award Anthology.

Bruce Pratt (Fiction, S’04) is presenting at the Sport Literature Association Annual conference—this year in Iowa City—for the 15th consecutive year. He will read from his as yet unpublished poetry collection, Sporting.

Lauri Hornik at Rocky Pond Books acquired world rights to The Carousel of Happiness by Heather Preusser (Fiction, S’13), with art by New York Times Best Illustrated artist Naoko Stoop. Focused on Vietnam veteran Scott Harrison’s hand-carved wooden carousel, this nonfiction picture book highlights the healing power of imagination and creation as Harrison brings to life his war-time visions of a carousel, and the music box that kept him alive. Publication is scheduled for summer 2028; Janine Le at Janine Le Literary Agency represented the author, and Brenda Bowen at The Book Group represented the illustrator.

In September, Winter Woods Press will publish sid sibo‘s (sidney woods | Fiction, W’19) second book, (un)Familiar: stories, a collection of short and flash fiction including several new pieces. A Maine launch Downeast in Prospect Harbor will include sale of the book’s original (No AI) cover art by D.L. Duda (Fiction, W’19) and discussion and reading with Kathryn Balteff (also Fiction, W’19). All author and artist proceeds will again be donated to support the good work of Earth-loving activists. For a sneak peek, the collection’s closing story will also be out online in July at Catalogue Zine, a publication promoting “love of art, nature, hope and justice.” 

Lisa C. Taylor‘s (Poetry, S’04) debut novel, The Shape of What Remains, is a finalist for the Colorado Author’s League Award in the category of mainstream/literary fiction. Her second novel, Like Gravity, Like Love, is forthcoming from Apprentice House Press in June 2027. Lisa is the co-director and a faculty member of the Mesa Verde Writers Conference held this year September 2-4 in beautiful Mancos, Colorado (near Mesa Verde National Park). A special discount is available for Stonecoast alumni and friends. Contact Lisa at mesaverdewriters@gmail.com for the code. 

Robin Clifford Wood (Creative Nonfiction, S’15) is excited to announce the public unveiling of a unique collaboration. Island Time is a small, hand-printed, hand-sewn book of Wood’s poetry inspired by the artwork of Jeff Wahstrom and meticulously produced by artist/printer Walter Tisdale. 120 copies were printed and will be available for sale at a book launch and art exhibition opening at the Rock and Art Shop in Bangor, Maine, on Friday, July 3, 4:30-6:30pm. 

A Stonecoaster from 2012 wrote an essay under pseudonym about trying to medically evacuate a young woman from Gaza whom she’s become very close to. It is titled “There Is No Other Body, There Is No Other World” and was published in Killing the Buddha on June 22, 2026.  

FACULTY 

“The Green Curtain Roadshow,” by Rick Bass, was published in the 38th issue of Ecotone Magazine.