The creative writing program at Tulane University has evolved into a powerhouse, with the four tenured English professors all receiving acclaim for recent work. “We have now developed a coterie of internationally recognized creative writers,” says School of Liberal Arts Dean Carole Haber. “They not only demonstrate great depth in their writing, but provide great breadth in their teaching through classes in poetry, prose, and creative non-fiction.”
On July 1, the School of Liberal Arts welcomed National Book Award-winner Jesmyn Ward to campus as the inaugural Paul and Debra Gibbons Professor of Creative Writing. She won the National Book Award in 2011 for her novel Salvage the Bones. But Ward is only Tulane’s latest high-profile creative writing hire.
Zachary Lazar came to Tulane in 2011, becoming an associate professor in 2014. In April, Lazar’s third novel, I Pity the Poor Immigrant, was published and won great critical praise including reviews in The New York Times and The New Yorker. His previous novel, Sway, published in 2009, had similarly received rave reviews. This year, in fact, it was the subject of a laudatory review by actor James Franco.
Non-fiction writer Thomas Beller, also a newly promoted associate professor, has similarly caught the attention of The New York Times. In August, he received a glowing review for his biography, J. D. Salinger: The Escape Artist. Beller writes frequently for The New Yorker and other prestigious publications. He joined Tulane in 2008.
Peter Cooley, the Senior Mellon Professor in the Humanities, has been at Tulane since 1975. He published his ninth book of poetry in April and has given readings of his poetry throughout the United States and in Paris, London, Madrid, Prague, Honolulu and Melbourne. His poems have been published in numerous publications including The New Yorker and American Literary Review.
“These are all writers who are at the top of their game,” says Michael Kuczynski, English Department chair. “They’re getting the kinds of accolades only the very best writers are able to capture.”
Tulane’s creative writing faculty has a cosmopolitan appeal that is national in scope, Kuczynski says, explaining that the four tenured professors hail from different parts of the United States and bring different perspectives to their teaching. Ward is from the Gulf Coast, Cooley is from Detroit, Lazar from the southwest and Beller from New York.
“What we’ve brought together here is amazing,” Kuczynski says. “Their prominence really underscores Tulane’s importance in creative writing.”
The profile of Tulane’s creative writing program really started to rise in 2007 after an anonymous donor gave $1.5 million over six years to create the Creative Writing Fund. The fund enhanced creative writing course offerings and brought internationally-renowned writers to campus to read or work with students. Among the many big names were Jonathan Franzen, Toni Morrison, Salman Rushdie, Joan Didion, Philip Lopate and James Salter.
“We’re eager to maintain the momentum,” Kuczynski says, explaining that the School of Liberal Arts is fundraising to replenish the fund that brought so many luminaries to Tulane to inspire young creative writers.
“Gifts to our creative writing fund” he says “are an investment in keeping that tradition alive for students in the future.”