Creative Writing

Creative Writing constitutes an essential element of our graduate program. We regularly host graduate seminars and workshops by highly renowned authors from Spain and Latin America: Roberto Sosa (Honduras) , Pedro Lastra (Chile), Óscar Collazos (Colombia), Ignacio García May (Spain), José Ovejero (Spain), José Ángel Leyva (México), Mercedes Roffé (Argentina), Rafael Courtoisie (Uruguay), Floriano Martins (Brazil), and Arturo Gutiérrez Plaza (Venezuela).

In addition, our RALL reading series brings award-winning authors from around the Hispanic world for readings and intellectual exchange. Over the years our department has hosted such writers as Ana Merino (Spain), Eduardo Halfon (Guatemala), Vidaluz Meneses (Nicaragua), Marcelo Rioseco (Chile),  and Cristina Rivera Garza (Mexico), among many others.

Stephanie Alcantar (Mexico-US), a doctoral student, has published five books of poetry: Los lirios contarán cuentos de hadas (2008), La incertidumbre también tuvo infancia (2009) -translated to Polish-, Teoría del Olvido (2011), Humedad de la nostalgia (2013) and Coreografía del miedo (2015), as well as a book of essays, El orden del infinito: relectura de un tema borgiano (2013).

Paola Cadena (Colombia, MA 2011 & PhD 2016) is the author of two poetry collections: Hotel (2008) and Cinema (Caracas: Equinoccio, 2011). Her poetry has been recently featured in the prestigious literary magazine La estafeta del viento under the label "Young masters."

Milton Medellín (Mexico, PhD 2016), is the author of No cesará el desvelo (2010), an award- winning poetry collection. He won the Dolores Castro state poetry prize in 2007.

Luis Miguel Estrada Orozco (Mexico, PhD 2017) is an author of fiction, with several books published in Mexico, including Turbulencia dosmilonce Ficticia Editorial (co-Author, 2011) and Alain Prost (Guadalajara, México: Ediciones Arlequín, 2013). In recent years, he has developed an increasing interest in boxing, and colaborates with a variety of publications, writing articles and chronicles on the subject. He was awarded a very prestigious grant (FONCA) from the Mexican government in 2014. Only a total of seven grants were awarded for creative writing. These grants are meant to support Mexican nationals that study abroad and are very competitive. Luis Miguel is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow in International Humanities at Brown University (Cogut Institute for the Humanities).

Manuel Ramos Montes (Mexico, PhD 2016) is a novelist, editor and drummer. Author of the books of fiction El inconcluso decaedro y otros relatos (Instituto Zacatecano de Cultura, 2003), Loquios (Fondo Editorial Tierra Adentro, 2008) and Pentimenti. Cuentos en retrospectiva (2011-2004) (2012). Grants: Young Creators (2002-2003), Fondo Estatal para la Cultura y las Artes de Zacatecas, and FONCA, Young Creators for Novel (2011-2012). He wrote Tetralogía de la heredad, wich includes the novels Infinita sangre bajo nuestros túneles (Juan Rulfo prize for First Novel, 2007), Llanto de Lisboa (Prize of Young Literature Salvador Gallardo Dávalos, 2009), En par de los levantes de la aurora and Instrumentos de naufragio. His book on Josefina Vicen's novel El libro vacío, entitled Aurea mediocritas, was awarded the Literary National Prize Alfonso Reyes for Essay in its 2014 edition. He studied at Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas and has a Master's degree in Mexican Literature for Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla. Translated to English by Toshiya Kamei. With the young essayist Aguillón-Mata founded the literary magazine La Cabeza del Moro (www.lacabezadelmoro.com).

Diego Mora (Costa Rica, doctoral student) has published one academic book, four poetry books and one fiction novel. He appears in poetry anthologies from Spain, Argentina, Chile, México and many others. He has been editor of cartoneras books in Costa Rica, United States and Ecuador. His research interests include contemporary Latin American cultures, currently focused on the Cartoneras Movement and Argentinian Rock.

Manuel Iris (PhD 2013) was awarded the Premio Nacional de Poesía "Mérida" (2009) and the Premio Regional de Poesía Rudolfo Figueroa (2014). Author of Cuaderno de los sueños (Tierra Adentro, 2009) y and of Los disfraces del fuego (Atrasalante, 2015). Co-author, with Brazilian poet Floriano Martins, of Overnight Medley (ARC Edições, 2014). He edited En la orilla del silencio, ensayos sobre Alí Chumacero (Tierra Adentro, 2012). Has published poetry, essay and translation in journals such as Tierra Adentro (México), Casa de las Américas (Cuba), Sibila (España) o Mapocho (Chile). Iris also serves on the editorial board of the journal Transatlantic published jointly by RALL and University of Valladolid, Spain. He received UC’s Outstanding International Graduate Student Award in 2012. More info: http://bufondedios.blogspot.com/

Clemencia Sánchez (PhD 2011) has published several poetry books, including Paraiso precario (Universidad Externado de Colombia, 2010). This book was widely distributed in her native Colombia. The first edition had a print run of 8,000 copies. She is regarded as one of the emerging poetic voices in her native Colombia.

Óscar Bazán Rodríguez (PhD 2010), a Spanish native, is a fiction writer. His novel El vendedor de mariposas was a 2012 finalist in the prestigious Nadal literary prize. He is currently a professor in the University of West Indies, Trinidad & Tobago.

Arturo Gutiérrez (PhD 2009) served as professor and dean at the Universidad Simón Bolívar (Caracas, Venezuela) and is the author of a dozen books of poetry and essay, three of which were published while he was a doctoral student in Cincinnati. His doctoral dissertation, which received a top essay award in Venezuela, was also published in book form (Itinerarios de la ciudad en la poesía venezolana: una metáfora del cambio. Caracas: Fundación para la Cultura Urbana, 2010). He received UC’s Outstanding International Graduate Student Award in 2009.

Marcelo Rioseco (PhD 2008) has authored or edited 10 books of different genres, including esaay, poetry and fiction. His publications have appeared, besides the USA, in Chile, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Mexico and Spain. He is an assistant professor of Latin American literature at the U of Oklahoma. His last book is the campus novel American Visa (Mondadori, 2013).