UMF Visiting Writers Series hosts reading by fiction author Mark Polanzak

Starts: 7:30 PM

Location: UMF Olsen Student Center, Farmington

The University of Maine at Farmington BFA in Creative Writing program presents fiction author, Mark Polanzak, as the next reader in its popular Visiting Writers Series. Polanzak will read from his work at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, February 16, in The Landing in the UMF Olsen Student Center. The reading is free and open to the public and will be followed by a meet and greet with the author.

Polanzak’s first book, “Pop!,” is a hybrid work, combining elements of memoir with short fiction and essay. He is a founding editor of “draft: The Journal of Process” and a producer for The Fail Safe podcast. Runner-up for the 2014 Italo Calvino Prize for fabulist fiction, his stories have appeared in Third Coast, The Southern Review, The American Scholar and other publications. He received his MFA from the University of Arizona.

More Information on the UMF Creative Writing Program

As the only Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program in the state of Maine and one of only three in all of New England, the UMF program invites students to work with faculty, who are practicing writers, in workshop-style classes to discover and develop their writing strengths in the genres of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. Small classes, an emphasis on individual conferencing, and the development of a writing portfolio allow students to see themselves as artists and refine their writing under the guidance of accomplished and published faculty mentors. Students can pursue internships to gain real-world writing and publishing experience by working on campus with The Beloit Poetry Journal, a distinguished poetry publication since 1950; or Alice James Books, an award-winning poetry publishing house.

FMI: Jeffrey Thomson, UMF professor of creative writing, at 207-778-7454, or jeffrey.thomson@maine.edu.