ANISFIELD-WOLF FELLOWSHIP IN WRITING & PUBLISHING
FELLOWSHIP DESCRIPTION
The Cleveland State University Poetry Center hosts the Anisfield-Wolf Fellowship in Writing & Publishing, a two-year full-time visiting faculty position that offers an emerging writer time to work toward a first or second book and professional experience teaching creative writing and engaging in community-oriented literary work in collaboration with the CSU English Department and Poetry Center. The Fellow will be a two-year employee of the CSU English department and must live in Northeast Ohio during their two 9-month academic-year appointments. The current application cycle is only open to writers who have been residents of Ohio for at least two consecutive years, for any period before the fellowship’s start in August 2024. The salary is $50K per year with health insurance and benefits. The application deadline is January 15, 2024.
The Anisfield-Wolf Fellowship in Writing & Publishing is divided between writing, teaching one creative writing or literature course per semester (for a total of four classes over two years), and engaging in publishing and community outreach work with the CSU English Department and Poetry Center. Publishing work may include reading manuscripts during acquisitions periods and attending editorial meetings. Outreach work may include teaching a one-time community workshop, hosting a reading or colloquium at the Poetry Center, and/or contributing to local literary partnerships and events.
The CSU Poetry Center is a 60-year-old independent nonprofit press that publishes 2–5 books of contemporary poetry, prose, and translation each year. The Poetry Center also hosts the Lighthouse Reading Series and the NEOMFA Writers at Work Colloquium and serves as a teaching lab for students at Cleveland State University and within the NEOMFA Program.
This fellowship is named for and supported by the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards, which honor literature that confronts racism and explores the rich diversity of human cultures. These are administered through the Cleveland Foundation. Through the creation of this fellowship, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards and the CSU Poetry Center hope to support writers from backgrounds and with perspectives historically underrepresented in publishing and the teaching of creative writing. By providing teaching experience and professional development opportunities, the fellowship also aims to help address the longstanding lack of diversity in the US publishing, editing, and academic workforces.
CURRENT AND Previous Fellows
Joseph Earl Thomas (2022–2024)
Kamden Hilliard (2020–2022)
Leila Chatti (2018–2020)
ANISFIELD–WOLF FELLOWSHIP BOARD
Hayan Charara, Leila Chatti, Andrea Lawlor, Janice Lee, Aditi Machado, & Julie Ezelle Patton
About Anisfield-Wolf
Cleveland poet and philanthropist Edith Anisfield Wolf established the book awards in 1935 in honor of her father, John Anisfield, and husband, Eugene Wolf, to reflect her family’s passion for social justice and the rich diversity of human cultures. Founded with a focus on combating racism in America, the Anisfield-Wolf Awards today maintain that commitment to equity and justice in an expanded, global context. Recent winners, for example, have also addressed religious identity, immigrant experiences, LGBTQ+ history, and the lives of people with disabilities. More info at www.anisfield-wolf.org.
Minimum Qualifications
1. MA or MFA in creative writing, degree in hand by August 2024
2. Ohio state resident for a minimum of two years at any point before August 2024
3. Demonstrated progress toward a first or second book in any genre of creative writing
4. Strong interpersonal and communication skills
5. Potential to teach writing at the college level
6. Potential to complete community outreach work
7. Ability to contribute to the diversity, cultural sensitivity, and excellence of CSU and its surrounding community
Preferred Qualifications
1. Strong record of significant creative publication
2. Experience teaching creative writing at the college level
3. Experience in arts engagement/outreach projects with underserved communities
4. Demonstrated interest in small-press publishing
Required Application Materials
1. Cover letter describing your qualifications for the fellowship, including a description of your commitment to a fellowship with a focus on diversity in literary publishing and the teaching of creative writing
2. Teaching statement (1–2 pages), addressing your approach to teaching introductory and upper-level creative writing courses in a public university
3. Writing Sample (15–20 pgs max.), any genre of creative writing
4. CV
5. Names and contact information for three references
6. Statement of residency (two-year years minimum in Ohio, will be confirmed with Cleveland State University’s HR before hire)
Please write to Jeff Karem at f.karem[at]csuohio.edu or Caryl Pagel at c.pagel[at]csuohio.edu with any questions.
