People in the News

Middlebury College and Bread Loaf librarian Kellam Ayres MA ’07 published her poetry debut In the Cathedral of my Undoing (Gunpowder Press, February 2024), which was also chosen by Gary Soto for the Barry Spacks Poetry Prize. Ayres credits BLSE faculty for all she learned about the study and writing of poetry.

Chris Gilbert MA ‘10 published his article “To Educate and Mobilize Voters: Digital Teacher Activism during the 2020 Elections” in the open-access journal Radical Teacher (December 2023). 

Susan Godwin MA ’07 published her book Rain Dodging: A Scholar’s Romp Through Britain in Search of a Stuart Queen (She Writes Press, October 2023). Godwin states the seed for the book was germinated during her time in Oxford, in Peter McCullough’s tutorial. 

Alexandra Crivici-Kamer MA ’20 published her debut book of poetry The Rivers Keep Singing (Plants & Poetry, December 2023).

McGill literature professor Xander Manshel ’09, MA’14 appeared on the podcast On the Media to share his research on the influence of literary prizes and how they’ve changed over the last 35 years. Manshel further addressed the growing prominence of historical fiction in what is accepted as canon, especially by authors of color.

After retiring from a career in teaching, Patricia Frech MA ‘70 published her book of poetry with Austin Macauley Publishers (December, 2023) entitled Writers, Like Hats. 

Ryan Bani Tahmaseb MA ‘15 is anticipating publication of his children’s book Rostam’s Picture-Day Pusteen (Charlesbridge, July 2024).