News

Readings, Signings, Screenings, and More

Posted by MS

januaryevents

The Butler campus and the City of Indianapolis will keep your calendar filled with fun, unique opportunities for writers and bibliophiles. Check out these events happening this month:

 Butler MFA Events

12th- Spring Semester Classes Begin

22nd Andy Levy Faculty Reading- ECCW, 7:30 PM

Andy Levy, a favorite nonfiction professor of many Butler MFA’ers, will be kicking off the conversations@efromson with a reading and discussion of his latest book, Huck Finn’s America.

27th – Mentor Screening, Howard L. Schrott Center, 7:30

Mentor, written and directed by Butler Visiting Professor Alix Lambert, focuses on the families of Sladjana Vidovic and Eric Mohat, who sued Mentor (Ohio) High School administrators for ignoring the bullying that led to the death of their children.

31st – Butler Bridge Writing Club

Readings and Events around Indy

7th – Crystal Mason Reading – Indy Reads Books, 1-5 PM

Come meet Crystal Mason, author of Flowing Through Me, a Christian book of poetry.

10th – Benjamin J Denen reading – Indy Reads Books, 2-4 PM

Join Bejamin Denen for a reading of her book The Keeper of Edelyndia.

17th- Kate Piscopo Book Launch – Book Mamas

Kate Piscopo will be signing her book 31 Days of Irvington, History and Haunts.

21st- Lucy Corin Reading- Hammes bookstore at Notre Dame, 7:30PM

Lucy Corin is the author of the short story collection The Entire Predicament (Tin House Books) and the novel Everyday Psychokillers:  A History for Girls (FC2).  The collection One Hundred Apocalypses and Other Apocalypses was released in September 2013 from McSweeney’s Books.

28th – Meet the Artists XXVII- Indianapolis Central Library

One of the city’s most celebrated cultural events will return for its 27th annual engagement when the works of 18 locally prominent African-American artists will be on display during “Meet the Artists,” 
January 28 – March 28 at Central Library, 40 E. St. Clair Street.

 

 

MFA Holiday Party

Posted by MS

Old friends reconnected and new friends were made when the Butler MFA family gathered December 12th at the Efroymson Center for Creative Writing for the annual MFA holiday party. A holiday reading, desserts and drinks, and great conversation made the party a perfect capstone to a successful semester.

PicMonkey Collage1

The Efro house, normally occupied by lively workshops, class discussions, or pen-wielding students, was transformed into a festive scene. Organized by the MFA administrators, the party is a favorite among new and seasoned students. With final portfolios turned in, students and professors had the opportunity to bask in the glow of their classwork success – or at least the glow of the fire.

Although the rooms were filled with laughter, friendly chatter, and discussion of current events, the evening also contained excitement for spring classes and resolutions to continue work over winter break.

PicMonkey Collage

Spring Visiting Writers Series

Posted by MS

VisitingWriters

Once again, the Vivian S. Delbrook Visiting Writing Series brings amazing talent to Butler. All readings are free and open to the public. The begin at 7:30 PM. Student Q & A times and dates will be announced soon.

 Maurice Manning Poet                   

Tuesday, February 10, Krannert Room

NoViolet Bulawayo Writer

Monday, February 23, Reilly Room

 Lois Lowry Writer

Wednesday, March 4, Reilly Room

 Louise Gluck Poet

Wednesday, March 25 ,  Reilly Room

 David Gessner Writer

Wednesday, April 1 , Krannert Room

 Catherine Barnett Poet in Residence &

Ellen Bryant Voigt Poet

Monday, April 6, Krannert Room

 

“Corrections” Novelist Jonathan Franzen Visits Butler

Posted by MS

National Book Award-winning novelist and essayist Jonathan Franzen visited Butler recently to read and talk about craft with the community at large. Franzen, who is best known for his 2001 novel The Corrections, has also written three other novels, most recently 2010’s Freedom, as well as three volumes of non-fiction and two translations.

Franzen reads in Clowes
Franzen reads in Clowes

Franzen discussed, among other things, his writing routine, his guest-appearance on The Simpsons, and his favorite off-color joke.

Brian Koppelman and David Levien Talk Screenwriting

Posted by MS

Brian Koppelman and David Levien, the duo who brought us classics like Rounders, A Solitary Man, and The Illusionist, came to Butler last week to share their trade secrets with our community. Koppelman and Levien gave an extended Q&A, led by Butler fiction professor Dan Barden. They discussed writing for the screen, figuring out how to do a job after saying you’ll do it, and the dynamics of writing as a team. Levien, who has written a series of detective novels, also spoke about the literary publishing world.
8b6cfa12c3-brian-koppelman-and-david-levienYou can learn more about Koppelman and Levien in this classic Bill Simmons interview.

MFA Student Profile: Austin Boling

Posted by MS

Throughout the year, we’ll be getting to know some of Butler’s new MFA students. Recently, we sat down with first year poetry student Austin Boling to see how he was acclimating to life in the midwest.

First-year poetry MFA Austin Boling
First-year poetry MFA Austin Boling

Where did you grow up? Where did you study before coming to Butler?
I grew up in Batesville, Mississippi, and attended Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.

What made you decide to come to Butler instead of all the other MFA programs out there?
What attracted me to Butler’s MFA is how small and close-knit the community seemed, as opposed to other programs; having attended a community college in rural Mississippi and a smaller private University during my undergrad years, it’s where I find myself to be the most comfortable and productive.

What’s been your reaction to the city of Indianapolis thus far?
I’m not in the South anymore.

What classes are you taking right now?
EN-503, Poetry Workshop, and EN-501, Teaching Creative Writing.

What’s impressed you most about the Butler MFA program?
How seemingly small of a program it is, yet a rapidly growing one at the same time. Also, the visiting writing series.

What was the last book you read and really loved?
Alex Lemon’s collection of poetry, The Wish Book.