Featured Writing

Train a Comin’

by N. Ryan Tucker “Train a Comin’” placed first in Southern New Hampshire University’s 2024 Fall Fiction Contest. I don’t remember makin’ the devil no damn deal. Musta bargained with him when I was a kid. Can’t call to mind much of them times anyway. I knew it weren’t no…

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Coping With Parental Death: Insights and Tips for Teenagers

Alumna Writes a Resource for Grieving Families While Earning 2 Degrees

By Rebecca LeBoeuf Michelle Shreeve ’15G ’16G was a child when she lost her mother, and resources were limited for young families coping with the death of a parent. This experience fueled her desire to help others deal with similar grief, and through her love of writing, she addressed what…

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The book cover for "In the Shadow of the Valley" by Bobi Conn.

The Penmen Profile: A Q&A with Memoirist Bobi Conn

by Pamme Boutselis A Kentucky native, Bobi Conn grew up in an Appalachian holler, withstanding a tumultuous childhood while developing an innate love for words and the natural beauty of her surroundings. Both still run deep and she’s instilled each in her debut publication “In the Shadow of the Valley:…

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The Penmen Profile: International Bestseller Alexander McCall Smith

by Rebecca LeBoeuf Alexander McCall Smith’s impressive repertoire of more than 100 books span many genres, including academic non-fiction, fiction and children’s books. His work is published in 47 languages and he has publishers all around the world. Since the publication of his first book in 1980, the international bestseller…

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The Penmen Profile: Memoirist Kevin O’Hara

by Rebecca LeBoeuf Kevin O’Hara’s passion for his Irish roots have been the impetus for his memoirs. His first book, “Last of the Donkey Pilgrims,” recounts his eight-month and 1,800-mile journey around Ireland in 1979, with only his donkey, Missie, and the small cart she pulled. O’Hara’s second book, “A…

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The Penmen Profile: Award-Winning Faculty and Writer Elane Johnson

by Tricia Dannhauer The past year was momentous for one of Southern New Hampshire University’s faculty, Elane Johnson. At the 2016 commencement, she received the “Excellence in Teaching Award,” followed by earning “Best Essay Prize” in Creative Nonfiction magazine for her work, “The Math of Marriage,” in July. In addition…

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The Penmen Profile: Nonfiction Storyteller Richard Adams Carey

by Rebecca LeBoeuf Richard Adams Carey wrote his 2015 book, “In the Evil Day: Violence Comes to One Small Town,” about the 1997 Colebrook, New Hampshire, shootings that claimed the lives of four people. Carey tells the story of a tragedy in a town of 2,500 people that made headlines worldwide….

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The Penmen Profile: Journalist Mark Sundeen

by Rebecca LeBoeuf Journalist Mark Sundeen is on tour across the United States, promoting his newly published book, “The Unsettlers.” This work of nonfiction follows couples in search of simple, authentic lives in America. Sundeen published three other books, one of which won the 2015 Green Book Festival (“The Man…

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The Penmen Profile: Award-winning Nonfiction Writer Loree Griffin Burns

By Rebecca LeBoeuf A writer of nonfiction science books for children and teenagers, Dr. Loree Griffin Burns covers topical issues such as ocean pollution as well as the natural world, including books about honey bees and the life cycle of butterflies. Her books have garnered many awards, including an IRA…

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The Penmen Profile: Short Fictionist Tony Press

by Rebecca LeBoeuf Short fiction writer Tony Press published a collection of stories, “Crossing the Lines: Stories by Tony Press,” earlier this year. In 2014, one of his stories was nominated for the Pushcart Prize. His story, “Funeral Season,” was published in 2015 in The Penmen Review. Press also writes…

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The Penmen Profile: Poet and Author Monica Wendel

by Rebecca LeBoeuf Monica Wendel is a poet and a non-fiction author. Her newest chapbook, “English Kills,” published in March 2016, achieved the Coal Hill Chapbook Contest. Her other chapbooks include “Pioneer” and “Call it a Window.” Wendel’s full-length book of poetry, “No Apocalypse,” was selected for the 2012 Georgetown Review Poetry…

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