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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Instructor Spotlight: Adrienne Kisner and Melissa Marr

Each year, the Word for Word Literary Series dedicates an event to instructors from Southern New Hampshire University’s (SNHU) online creative writing programs. This year, the spotlight was on young adult literature, with instructors Adrienne Kisner and Melissa Marr reading and discussing their work. Adrienne Kisner is the author of three…

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6 Creative Writing Grads Discuss Creative Inspiration and Next Steps

On Wednesday, June 26th, 2024, Word for Word, Southern New Hampshire University’s (SNHU) online literary series, proudly welcomed recent graduates from the BA, MA and online MFA creative writing programs.   Six readers were selected by capstone and thesis instructors for their exceptional storytelling skills and high literary achievement: Kori Elise Chamberlin and…

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6 Creative Writing Graduates Discuss Their Next Chapters

On Wednesday, June 14, 2023, Word for Word, Southern New Hampshire University’s (SNHU) online literary series, held its final event of the season, where we spotlighted six recent graduates of the Master of Arts in Creative Writing and Online Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing programs. Because of the…

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Instructors Lauren A. Forry and Gina Troisi Talk Writing

On Wednesday, November 16, 2022, the Word for Word Reading Series at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) presented its first annual Instructor Spotlight event, featuring two SNHU writers: Gina Troisi, an instructor in the English and creative writing bachelor’s program, and Lauren A. Forry, who teaches in the online MFA….

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The Penmen Profile: MFA Student, Disney Writer-for-Hire

When Alexandra Z. Lazar isn’t working on her first novel, a re-imagining of the Fairy Godmother’s sister, she’s adapting Disney movies into children’s books. Lazar got her start as a Disney Writer-for-Hire by entering fan fiction contests for her favorite book series, “Kingdom Keepers” by Ridley Pearson.  In an interview…

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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: Bestseller Robin Wasserman

by Rebecca LeBoeuf “Girls on Fire,” Robin Wasserman’s first adult novel, was named an NPR and a BuzzFeed Best Book of the Year in 2016. The book also received praise from the New York Times, the Associated Press, Booklist and Cosmopolitan, among many other positive reviews. A faculty member of…

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The Penmen Profile: Northern New England Author Merle Drown

by Rebecca LeBoeuf Merle Drown is the author of three novels and numerous flash fiction stories. “Lighting the World” (2015), Drown’s most recent book, pulled upon events that happened in his life and garnered praise from his peers, including best-selling authors Wiley Cash and John Searles. “The Suburbs Of Heaven”…

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The Penmen Profile: Environmental Nonfiction Author Amy Irvine

by Rebecca LeBoeuf Amy Irvine is an environmental nonfiction and memoir author. Her two books, “Trespass: Living at the Edge of the Promised Land” (2008) and “Making a Difference: Stories of How the Outdoor Industry and Individuals are Working to Preserve America’s Natural Places” (2001), have been praised in reviews by…

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The Penmen Profile: Highly Praised Author Ann Garvin

by Rebecca LeBoeuf Ann Garvin has been praised for the seamless humor and compassion found in her novels, “On Maggie’s Watch” (2010) and “The Dog Year” (2014). A third novel, “I Like You Just Fine When You’re Not Around,” will be released in June. “On Maggie’s Watch” achieved positive reviews from New York Times bestselling authors Jacquelyn Mitchard…

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