New Faces: Michele McConnell

September 6, 2023.Reading time 8 minutes.

Michele McConnell in front of a green background.

The College of Arts and Humanities welcomes new faculty Michele McConnell to the Department of English. Dr. McConnell specializes in literacy studies, adolescent literacies, critical literacy, and collaborative and participatory writing practices.

Kudos to Fresno Writers – Summer 2023

September 5, 2023.Reading time 17 minutes.

Alumna Roda Avelar, left, won a prestigious Ruth Lilly poetry fellowship. Alumnus Brian Turner published his first of three new poetry collections this year.

Celebrating the professional accomplishments of students, alumni, and faculty in Fresno State’s Department of English and Creative Writing Program.

In Memoriam: Dr. Eugene Zumwalt

August 11, 2023.Reading time 19 minutes.

Professor Emeritus Eugene Zumwalt. Photo by George Johnson

Dr. Eugene Zumwalt, a Fresno State professor emeritus of English, passed away on July 27 in Tollhouse, California. He was 99.

New English alumni land new jobs months before graduation

June 12, 2023.Reading time 10 minutes.

Left: Nayeli Guerrero | Right: Beth Contreras

By Jefferson Beavers, communication specialist, Department of English Two brand-new Fresno State alumni have begun their summers with full-time jobs that were secured and started months before finishing their undergraduate studies in the English Department. Literature major Beth Contreras started working as a legal assistant for the Fresno County Public Defender’s office in April, and […]

Georgia author wins 2022 Philip Levine Prize for Poetry

February 3, 2023.Reading time 6 minutes.

Éric Morales-Franceschini in a black hat and shirt in a forest.

The Fresno State Master of Fine Arts Program in creative writing announced Georgia author Éric Morales-Franceschini has won the 2022 Philip Levine Prize for Poetry book contest, which includes a $2,000 award and publication of his debut full-length poetry collection, “Syndrome.”

In Memoriam: Dr. Toni Wein

January 23, 2023.Reading time 14 minutes.

Dr. Toni Wein, a Fresno State professor emerita of English smiles while sitting at her kitchen table.

Dr. Toni Wein, a Fresno State professor emerita of English, passed away on Dec. 17, 2022, after a bout with brain cancer. She was 70.

Three creative writing alumni publish debut books in 2022

January 13, 2023.Reading time 4 minutes.

Aaliyah Green, Pilar Christiana Graham and Navdeep Singh Dhillon

Three alumni authors from Fresno State’s Master of Fine Arts program in creative writing published their debut books in 2022.

English symposium traces hope across boundaries

December 1, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

Manuel Muñoz in a blue denim jacket and left hand in his hair. Photo by Manuel Muñoz

Author and Central Valley native Manuel Muñoz will deliver the keynote address for Fresno State’s sixth annual Students of English Studies Association symposium on December 8 and 9. The theme of this year’s symposium is “Transcending Boundaries: Finding Hope in the Now.”

Library careers offer English alumni a collection of opportunities

October 26, 2022.Reading time 24 minutes.

Taylor Petersen posing with a skeleton, smiling.

Dozens of English Department alumni over the years have gone on to develop successful library careers.

In Memoriam: Dr. Ray McKnight

August 31, 2022.Reading time 17 minutes.

Ray McKnight - Credit: Michelle Garcia/She Breathes Photography

Dr. H. Ray McKnight, a Fresno State professor emeritus of English, passed away on Aug. 5 in Richmond, California. He was 88.