Phoenix College’s Creative Writing and English departments are celebrating a number of literary achievements.
Instructor Cody Wilson, and student Magdaleno Perez, have been honored in the Space2Create Art and Poetry Competition, hosted by South Mountain Community College's astronaut-in-residence Dr. Sian Hayley Proctor, and the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD). MCCCD faculty, staff, and students submitted 276 poems, and 203 postcards, to the competition. Dr. Proctor read poetry by both Cody and Magdaleno (with other winning submissions) aboard SpaceX, where she is a crew member of Inspiration4, a historic all-civilian space mission.
Perez, who is re-careering after working in corrections and security, majors in social work. “All of my instructors at Phoenix College have been great, but I have especially enjoyed the creative writing classes,'' said Perez. He added, “I like to learn about social issues and incorporate them as themes in my poems.” He is thrilled that his poem is among the creative works aboard Inspiration4, and says that Dr. Proctor's achievements have influenced him. View winning submissions here.
PC adjunct faculty members Hershman John and Tatum Begay contributed to The Diné Reader: An Anthology of Navajo Literature, released in April by the University of Arizona Press. Hershman’s poetry was also selected for inclusion in When The Light of the World was Subdued, Our Song Came Through: A Norton Anthology of Native Nations Poetry, edited by Joy Harjo. John is set to publish an anthology of work titled Wild Gods: The Ecstatic Poetry in early 2022.
In July, the Arizona Press Club named Amy Silverman, PC adjunct faculty member, recipient of the 2020 Virg Hill Journalist of the Year Award, Arizona’s most prestigious journalism award. You can see Amy’s work at amy-silverman.com.
PC adjunct faculty member Dennis Bush recently published two plays titled On the Inside and Innocence (numbers 48 and 49 in his catalogue of theatrical texts). Learn more about his work at dennisbush.com.
Don Richardson, who is celebrating his 50th anniversary of teaching at PC, just announced his latest novel, Davey's Family Stories, due out soon via AuthorHouse. Details about his work can be seen here.
And, adjunct faculty member Deborah Makuma will release a novel entitled SOME THINGS, SOMEDAY through Love Africa Press, in the spring of 2022. Learn more about her book, and writing, at deborahnyemba.com.
Phoenix College proudly congratulates and recognizes these accomplished writers and authors. PC offers a wide-variety of creative writing classes, including poetry, creative, fiction and nonfiction writing, screenwriting, and comic book writing. To learn more, visit phoenixcollege.edu/degrees-certificates/creative-writing.
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