creative nonfiction

Tillie Olsen reads excerpts from Tell Me a Riddle (1961), her collection of short stories; Yonnondio: From the Thirties (1974), an unfinished novel; and the classic work of nonfiction, Silences (1978). Olsen's reading is interspersed with anecdotes and narrative summaries.

Boyer Rickel reads poetry from his first book, Arreboles (1991), touching on family and childhood memories, experiences living in Tucson, and musicians and writers of previous centuries. He also reads an essay that would go on to be published in Taboo (1999), which he introduces by discussing his approach to writing essays that follow the form of poems, not returning to a main idea but moving through it.

Kristen Radtke reads from Imagine Wanting Only This (2017). This reading was originally given with Charles Yu.

Francisco Cantú reads from his essay collection The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches from the Border (2018). This reading was originally given with Sylvia Chan and Thomas Mira y Lopez. 

Ander Monson reads from his first memoir, Predator (2022), titled after the 1987 sci-fi action film that he has watched 146 times. Monson shares excerpts from the memoir that closely draw upon select frames and scenes from the film. Part of the Distinguished Visitors in Creative Writing Series, this reading was given alongside Bojan Louis and Manuel Muñoz. 

Aisha Sabatini Sloan, an alumna of the UA MFA Creative Writing program, reads from her book-length essay Borealis (2021). In this excerpt from the book, Sabatini Sloan details her travel to Homer, Alaska, and how the stark landscape interacts with her identity as a Black, queer woman. Sabatini Sloan's writing also incorporates references to pop culture and Black artists. This reading was originally given alongside Cara Blue Adams and Alberto Ríos to celebrate the MFA program's 50th anniversary.