There are very few Nature Writing Programs and this one is outstanding

This July I graduated from Western Colorado University with my MFA in Creative Writing – Nature Writing. It was a meaningful two weeks connecting with friends I had come to know well as we had shared our writing and lives with one another every week over the past two years and during a pandemic. Although most of our time together was spent online as this is a low-residency program, we had built a friendship that is deep and meaningful in a way few friendships are. 

The two weeks I spent in the middle of the Rockies for our residency were also filled with making new connections. The incoming cohort consisted of like-minded individuals all coming to develop their skills as writers and share their love and passion for the natural world, and I was honored to be among them. 

There are very few Nature Writing programs, and this one is outstanding. I learned to write across genres of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. We wrote diverse pieces from heavily researched science-based writing to experimental poetry. Each assignment pushed us to expand our skills and discover our voice. 

The program is directed by Laura Pritchett, a well-published, award-winning author, who writes across genres. She is also a contributor to the most recent issue here at Deep Wild Journal. Laura teaches among other relevant voices in the nature writing community including, C. Marie Fuhrman and Ana Maria Spagna. The program is unique in that it’s not just about past nature writers, but nature writers now and how we as nature writers can make an impact in the world today with all the environmental issues and climate change. It’s a deeply relevant program that made me understand and feel a part of the nature writing community. Finally, it’s a practical program that equipped me with all the tools I needed to pursue my dreams as a writer. 

I wouldn’t be the writer I am today without Western’s nature writing program and the close-knit community of like-minded writers who challenged, encouraged, and inspired me. 

Learn more about the program here: Nature Writing | Western Colorado University. 

Corrinne Brumby |Web Content Editor

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