Wilson College Creative Writing Colloquium Image The Wilson College English and Master’s in Humanities programs invite all budding writers to attend the annual Wilson College Creative Writing Colloquium. Attendees will be able to enjoy lessons on writing technique, ask questions about the publishing process, and hobnob with published authors. This is a great opportunity to hone your craft, share your own writing, and spend time with other creative types who share your interests!Saturday, February 8, 20259 a.m. – 2 p.m.Held in the auditorium of the Brooks Science Center, Wilson College Registration here>The colloquium is free, and lunch is provided, but you must register. Registration deadline is Feburary 7.Questions? Contact colloquium director Matthew McBride at matthew.mcbride@wilson.edu.The colloquium is underwritten by the Arts for All grant opportunity of the Greater Harrisburg Community Foundation, a regional foundation of The Foundation for Enhancing Communities. Schedule 8:15 - 9 a.m. Registration9-9:15 Opening Remarks9:15 - 10 a.m. Session 1 (Fiction)Kirsten Hubbard "Action and Emotion: Balancing Intensity and Introspection in Writing"Explore how to craft powerful action scenes that balance physical tension with emotional depth. Using examples such as sports, traumatic events, and battles, Kirsten Hubbard will guide participants through writing action with purpose and authenticity, focusing on describing movement, tempo, pace, and language choices that reinforce the work’s themes. This hands-on session includes exercises to help writers create dynamic, meaningful action sequences.9:15 - 10 a.m. Session 1 (Poetry)Katy Giebenhain "Public Health as Muse"When we see the themes we are already writing about through a public health lens it can be really interesting – for our readers, and for us as writers. In this craft session we’ll look at some subtle but powerful approaches to creative writing with an attention to public health. 10 - 10:45 a.m Session 2 (Fiction)Sherri Buerdsell “The Fiction of Jeffrey Bardwell”Last summer, the Wilson community unexpectedly lost a valued member, Jeffrey Bardwell. Though Jeff taught in the biology department, he was also a dedicated writer with a strong fan following. Many of you may remember Jeff from his presentation on newsletters at last year’s colloquium. In this session, we’ll look at some selections of Jeff’s work and discuss what we can learn about writing from his work. Consider bringing some writing you are working on to apply the lessons we’ll learned in this session. 10 - 10:45 a.m Session 2 (Poetry)Noel Sloboda “Revision in Theory and Practice”Writers tend to be divided in their attitudes towards revision. Bernard Malamud declares that “Revision is one of the exquisite pleasures of writing.” Dorothy Parker, on the other hand, complains about process, quipping that “I hate writing, [but] I love having written.” Yet all serious writers, whatever their attitudes toward revision, acknowledge that it is an essential part of their craft. My session at the Wilson College Creative Writing Colloquium will address some of the many reasons why revision can be challenging, despite its necessity and rewards. In addition, I will cover several techniques for helping writers successfully revise their work.10:45 - 11:30 a.m. Session 3Alicia Drumgoole Keynote Speaker11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Lunch (Jensen Dining Hall)1:15 - 2 p.m. Author Q and A You got questions? We got answers! Ask any of our colloquium authors your burning questions about writing, publishing, and more! The colloquium is underwritten by the Arts for All grant opportunity of the Greater Harrisburg Community Foundation, a regional foundation of The Foundation for Enhancing Communities. Speaker Bios Image Kirsten Hubbard is an author, entrepreneur, and founder of Ghost Writer LLC. Her debut novel, Milwaukee Deep: An Ambrose Nobel Novel, was released in 2023 under her pen name Kirstie Croga. The story blends emotional depth with intense action, reflecting her signature style of raw, authentic storytelling. The novel’s audiobook and sequel, One White Mule, are set to debut later this year. Ghost Writer, a company specializing in storytelling that drives impact for nonprofit organizations, has connected world-changing missions with over $12 million in funding. An athlete and sports lover, Kirsten often draws on sports to mirror our human experience. Image Katy Giebenhain is the author of Sharps Cabaret from Mercer University Press. Along with Marty Malone and Alan Bogage she co-hosts a First Friday poetry series at The Ragged Edge Coffeehouse in Gettysburg. Her creative writing MPhil is from University of South Wales (Glamorgan). Her MA is from University of Baltimore. Her BFA is from Oregon State. She is on the Health Humanities Consortium’s Arts & Health Equity Committee. A rotational exhibit (one piece per month) of mixed-media collages “Prescriptions for Change: Value Voting in Healthcare” is on display this semester in the WVU Health Sciences Library. Image Jeffrey Bardwell wrote epic fantasy with elements of darkness, steampunk, and romance set in the Metal vs. Magic Universe. His character-driven books are guaranteed to include gritty realism, political intrigue, lurid entanglements, dry wit, and dragons in differing proportions. The author devoured fantasy and science fiction novels. He was most comfortable basking near a warm wood stove. When not writing or reading, Jeffrey enjoyed cooking, gardening, and shooing baby dragons from the compost bin. Sherri Buerdsell is a professor in Wilson College’s Biology department and a good friend of Jeff’s. Image Noel Sloboda earned his Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis. His dissertation about Edith Wharton and Gertrude Stein became a book. His writing on Shakespeare has appeared in a variety of journals and edited volumes. As a creative writer, Sloboda has published two poetry collections, seven chapbooks, along with hundreds of poems and stories in periodicals. He is currently a Professor of English and Creative Writing at Penn State York, where serves as coordinator of English and of Liberal Arts. Image Alicia Drumgoole is an Associate Professor of English at Hagerstown Community College. She began her career as a political writer, producing speeches and other government documents for state and local politicians. Alicia wrote her first novel, Premonition, under the pen name Agnes Jayne in 2015. She was the founder of a local writing group called The Mountain Scribes in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. She contributed to two anthologies: Last Writes: Haunting Tales from the Mountain Scribes (2017-2023), and The Appalachian Compilation (2018). She was the Project Director for a National Endowment for the Humanities Grant entitled Bridging the Antietam, a project designed to boost student performance through local storytelling and folklore. Alicia has a Bachelor’s degree in English and Political Science from Binghamton University, a Master’s Degree in English from the State University of New York at Albany, and she is currently earning an MFA in Creative Writing though Southern New Hampshire University. She teaches English, including creative writing at Hagerstown Community College. Image Matt McBride's work has recently appeared in Action, Spectacle, The Banyan Review, Conduit, The Cortland Review, Figure 1, Impossible Task, Guernica, The Rupture, Rust+Moth, and Zone 3 among others. He is the author of one full-length poetry collection, City of Incandescent Light, published by Black Lawrence Press in 2018, and four chapbooks. His most recent, Prerecorded Weather, co-written with Noah Falck, won the 2022 James Tate Prize and is available at SuVision Books. Currently, he is a professor of interdisciplinary practice at Wilson College. Register here.The colloquium is free but you must register. Registration deadline is Feb. 7. Directions to Wilson CollegeCampus MapQuestions? Contact colloquium director Matthew McBride at matthew.mcbride@wilson.edu
8:15 - 9 a.m. Registration9-9:15 Opening Remarks9:15 - 10 a.m. Session 1 (Fiction)Kirsten Hubbard "Action and Emotion: Balancing Intensity and Introspection in Writing"Explore how to craft powerful action scenes that balance physical tension with emotional depth. Using examples such as sports, traumatic events, and battles, Kirsten Hubbard will guide participants through writing action with purpose and authenticity, focusing on describing movement, tempo, pace, and language choices that reinforce the work’s themes. This hands-on session includes exercises to help writers create dynamic, meaningful action sequences.9:15 - 10 a.m. Session 1 (Poetry)Katy Giebenhain "Public Health as Muse"When we see the themes we are already writing about through a public health lens it can be really interesting – for our readers, and for us as writers. In this craft session we’ll look at some subtle but powerful approaches to creative writing with an attention to public health. 10 - 10:45 a.m Session 2 (Fiction)Sherri Buerdsell “The Fiction of Jeffrey Bardwell”Last summer, the Wilson community unexpectedly lost a valued member, Jeffrey Bardwell. Though Jeff taught in the biology department, he was also a dedicated writer with a strong fan following. Many of you may remember Jeff from his presentation on newsletters at last year’s colloquium. In this session, we’ll look at some selections of Jeff’s work and discuss what we can learn about writing from his work. Consider bringing some writing you are working on to apply the lessons we’ll learned in this session. 10 - 10:45 a.m Session 2 (Poetry)Noel Sloboda “Revision in Theory and Practice”Writers tend to be divided in their attitudes towards revision. Bernard Malamud declares that “Revision is one of the exquisite pleasures of writing.” Dorothy Parker, on the other hand, complains about process, quipping that “I hate writing, [but] I love having written.” Yet all serious writers, whatever their attitudes toward revision, acknowledge that it is an essential part of their craft. My session at the Wilson College Creative Writing Colloquium will address some of the many reasons why revision can be challenging, despite its necessity and rewards. In addition, I will cover several techniques for helping writers successfully revise their work.10:45 - 11:30 a.m. Session 3Alicia Drumgoole Keynote Speaker11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Lunch (Jensen Dining Hall)1:15 - 2 p.m. Author Q and A You got questions? We got answers! Ask any of our colloquium authors your burning questions about writing, publishing, and more! The colloquium is underwritten by the Arts for All grant opportunity of the Greater Harrisburg Community Foundation, a regional foundation of The Foundation for Enhancing Communities.
Image Kirsten Hubbard is an author, entrepreneur, and founder of Ghost Writer LLC. Her debut novel, Milwaukee Deep: An Ambrose Nobel Novel, was released in 2023 under her pen name Kirstie Croga. The story blends emotional depth with intense action, reflecting her signature style of raw, authentic storytelling. The novel’s audiobook and sequel, One White Mule, are set to debut later this year. Ghost Writer, a company specializing in storytelling that drives impact for nonprofit organizations, has connected world-changing missions with over $12 million in funding. An athlete and sports lover, Kirsten often draws on sports to mirror our human experience. Image Katy Giebenhain is the author of Sharps Cabaret from Mercer University Press. Along with Marty Malone and Alan Bogage she co-hosts a First Friday poetry series at The Ragged Edge Coffeehouse in Gettysburg. Her creative writing MPhil is from University of South Wales (Glamorgan). Her MA is from University of Baltimore. Her BFA is from Oregon State. She is on the Health Humanities Consortium’s Arts & Health Equity Committee. A rotational exhibit (one piece per month) of mixed-media collages “Prescriptions for Change: Value Voting in Healthcare” is on display this semester in the WVU Health Sciences Library. Image Jeffrey Bardwell wrote epic fantasy with elements of darkness, steampunk, and romance set in the Metal vs. Magic Universe. His character-driven books are guaranteed to include gritty realism, political intrigue, lurid entanglements, dry wit, and dragons in differing proportions. The author devoured fantasy and science fiction novels. He was most comfortable basking near a warm wood stove. When not writing or reading, Jeffrey enjoyed cooking, gardening, and shooing baby dragons from the compost bin. Sherri Buerdsell is a professor in Wilson College’s Biology department and a good friend of Jeff’s. Image Noel Sloboda earned his Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis. His dissertation about Edith Wharton and Gertrude Stein became a book. His writing on Shakespeare has appeared in a variety of journals and edited volumes. As a creative writer, Sloboda has published two poetry collections, seven chapbooks, along with hundreds of poems and stories in periodicals. He is currently a Professor of English and Creative Writing at Penn State York, where serves as coordinator of English and of Liberal Arts. Image Alicia Drumgoole is an Associate Professor of English at Hagerstown Community College. She began her career as a political writer, producing speeches and other government documents for state and local politicians. Alicia wrote her first novel, Premonition, under the pen name Agnes Jayne in 2015. She was the founder of a local writing group called The Mountain Scribes in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. She contributed to two anthologies: Last Writes: Haunting Tales from the Mountain Scribes (2017-2023), and The Appalachian Compilation (2018). She was the Project Director for a National Endowment for the Humanities Grant entitled Bridging the Antietam, a project designed to boost student performance through local storytelling and folklore. Alicia has a Bachelor’s degree in English and Political Science from Binghamton University, a Master’s Degree in English from the State University of New York at Albany, and she is currently earning an MFA in Creative Writing though Southern New Hampshire University. She teaches English, including creative writing at Hagerstown Community College. Image Matt McBride's work has recently appeared in Action, Spectacle, The Banyan Review, Conduit, The Cortland Review, Figure 1, Impossible Task, Guernica, The Rupture, Rust+Moth, and Zone 3 among others. He is the author of one full-length poetry collection, City of Incandescent Light, published by Black Lawrence Press in 2018, and four chapbooks. His most recent, Prerecorded Weather, co-written with Noah Falck, won the 2022 James Tate Prize and is available at SuVision Books. Currently, he is a professor of interdisciplinary practice at Wilson College.
