Carol Muske-Dukes

CAROL MUSKE-DUKES is an OWL (Old Wise Lady or OWW, Old Wise Woman) now officially retired from USC, after over thirty years as a full professor with tenure and SOLO founder of the PhD program in Creative Writing/literature. Glad to be free! Glad to be free to express myself beyond the restrictions of academia within the Corporate University – and also glad to be able to share my thoughts on the Demise of Creative Writing.
Besides my many years at USC — (I’ve taught at Columbia Univ. MFA program, Univ. of Iowa Writers Workshop, UC Irvine MFA Program, Univ. of Virginia, George Washington Univ. (Jenny McKean Moore Lecturer) etc.
I have published 16 books, poems, novels and essay collections – as well as co-edited anthologies. Most recent book of poems, BLUE ROSE, (Penguin) was a long list Pulitzer prize finalist in 2019. Other awards, etc. Guggenheim, NEA, Ingram Merrill, Castagnola award, 7 Pushcarts , Barnes & Noble Writer for Writers award, etc. National Book Award finalist, LATimes Book Prize finalist, Witter Bynner Library of Congress award. California Poet Laureate (2008-2011) + NYTimes Most Notable Books. Published & anthologized widely + also: I write & review for the NYTimes Book Review, LATimes, (former Poetry columnist, LA Times),. NY Times Op Ed, + Magazine, The New Yorker, Huffington Post, etc. Rea Visiting Distinguished Writer, Univ. of Virginia , + Harmon Writer Residency, Baruch College, NY.
But I remain a writer first – teachers of CW aren’t always loyal to writing itself – says the OWL.