By Amy Lutz, MCWC Operations Manager
We are thrilled to welcome this year’s scholarship winners to MCWC 2021! We received our largest pool of scholarship applications to date and the following writers were selected out of a highly competitive field. We asked them to tell us a little about their current project and/or what they hope to get out of their conference experience. If you would like to join these writers at MCWC, be sure to register for the workshop of your choice by June 30.
Scholarships strengthen the MCWC community by bringing in talented individuals who may not be able to attend otherwise. These opportunities would not be possible without the support of our generous donors. We cannot thank them enough!
James I. Garner Scholarship
María Alejandra Barrios is a Pushcart nominated writer born in Barranquilla, Colombia. She has lived in Bogotá and Manchester where in 2016 she completed a Master’s degree in Creative Writing from The University of Manchester. Her stories have been published in Hobart Pulp, Reservoir Journal, Bandit Fiction, Cosmonauts Avenue, Jellyfish Review, Lost Balloon, Shenandoah Literary, Vol.1 Brooklyn and El Malpensante. Her work is forthcoming in Fractured Lit and Moon City Review. She was the 2020 SmokeLong Flash Fiction Fellow and her work has been supported by organizations such as Vermont Studio Center, Caldera Arts Center and the New Orleans Writing Residency. She’s currently at work revising her debut novel.
Maria writes: “I’m working on revising my first novel, A Cilantro Wedding Bouquet, set in Barranquilla, Colombia and New York. My novel deals with the themes of intergenerational trauma, food, desire and ghosts. Despite working on a long project, short stories about magic and agency are always on my mind. I love the freedom, experimentation and focus short fiction requires and in Alaya Dawn Johnson’s workshop, I’m looking forward to deepening my knowledge of worldbuilding and fracturing reality. I’m excited to learn from my peers and to discover new work.”
Susan Lundgren Scholarship
Ariana Benson is from Chesapeake, Virginia. She was awarded the 2021 Graybeal-Gowen Poetry Prize, and her poems appear or are forthcoming in West Branch, Shenandoah, Southern Humanities Review, Lunch Ticket, Great River Review and elsewhere.
Ariana writes: “I look forward to workshopping poems about the natural world, particularly African Diasporic peoples' relationships to the land and the anthropocene. I’m very excited to see how my poems and ideas develop through communing with other writers at MCWC.”
Norma Watkins Memoir Scholarship
Christina Berke is a teacher and a Libra. Previous work appears or is forthcoming in NPR’s Desert Companion, The Hunger, Literary Orphans, Cleaver Magazine, and Ed Surge.
Christina writes: I’m thrilled to join the community at MCWC! I’m currently working on an intergenerational, intercontinental familial memoir that revolves around the lives of three women. It explores my Chilean heritage, including the 1973 coup, through the lens of body image, interpersonal violence, and self worth.
Hether Ludwick First Taste Scholarship
Kimberly Bliss is a Philippine-born, Buffalo-bred and Brooklyn-boroughed writer. Her work has appeared in Hobart, Dime Show Review, and many other magazines, and she was a 2020 resident at the New Orleans Writers’ Residency. She is a Writing Workshop Leader at NY Writers Coalition. She has also been a resident at both Hedgebrook and Denniston Hill. She’s currently a Fiction Editor at Hobart. You can find her procrastinating on Twitter @blisster.
Kimberly writes: “I am working on a novel where literary fiction meets Asian cinematic violence on steroids, shattering the American Dream and its imperialism in the process. I’m very excited to meet everyone and be part of the MCWC community.”
Frances Andrews Scholarship
Celeste Chan is a San Francisco-based writer and teaching artist. Co-founder of Queer Rebels and Sister Spit tour alumna, she serves on the board of Foglifter Journal. She’s published in AWAY, cream city review, The Rumpus, and beyond.
Celeste writes: “I look forward to MCWC's energizing conference, full of craft teachings and community. Just what I need to make progress on my memoir!”
Albertina Tholakele Dube Scholarship for Young Writers
Cristina Cortez is a first-generation Latin-American poet born to immigrant parents. She holds a BA in English, Creative Writing & Literature, and History with Minors in Latin American & Caribbean Studies with Honors & Distinction, from Hofstra University (2015), and a Masters in Fine Arts in Creative Writing & Poetics, from the University of Washington Bothell (2018). Her thesis Un-bound is a cross-genre memoir about living life with a disability. Her first bilingual poetry collection Tawantinsuyu: Poems of the Time of the Inca (Books&Smith Editors, 2020), is a celebration of the history of Peru and its indigenous people.
Cristina writes: “At the conference and workshop, I am looking forward to working on developing the narrative structure in my memoir. I look forward to meeting instructors and attendees.”
Ginny Rorby MG/YA Scholarship
Jamie Ericson is a writer and copy editor, and now she can add “pandemic kindergarten teacher” to her resume. She splits her writing time between middle grade fiction and product descriptions for a home furnishings retailer. She recently moved from the Bay Area to Oak Park, Illinois with her husband and 5-year-old son.
Jamie writes: “I’m working on a middle grade novel about an 8-year-old girl, her beloved pet hedgehog, and an elaborate plan to sneak him along when her family moves across the country. I’m having fun unraveling her plan, and MCWC will give me a good push to tackle the ending.”
Albertina Tholakele Dube Scholarship for Young Writers
Jack Foraker is a writer from Yolo County. He graduated from the MFA Program in Writing at UC Irvine and was a 2020 grant recipient from the Elizabeth George Foundation.
Jack writes: “I’m working on an anti-historical novel about kinship, changelings, theology, and plague times. I’m excited for the workshop, the inspiration, and the brilliance of everyone's work.”
Norma Watkins Memoir Scholarship
Czaerra Galicinao Ucol is a queer Filipino writer from Chicago. They hold a B.A. in Asian/Pacific/American Studies from New York University and are the Program and Communications Director of Luya, a grassroots poetry organization centering people of color in Chicago. They are a 2021 Best New Poets nominee and VONA writer. In their free time, they like listening to Lake Michigan’s waves crashing, basking in gardens, and trying out new recipes.
Czaerra writes: I plan to workshop a few personal essay ideas I have surrounding growing up queer and Filipino in Chicago during the 2000s and 2010s, having unmonitored internet access as a child, and managing my first year post-college amidst a pandemic. I have a lot of stories I want to tell, and I’m excited to learn more about creative nonfiction as someone that works primarily in poetry.
Dana Winn Scholarship
Sofia García Garner grew up in Corvallis, Oregon. She is a senior at the University of Oregon and will be graduating this spring with a B.A. in Spanish Literature. She is part of the Kidd Tutorial, a Creative Writing program at her university. Starting in fall 2021, she will be teaching abroad in Madrid.
Sofia writes: “I’m excited for the opportunity to learn from the other writers in the short fiction workshop and receive valuable feedback on my own work.”
Albertina Tholakele Dube Scholarship for Young Writers
Rachel A.G. Gilman’s work has been published in journals throughout the US, UK, and Australia, including Touchstone, JMWW, and The London Reader. She is also the Creator/Editor-in-Chief of The Rational Creature and a columnist for No Contact Mag. She holds a BA from NYU where she managed WNYU-FM and won both Intercollegiate Broadcasting System and Pinnacle Media awards for her talk show “The Write Stuff”; an MFA from Columbia University where she served as Editor-in-Chief of Columbia Journal, Issue 58; and an MSt in Creative Writing from the University of Oxford. Originally from Hurley, New York, Rachel now lives in Manhattan’s Kips Bay neighborhood with a hoard of festively dressed stuffed pigeons and works in book publishing.
Rachel writes: “I am working on a third-person nonfiction collection entitled Who the F*ck is Naomi, which captures moments at the intersection of horniness and depression while reflecting on the impacts of the Internet on unrequited love—with humor, I hope.”
Anne G. Locascio Scholarship
Melissa Hung is a writer and journalist who grew up in Texas, the daughter of immigrants. She is the founding editor of Hyphen and the former director of San Francisco WritersCorps. Her writing has appeared in NPR, Vogue, Jellyfish Review, Longreads, and Catapult.
Melissa writes: “I’m working on creative nonfiction about Asian American girlhood and am looking forward to connecting with the writing community at MCWC.”
Albertina Tholakele Dube Scholarship for Young Writers
Si Yon Kim is a writer from Korea. She is an MFA candidate in fiction at Syracuse University, where they serve as Fiction Editor of Salt Hill Journal.
Si Yon writes: “I’m working on a cli-fi novel inspired by a Korean folktale. It features erotic descriptions of plants, queer love, and popular K-drama tropes.”
Nella Larsen Memorial Scholarship
Gowri Koneswaran is a queer Tamil writer, performing artist, teacher, and lawyer. Her work has appeared in the Journal of Asian American Studies, Environmental Health Perspectives, Adi Magazine, Lantern Review, Split This Rock’s The Quarry, and The Margins. She previously served as senior poetry editor at Jaggery and co-editor of Beltway Poetry Quarterly. She is a senior legal officer with PEARL, a copyeditor for The Abolitionist, poetry coordinator at the nonprofit arts organization BloomBars, and a fellow of the Asian American literary organization Kundiman.
Gowri writes: “I am working on my first poetry manuscript, which leverages poetry and hybrid texts to explore personal, intergenerational, and transnational trauma. As a writer and lawyer whose community suffered genocide as the world watched, I frequently appropriate the sanitized language of state entities and mainstream media to re-verse it into palpable modalities of grief and resilience. I am especially excited to learn from Saretta Morgan during the conference.”
Octavia Butler Memorial Scholarship for Speculative Fiction
Winona León is a writer and artist from Far West Texas. Her work has appeared in the Kenyon Review, Volume 1 Brooklyn, and Joyland, where she's now a West Editor. She is currently an MFA candidate in fiction at the University of Wyoming.
Winona writes: “I’ll be working on a magical realist story involving a persnickety Paso Fino. As a writer new to speculative fiction, I’m excited to hone my skills and find inspiration from the MCWC community!”
Dana Winn Scholarship
Sharon Lin is an essayist and poet. Her work appears in The New York Review of Books, The Offing, and is forthcoming from Bloomsbury. She lives in New York City.
Sharon writes: “My latest project is inspired by Buddhist mythology and explores how selfhood has evolved over time. I look forward to connecting with the community at MCWC.”
Doug Fortier Short Fiction Scholarship
Christopher Linforth is the author of the forthcoming story collection The Distortions, winner of the Orison Books Fiction Prize, and an experimental collection of flash, Directory (Otis Books, 2020).
Christopher writes: “I am working on a novel set at the outbreak of war in the former Yugoslavia and a new collection of stories. At the conference, I will be workshopping some short fiction.”
Ginny Rorby MG/YA Scholarship
Wendy Lu is an editor at HuffPost and a middle-grade fiction writer. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Teen Vogue, Refinery29, Bustle, Quartz and more. She received a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina and a master’s in journalism from Columbia University. She is based in Brooklyn, NY.
Wendy writes: “I’m working on a contemporary middle-grade novel about a talented disabled girl who loves all things Broadway. I’m so excited to workshop a chapter of my book with Alex Sanchez, and I look forward to attending the rest of the conference and meeting other writers!”
James I. Garner Scholarship
Attracted to words at an early age, Rod Martinez ’s first book was created in grade school. His teacher used it to encourage creativity in her students. His high school English teacher told him to try short story writing, he listened, and the rest – as they say, is history.
Rod writes: “I am always working on a new manuscript, but currently I am doing final edits on the YA novel that garnered me this scholarship (thank you!), Unforgiven: The Grayson Pact. Two biracial siblings, one black, one white, struggle for acceptance and status in a family dynasty on the verge of collapse. With building tension consuming the family and town, an unsolved kidnapping and a secret legend literally hidden within the family house walls, will their dying rich grandfather choose honor or the favorite?”
James I. Garner Scholarship
Aurora Masum-Javed is a poet, writing coach, and educator. A former public school teacher, she received her MFA from Cornell University, where she also served as a lecturer. Her work can be found in Aster(ix), Frontier, Winter Tangerine, and elsewhere. She’s received fellowships from MacDowell, Caldera, and Kundiman among others. A former Philip Roth Resident in Creative Writing and Hub City Writer in Residence, she is currently working on her first book and teaching in SC.
Aurora writes: “I’m revising poems for my first collection, which focuses on the challenges and longings of daughterhood. I’m so excited to write into and think more deeply about the relationships between daughter, mother, and land with Saretta Morgan, whose work I so deeply admire.”
Anne G. Locascio Scholarship
Robin Michel was born and raised in Utah but has lived most of her life in Northern California. She has received recognition and awards, including support from the Mendocino Coast Writers’ Conference and the Soul-Making Keats Literary Awards. Her writing has appeared or is forthcoming in Blue Mountain Review, Comstock Review, Lindenwood Review, The New Guard, Northampton Poetry Review, South 85, Toho Journal, and elsewhere. She has an M.Ed. from Mills College and is editor of How to Begin: Poems, Prompts, Tips and Writing Exercises from the Fresh Ink Collective (Raven & Wren Press, 2020).
Robin writes: “I am working on a hybrid poetry-prose memoir examining intergenerational trauma and an oppressive religious environment, as well as the impacts of disability, mental illness, and poverty. I am very excited to be part of the 2021 Mendocino Coast Writers Conference community, to build connections with other writers, and to have the time and space to go deeper into our work—getting closer to the truths we want to uncover.”
Albertina Tholakele Dube Scholarship for Young Writers
Paula Mirando is a queer Filipina American writer from Hayward, California. She is a candidate for an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Miami. Her writing has been supported by the Kearny Street Workshop Interdisciplinary Writers Lab, VONA/Voices of Our Nations Arts Foundation, and Philippine American Writers and Artists.
Paula writes: “I will be working on a collection of linked short stories about a group of Filipino American youth in their last year of middle school.”
Albertina Tholakele Dube Scholarship for Young Writers
Ijeoma Nwabudike was born in Lagos and raised in Abuja, Nigeria. She enjoys reading, writing, historical research, and exploring old buildings.
Ijeoma writes: “I am currently working on a personal essay that explores how my early life was shaped by representations of gender within the Nigerian cultural context - from popular 90s/2000s Nollywood movies to novels by foremost Nigerian women authors and currently airing reality tv shows. I cannot wait to work with Suzanne Rivecca and other personal essay writers this summer!”
Albertina Tholakele Dube Scholarship for Young Writers
Tochukwu Okafor is a Nigerian writer whose work has appeared in the 2018 Best of the Net, the 2019 Best Small Fictions, The Guardian, Harvard’s Transition Magazine, Columbia Journal, and elsewhere. A 2018 Rhodes Scholar finalist and a 2018 Kathy Fish Fellow, he has won the 2017 Short Story Day Africa Prize for Short Fiction. He is a 2021 Jack Straw Writing Fellow, a 2021 Frank Conley Memorial Scholar, an alumnus of the 2021 Tin House Winter Workshop, and has been twice nominated for the Pushcart Prize. He holds a master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University and has received scholarships from Etisalat (now 9mobile), the MTN Foundation, Grub Street, Fishtrap, and Exxon Mobil. He lives in Worcester, MA, and is at work on a novel and a short story collection.
Tochukwu writes: “I hope to be in communion with other writers at the conference, learning from them and building lasting friendships. These relationships will help me stay motivated and continue expanding my growth as a writer.”
Albertina Tholakele Dube Scholarship for Young Writers
Sidney Regelbrugge is a freshman at Point Arena High School. She is a multi-sport athlete, as well as a pianist and saxophonist.
Sidney writes: “I hope to learn how to give depth to my characters in my storytelling, and better understand how to tell an event from multiple perspectives. As well, I want to learn how to keep a consistent style and voice throughout my writing.”
Albertina Tholakele Dube Scholarship for Young Writers
Ruben Reyes Jr. is the son of two Salvadoran immigrants and an MFA candidate in fiction at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.
Ruben writes: “I’m currently working on a novel and a collection of short stories about the Salvadoran diaspora. I’m excited to dive into all the weird and wonderful possibilities of speculative fiction in Alaya Dawn Johnson's workshop.”
Ginny Rorby MG/YA Scholarship
Lisa Ryan lives in Philadelphia and writes contemporary young adult fiction. She was a 2021 Tin House Scholar. Lisa’s work has appeared in Autostraddle, and her investigative story “The Mystery of Margaret Fox” won a New Jersey Press Association award in 2017.
Lisa writes: “I’m working on a YA novel about a teenage girl, Ash, who is training for the 1,000-mile Iditarod dog sledding race; she’s hoping to outrun grief by fulfilling the lifelong dream of her now-deceased brother, Dawson. When she finds herself falling for her new dog handler – who also happens to be Dawson’s ex-girlfriend – Ash grows increasingly torn between her obligation to the race and her own desires.”
Anne G. Locascio Scholarship
Elodie Saint-Louis is a writer and filmmaker currently living in Los Angeles, California. She is a graduate of Harvard University and a 2021 Periplus Fellow.
Elodie writes: “I look forward to working with Chris Dennis on a speculative short story about a young woman grappling with her mother’s illness and the unspoken legacy of trauma that has been passed down to her.”
Albertina Tholakele Dube Scholarship for Young Writers
Tessa Strickland is a Ukiah High School student.
Tessa writes: “I’m currently working on a lot of poetry and writing in verse. I hope to learn a lot from this workshop.”
Albertina Tholakele Dube Scholarship for Young Writers
Justine Teu was born in New York City, where she grew up in Flushing, Queens. Her writing has appeared in The VIDA Review, Pigeon Pages, and more. Additionally, her work has received recognition from the Kenyon Review Writers Workshop. She’s a graduate of Binghamton University with a BA in History and is currently pursuing an MFA in fiction at The New School.
Justine writes: “I will be working on a series of magical-realist short stories that contend with friend breakups, diaspora, and the ever-liminal experience of growing up in a big city. I’m looking forward to getting to know new writers in this vast community!”
Teresa Connelly First Taste Scholarship
April Yee is a writer and translator published in Newsweek, Ambit, and Ploughshares online. A Harvard and Tin House alumna, she reported in more than a dozen countries before moving to London, where she reads for TriQuarterly and mentors for the Refugee Journalism Project at University of the Arts London.
April writes: “Meeting other writers is a gift. I’m delighted to be alongside them as I work on a novel about inheritance, culpability, and the movement of minorities from diverse cities to suffocating suburbs.”
If you would like to join the scholarship winners at this year’s virtual conference, you can register now at mcwc.org. If you would like to support our scholarship program, please consider donating to MCWC at mcwc.org/donate.