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Program in Creative Writing
Department of English
UW-Madison
6195 H.C.White Hall
600 North Park Street
Madison, WI 53706
(608) 263-3374
Last Updated:
May 14, 2009

The David and Jean Milofsky Prize provides an annual award of $1,000 to an MFA student. David Milofksy, who received his BA with honors from UW-Madison, and also holds the MFA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, is a professor of English at Colorado State University, where he teaches literature, editing and creative writing. A recipient of an NEA grant and a 2001 Colorado Book Award among other prestigious fellowships and awards, David Milofsky is the author of four novels, A Friend of Kissinger, Playing from Memory, Eternal People, and Color of Law.

annual creative writing contests

Every year the Program in Creative Writing awards about $20,000 to students at various stages in their studies. The following prizes are awarded at the end of the spring semester in the ceremony we modestly call The Academy Awards of Creative Writing.

The Charles M. Hart, Jr. Writers of Promise Award is given for the best poetry and fiction by students enrolled in English 203 (Beginning Fiction and Poetry Workshop). Students taking English 203 in either semester may submit one story or three poems to the instructor of the course. The final deadline for this competition is typically in early March.

The George B. Hill Award and the Therese Muller Memorial Award are awarded for the best poetry and short stories, respectively, submitted in a campus-wide competition. Any currently enrolled student may submit one short story and/or three poems. The deadline for the competition is typically in early March.

The Felix Pollak Poetry Thesis Prize ($1,000) is awarded annually for the best book-length poetry thesis completed by an English Major with an Emphasis in Creative Writing.

The Eudora Welty Fiction Thesis Prize ($1,000) is awarded annually for the best book-length fiction thesis completed by an English Major with an Emphasis in Creative Writing.

The Cy Howard Memorial Scholarship in Creative Writing ($1,000) is alternated annually between a male and a female recipient judged to be the most promising Senior English Major with an Emphasis in Creative Writing.

The deadline for the thesis prizes and the Howard Scholarship is typically toward the end of April. Your English 695 instructor will let you know the precise deadline.

The David and Jean Milofsky Prize in Creative Writing ($1,000) is awarded annually to a graduate student in the MFA Program for the best poetry or fiction submission.

The August Derleth Prize ($1,000) is awarded annually to a graduate student in any discipline for work on Wisconsin regional literature or for writing in any genre to which August Derleth contributed (fiction, poetry, essay, creative non-fiction, etc.).

The deadline for the Milofsky and Derleth Prizes is typically in early March.

The Jerome Stern Teaching Award is awarded to an MFA student for outstanding teaching in English 203: Beginning Creative Writing Workshop. The Richard Knowles Teaching Award is awarded to an MFA student for outstanding teaching in English 100: Freshman Composition The recipient of each award is determined by the Creative Writing faculty. There is no application procedure for this award.

Spring 2009 Contest Winners

Charles M. Hart Writers of Promise Awards

First Prize ($300) to Alicia Nied for "The History of Need."

Second Prize ($200) to Jordana Erickson

Third Prize ($150) to Madeline Crane

Honorable Mention ($100) to Elise Mann

George B. Hill Poetry Prizes

First Prize ($500) to Cara Dees

Second Prize ($400) to Cameron Loftus

Third Prize ($300) to Allison Lake

Honorable Mention ($100 each) to Mary Chen, Rachel Detra, Kristen M. Jones, Kathrin Kohler, and Catherine Malchow

Therese Muller Fiction Prizes

First Prize ($500) to Marysa La Rowe

Second Prize ($400) to Jamie Utphall

Third Prize ($300) to Willie Fitzgerald

Honorable Mention ($100 each) to Maureen Carlson, Evan Hall, Tyler Koshakow, Farrell Ougheltree, and Heather Sage

Undergraduate Thesis Prizes

Felix Pollak Poetry Thesis Prize ($1,000) to Allison Lake

Eudora Welty Fiction Thesis Prize ($1,000) to Brandon Santos

This year we were able to award two Cy Howard Memorial Scholarships ($1,000 each). Corey Cummings received the Cy Howard Memorial Scholarship for his fiction thesis. Cara Dees received the Cy Howard Memorial Scholarship for her poetry thesis.

For a poetry thesis, the Cy Howard Memorial Scholarship ($1,000) was awarded to Cara Dees.

Graduate Writing Prizes

August Derleth Prize ($1,000) to Laurel Bastian

This year we were able to award two David and Jean Milofsky Prizes ($1,000 each). Kristen Muir received the Milofsky Prize for poetry. Alyssa Knickerbocker received the Milofsky Prize for her fiction.

Graduate Teaching Awards

Jerome Stern Teaching Award ($250) to Barrett Swanson

Richard Knowles Teaching Award ($250) to Ryan Walsh

Congratulations to all.