CAROL MUSKE-DUKES is 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 .


The poet Shelley said that poets are the “unacknowledged legislators of the world”. I once made fun of this in my essay collection “Married to the Icepick Killer” - but now I think I get what he was saying in a new way. I am trying to make sense of the world, with a poet's eye, in the essays I'm including as SUBSTACK “news”.

“News that stays news” to quote another poet -  that's what I'm about here. I will be "whistle-blowing" on relevant topics as well.

Stay tuned.

Here is the link to my latest (9th) book of poems, BLUE ROSE, fom Penguin, a 2019 long-list Pulitzer Prize finalist. https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Penguin-Poets-Carol-Muske-Dukes/dp/0143131257/

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I'm pictured here in a GOLDEN STATE WORRIERS cap (forgive me, WARRIORS!). This headgear was a gift from my dear poet-friend, Brenda Hillman. I was lucky enough to secure one of the very few of these caps in existence.

People

Poet, novelist ,essayist , 17 books. Former full professor @ USC, founder: PhD program in CW/Lit. Former Poet Laureate, California ,reviewer WashPo, LAT, NYT, Pulitzer prize finalist, long list, awards & www.carolmuskedukes.com + substack