How Word Circus Works with Chatham’s Creative Writing MFA

Once a month, the MFACW holds Word Circus, a combined reading for MFACW students and open mic night for the humanities department at Chatham. The event is hosted by the Margaret L. Whitford Fellows, graduate students who have received funding specifically to create and coordinate memorable experiences at Word Circus.

I had the chance to ask graduate student Brenna Gallagher MFACW ’25, who is one of the fellows leading Word Circus this year, what the experience has been like for her.

What does Word Circus mean to you?

Word Circus is immensely important to me because it is an opportunity for my classmates and I to connect with each other. I cherish this space as something intimate, something that is crafted for us to share with one another. Through our writing, we are exchanging small pieces of ourselves, word by word. I am learning the ropes from the wonderful fellow above me, Halsey Hyer. I am truly so thankful for them and their amazing event planning skills. Halsey has shown me not only how to navigate through graduate school, but how to create a space that is for us and by us.

This semester, Word Circus will take place on campus, but last semester, we hosted in a local coffeeshop and art gallery as well. We decided to shift Word Circus to campus for the Spring semester because it seemed to best serve our classmates, but part of the beauty of Word Circus is its fluidity. Some years, it takes place on campus and some years it does not. The director of the MFACW Program, Sheila Squillante, always supports us to make whatever decisions we feel will best serve our community of writers, which is a wonderful support system to have.

Do you have any important details to share about how Word Circus runs?

We invite every member of the program to read once throughout the year. Halsey and I also try to balance the style of writing among the readers. If there are two poets who are reading, we may try to balance it out with a fiction writer. Or if there are two essayists performing pieces, we may try to sprinkle a little poetry in. And as always, we have an open mic at the end, open to not only MFA students, but anyone who has a desire to stand up and share themselves. There is a two page/two-minute limit and the sign up is first come first serve. We almost always fill up, which is very rewarding as well.

Since you are a Whitford fellow, what has that experience been like for you and what would you tell others looking to get involved in the MFA program at Chatham?

I am privileged and honored to be the Margaret L. Whitford fellow, as it has given me the opportunity to step into a role of leadership. This position has helped me grow not only as a student and a writer, but a community member as well. The one thing I’d have to say about anyone who wants to know about the MFA program is— it’s the best! My classes are amazing, the faculty is trustworthy and helpful, and the community we hold with each other is unparalleled to anything else I know. I love the focus on social engagement and environmentalism as it is an incredibly important intersection of where we as writers exist.

As an undergraduate Creative Writing major, I and my fellow humanities students get to engage with Chatham’s graduate offerings too. I attended January 2024’s Word Circus reading, and it was my first time attending the event. Hot tea, coffee and cookies were offered as everyone gathered in the Mellon Dining Room. Throughout my time as a Creative Writing major, I’ve heard many classmates’ experiences at Word Circus. The open mic aspect of Word Circus is a great way for undergraduate students to participate in public performances with their work and hear the work of graduate students each month.

I personally really enjoyed my own experience at Word Circus this past January. As students read, I could really see the sense of community that Word Circus creates. Folks were familiar with each other, and comfortable reading in the space. It was a welcoming environment for those who were looking to read, those presenting material new and old, or for anyone who wanted to sit and listen. I personally enjoyed hearing Elias Dubus, a graduate student, read two pieces of nonfiction about his life and the holiday season. It’s always wonderful to see the benefits of our program in action, and Word Circus is one of them. As I finish my BFA in Creative Writing this spring, I will remember the important programming and opportunities that Chatham’s Master in Fine Arts and Creative Writing has to offer.

If you have any questions about joining Word Circus, reach out to brenna.gallagher@chatham.edu. If you’re looking to apply to the MFACW program, you can go to the MFACW website, or email graduate@chatham.edu for more information.

MFA Creative Writing Offerings

Funding Opportunities

Chatham offers fellowships and teaching assistantships to assist with funding tuition. All funding for fellowships and assistantships can be applied for with the application to the program.

Graduate Teaching Fellowship

The Graduate Teaching Fellowship is an opportunity for students to assist teaching first year English courses and receive tuition funding.

Graduate Assistant

The Graduate Assistant position assists with tuition and requires a student to run the monthly and annual Humanities newsletter. The position also asks the graduate student to attend all virtual, on, and off-campus MFACW events.

Margaret Lehr Whitford MFA ’07 Fellowship

A full-tuition award, The Margaret Lehr Whitford MFA ’07 Fellowship in Writing is for students to work with the fellows from the previous year to organize Word Circus.

Other MFACW Offerings

Emerging Black Writers

The MFACW also conducts the Emerging Black Writers-in-Residence Program, which offers a position specifically for Black writers. The program uplifts the writing and art of Black artists and gives Black writers opportunities to thrive in their work.

The Fourth River

The Fourth River is the literary journal of Chatham’s MFA program, published by students and faculty of the humanities department. The Fourth River offers frequent opportunities for publication, editing, and occasional contests.

Melanie Brown Lecture Series

The Melanie Brown Lecturer is presented each year through the generosity of The Melanie and Fred Brown Endowed Fund. A guest writer is chosen to lecture aspiring writers and Chatham students to further connect on the career and craftsmanship of writing.

Lirit Gilmore is a Creative Writing and Food Studies student. Lirit’s academic focus is centered in food writing and how it intersects with social location and identity. She is from the DMV and the Midwest, and enjoys baking in her free time. See all her work on Pulse@ChathamU here.