Salvatore Scibona
1999 MFA
Recipient:
· The Maytag Corporation Fellowship Fund
LitHub: A Saga in Miniature: On Halldór Laxness’s A Parish Chronicle. Salvatore Scibona Explores the Literary Legacy of Iceland's Nobel Laureate
Devon Walker-Figueroa
2017 MFA
Recipient:
· Sara Rothfus Yoseloff Award Fund
· The Maytag Corporation Fellowship Fund
Los Angeles Review of Books: A Glutton for Duration
Jane G. Smiley
1979 PHD, English; 1976 MFA, Writers’ Workshop; 1975 MA, Expository Writing
New Book: Lidie: The Further Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton: A Novel (This title published on Apr 21, 2026)
Alta Vista: The Habit Jane Smiley Could Not Get Rid Of
Brandon L. Taylor
2019 MFA
Prospect: No capital-B black person
Luis Munoz,
UI Associate Professor & Director of MFA in Spanish Creative Writing
Garth Greenwell
2015 MFA
Recipient:
· Richard E. Guthrie Memorial Fellowship Fund
New Book: One Moment: Poems Luis Muñoz (Author), Garth Greenwell (Translated by), Idra Novey (Translated by). Publish Date May 12, 2026.
Yale Review: Reading a Fourteenth-Century Poem Together
Jennifer L. Frantz
2023 MFA
Recipient:
· Deena Davidson Friedman Fund in the Iowa Writers' Workshop
The Yale Review: Poem of the Week: Sushi in a Landlocked State
Adrienne M. Raphel
2012 MFA
New York Times: He Loves Crosswords. She Wrote the Book on Them.
Bret Anthony Johnston
2002 MFA
New Book: Encounters with Unexpected Animals Publish Date February 24, 2026
Electric Lit: Drafting the Story Until It Proves You Wrong
Melinda Ashley Capps
2006 MFA
Editor of New Book: The New Sentience: Reimagining Animal Poetry (Published April 7, 2026)
In Defense of Animals: Honoring & Defending Females of All Species for International Women’s Month
Esther Ifesinachi Okonkwo
2020 MFA
Recipient:
· Mansfield Charitable Foundation Director's Fund
· John C. Shupe Fund
Longlist announced for Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize 2026
Emily D. Wilson
1999 MFA
Recipient:
· Meta and George Rosenberg Faculty Fellowship in Creative Writing
The Griffin Poetry Prize Announces The 2026 Longlist
Jayne Anne Phillips
1978 MFA
New Book: Small Town Girls (Published April 21, 2026)
LitHub: Jayne Anne Phillips on Chronicling Her West Virginia Upbringing and Writer’s Journey
James “Jake” Bohstedt Morrill
1998 MFA
Jake Morrill Joins The Family Business Consulting Group
Craig B. Davidson
2006 MFA
Recipient:
· Maytag Corporation Fellowship Fund
New Book: The Dorians (Title will be released May19, 2026)
Publishers Weekly: Body Talk with Craig Davidson
Alexa Frank
2019 MFA
2019 Certificate, Literary Translation
Recipient:
· David Relin Writers' Workshop Memorial Fund
Publishers Weekly: HarperVia Finds Inspiration in Japanese Publishing (also attached if paywalled)
Bard College: Alexa spoke to Bard students
· Students packed Weis Cinema to hear from an award-winning Japanese–English translator and editor at HarperVia about manga translation, book editing, and navigating today’s literary landscape—from AI to publishing trends and beyond.
Rupsa Dey
2025 MFA
Recipient:
· Sonny Mehta Fellowships in Creative Writing
· Writers' Workshop Directed Gift Fund
2026 Commonwealth Short Story Prize shortlist
Rebecca S. Lehmann
2005 MFA
Recipient:
· The Maytag Corporation Fellowship Fund
CrimeReads: Rebecca Lehmann on Anne Boleyn and the Fatal Power of Unmanageable Women
Hajar Hussaini
2021 MFA
Recipient:
· Marly and Laura Rydson Writers' Workshop Fund
· Tina P. Lonergan Excellence Fund in Poetry
· The Maytag Corporation Fellowship Fund
Zan Times: Interview with Hajar Hussaini, Whiting Award Winner of 2026
Dora R. Malech
2005 MFA
Recipient:
The Truman Capote Fellowships in Creative Writing Fund
Johns Hopkins University: Malech named senior advisor to the provost for the arts
Maggie Shipstead
2008 MFA
Recipient:
The Truman Capote Fellowships in Creative Writing Fund
New York Times Magazine: My Mother’s Dying Wish Took Me on a Trip I’ll Never Forget
Dina Nayeri
2013 MFA
Wall Street Journal: Our Parents Marched in Iran’s 1979 Revolution. They Know the Dangers of Groupthink
Tramaine Suubi
2023 MFA/2023 Certificate Literary Translation
Recipient:
· James Patterson Fellowships in Creative Writing
· Arthur James Pflughaupt Scholarship Fund
· Michael J. New Writers' Workshop Fund
· Maytag Corporation Fellowship Fund
New Book: Stages Published January 27, 2026
John R. Keeble
1969 MFA
Latest short story collection just small part of sprawling creative writing career for educator, poet and author John Keeble
William B. O'Neal
Current Workshop student
Recipient:
· The Maytag Corporation Fellowship Fund
Des Moines Register: A dying poet. The doctor who saved him. And the night it all changed.
Literary Translation Alumni
Kathleen Maris Paltrineri (aka Mary K. Paltrineri)
2021 MFA
Recipient:
· Stanley Graduate Award for International Research
The Rumpus: National Poetry Month: Magdalena
Nonfiction Writing Program Alumni
Bethany Kaylor
Current NWP student
Recipient:
· Stanley Graduate Award for International Research
· Iowa arts fellow
The Rumpus: Hunger
English/Creative Writing Alumni
Ajla Dizdarevic
2020 BA, English and Creative Writing
Recipient:
· Ralph K. and Maxine J. Hibbs Scholarship Fund
· Rhodes Dunlap Endowed Honors Program Fund
Debutiful: Announcing the 2026 Poets & Writers Get the Word Out Poetry Fellows
Her debut collection, What I Learned About Dogs in the Village, is forthcoming from Carnegie Mellon University Press in 2027
Joshua P. Ferris
1996 BA, English
Groundviews:Joshua Ferris on the Pleasures and Perils of Storytelling
Tayari A. Jones
1994 MA, English
LitHub: Tayari Jones on Speaking in Metaphor
Giovanni A. Coronel
2020 BA, English and Creative Writing
Southeast Iowa Union: Meet The Union’s new reporter
Playwrights Workshop
Cianon D. Jones
Current student
Recipient:
· Norman Felton Playwriting Fellowship
· David and Jean Schaal Scholarship Fund in Playwriting
Playbill: Cody Renard Richard Scholarship Announces 2026 Recipients
(FYI Savanha Moore 4217148 2025 MFA in Stage Mgmt is a 2025 recipient)
International Writing Program
Priya Hein
2014 Fall Residency
Brittle Paper: A Studio of One’s Own
Other
CBS2 Iowa: Amazing America: Iowa Writers’ Workshop legacy reshaped creative writing