Word for Word Graduate Spotlight 2025

Word for Word honors five recent graduates of SNHU's online  BA, MA, and  MFA creative writing programs. Recommended by instructors and selected by Associate Deans Jacob Powers and Paul Witcover for their high literary achievement, these five  outstanding writers read from their work, representing all the graduates of their respective programs. 

Word for Word: Agents and Agenting Panel, featuring Joshua Bilmes and Lucienne Diver

Word for Word welcomes two of the top literary agents in the business, Joshua Bilmes and Lucienne Diver, for a discussion of the role agents play in the publishing world and what the career of a literary agent requires in an age of seismic changes to the literary landscape. 

Word for Word featuring Tananarive Due

Word for Word proudly welcomes award-winning author Tananarive Due! A leading voice in Black speculative fiction, Due has won an American Book Award, an NAACP Image Award and a British Fantasy Award. Join us as she reads from and discusses her latest novel, The Reformatory, a searing work of history, resilience, and the supernatural. 

Word for Word featuring Jeffrey Ford

Word for Word is proud to welcome award-winning author Jeffrey Ford! Ford’s fiction has garnered World Fantasy, Edgar Allan Poe, Shirley Jackson, and Nebula awards. Join us as Jeff reads a new story, "Plunged in the Years," discusses his writing apprenticeship with John Gardner, and shares his wisdom about workshopping, the writer's subconscious, and more!

Word for Word Featuring the Penmen Review Fall Fiction Contest Winners

The five winners of the 10th Annual Penmen Review Fall Fiction Contest read their winning stories and discuss their writing journeys. Welcome N. Ryan Tucker, Jesse Teller, Amy Midgett, Jenel Alan, and Megan Okonsky!

Word for Word featuring Special Guests Adrienne Kisner and Melissa Marr

Join us as Word for Word celebrates SNHU's creative writing instructors in a special event spotlighting Young Adult fiction! Award-winning writers and SNHU instructors Melissa Marr and Adrienne Kisner read from their works-in-progress, discuss their writing journeys, and share insights into today's YA fiction market!

Word for Word featuring Special Guest Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Word for Word proudly welcomes award-winning, bestselling writer Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, author of the collection Friday Black and the novel Chain-Gang All-Stars. Listen as this young literary superstar reads and discusses his work, his writer’s journey, and the uses and abuses of violence in fiction.

Word for Word Featuring Special Guest Dr. Paul LeBlanc

Join us as Word for Word welcomes author and SNHU President Dr. Paul LeBlanc! Topics include the impact of the liberal arts on Dr. LeBlanc's distinguished career, the impact of AI on the future of liberal arts and creative writing, what lies ahead for him and SNHU, and more!

Word for Word with Special Guest Kelly Link

Kelly Link's genre-bending-and-blending short stories have won major awards and established her as one of the most inventive writers working today. In this edition of Word for Word, Kelly reads from her bestselling new novel, The Book of Love, discusses the craft of writing, and answers questions from the audience.

Word for Word Presents the Role of the Editor in Publishing

Join hosts Paul Witcover and Jacob Powers as Word for Word welcomes an all-star panel of professional editors to discuss all things editorial, from acquisition to copy-editing!