SCHOOL OF

CRITICAL STUDIES 2009–2011

NA NC Y WOOD DEAN’S INTRODUCTION

To meet these goals, we offer two graduate programs: the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Writing Program and the Master of Arts (MA) Aesthetics and Politics Program. In addition, the School of Critical Studies provides a robust liberal arts education for every Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) candidate at the CalArts Schools of Art, Dance, Film/Video, Music and Theater.

Led by a superb and artistically eclectic faculty, this challenging program sets high standards for both creativity and craft. In particular, the program invites students to bring forward experimental and interdisciplinary endeavors—original practices that break with conventional categories and set new aesthetic horizons.

OUR MFA WRITING PROGRAM ALLOWS ADVANCED WRITERS TO PURSUE A VARIETY OF TRADITIONAL AND NEW FORMS, RANGING FROM NARRATIVE FICTION TO EXPERIMENTAL CRITICISM, FROM POETRY TO HYPERTEXT.

The School of Critical Studies serves all CalArts students by incorporating intellectually rigorousmethods of inquiry and reflection into the creative process. Our aim is to generate as much enthusiasm for reading, writing and criticalthinking as for artmaking.

MFA candidates have ample opportunities to read and/or perform their work, on campus and at venues across Los Angeles. The program and its students also produce a number of publications, most notably the nationally celebrated literary journal Black Clock, a showcase for cutting-edge writing edited by faculty member Steve Erickson.

THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN CONTEMPORARY ARTMAKING AND AESTHETIC, CRITICAL AND POLITICAL THEORY.

An innovative course of study designed for practicing artists and other undergraduate and graduate degree holders who have a strong interest in the nexus of art and politics, this one-year program enables students to combine artistic production with an academic career.

In both programs, the expertise of our faculty is complemented with an extensive series of readings, lectures, workshops and longer-term residencies by a diverse range of visiting writers, theorists and artists. Our graduate students also benefit greatly from the dynamic, highly multidisciplinary creative environment of CalArts, where different branches of the arts freely commingle. Our students have the opportunity to take classes at other CalArts schools, and work on collaborative projects with visual artists, designers, film- and videomakers, animators, multimedia artists, composers, instrumentalists, actors, directors and choreographers.

The Critical Studies undergraduate curriculum, meanwhile, gives every CalArts BFA candidate a comprehensive, well-rounded education to complement his or her arts training. Covering an array of topics across the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and cultural studies, this curriculum provides the intellectual tools necessary for the study of the arts in a broad social and cultural context—and for making meaningful connections across a wide spectrum of artmaking practices.

THE NEW MA AESTHETICS AND POLITICS PROGRAM FOCUSES ON

MFA candidate Janice Lee of the Writing Program

Critical Studies faculty member Norman M. Klein (LEFT), designer Andreas Kratky and curator Margo Bistis discuss Klein’s The Imaginary 20th Century—an alternate-history novel on DVD- ROM that operates as a huge interactive data field, with 2,200 images and films and a unique sound engine. This project was co-sponsored by CalArts and ZKM (Center for Art and Media) in Karlsruhe, Germany, and accompanied by an exhibition at ZKM.

CRITICAL STUDIESSCHOOL OF

An MFA Writing Program reading at Skylight Books— one of several off-campus venues that regularly host readings by students in the program

THE SCHOOL OF CRITICAL STUDIES OFFERS TWO DEGREE PROGRAMS:

MFA WRITING PROGRAM

MA AESTHETICS AND POLITICS PROGRAM

DEAN’S INTRODUCTION, Nancy Wood

SCHOOL OF CRITICAL STUDIES AT A GLANCE

FACULTY

ALUMNI

PROGRAMS

VISITING ARTISTS AND SPEAKERS

SPECIAL RESOURCES

FACILITIES

APPLICATIONS

01 06 13 17 23 34 36 37 38

The information contained in this publication is subject to change. For the most up-to-date information about CalArts and the School of Critical Studies, see calarts.edu.

CalArts attracts some of the most talented, daring and motivated young writers and artists at work today—a collection of fresh voices who, as a group, represent one of the most creative student populations in American arts education.

Through the nationally circulated literary journal Black Clock and the Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater (REDCAT)—the downtown Los Angeles venue for the presentation of innovative visual, performing, media and literary arts—CalArts has expanded its role in influencing the direction of experimental art as it is taking shape today.

SCHOOL OF CRITICAL STUDIESAT A GLANCE

INNOVATION IN THE ART OF WRITING

CALARTS’ INFLUENCE IN EXPERIMENTAL ARTMAKING

ORIGINAL THINKING ABOUT ART AND POLITICS

Founded on principles of experimentation and artistic risk-taking, the MFA Writing Program encourages and supports work that challenges conventional genres and practices, inviting students to take the practice of writing in new directions—including innovative configurations of writing with other art forms.

EXCEPTIONAL PEER GROUP

The new MA Aesthetics and Politics Program serves as a unique forum for artists and scholars to explore links and correlations across contemporary aesthetic, critical and political theory. This line of inquiry is especially timely and relevant in the context of today’s ever-increasing globalization in both cultural production and politics.

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COLLABORATIVE, INTERDISCIPLINARY PROJECTS

The low student-faculty ratio and small class sizes allow each student to work closely with members of the faculty—including a mentor who serves as that student’s artistic advisor.

DISTINGUISHED VISITING WRITERS, THEORISTS AND ARTISTS

Both graduate programs offer students the opportunity to assist in teaching undergraduate classes. Other graduate assistants are involved in producing Black Clock and other publications, as well as in coordinating the school’s visiting artist and speaker series. Separately, graduate students from the School of Critical Studies take part in CalArts’ Community Arts Partnership (CAP), which provides college-level arts education to middle and high school students across Los Angeles County.

The School of Critical Studies brings together internationally recognized writers, poets, scholars and thinkers working in both new and traditional forms across a wide variety of disciplines, extending from narrative fiction, performance, and multimedia to cultural criticism and political theory.

PERSONAL ATTENTION, MENTORING

calarts.edu/critical studies

CalArts’ distinctive educational philosophy has always promoted cross-pollination across the arts. In addition to collaborations with colleagues in the School of Critical Studies in projects ranging from publications to performances and exhibitions, students also regularly work with peers from other CalArts schools. This pool of collaborators includes visual artists, designers, filmmakers, animators, multimedia artists, composers, musicians, producers, directors, actors, dancers and choreographers.

Through its extensive visiting artist and speaker series, the school invites noted fiction writers, poets, essayists, philosophers, historians, journalists, performers and visual artists to share their experiences and insights with students in readings, lectures, workshops and residencies. Students also attend numerous lectures, symposia and other presentations held at other CalArts schools.

TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES

GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS,

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DIVERSE FACULTY OF ACCLAIMED WRITERS AND SCHOLARS

CALARTS’ INFLUENCE IN EXPERIMENTAL ARTMAKING

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“ One thing my mother nurtured in me was reading, and I read voraciously when I was little. She would drop my brother and me off at the library, and I would literally read 30-40 books every week. I read all the classics by junior high—it didn’t mean I understood them all—but I read them! I’ve always enjoyed writing, though I come from a very traditional family in which success is very narrowly defined. My parents did not like the idea of me becoming a writer. They wanted me to be a doctor.

“I was actually on the undergraduate track to be a doctor and was going to double major in bio and writing. I eventually dropped the idea of being a doctor altogether, but kept taking science classes, which have influenced my artistic work a great deal. My work explores various aspects of alchemy, anthropology, evolution, neuroscience and consciousness studies.

“I don’t believe in linear narratives. I write hybrid, fragmented works that include visual elements—I draw all of my own illustrations, which often refer to scientific diagrams.

I’M INTERESTED IN HYBRIDITY, FRAGMENTED TEXTS, GRAPHIC TEXTS AND INTERDISCIPLINARY WORK, AND IN HOW TEXT FUNCTIONS WHEN IT’S JUXTAPOSED AGAINST OTHER FORMS OF EXPRESSION.

“My thesis is a study on the emergence of consciousness. The central character is a female cyborg, who has a camera instead of eyes. She functions as a sort of surveillance device that brings up issues of human consciousness, perception and creation.

“The Writing Program here at CalArts is advertised as being experimental and interdisciplinary, but my experience is that there’s a pretty big divide between who’s actually experimenting with different forms and media, and who’s doing very traditional work. Meeting the right people here is really key, and if I take one thing with me after I graduate, it is what I’ve learned from my peers. Meeting like-minded people has helped stimulate my critical thinking and writing, and helped discipline my own practice. So much of what I’m involved in now, so many of my most valuable experiences here, and so many of my future goals involve people I’ve met here in the program, including both students and faculty. My plan is to continue to write in the way I want to, and hopefully, one day to teach creative writing or literature at the university level. The one thing I know for sure is that I want to keep learning. ”

JANICE LEE From San Francisco

MFA WRITING PROGRAM

Visiting writers David L. Ulin (Writing Los Angeles: A Literary Anthology) and Aimee Bender (The Girl in the Flammable Skirt, Willful Creatures) are frequent contributors to Black Clock, the MFA Writing Program’s flagship literary journal.

Novelist Lisa Teasley (Dive, Heat Signature) was a member of the Writing Program’s visiting faculty during the spring of 2008.

Faculty member Steve Erickson is the author of eight novels, including Days Between Stations, The Sea Came in at Midnight, Our Ecstatic Days and most recently, Zeroville. He also is editor of Black Clock, and writes about film for Los Angeles magazine.

INSET: Janet Sarbanes is the author of the recent story collection Army of One. She is completing a novel entitled This Land: The Adventures Of The President’s Daughter.

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FACULTYSCHOOL OF CRITICAL STUDIES

Steve Ericksonnarrative fiction, popular criticism

Maggie Nelson poetry, poetics, autobiography

Janet Sarbanes narrative theory

Mady Schutzman performance studies, anthropology

Matias Viegener fiction, gender studies, cultural theory

Jon Wagnerfilm, video and television theory, critical writing

Christine Wertheim applied psychoanalysis, contemporary European art, philosophy, feminist studies

Sande Cohen Associate Program Director critical theory, philosophy, historiography

Douglas Kearney cultural criticism, African American studies

Norman M. Klein cultural criticism, urban and media history

Martín Plot Program Director political theory, American and Latin American politics and culture

James Wiltgen critical theory in the arts, Latin American arts, border politics, composite cultures

Nancy Wood historiography, photography, thesis workshop

Nancy WoodDean

Mady SchutzmanAssociate Dean

WRITING PROGRAM FACULTY

AESTHETICS AND POLITICS PROGRAM FACULTY

FACULTY

See Writing Program faculty bios online at writing.calarts.edu.

All other faculty bios are online at calarts.edu/criticalstudies/faculty.

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Martín Plot, director of the MA Aesthetics and Politics Program, introduces a panel featuring (FROM LEFT) Aesthetics and Politics Program associate director Sande Cohen, philosopher Alain Badiou, literary critic Kenneth Reinhard and composer Michael Pisaro.

The resident faculty is supplemented with noted writers, critics and artists who each spend one or more semesters at CalArts. In recent years, the visiting faculty has included:

Bruce Bauman

Dodie Bellamy

Adam Berg

Bernard Cooper

John D’Agata

Maria Irene Fornes

Sesshu Foster

Jen Hofer

Tan Lin

Steve McCaffery

Vanessa Place

Claudia Rankine

David St. John

Lisa Teasley

Luisa Valenzuela

Matthew Zapruder

VISITING FACULTY

Most members of the graduate faculty also teach Critical Studies undergraduate classes. The undergraduate faculty includes:

Bill Alschulerphysical science, science and art

Mike Bryantscience

Chandra Khansocial studies

Vicki Stevenspsychology

CRITICAL STUDIES UNDERGRADUATE FACULTY

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Essayist John D’Agata, a member of the Writing Program’s visiting faculty

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Some of the recent publications by members of the Critical Studies faculty

Teena Apeles (MFA 98) freelance writer and editor

Stacen Berg (MFA 03) art critic and curator

Jason Brown (MFA 00) multimedia artist

Andrew Choate (MFA 03) artist, DJ and critic

Ken Ehrlich (MFA 99) multimedia artist and critic

Malik Gaines (MFA 99) playwright, critic and curator

Joy Gregory (MFA 99) writer, actor, director and producer

Oliver Hall (MFA 06) music critic and novelist

Liz Hansen (MFA 00)

screenwriter and editor

Jeremy Hight (MFA 98) multimedia artist and educator

Vejea Jennings (MFA 05)

performance poet

Steve Kandell (MFA 99) playwright and journalist

Douglas Kearney (MFA 04) performance poet and educator

Soo Kim (MFA 95) artist, writer and educator

Cheryl Klein (MFA 02) novelist

Jeff Knowlton (MFA 99) multimedia artist

Brandon LaBelle (MFA 98)

sound artist and writer

Felicia Luna Lemus (MFA 00)

novelist

Christopher Okum (MFA 99)

screenwriter

Andrea Richards (MFA 99) nonfiction author and editor

John Ross (MFA 04)

screenwriter and film director

Denise Spampinato (MFA 02)

writer, curator, filmmaker and educator

Brad Spence (MFA 96) artist, curator, critic and educator

David Stromberg (MFA 05) publisher and novelist

Freyda Thomas (MFA 01) actor, playwright and translator

Mathew Timmons (MFA 05) poet and experimental novelist

Carol Treadwell (MFA 97)

novelist

Andrew Vontz (MFA 99)

journalist

Margaret Wappler (MFA 04)

journalist and novelist

Alumni of the School of Critical Studies include:

ALUMNI

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“ My mom taught high school literature—Gothic and science fiction—and fed me books by Edgar Allan Poe and Ray Bradbury very early on. Some of it was kind of macabre material for a kid, but I consumed it greedily. My imagination was nourished by these works that reached beyond the confines of reality.

“I have always been drawn to the mythical. So, it wasn’t a surprise that I ended up in New Orleans, a place I had always idealized. I lived there for five years, studying English and Latin American Literature, and immersing myself in the incredible culture of the city. Music, especially jazz, plays a vital part in my artmaking practice. My thesis was inspired by my time in New Orleans. It’s a novel that takes place before, during and after the levee breaches and flooding of the city [in the aftermath of Katrina].

“For me, the CalArts Writing Program embraces avant-garde approaches. There is more focus on the artist than on the audience, unlike in other programs. And there is a better opportunity for the artist to develop a strong, unique aesthetic. I’ve learned to look at the blank page not as a boundary. One’s work should not be bound by an 8 1/2-by-11 piece of paper or standard format of any kind. Artists should be thinking and creating beyond any perceived limitations.

“The most thrilling part of this experience has been the people that I’ve met—both the teachers and especially the student artists. It can be immensely difficult to maintain a community of artists in Los Angeles. CalArts’ community is a vibrant one that has far surpassed my expectations. Having all of these brilliant artists around you—musicians and dancers and animators—is extremely generative. Witnessing someone’s work with text and typography can make you look at your own writing in a different way. There’s an interesting symbiotic relationship that develops between your work and other people’s work. Being engaged in this atmosphere of wildly innovative artistry helps you get out of any confining habits that may be holding you back. ”

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LAURA VENA From Long Beach, California

MFA WRITING PROGRAM

THE NARRATIVE INCORPORATES MULTIPLE NARRATORS AND IS INTERRUPTED BY THE DETRITUS OF POETIC FRAGMENTS, ORIGINAL ARTWORK AND PHOTOGRAPHS, AND FOUND TEXT.

A central location for on-campus study, research and leisure, the CalArts Library holds unique collections of books, scholarly periodicals, films, videos, exhibition catalogues, photographic slides, digital images, music scores, and sound recordings. It also provides wireless network access drawing on a worldwide array of databases and other information resources.

Writing Program faculty member Maggie Nelson takes the podium at the Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater to give a presentation on her 2007 book Women, the New York School, and Other True Abstractions. This acclaimed study is the first extended consideration of the roles played by women in and around the New York School of poets and painters, dating from the 1950s to the present.

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The curriculum for each program is drawn from a mix of core seminars, elective courses, a visiting writers/scholars series, and a graduate thesis workshop. Students in the MFA Writing Program must complete a minimum of 37 semester units during four semesters in residence, while students in the MA Aesthetics and Politics Program are required to complete 30 units over the course of two semesters. In addition, both programs require the completion of a graduate thesis. Some of the elective coursework required in each curriculum may be fulfilled by classes offered by the CalArts Schools of Art, Dance, Film/Video, Music and Theater.

THE SCHOOL OF CRITICAL STUDIES

OFFERS TWO GRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAMS:

PROGRAMS

THE TWO-YEAR

WRITING PROGRAM

LEADS TO THE

MASTER OF FINE ARTS (MFA) DEGREE.

THE ONE-YEAR

AESTHETICS AND

POLITICS PROGRAM

CULMINATES WITH

THE MASTER OF ARTS (MA) DEGREE.

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The MFA Writing Program is rooted in principles of critical thought, experimentation and innovation. As an alternative to more traditional programs, it is designed for graduate students who wish to hone their writing skills while extending both their confidence and range in the vibrant, uniquely eclectic creative environment that is the hallmark of CalArts.

WRITING PROGRAMMFA

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This flexible program gives writers the opportunity to work in the areas of fiction, creative nonfiction, cultural commentary, criticism, writing for performance, poetry, and writing for interactive media.

Although the MFA Writing Program covers traditional forms of literary and scholarly writing in depth, its curriculum also focuses sharply on emerging technologies, revised approaches to genre, and recent shifts in the forms and styles of writing and reading.

SPEC IF IC A L LY, T HE PRO GR A M A IMS TO A DDRE S S NE WER H Y BRID A ND E XPERIMEN TA L FORMS T H AT CU T ACROS S OPP OSI T ION A L C AT EGORIE S L IKE “CRE AT I V E ” A ND “CR I T IC A L ,” “ F IC T ION ” A ND “ NON-F IC T ION .”

Students work closely with their faculty mentors to draw on a full range of course offerings. These include classes on fundamental writing techniques and textual strategies; specialized workshops in essay writing, criticism, new fiction, poetry, screenwriting and interactive media; advanced seminars on topics in literature, criticism and cultural studies; and independent studies tailored to the creative aims of individual students.

The program’s weekly salon, the Reading Series in Contemporary Literature, features readings, performances and talks by visiting writers, critics and theorists, as well as final thesis presentations by MFA candidates. Students in the program also present their work in off-campus readings held at the Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater (REDCAT) in downtown Los Angeles and other venues across the city.

This reading series is augmented with several symposia and discussion forums organized by the program each year, both on and off campus. As a whole, the program’s calendar of readings and public events is a key part of an ongoing effort to link CalArts students with the wider literary and artistic communities, helping to forge connections with independent publishers, literary journals, artist collectives, galleries, museums and other arts organizations.

To graduate, MFA writing students must meet all program and course requirements, successfully complete a thesis project, and pass two faculty reviews of their overall artistic progress—once at the end of the first year and again prior to graduation.

Visit writing.calarts.edu to learn more about the program and read samples of student work.

See detailed program requirements and current course listings at calarts.edu/courses.

INTERSCHOOL DEGREES

The MFA Writing Program allows for a limited number of graduate students to combine their study of writing with additional studies at one of the five other CalArts schools—Art, Dance, Film/Video, Music and Theater. Those interested in this course of study must apply separately to the Writing Program and to a second program of their choice. These applicants must set clearly defined objectives for their particular courses of study and meet the admissions requirements of both participating programs.

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Using a broad, multiperspectival approach, this intensive one-year program enables advanced artists and scholars to explore various intersections and crossovers between aesthetic and political theory.

AESTHETICS AND POLITICS PROGRAMMA

See detailed program requirements and current course listings at calarts.edu/courses.

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To apply to the MFA Writing Program or the MA Aesthetics and Politics Program, go to calarts.edu/apply.

The MA Aesthetics and Politics Program is designed especially for artists who seek to deepen the theoretical and political dimensions of their work, and for BA, BFA or MFA degree holders who wish to combine artistic practice with a scholarly career.

The program has three primary areas of focus. First, it examines what is normally understood as political art—artmaking that develops into a critical discourse in the public sphere. Second, the program addresses the reverse phenomenon: the notorious “aestheticization of politics” that so troubled critical theorists during the 20th century and now continues to attract further scrutiny.

Students exploring these burgeoning fields of study and practice are able to do so within the vibrant and highly interdisciplinary creative environment of CalArts.

Core courses include three seminars on contemporary political theory, critical theory, and critical discourse in the arts, as well as a thesis workshop. The pool of elective courses, meanwhile, allows students to concentrate on one of three fields of study: critical theory, which encompasses topics in aesthetic theory, theories of language and discourse, social and political thought, and feminist and cultural theory; global societies and politics, which covers global and postcolonial studies, comparative politics, and American studies; and critical discourse in the arts and media, in particular with regard to new and emerging forms and technologies. Students are also required to attend the Contemporary Critique Lecture Series, featuring presentations by distinguished visiting critics and theorists.To obtain the MA degree, students must fulfill all program and course requirements, successfully complete a thesis project over the summer following the second semester, and pass two faculty reviews—once at the end of the first semester and again prior to graduation.

F IN A L LY, T HE A E S T HE T IC S A ND P OL I T IC S PRO GR A M PROV IDE S A UN IQUE FORUM FOR SCHOL A R S A ND A RT IS T S IN T ERE S T ED IN T HE T Y PE OF T HEORIZ ING—CH A R AC T ERIS T IC OF CON T INEN TA L T HOUGH T—T H AT CON T E X T UA L IZE S A E S T HE T IC A ND P OL I T IC A L PHENOMEN A WI T H IN A DY N A MIC SPACE IN WHICH SO CI A L ME A NINGS A RE GENER AT ED A ND CON T E S T ED.

“ I tend away from the dictum ‘write about what you know.’ I write about what I don’t know so I can learn something about it. If I just write what I know, that’s not terribly interesting to me, and I don’t know that it’s going to be interesting to other people. Having said that, when I go back and look at some of my work, it’s obvious to me that there’s a lot of autobiographical material in it—it’s just been transformed. I’ve always been interested in consciousness and relationships, particularly the relationship between creative people and society at large—and that theme often shows up in my work.

“Most creative writing programs track their writers. You come in as a poet and you finish as a poet, and you take only poetry workshops. If you come in as a fiction writer, you take fiction writing workshops. They’re exclusive, with little or no crossover between the genres. At CalArts you have poets, fiction writers, creative nonfiction writers, playwrights, screenwriters, and performance artists who use text. All these people sit in a classroom together and workshop, and bring their own interests and expertise to the table. That’s very unusual.

“There are conflicting theories on the value of workshops for writers. Some believe they’re very dangerous, because you may get distracted or begin to second-guess your work based on the feedback you receive. Even the most intelligent comment, the most generous reading, can turn into ‘bad advice.’ But to me, one of the really incredible things—and probably what I will take away from CalArts and cherish the most—is that sense of community forged in workshops. Writers spend so much of their time working alone, and the solitude required by the work can easily become isolation.

“A writing program or a writers’ community provides a rare opportunity to have readers.

At CalArts, I’ve been very fortunate to find several good readers for my work. And I hope that I’ve been a good reader for others. There is a real sense of cooperation and caring in our group—not just at the personal level, but also about the work and about people’s development—making sure you get what you need out of this experience. We’re all really committed to that. Coming to a writing program, I had hoped to find that, but didn’t expect to find it in such abundance. And that’s been really unbelievably rewarding. ”28

IF YOU COME AWAY FROM PARTICIPATING IN SOMETHING LIKE THIS WITH ONE OR TWO REALLY GOOD READERS OF YOUR WORK, I THINK IT’S ENOUGH TO MAKE THE EXPERIENCE WORTHWHILE.

JOE MILAZZO From Dallas

MFA WRITING PROGRAM

MFA WRITING PROGRAM

E X T ENDED C A P T ION HERE A BOU T BL ACK CLO CK , L IS T ING CON T RIBU TOR S , E TC .

MFA candidate Joe Milazzo peruses issue no.7 of Black Clock, featured stories, poems and essays by, among others, Samuel R. Delany, Janet Fitch, Lynne Tillman, Geoff Nicholson, Brian Evenson—and several members of the faculty and alumni of the Writing Program. Other writers whose work has been showcased in the pages of Black Clock have included David Foster Wallace, Jonathan Lethem, Richard Powers, Joanna Scott, Rick Moody, Greil Marcus, Darcey Steinke, Joseph McElroy, Mary Caponegro and William T. Vollmann.

Visiting speaker Alain Badiou, one of France’s most important living philosophers and author of the groundbreaking treatise Being and Event, gives a talk at REDCAT on the crossroads of contemporary art and politics. INSET: Badiou on a panel with (FROM LEFT) Aesthetics and Politics Program associate director Sande Cohen, literary critic Kenneth Reinhard, and CalArts music composition faculty Michael Pisaro.

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Faculty member Christine Wertheim (TOP) leads a class on the history and legacy of Womanhouse, the groundbreaking art installation and performance organized in 1972 by Judy Chicago and Miriam Schapiro, co-founders of the CalArts Feminist Art Program.

VISITING ARTISTSAND SPEAKERS

Each year, the School of Critical Studies invites a diverse group of visiting writers, theorists and artists to come to CalArts. These guests share their experience and vision with students in lectures, class discussions, workshops and one-on-one meetings. In recent years, visitors have included:

Ammiel Alcalaywriter and poet

Will Alexanderpoet

Andrew Aratopolitical and social theorist

Alain Badiouphilosopher

Joshua Beckmanpoet

Aimee Benderwriter

Mary Caponegropoet

Anne Carsonpoet

Manuel Castellsinformation technology and urban sociologist

Michael Chabonwriter

Joseph Chaikintheater director and writer

Justin Chinwriter

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Faculty member Maggie Nelson with visiting artist Carolee Schneemann

Henri Colepoet

Wanda Colemanpoet

Victor Hernandez Cruzpoet

Trinie Daltonnovelist

Vaginal Davisperformance artist

Junot Díazwriter

Djordje Djordjevicphilosopher and human rights scholar

Samantha Dunnnovelist and editor

Chris Fishbaucheditor

Carolyn Forchépoet

Cristina Garciawriter

Amy Gerstlerpoet and art critic

Jorie Grahampoet

Lynn Hejinianpoet

Juan Felipe Herrerapoet and novelist

Christopher Hitchenscultural and political critic

Holly Hughesplaywright and performance artist

Lewis Hydewriter

Gary Indianawriter

Michael Joycehypertext writer

Heidi Julavitswriter

Marsha Kinderfilm theorist

Chris Krauswriter

Deena Larsen and geniwatehypertext writers

Ann Lauterbachpoet

Sandra Tsing Lohhumorist

M.G. Lordnonfiction writer

Mariana Luzzicultural sociologist

Elizabeth Macklinpoet and translator

Ben Marcuswriter

Bernadette Mayerpoet

Anthony McCannpoet

Stacy McGoldrickurban sociologist

Trinh T. Minh-hafilmmaker, writer and composer

Cherrie Moragaplaywright

Harryette Mullenpoet

Eileen Mylespoet

Phyllis Nagyscreenwriter

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Gustavo NoriegaLatin American film critic

Josip Novakovichnovelist

Peggy Phelanperformance theorist

Yvonne Rainerfilmmaker and choreographer

David Reeswriter, comic book artist and satirist

Kenneth Reinhardphilosopher, critical and aesthetic theorist

Martha Ronkpoet

Carolee Schneemannartist and filmmaker

Mona Simpsonwriter

Gary Snyderpoet

Lorin Steineditor

Laurie Stonewriter

Stephanie Stricklandhypertext poet

Michael Taussiganthropologist

Kirmen Uribepoet

Michael Venturawriter and journalist

Helena Maria Viramonteswriter

William T. Vollmannnovelist and nonfiction writer

Joe Wenderothpoet

Visiting speaker Christopher Hitchens

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BLACK CLOCK

The singular, idiosyncratic, even mysterious Black Clock has quickly become one of the nation’s leading literary journals since its launch in 2004. Published by CalArts in association with the MFA Writing Program and edited by faculty member Steve Erickson, Black Clock features work by some of the most prominent writers of our time, a growing roster of striking new literary voices, and the very best of what is produced within the Writing Program. Works appearing in Black Clock have been anthologized in best-of-the-year collections and nominated for O. Henry and Pushcart prizes, while two excerpted novels have gone on to win National Book Awards. See blackclock.org for more information.

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

Besides Black Clock, the Writing Program produces a number of other publications—many of which are initiated by students. The most recent is Sprawl, written, edited and produced by first-year MFA candidates. Other publications have included Trepan, a literature and arts magazine; Cargo, a bilingual English-French literary journal; and Blind Date, a collection of collaborative projects by writers and visual artists.

CENTER FOR INTEGRATED MEDIA

Integrated Media (IM) is a supplemental concentration offered by many MFA programs at CalArts—including the MFA Writing Program—and supported by the Center for Integrated Media, an institute-wide resource. Advanced writers who wish to combine their creative work with an exploration of digital and interactive technologies are invited to apply to the Writing Program and ask to be considered for the IM concentration. For more information, go to calarts.edu/cim or see the Center for Integrated Media brochure.

GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS

The Writing Program and the Aesthetics and Politics Program offer a slate of paid academic and non-academic graduate assistantships to qualified students. Teaching assistants gain valuable experience by helping faculty in undergraduate Critical Studies classes, including designing and leading weekly writing workshops. Other positions involve the grading of undergraduate writing assignments, coordinating the school’s visiting writers series, and providing computer lab assistance. Also available are Black Clock internships, which give students hands-on experience in magazine publishing and editorial work.

SPECIALRESOURCES

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COMMUNITY ARTS PARTNERSHIP

CalArts’ Community Arts Partnership works with community arts centers and public schools throughout Los Angeles County to provide free college-level instruction in the arts to middle and high school students.

Many Writing Program students have taught CAP workshops and classes, and helped to produce CAP publications. CAP allows CalArts students to share their knowledge and abilities with teenagers, work directly with faculty artists to create innovative pedagogical approaches, and test and refine ideas about interdisciplinary art practice. More than that, CalArts students involved in CAP gain valuable life, teaching and artmaking experience, and benefit from real-world engagement with diverse local communities.

ROY AND EDNA DISNEY/CALARTS THEATER (REDCAT)

REDCAT is CalArts’ downtown Los Angeles center for the presentation of innovative visual, performing, media and literary arts. Housed inside the iconic Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall complex, this unique venue allows CalArts students to experience a wide range of experimental work by a mix of emerging artists and internationally renowned practitioners. REDCAT hosts an annual showcase of work by graduating MFA writing students, as well as other readings, lectures, performances and symposia presented by the Writing Program and the Aesthetics and Politics Program. Many of the writers, poets and critics who appear at REDCAT also come to the CalArts campus as visiting artists.

FACILITIES BUTLER BUILDING

This facility hosts many of the seminars and workshops offered by the Writing Program and the Aesthetics and Politics Program. It features the School of Critical Studies’ dedicated computer lab, which is equipped with PCs and Macintosh computers; hardware for data storage, laser and color printing, scanning, digital photography, CD-ROM authoring, audio and video editing; and an extensive array of software. The Butler Building also is the standing venue for the Writing Program’s weekly Wednesday night presentations, and houses The Cube, the school’s dedicated gallery and performance space.

CALARTS MAIN BUILDING

This sprawling five-level building houses numerous classes and the administrative and faculty offices of the School of Critical Studies and the editorial offices of Black Clock. It is also home to the CalArts Library, which holds a sizable and unique collection of books, exhibition catalogues, music scores, sound recordings, periodicals, slides, software, films and videos.

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Writing Program MFA candidates Katie Guthrie (LEFT) and Dan Baker-Jud (FAR RIGHT) work with Community Arts Partnership (CAP) students as part of a creative writing class held at the William S. Hart High School, just a few miles away from the CalArts campus.

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APPLICATIONS

To apply to the CalArts School of Critical Studies, go to calarts.edu/apply.

All application and portfolio instructions are listed on the CalArts application web page.

Zane Timmesch-Gill and Andrea Lambert of the Writing Program read selections from their recent work at the program’s weekly salon—the Reading Series in Contemporary Literature held on Wednesday nights.

The MFA Writing Program each year holds a series of showcase readings at off-campus venues to introduce the work of its graduating class to wider Los Angeles audiences. These venues range from the Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater (REDCAT) to galleries and bookstores. FROM LEFT: Anne-Marie Jetter, Ian McCarty, Writing Program coordinator Mathew Timmons (CalArts MFA 05), and Sara Finnerty at a 2007–08 showcase reading at Skylight Books