Details
Writer-in-Residence and Guest Lecturers
A distinguished writer or other artist is in residence for part of each term. In Summer 2012 our writer-in-residence will be Nancy Willard, Newbery Award winning author of A Visit to William Blake’s Inn. She is also the other of numerous other books for children, including Pish-Posh Said Hieronymus Bosch, the Sorcerer’s Apprentice, The Tale I Told Sasha, and The Moon and Riddles Diner, as well as essays including The Left-Handed Story: Writing and The Writer’s Life, and novels and poetry for adults. Her latest book for children is A Starlit Snowfall. She will visit creative writing workshops and also meet individually with students.
In 2011 our writer-in-residence was Ellen Kushner, winner of the World Fantasy Award and the Mythopoeic Award for her novel Thomas the Rhymer. She is also the author of Swordspoint, The Fall of the Kings (with Delia Sherman) and The Privilege of the Sword, and for young children, The Golden Dreydl. Her most recent work, co-edited with Holly Black, is the new YA anthology Welcome to Bordertown.
Lecture Series
Recent lecturers have included such scholars and writers
as:
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Leonard Marcus, author of Minders of Make-Believe and the Margaret Wise Brown biography Awakened by the Moon. |
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Diane Muldrow, editorial director of Golden Books at Random House. |
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Philip Nel, author of The Annotated Cat: Under the Hats of Seuss and His Cats and Dr. Seuss: American Icon. |
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Maria Nikolajeva, author of The Aesthetic Approach to Children’s Literature; The Rhetoric of Character in Children’s Literature, and From Mythic to Linear: Time in Children’s Literature. |
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Perry Nodelman, author of Words About Pictures and The Pleasures of Children’s Literature. |
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Delia Sherman, winner of the Mythopoeic Award for The Porcelain Dove. |
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Maria Tatar, author of Enchanted Hunters: The Power of Stories in Childhood; The Hard Facts of the Grimms’ Fairy Tales; and Off With Their Heads: Fairy Tales and the Culture of Childhood. |
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Nancy Willard, poet, novelist and Newbery medal winner for A Visit to William Blake’s Inn. |
Francelia Butler Conference
Each year students participate in the Francelia Butler
Conference on Children's Literature, named for the founding
editor of the journal Children's Literature, now
edited at Hollins. The Butler Conference is entirely
student-run, presenting the best critical and creative
work of the summer, chosen by a student conference committee.
A highlight is the presentation of the Shirley Henn Awards
for creative achievement and critical scholarship.
Fees and Financial Aid
 Tuition for the 2012 summer term is $705 per credit hour. Hollins may offer partial tuition remission to certain qualified students, and student loans are also available. To apply, applicants should indicate their financial need on the application for admission. There is also a $40 nonrefundable processing fee.
New students must pay a nonrefundable deposit of $400 by
March 1. If a new student is accepted after March 1, this $400 deposit will
be required within two weeks of their acceptance. Returning students must pay
a nonrefundable deposit of $200 by May 15. All deposits will be credited toward
summer tuition charges.
Photo: There are plenty of opportunities for social
events with students and faculty.
New! The Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Scholarship is a yearly competitive award that carries a $1,000 scholarship and a reading by an editor from one of HMH’s three hardcover imprints: Houghton Mifflin, Harcourt, or Clarion. Learn more >>
Housing
Housing is available for 2012 in student apartments (private bedroom with shared living room, kitchen, and bath) or in dormitory rooms (communal kitchen and one bath per hall). The cost is $975 for the six-week term.
Degree Requirements
Forty-eight credits are required for the M.F.A. degree. Each student will undertake ten 4-credit courses and a thesis (8 credits). Four of the courses undertaken must be literature courses, which include writing critical papers. The thesis offered for the degree will consist of a booklength original work in poetry, fiction, or drama for children.
Forty credits are required for the M.A. degree. Each student will undertake eight 4-credit courses and a thesis (8 credits). Students must demonstrate proficiency in reading a foreign language. At least half of the courses undertaken must be literature courses, which include writing critical papers. The thesis offered for the degree may consist of an original work in poetry, fiction, or drama for children, or an extended critical essay.
Independent Study
A student may complete up to eight Hollins credits
in independent study and/or eight online credits outside
the summer terms. At least 16 credits must be completed
on campus.
Recent Graduates' Thesis Projects
M.F.A. students present a full-length work of literature for children as their final project. M.A. students may present a creative work or a work of scholarly exploration. Here are the thesis projects of our most recent graduates.
Library
Books and papers of poet William Jay Smith and children’s
editor Barbara Lucas are recent additions to the notable
collection of children’s books donated by Francelia
Butler, former editor-in-chief of Children’s
Literature, the field’s leading scholarly journal.
In 1992, Butler moved the editorship to Hollins in recognition
of Hollins’ longtime commitment to the writing and
study of children’s literature and the reputation
of the Hollins program in English and creative writing.
The library also possesses many original papers and manuscripts
of Margaret Wise Brown.
FAQs
Q: Do I need to send my GRE scores?
A: GRE scores are not required, but may be submitted.
Q: I didn't see a letter of recommendation form. Did
I miss it?
A: We do not have a form for letters of recommendation.
Just have your referees write a letter.
Q: I need financial aid. How do I apply for it?
A: We offer student loans and some need-based grants.
To apply, complete the FAFSA (Free Application for
Federal Student Aid), found online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov.
Wait a few weeks for the paperwork to clear, and then
contact our Office of Scholarships and Financial Assistance
at (540) 362-6332 or sfa@hollins.edu to follow-up on
the paperwork.
Q: What kind of writing sample do I need to send?
A: If you are an M.F.A. applicant, send 10-20 pages of
your best creative work.
A: If you are an M.A. applicant, send 10-20 pages of
your best creative or scholarly work:
- Poetry
- Fiction
- Creative non-fiction
- Scholarly essay
- Or an amalgam thereof (not to exceed 30 pages total)
Checklist of Items to be Submitted:
- Application for Admission
- Nonrefundable processing fee
- Statement of purpose
- Writing sample
- Three letters of recommendation
- Transcripts of all undergraduate work
- Transcripts of any graduate work
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