2026 MFA Winter Reading Series

HANNAH GREWE
PHOTOGRAPHER

JACK JONES
STAFF WRITER

1/26/2026

This past month, Ballyhoo Books and Brew was host to readings by local Alma College Faculty, Students of the Masters of Fine Arts program and guest writers from across the country. These readings allowed the MFA students and the Alma public to experience works created by a variety of authors on many subjects, as well as allowed students to share their own work with their peers and the Alma Community.

The reading included Alma College MFA Faculty such as Professor Donald Quist, author of story collection “For Other Ghosts” who read on his experiences and feelings surrounding Martin Luther King Jr. As well as Professor Robert Vivian, who has written many books, most recently a collection called “All I Feel Is Rivers” and read some short works about nature and the maybes of the world.

The Director of the MFA program, Professor Sophronia Scott, also read some of her own work, specifically an excerpt from her current book project, she while directing and helping build it up from the ground has also published prolifically, most recently her novel “Wild Beautiful and Free.”

The reading also included guest writers such as David Hicks, who read from his most recent novel “The Gospel According to Danny” about the effects of American politics on working-class citizens, as well as Amanda Uhle, who read from her memoir “Destroy this house.”

These readings were a part of a residency for students of the Alma College Master of Fine Arts program in creative writing. The program teaches its students in modern writing and reading techniques, all while being a Low-residency program. Meaning that for the most part, the students are working online off campus with one of the MFA faculty, often while working full-time and raising families.

​Students work to develop collections of their writing with their assigned MFA Faculty before they visit Alma for a residency, which is a week of activities such as the readings at Ballyhoo, allowing them to share their works, see what others have done and connect with the other students and the faculty of the program.

The Alma College MFA program is the only low-residency creative writing program in the state, and is one of the few in the larger Midwest.

But this is not the program’s only appeal; many of the students felt that the program fostered a sense of community and support among themselves and the faculty with which they partnered. The community that the program developed is a large draw, and for many of the students was the reason they chose and have had a good experience with the program. 

“[It was like] throwing a pebble into a pond and watching the ripple effect,” said Scott about the community growth. 

The MFA program is a relatively new addition to Alma College, beginning in 2020, and largely encouraged by former Alma College President Jeff Abernathy. Professor Scott was brought on to direct the program. It was also Alma College’s first and only master’s level program before being joined by the Special Education program in 2023.

Since its inception, the readings at residency have been a part of the program, as has its partnership with local Alma business Ballyhoo Books and Brew. The two began around the same time, and with the addition of the brew section of the business has allowed the readings to move there as well, allowing a broader connection with the Alma local community.