Assistant Professor of English, Creative Writing (Poetry)

Kalamazoo College invites poets to apply for a tenure-track position in creative writing to begin September 2022. Curricular contributions will include a multi-genre introduction to creative writing (poetry, creative nonfiction, fiction) and intermediate and advanced workshops in poetry, with flexibility for shaping introductory through advanced courses around the candidate’s areas of specialization, including courses that would serve the College’s Shared Passages (first year, sophomore, and senior) Seminar program. In keeping with our students’ strong interests in issues of power and identity, structural inequality and social justice, we’re especially interested in candidates whose work respects/engages in the intersection of poetics and politics. An ideal candidate will be able to teach courses that develop the creative writing skills and personal voices of students as well as to help students examine the personal and cultural contexts in which writing emerges. The teaching load is six courses per year (two per term). The person who holds this position will also be expected to advise students and supervise senior projects.  The successful candidate will demonstrate a high aptitude for and interest in undergraduate teaching, a commitment to the liberal arts, and the ability to establish an ongoing record of poetry publications. MFA or PhD (or evidence it will be completed by September 1, 2022) required. Salary is competitive and consistent with level of experience.

Kalamazoo College is a highly selective liberal arts college offering an integrated undergraduate experience that weaves a traditional liberal arts curriculum into educational experiences and civic engagement in both domestic and international settings. As such, it attracts students from diverse backgrounds interested in social justice and activism. The College is a member of the Posse Program and home to the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership.  It is located in Kalamazoo, MI, a diverse and vibrant city in western Michigan and home of the first nationwide city-based college tuition remission program, the Kalamazoo Promise.  Sitting half way between Detroit and Chicago, the city has its own lively arts scene and is home to many art studios, a local teen poetry collective focused on social justice, and the annual Kalamazoo Poetry Festival.  Kalamazoo is also home to a large research university that shares many of its resources with members of the Kalamazoo College community. Thirty-five miles from the beautiful beaches and coastal towns of Lake Michigan, the area also offers many opportunities for outdoor activities. For more information about the College, see our home page at www.kzoo.edu and departmental homepage at www.english.kzoo.edu.

Completed applications received by October 11, 2021 will receive full consideration, with later applications reviewed as needed until the position is filled. Please electronically submit via www.kzoo.edu/search/english the following information in pdf format: cover letter, curriculum vitae, a statement on equity and inclusion as it relates to teaching, creative work, and/or community engagement, and a 1-2 page statement of teaching philosophy.  This statement should include a discussion of how the candidate meets the requirements expressed in the call in their course design and classroom practices. Prior to Zoom interviews, three letters of recommendation, graduate transcripts (unofficial acceptable), and a 10-page writing sample will be requested of a short list of candidates, and preliminary interviews will be conducted via Zoom in late November.

Kalamazoo College encourages candidates who will contribute to the cultural diversity of the College to apply and to identify themselves if they wish.  Equal Opportunity Employer.


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