Lesley University and the Zachary Shuster Harmsworth (ZSH) literary agency will collaborate on a new effort that will allow students graduating from the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program in the fiction and nonfiction genres to submit a thesis sample to the influential agency.
“This new partnership is evidence of the program’s deep commitment
to each and every student’s growth as a writer and as a literary citizen,”
says Hester Kaplan (right), acting director of the MFA in Creative Writing.
“This partnership guarantees a wonderful opportunity for many of our graduating students to receive an immediate read and advice on the publishing strategy of their work, as well as the chance to forge meaningful professional relationships with a major agency,” says Hester Kaplan, acting director of the MFA program.
This exciting relationship was conceived by creative writing faculty Michael Lowenthal and Pamela Petro, to bring fresh new writers to the attention of ZSH, while also familiarizing Lesley students with the process of being represented by an agent.
“We’re thrilled to make this connection on behalf of our graduates, which we see as a natural extension of our work as mentors,” says Lowenthal, whose novels include "Charity Girl," A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice, and “The Paternity Test,” a Lambda Literary Award finalist. “And there’s no better agency we could imagine working with than ZSH.”
Zachary Shuster Harmsworth is a full-service literary agency with a reputation for working with high quality authors who create deeply intelligent, beautifully crafted works intended for a wide audience.
Students in the MFA program attend a nine-day residency on
campus twice a year (pictured). Between residencies, students
work one-on-one with faculty mentors.
“Zachary Shuster Harmsworth is delighted to be able to encourage the talent coming out of the Lesley MFA program through this partnership,” says agency partner Esmond Harmsworth.
The MFA in Creative Writing program is ranked among the top low-residency MFA creative writing programs in the country, offering students a rich interdisciplinary experience and the opportunity to study with award-winning professional faculty.
“One of the hallmarks of our program is the extraordinary mentor-student relationship,” says Kaplan, whose recent books include “The Tell,” a novel, and the story collection, “Unravished.” “This new partnership is evidence of the program’s deep commitment to each and every student’s growth as a writer and as a literary citizen.”