Meghan Kenny, a graduate of the Boise State University MFA program in Creative Writing, has published her debut novel, The Driest Season, with the publishing house W.W. Norton. Set in Wisconsin during World War II, the book tells the story of fifteen-year- old Cielle, who is enduring a personal calamity while a war wages elsewhere. On a summer afternoon, she finds her father hanging in the barn – and a dark secret begins to unravel, threatening her family’s livelihood.
Kirkus gave The Driest Season a starred review, calling it, “[An] impressive debut novel…Kenny’s thoughtful, finely crafted work is an eloquent reminder that the breadth of a world matters less than the depth of a character.” Elliot Holt, author of the novel You Are One of Them, writes that the book is, “An elegant coming-of- age story that brings real heart to the American heartland. The book may be set during World War II, but the questions it asks―about love, loyalty, and the meaning of life―are timeless ones.”
Kenny received her BA in English and creative writing from Kenyon College, and her MFA in fiction from Boise State University. She was a member of the first graduating class of the MFA program. She currently teaches at Lancaster Country Day School in Pennsylvania, and will be teaching a Contemporary American Writers course at Johns Hopkins University’s MA in Writing Program in the fall of 2018.
Her stories have appeared in literary journals including The Gettysburg Review, Cincinnati Review, Hobart, and The Kenyon Review. She was awarded the 2005 Iowa Review Award for her story, “The Driest Season,” which was a Pushcart Prize Special Mention, and her story ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ won second place in Glimmer Train’s 2012 Fiction Open. Her short story collection, Love Is No Small Thing, was published by LSU Press.
The MFA Program in Creative Writing at Boise State University offers degree tracks in fiction and poetry, emphasizing the art and craft of literary writing and concentrating on the student’s written work. Two of the MFA’s publishing entities—The Idaho Review and Ahsahta Press—are widely regarded as leading national publications that consistently feature the top writers in the country.
Vice President of Research Mark Rudin has labeled the MFA in Creative Writing a top five research strength at Boise State. The program runs out of the Department of Theatre Arts, and each year brings distinguished writers to campus through its reading series and its Visiting Distinguished Writer professorship. Past Visiting Distinguished Writers include Joy Williams, Denis Johnson, and Pierre Joris.
Learn more on the Theatre, Film, and Creative Writing website.