The Words: March 2026

Masthead for the Words with old picture of Old Main.

Professors Aurora Masum-Javed and Cody Klippenstein's headshots, side-by-side

by Jizelle Villegas ’26

Catching up with Cody and Aurora

The Words is excited to welcome back Professors Cody Klippenstein and Aurora Masum-Javed to the English and Creative Writing department after taking some time to do some exciting things!

Alums sitting in Old Main 4 for the panel

By Rabi Michael-Crushshon ’26

Advice from Alumni: Annual Alumni Panel Coffee House

Starting March off strong, the first Coffee House of the month drew students to the Old Main 4th-floor lounge to hear from English and Creative Writing Department alums. Birdie Keller ’25, Becca Lewis ’21, and Miriam Moore-Keish ’19 all attended in person, and Sam Hopkins ’24 zoomed in.

Macbeth actor standing over a body on stage at the Guthrie

by Daniel Graham ’26

Macbeth at the Guthrie with Prof. Matt Burgess and Co

As spring’s early arrival brought sunlight to the Twin Cities, Professor Matt Burgess decided to cast some darkness on his International Storytelling class. On Saturday, March 7th, Prof. Burgess’s class took a trip to downtown Minneapolis to see a matinee showing of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth at the Guthrie Theater.

Professor Michael Prior posing with poet Hai-Dang Phan

By Sarah Tachau ’27

Poet and Essayist Hai-Dang Phan Talks Birds, Migration, and Poetic Returns to Lineage

On a mid-March afternoon, English and Creative Writing students and staff packed into the sun-soaked Harmon Room to hear the naturalistic, billowy poems and prose of visiting author and translator, Hai-Dang Phan.

By Callisto Martinez ’26

Ollie Schminkey ’16 talks poetry and community in “Land of 10,000 Lakes”

For Mac alum and slam poet Ollie Schminkey ’16, a poem’s purpose stretches beyond the page. Author of two poetry collections, Dead Dad Jokes (2021) and Where I Dry The Flowers (2024), Schminkey’s poetry intricately draws out political and social issues within personal relationships. During their time at Macalester, Schminkey was a member of the MacSlams competitive slam poetry team. Some of their poems from tournaments have accrued over 100,000 views on YouTube.

By Rabi Michael-Crushshon ’26

Acts of Memory Screening and Filmmaker Q&A

8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2… Macalester students and professors gathered in the Harmon room and watched the clock count down at the beginning of Mairéad McClean’s 28-minute film, Acts of Memory.

By Lucy Flack ’27

Professor Cody Klippenstein Discusses Debut Novel with Creative Writing Club

When I saw that Visiting Assistant Professor Cody Klippenstein was hosting a talk with Macalester’s Creative Writing Club on the ins and outs of writing fantasy and her debut novel, I couldn’t have been more delighted. Prof. Klippenstein was my instructor for Introduction to Creative Writing and has since become one of the friendliest faces in the department for me. Her and I often get lost on our own fantastical tangents discussing craft, and so ahead of the talk, I was greatly looking forward to hearing about her own process of craft and a bit about her new novel.

Backstage perspective of A Romeo and Juliet Experience shows a screen with sound cues while three actors move around the stage.

by Peyton Williamson ’27

Words in the Wild: A Romeo + Juliet Experience with the English and Creative Writing Department

After the success of a completely sold-out two-weekend run of A Romeo & Juliet Experience, The Words sat down to discuss it with English and Creative Writing major Asher Younger ’27, who was the sound designer for the play, directed by Randy Reyes.