University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe
Our mission is to prepare writers for a lifetime of work as they engage with their communities and the global dialogue. We equip students to contribute meaningfully to the literary arts, nurturing them from line and sentence to essay, story, poetry collection, or novel. Each January and August, writers gather on our Lake Tahoe campus, where the surrounding natural beauty becomes a catalyst for literary exploration that dovetails with the environmental stewardship and research efforts across the Tahoe Basin. We position creativity itself in conversation with Lake Tahoe's natural and cultural landscape. Through intensive mentorship, rigorous study, and a commitment to writing that engages both personally and socially, our program fosters serious literary work across genres, including Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry, and Writing for Children and Young Adults. We also collaborate with acclaimed visiting writers to explore the wide landscape of artistic expression. Through invaluable one-on-one mentorships, our Writers in the Woods series of readings and workshops, and our student-run Sierra Review online literary magazine, we build connections that amplify our writers' unique voices.
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John Bonanni
Hannah Harlee
Rebecca EvansTestimonials
“The low-residency program at UNR-Lake Tahoe created the perfect environment, fused with a sense of belonging and serious study, which freed me as an artist. Throughout both of my MFA degrees (in creative nonfiction and in poetry) from UNR-Lake Tahoe, I found myself challenged and supported. The faculty, my mentors, and my peers stretched me, helping me discover altering perspectives and fresh approaches to craft. Ultimately, helping me find my voice. Find myself. The low-residency model offered the opportunity to "practice" life as a writer in real time as I honed my skills. I learned to balance work and home obligations while developing daily habits that would linger and last long after graduation. Because of the faculty, the family-feel, and the mentor-model, I was able to publish two books within a year and half of graduation. The first book, an anthology, which I co-edited with MFA peers, and the second, a full-length poetry collection that doubles as a memoir in verse. I feel this program has taught me not just the craft of writing, but how to live fully and generously as a writer in the world today.”
Rebecca Evans
“My low-residency MFA at Lake Tahoe was a life-changer. With my mentors I was able to take my writing to a level which I didn't even know existed; they taught me the craft and, what's even more important, to be bold and believe in myself. Their support and generosity turned me into the mentor I'd always wanted to be and I keep bringing that spirit to my students here in Germany. The time I spent at Lake Tahoe with those amazing poets and writers was pure bliss, but I also felt connected when I worked from home, thousands of miles away.”
Jesse Falzoi
“I arrived at the campus in Incline Village an aspiring writer. I left with an MFA, honed craft skills, lifelong friends (both peers and faculty), and a better understanding of myself and what I could offer the world as a writer. Within a year, I landed an agent, and I'm currently preparing for my book launch and tour—which would not be part of my reality without the low-residency UNR-Lake Tahoe MFA program. If you want a supportive, but still rigorous, MFA experience with a unique final semester working with an editor, look no further. Oh, and the whole majestic-forest-lake-setting thing makes you write better.”
Claire Frank
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