Written Arts conceives of writing as a practice, an energetic private enactment of public language.
Photo by Scott Barrow
About the Program
The Written Arts Program is staffed by distinguished writers of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction who emphasize both innovative, experimental work and work that foregrounds the conventions of writing. Intellectual stress is placed on literary theory and history, making students aware of conscious and unconscious influences on their writing. Writing seminars in genres such as fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and translation are offered every semester at several levels.
Program Requirements
Students hoping to moderate into Written Arts are required to take five courses in the Division of Languages and Literature prior to Moderation. A portfolio of original writing in the genre in which the student anticipates composing the Senior Project must be submitted, along with a revised version of an analytical paper composed in a past or present literature course. Students must have excelled in their Written Arts courses in order to successfully moderate into the program. All students moderating into Written Arts are strongly encouraged to study a foreign language.
Does the Written Arts Program encourage a particular kind of writing?
We expect that students who pursue a written arts major at Bard will continually challenge their own proclivities and levels of comfort with regard to the form, style, content, and language of their work—that they will take risks and will not be wedded to the habitual.
Can I double-major in written arts and a subject other than literature?
Because Bard demands that students draw widely from all disciplines, it is perfectly reasonable that in certain cases students may elect to concentrate in more than one field. However, since the College requires every student to complete a Senior Project, the demands of carrying a double major are more strenuous than at other institutions. We strongly encourage students to take the Senior Project as an opportunity to go deeply into one idea, one medium, one field of reference. Sometimes doing two Senior Projects may result in a diluted version of each. On the other hand, there are exceptions: certain highly motivated and high-achieving students have successfully undertaken two separate projects—but be advised that this would entail a senior year devoted almost exclusively to independent work.
Even if you are not a Written Arts major, you can still take as many workshops as you can place into; conversely, many other programs also allow unofficial concentrations.
I’m a transfer student. What do I need to know about the written arts major and workshops?
Creative work samples are not required for students intending to transfer to Bard. The program makes every effort to place transfers who plan to moderate in written arts into workshops within their first two semesters at Bard. However, placement is not guaranteed, and a transfer student should not assume immediate entry into a workshop.
Students who transfer to Bard and hope to major in written arts are responsible for fulfilling all the standard Moderation requirements. In rare cases, courses taken at your prior institution may be permitted to substitute for these. However, workshops taken elsewhere cannot be counted as official substitutes. Given that a transfer student must follow an accelerated track toward the Senior Project, the quality of your creative work must already be demonstrably high at the time of your acceptance to Bard if you wish to pursue a written arts major.
What kind of job can I get after I graduate with a degree in written arts?
Our graduates have found themselves in the following fields: publishing (editorial work, literary agencies, etc.), journalism, the nonprofit sector, education, marketing, library sciences, business administration, the law, and so on. Many go on to study writing at the graduate level (for example, by pursuing an MFA). Visit our Resources page for tools to help you prepare for life after Bard.Resources
Connect with Bard Written Arts
Written Arts Program Shafer House 9 Cedar Hill Road Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504
Most but not all Written Arts faculty have their offices in Shafer House. To contact a member of the faculty, you may search the Bard directory. For current and prospective students with questions about Written Arts, we strongly recommend that you review the information on this website as the first step in learning more about the program. All questions not answered here may be addressed to:
Megan Brien ’19 | Program Coordinator [email protected] | 845-758-7806
