Poetry & Prose in the Heart of South Street
South Street’s Tattooed Mom set the stage for an unforgettable evening as Rutgers–Camden Creative Writing MFA students filled the art-covered bar with their voices and stories. The beloved Philadelphia venue—famous for its graffiti-covered walls, mismatched décor, and welcoming atmosphere—proved an ideal backdrop for a night of Poetry & Prose.
The lineup featured:
- Tembisa Aborn — Writer whose work contributes to the program’s wide-ranging voices.
- Duboree Das — Assamese writer and filmmaker focusing on violence within systems of inequality; her work has appeared in Isele and her short films have toured festivals worldwide.
- Bronwen Everill — fiction writer exploring migration, family, and intercultural misunderstanding with surrealist humor and eerie undertones; also a historian published in Foreign Policy and Smithsonian Magazine.
- Dani Guerrero — fiction writer formerly based in Miami whose work explores intergenerational trauma, environmentalism, and diasporic stories rooted in Florida and the Caribbean.
- Leah Pellegrini — essayist writing on chronic illness, queerness, and the body’s resistance to cultural myths, with publications in Human Parts, The Fold Magazine, and more.
- Kat Echevarría Richter — writer whose work examines matrescence, Puerto Rican identity, and American historiographies, often with humor; her writing has appeared in Glamour and Apiary.
- Eryn Sunnolia — Philly-based writer of fiction and nonfiction whose work explores transformation, desire, and vulnerability, with credits in Electric Literature and HuffPost.
- Doris Zheku — Writer adding her voice to the evening’s diverse program.
The night underscored the breadth of talent in the Rutgers–Camden MFA program and the strong connections between emerging writers and Philadelphia’s cultural scene.
Related to this Story:
Rutgers–Camden’s MFA: A Multi-Genre Journey in Creative Writing
The Rutgers University–Camden Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing is a 39-credit terminal degree that fosters a multi-genre approach, encouraging exploration across fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Students engage in small, personalized workshops and craft classes led by distinguished, award-winning faculty, including recipients of the Pulitzer Prize and Guggenheim Fellowship. The program offers full financial support to all full-time incoming students, encompassing tuition remission and a living stipend. Situated just minutes from Philadelphia, the campus nurtures a vibrant literary community centered around the historic Writers House on Cooper Street. Additionally, students have opportunities to interact with nationally acclaimed visiting authors through the NEA-supported Writers in Camden series and can participate in international experiences across Europe, Asia, or South America.
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