Faculty News

Murphy Helps Establish Creative Retreat for BIPOC Writers

Dean of the College and Director of the MFA in Public Action Brian Michael Murphy is a founding board member of Outpost, a residency for creative writers of color from the United States and Latin America.

outpost logo

Founded by author Ricardo Wilson, Outpost will award two writers competitive travel and living stipends to spend a month cultivating a generative writing community in the mountains of Southern Vermont. In addition to the time spent in residence, Outpost Fellows will engage in organized interactions with the community of local universities and bookstores, allowing space to share their work and expand their networks. Outpost will welcome its first cohort in September 2022.

Murphy assisted Wilson in the strategic development of the program—from the application and selection process to the long-term vision of supporting extraordinary artists from marginalized communities. 

“Working with Ricardo on this project has been a dream, and we’re very excited about the stellar fellows who will be here in the fall,” said Murphy. “This is such a beautiful, peaceful, vibrant place to create, and it really is a gift to be able to invite others to experience it.”