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Creative Writing MFA Student Spotlight: Jenna Gundersen

Creative Writing MFA Student Spotlight: Jenna Gundersen

May 20, 2024
A blue background with yellow headers around the text. The Drexel University logo is at the bottom. The headings are in yellow and the regular text is in white. A photo of Jenna Gunderson is on the left. She is at an outdoor restaurant, smiling in blue overalls and a black-and-white striped sleeveless top. Her brunette hair is in a ponytail. The text reads, “What is your proudest writing moment? ‘I spent a month in the foothills of the Himalayas, where I co-taught a workshop for preteens on myth and folklore. Once, after class, a student ran up to me and whispered, “You’re a storyteller!” That’s stayed with me.’ What excites you about Drexel’s MFA program? ‘Nomi Eve goes above and beyond to craft a program that is relevant to each cohort and grows with the students. As someone who works in education, I know it can be tempting to repeat what’s worked in the past, but Nomi, the faculty, and Drexel administrators aren’t doing that. They are creating an ever-morphing path of study and opportunity.’ What advice would you give writers? ‘Jennifer Finney Boylan was my creative writing thesis advisor in undergrad. During a workshop she said, “In fiction and in life, we want a Beethoven ending.” I take this to mean we crave stories that propel us forward in perpetuum—tricking us with sweet relief when we realize we’re not yet at the end.’”
The same background and style as the first. The Drexel University logo is at the bottom. A photo of Jenna is on the right, she is smiling outside around flowers and is wearing a navy blue Colby College quarter-zip hoodie. In the bottom left is a selfie of Jenna, wearing a black tank top and sunglasses on her head, smiling outside around flowers, with her dog looking up at her. The text reads, “What sparks your interest in writing? ‘Reading, hands down! As a kid, fantasy/adventure novels were the gateway, or magical wardrobe as it were. I especially loved the Harry Potter and Redwall series. There’s nothing like escaping into another realm when a hidden part of you believes it could be more than fiction.’ Quick Facts: Has a partner-in-crime who is a feisty, charming rescue dog named Bodhi Recently left Los Angeles, her home of the past ten years, to put down roots on the East Coast Works as an administrator at a school for pre-college classical musicians Listens to all types of music, but nothing brings her nostalgia like 2000s pop Practices yoga daily Is currently working on a collection of short stories”
2023-2024 Spotlights, MFA Student Spotlights

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