About
The Full Story
Vanessa Saunders
Curriculum Vitae
814 Homedale Street
New Orleans, 70124
(415) 686-6174
Department of English
Loyola University
318 Bobet Hall
New Orleans, LA 70118
EDUCATION
Louisiana State University
M.F.A. in Hybrid, May 2018
Dissertation: “The Flat Woman”
Committee: Lara Glenum (chair), Laura Mullen, Chris Rovee, Chris Barrett
University of East Anglia
Literature and Creative Writing, September 2011-January 2013
Poetry Dissertation
Distinction: 77
Chair: George Szirtes
San Francisco State University
B.A. in Creative Writing, January 2013
Minor in Social Science
EMPLOYMENT
Professor of Practice, Loyola University New Orleans, summer 2022 to present
Adjunct Instructor, Loyola University New Orleans, fall 2018 to summer 2022
BOOKS
The Flat Woman forthcoming from Fiction Collective 2 (FC2), an imprint of University of Alabama Press in fall 2024
AWARDS/HONORS
The Flat Woman won FC2’s Ronald Sukenick Innovative Fiction Prize in April 2023
Awarded the Laborde Faculty Fellowship for “The Flat Woman” from the English faculty of Loyola University New Orleans, Summer 2023
Excerpt of novel “Invisible Illnesses,” was a semifinalist for “Baltic Writing Residency: London” in fiction for the January 2022
Excerpt of novel “Invisible Illnesses” was awarded the Denis Grot scholarship at Chateau Orquevaux writing residency in France, May 2023 (declined)
Manuscript “The Flat Woman” was a finalist for the Seneca Review’s 2020 Deborah Tall Lyric Essay Book Prize
Manuscript “The Flat Woman” was longlisted for the Tarpaulin Sky Press 2019 Book Award
“You came all” was nominated by Sycamore Review for a 2020 Pushcart Prize
“A GASOLINE WIND BLOWS...” was nominated by A Velvet Giant for a 2019 Best of the Net Fiction Award
PUBLICATIONS
Fiction
“Excerpt from Hybrid Novella,” published in Western Humanities Review, August 2023
“Excerpt from Hybrid Novella” published in Los Angeles Review, November 2021
“IN THE BANQUET ROOM…” published in Passages North, February 2021
“THE WOMAN GETS HOME BREATHLESS...” published in Passages North, Feburary 2021
“IN HIGH PLAINS COLA HOTEL…” February in Passages North, winter 2021
“Marlene” published in EXIT, May 2013
Hybrid
“THE GIRL SITS IN…,” published in The Seneca Review, spring 2021
“THAT EVENING, HIDING….” published in The Seneca Review, spring 2021
“THE GIRL IS SEVENTEEN….” published in The Seneca Review, spring 2021
“TWO NIGHTS LATER….” published in The Seneca Review, spring 2021
“THE MAN TEXTS…” published in The Seneca Review, spring 2021
“A GASOLINE WIND BLOWS…” published in A Velvet Giant, October 2019
Poetry
“You got railed” published in Sycamore Review, June 2020
“You came all” published in Sycamore Review, June 2020
“THE WOMAN WALKS…” published in PANK, April 2020
“Are you an environmental activist: a prospective questionnaire” published in PANK, April 2020
“Cola does not have a perennial relationship with violence…” published in PANK, April 2020
“Government advice on curing a cola addiction” published in PANK, April 2020
“THE MAN AND THE WOMAN WANDER…” published in Nat. Brut, May 2018
“ON SUNDAY, PROTESTORS…” published in Nat. Brut, May 2018
“THE WOMAN TRIES…” published in Nat. Brut, May 2018
“DUST SETTLES ACROSS THE MAN’S…” published in Entropy, February 2018
“I PICKED THIS UP…” published in Entropy, February 2018
“THE MAN AND THE WOMAN WALK …” published in Entropy, February 2018
“EXITING THE GROCERY STORE…” published in Entropy, February 2018
“THE MAN IS ON STAGE…” published in Poor Claudia, January 2018
“THE MAN AND THE WOMAN ATTEND A…” published in Poor Claudia, January 2018
“THE WOMAN IS ANSWERING…” published in Poor Claudia, January 2018
“OUT THE OMNIBUS WINDOW…” published in The Stockholm Review of Literature, November 2016
“THE WOMAN STEPS…” published in The Stockholm Review of Literature, November 2016
“THE MAN’S BED…” published in The Stockholm Review of Literature, November 2016
“In the logic” published in Heavy Feather Review, July 2019
“Speculative” published in Heavy Feather Review, July 2019
“You feel” published in Heavy Feather Review, July 2019
“Are my hands” published in Heavy Feather Review, July 2019
“Blame it on a woman” published in Heavy Feather Review, July 2019
“My fake mom” published in Prelude Magazine, March 2021
“The question of selfishness” published in Prelude Magazine, March 2021, under alternate name Veronica Acosta
“He Said” published in Lighthouse Literary Journal, July 2013
“Dr. Bike” published in Lighthouse Literary Journal, July 2013
"AT NIGHT THE WOMAN’S DOORBELL RINGS...." published in Cleaver, March 2020
"THE WOMAN AND THE MAN LIE..." published in Cleaver, March 2020
“THE NEXT DAY THE WOMAN MEETS…” published in Cleaver, March 2020
“BEFORE BOARDING THE TRAIN…” published in Cleaver, March 2020
“Limos on Fire” published in Tammy, February 2020
“The impulse to throw himself” published in Five 2 One Journal, December 2019
“We went” published in Five 2 One Journal, December 2019
“The sea washed” published in Five 2 One Journal, December 2019
“Sorcha” published in Killer Whale Journal, December 2014
“Monologue” published in Killer Whale Poetry Journal, November 2014
“RE” published in Killer Whale Journal, July 2014
“Rapture” in Haight Ashbury Literary Journal, published May 2014
“At a bus stop” published in Killer Whale Journal, May 2014
“Well” published in Ink, Sweat, and Tears, December 2013
“When I returned” published in Ink, Sweat, and Tears, October 2013
“THE TRASHED UP BEACH…” published in Requited Journal, August 2017
“AT THE PRISON HER HANDS…” published in Requited Journal, August 2017
“THE WOMAN: A WITNESS…” published in Requited Journal, August 2017
“FIRST KISS” published in Requited Journal, August 2017
Nonfiction
“You, Me, And Your Otter” published in Redivider, September 2018
“Art in the Present Tense” published in Plinth, January 2016
Interviews
“81 Reasons to Read” interview with poet Sam Riviere, published in SOMA Magazine, May 2013
“Mission of Grace” interview with activist and entrepreneur Grace Hightower De Niro, published in SOMA Magazine, May 2013
Blog posts
“My Writing Day” published in Rob Mclennan’s My Small Press Writing Day, December 2019
“The Case for Hybridity” published by Dallas Writers Workshop, January 2020
CREATIVE PROJECTS
“Invisible Illnesses,” a novel that uses magical realism to explore the moral failings of whiteness
“Don’t tell the Trees,” a book-long prose poem that uses found language and polyphony to tell a story of a family tragedy
TEACHING
Loyola University New Orleans
Instructor of Record
“Introduction to Creative Writing,” Fall 2023
“Introduction to Creative Writing,” Fall 2023
“Critical Reading and Writing,” Fall 2023
“Professional Writing,” Fall 2023
“Fairy Tales, Magic, and Feminism,” Summer 2023
“Professional Writing,” Summer 2023
“Fairy Tales, Magic, and Feminism,” Spring 2023
“Fairy Tales, Magic, and Feminism,” Spring 2023
“Introduction to Creative Writing,” Spring 2023
“Introduction to Creative Writing,” Spring 2023
“Critical Reading and Writing,” Fall 2022
“Critical Reading and Writing,” Fall 2022
“Critical Reading and Writing,” Fall 2022
“Introduction to Creative Writing,” Fall 2022
“Professional Writing,” Summer 2022
“Professional Writing,” Summer 2022
“Critical Reading and Writing,” Spring 2022
“Critical Reading and Writing,” Spring 2022
“Professional Writing,” online, Spring 2022
“Critical Reading and Writing,” Fall 2021
“Critical Reading and Writing,” Fall 2021
“Professional Writing,” online, Fall 2021
“Professional Writing,” Summer 2021
“Critical Reading and Writing,” Spring 2021
“Critical Reading and Writing,” Spring 2021
“Professional Writing,” online, Spring 2021
“Critical Reading and Writing,” Fall 2020
“Critical Reading and Writing,” Hybrid, Fall 2020
“Critical Reading and Writing,” Fall 2020
“Professional Writing,” Summer 2020
“Critical Reading and Writing,” Spring 2020
“Professional Writing,” Spring 2020
“Professional Writing,” Spring 2020
“Critical Reading and Writing,” Fall 2019
“Professional Writing,” online, Fall 2019
“Critical Reading and Writing,” online, Fall 2019
“Critical Reading and Writing,” Online, Spring 2019
“Critical Reading and Writing,” Online, Spring 2019
“Critical Reading and Writing,” Fall 2018
Forthcoming Classes
“Gothic London,” slated for J-term in winter 2024
Louisiana State University
Instructor of Record
“Composition I,” Fall 2016
“Composition 2,” Spring 2016
“Poetry Workshop,” Fall 2017
“Composition 2,” Spring 2018
Teaching Assistant
ENGL 2148: “Shakespeare and the Top 40,” for Dr. Chris Barrett’s “ENGL 2148: Shakespeare and The Top 40,” Spring, 2016.
ENGL 2025: “Introduction to Fiction,” Fall 2015
Guest Lectures
“Act 3 in Midsummer Night’s Dream” for Dr. Chris Barrett’s “ENGL 2148: Shakespeare and The Top 40,” April 1, 2016.
PEDAGOGICAL TRAINING
Anti-racist Pedagogy Series, Loyola University New Orleans Fall 2020 and Spring 2021
Anti-racist Summer Development Series, Loyola University New Orleans, Summer 2021
Online Pedagogy Training Series, Loyola University New Orleans, Fall 2018
PRESENTATIONS & PANELS CHAIRED
Anti-racist Teaching Roundtable, served as panelist at Loyola’s English Language Forum, New Orleans, Louisiana, April 2022
LSU Job Placement Workshop, served as a graduate alumni representative for LSU’s Professionalization Series, April 2021
The Flat Woman: A Work In Progress: creative excerpt presented at Loyola’s English Language Form, New Orleans, Louisiana, October 2019
Puncturing the Heart of Darkness: A Badiouan Allegory: paper presented at Mardi Gras Conference, Baton Rouge, LA, February 2017
EDITORIAL WORK
Creator and editor-in-chief, Helium Poetry Journal, May 2014-May 2016
Assistant Poetry Editor, New Delta Review, September 2015-August 2016
Guest Managing Editor, SOMA Magazine, April-May 2013
Fiction editor, EXIT Magazine, December 2011-May 2013
Co-editor of book of student work from the 826 Valencia SF workshop, “On the Outside Looking,” May 2009-June 2009
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Organizer of Dear Eliza Reading Series, May 2023 to present
Narrative 4 Educator Facilitator Certified, April 2019
Q (LGBTQ Ally) Advocate Certified, November 2018
Founder and President, Students of Sustainability, May 2017-May 2018
Co-chair of EGSA professionalization series, September 2017-May 2018
Founder, LSU MFA Writing Group, May-August 2017
Intern, Small Press Distribution, May 2013-October 2013
Volunteer, Fundacion Mahatmas Gandhi, January, June-July 2011
Coordinator for youth workshop, “On the Outside Looking,” 826 Valencia SF, April 2009-May 2009
Intern, 826 Valencia SF, March 2009-June 2009
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Research intern and project contributor for McSweeney’s Issue 33, “The San Francisco Panorama,” April 2009-September 2009
Let’s Work Together
Get in touch so we can start working together.