By Justin Crawford

Faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students interested in creative writing know about Emily Mitchell. She teaches with an inquisitive ear to the current trends of contemporary fiction, and is a powerful voice when it comes to how writing works. To put it simply, she is always one step ahead of the game. But to call what she does “a game” might oversimplify the whole convoluted process of what it means to be a writer. A great writer is dedicated to craft, character, and narrative, and attentive to the happenings in the world around him or her.

Mitchell’s novel The Last Summer of the World is a historical novel that is set in World War I. It is crafted in a lush language that pulls the reader into the depths of the world Mitchell creates. The characters are struggling with the setting around them and fight with the external and internal troubles of war and life. The story line weaves between past and present action, pulling the reader along in the beautifully rendered narrative that speaks volumes about the early 20th century and modern times. Her short stories are also captivating, with a smooth sheen of humor and a style that can be deeply morose and incredibly touching. Emily Mitchell is not just a great writer—she is a great teacher and friend to faculty and students alike. She took the time to meet with students outside of class, and her friendly persona made her students feel at home during office hours and in the classroom.

Emily Mitchell is a native of the United Kingdom, born and raised in London (though she has also lived in Japan and is currently residing in the United States). She received a Bachelor of Arts from Middlebury College and a Masters of Fine Arts from Brooklyn College, where she worked with esteemed Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Cunningham. Her novel The Last Summer of the World has gained high recognition and is regarded as the best book of 2007 by several literary journals and magazines. She has taught at West Virginia University and will soon be a faculty member at Cleveland State University NEO MFA program, which according to Mitchell is “a consortium of four universities—Cleveland State, U of Akron, Kent State and Youngstown—which means that students can take classes at any of the schools in the consortium, although faculty only teach at one campus.” She also stated, “It’s a relatively new program and I’m excited to be a part of its growth and development.”

While here at WVU, Emily Mitchell quickly earned respect from her coworkers and admiration from her students. She counts her time at WVU a treasured experience, and elaborates by saying, “I loved teaching at WVU, especially but not only the grad students. There are some very smart and wonderful writers at this university and I learned a great deal from the people in my classes. The creative writing faculty (actually, the English Department faculty in general) are among the most serious and dedicated teachers I’ve encountered anywhere, not to mention wonderful and accomplished writers. I feel lucky to have had a chance to work with them.”

Emily Mitchell is someone who will be missed in the English department, and when the MFA students were asked to reflect, they all responded with glowing statements about her. Kori Frazier, a graduating Fiction MFA student, stated: “I was wowed by Emily Mitchell from the first time I heard her read at the presentation she gave as part of her job interview. Her writing is exquisite; her knowledge of craft is extensive. She’ll be a huge loss to our program, but I’m grateful for the chance to have studied with her and I’ve seen my writing improve.” Rebecca Schwab, a second year Fiction MFA student, said, “Emily took the time to meet with each of us after our workshops to discuss them in detail. It was so helpful, like a post-game sit-down, and talking with her gave me great ideas for revising my stories.” Heather Frese, also a second year Fiction MFA student, had this to say: “Emily provided intelligent and insightful feedback on my fiction, and met with the members of our class outside of workshop to discuss feedback and revisions. I enjoyed working with her immensely and will miss her very much.” Jason Freeman, a graduating MFA Fiction student, stated, “Emily Mitchell was not only great in the classroom, she also took time with me during individual conferencing to go through my work line by line. When my thesis was finished, I felt like she knew the words on the page as well as I did. I can’t imagine my work being what it is without her.” And Patrick Faller, also a graduating Fiction MFA student, added, “Emily could excavate a story and expose its machinery, and could get us students doing the same thing. The questions she asked of the prose we read in class became the questions I asked myself about my own work: Why begin the story here and not here? Is so much telling beneficial to this story? What’s missing, and at what cost to the story? What scene would blow this story wide open?” If anyone at Cleveland State University were to see these testimonies, they would know that they were in for a very incredible addition to their program.

Emily Mitchell has become a literary rock star around Colson Hall, someone who really added an extra edge to the already incredible creative writing faculty. She has helped so many budding writers (and mature writers) tone and shape their craft. Every MFA student has nothing but glowing statements about her for a good reason, and she was truly a positive force in the department that will be difficult to replace. She is a writer who is a master of literary craft, a teacher who wows and encourages, and most importantly, a friend who makes time to allow her students’ individual work to shine. In parting, Emily Mitchell had some advice for writers in the program: “I’d want to urge MFA students to think of their writing as a vocation rather than as a profession. Don’t focus too much on publication—even though publication is affirming and also important for practical reasons—but be interested in the creative process and what you can learn from it, not just about writing, but about yourself and about the world.”