John Barrett, MFA

Biography

I've taught writing and literature at Bloomsburg University since the fall of 2003. I'm constantly researching teaching methodologies, and I keep up with the latest research on learning, popular culture, writing instruction, motivation, and skill development strategies for first year college students, especially underserved and underprepared populations.

I earned my Master’s degree in English Writing and Literature at Hollins University, where I was awarded the Melanie Hook Rice prize for best novel-in-progress. I earned my MFA in Creative Writing from Virginia Commonwealth University. I’ve published memoir, fiction, and poetry, most recently in Memoir Magazine (forthcoming), Front Porch Journal, Microfiction Monday Magazine, and Ex Libris.

My current book projects include: The Long Lens of the Roots Legacy: A 50 Year retrospective of Enslavement in Films, co-written with Dr. Brian Johnson, forthcoming from McFarland Books in their Popular Culture and Performing Arts Series; Life Could Be A Dream: A Memoir Playlist, a memoir about growing up without my father, then meeting him after a thirty-year absence. He sang high tenor for the 1950s vocal group The Crew Cuts, singers of nine top ten hits, including the iconic “Sh-Boom” (the song appeared in the animated movie Cars); Taproot, a psychological horror novel about grief, memory and the soul, as houses (objects that trigger memories) literally consume their occupants.

I just received my certification as a fitness coach, specializing in the health and wellness of people over forty. By the end of the year, the horror fiction podcast, The Disposers, will air its first season: I’m a voice actor in the cast (I play the Old God).

Courses Taught

• ENGL152 - Literature and Society
• ENGL204 - Introduction to Creative Writing
• WRIT103 - Foundations in Composition