Melanie Unruh

Melanie is a New Mexico-based writer of short stories, YA novels, and creative nonfiction. Her work has appeared in The Boiler, Cutthroat, Sixfold, Post Road, New Ohio Review, and Philadelphia Stories, among others. She has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and received notable mention in Best American Essays. When she's not teaching or writing, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, traveling, and drinking a good cup of chai. Her favorite writers include Claire Vaye Watkins, Roxane Gay, Carmen Maria Machado, Aimee Bender, Karen Russell, Lorrie Moore, Tana French, David Sedaris, George R.R. Martin, and Alison Bechdel.

An Interview with Jennifer Jordán Schaller

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As we enter into April, we wanted to share this interview with creative nonfiction dynamo, Jennifer Jordán Schaller, who is Plume’s featured writer for May. I met Jennifer because we both teach writing at the same community college, and I have to say that she is as kind as she is talented. Recently, Plume had … Read more

2019 AWP Survival Guide

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Light up Portland, Oregon Old Town Sign with a leaping stag

Hello, Plumesters! It’s already time for the AWP Conference. Some of you may be wondering What’s that? The annual Association of Writers & Writing Programs Conference, as described on its very own website is: “…an essential annual destination for writers, teachers, students, editors, and publishers. Each year more than 12,000 attendees join our community for … Read more

An Interview with Cynthia Patton

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Our featured writer for April is Cynthia Patton, an accomplished essayist and poet. Cynthia tackles very personal topics in her writing, and we are so honored that she wanted to share this beautiful work with our Plume community. We hope you enjoy our interview with her! Plume: When did you know you were a writer? … Read more

The Five Ws of Plume

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Hello, friends (a.k.a. Plumesters)! We hope that your transition from winter into spring is going well. Over here at Plume we’re busy with our day-to-day operations and with coming up with new ideas for how to foster a supportive writing community. Sometimes, though, it can be easy to forget to slow down a little and … Read more

An Interview with Michelle Otero

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My second year of my MFA program my advisor, Greg Martin, went on sabbatical and Michelle Otero joined the department as a visiting writer to teach the creative nonfiction workshop. She was super nice but I’d come to New Mexico for a REAL graduate school experience, which in my mind meant tough critique, no kid … Read more

Books to Be Grateful for from 2018

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Sometimes you write a blog when you’re about to go on maternity leave, but you forget to schedule its publication. Although it’s a little late, here is my take on the books I read last year.

Taking Stock of What We Read

As we look back on 2018, one thing we here at Plume like to mull over the books that we read this past year (whether new or old). What did we most enjoy reading? What challenged us? Surprised us? Felt so necessary we couldn’t believe we had never read anything like it before?

My Favorite Books I Read This Year

The most gorgeously written book I read last year was Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward. This will likely come as no surprise to anyone else who has read this award-winning tour-de-force. Its haunting, lyrical prose is still stuck in my head months after I finished it. 

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