Ron Samul
Hometown:
New London, Connecticut.
Major:
MFA in Creative & Professional Writing—primary genre novel
length fiction, secondary genre journalism.
Internships:
Inquiring News in
Hartford, New England's Largest African American Newspaper:
reporter covered politics, sports, human interest stories and
whatever assignments came along.
Activities: Writing
Ron Samul has been writing creatively since he was a teenager. After
graduating from Eastern Connecticut State University with a BA in
English he worked in the food industry and tutored professionally.
“During that time I was writing two novels. One was a practice
novel, followed by a much better effort. I was sending my work out
and get mild response from it. As I moved into tutoring and
academics, I found out about the MFA program at Western Connecticut
State University.”
Ron did not want a program that featured a strictly creative MFA. He
wanted a program that would blend his creative and professional
goals. “WestConn MFA has a professional element which really
appealed to me. I was interested in on-line writing, journalism,
book reviews, academic journal writing. It made sense that if I put
my all into the program, it would not only foster the creative side
of my novels and writing, but it would open some doors to
professional writing in journalism, academic writing, and other
opportunities. Why spend all that money and not move forward
professionally as well as creatively?”
The low residency aspect of the program appealed to Ron. Rather than
having to commute to class every day, Ron appreciated the ability
the program afforded him to set his own schedule beginning with a
week-long residency. “But,
to immerse into a week- long residency and then work with mentors,
groups and peers through the different on-line and face-to-face
outlets really worked for me. My schedule was crazy in the summer
months and slow in the winter, so I was able to manage and produce
when it was important to my classwork and the program.”
Ron was part of the first cohort. He and his classmates really
helped shape the program. Ron worked with the program coordinator
and his mentor to create elements that would be representative of
the program for years to come. “It was new to the mentors; it was
new to the director, the students, and what we could produce. I was
captivated by that and felt it was important to succeed personally,
but also think about setting the benchmark for the program…Being the
first class, I think our entire cohort felt a certain privilege and
obligation to make this program a catalyst for change.”
The program is what the student makes it. Ron says that he took
every opportunity that the program afforded him including a trip in
2006 to the AWP, or Association of Writers & Writing Programs, in
Texas. For his enrichment project, Ron created Miranda Literary
Magazine. He went to the AWP, at the suggestion of MFA program
coordinator Brian Clements, to get some ideas for the magazine.
While there, he had the opportunity to meet a lot of people in the
magazine and book industry as well as read his work with a number of
fellow writers from the program. “The book fair, readings, and
presentations all helped me shape how and what I would be creating
on my own website. I spoke to people, got ideas, and even had some
basic promotional information.”
The program has afforded Ron a number of opportunities since he
graduated. While he was in the program, he tutored and taught at
Mitchell College. Upon graduation, he approached the college about a
full time position. He interviewed in the summer and began work in
the fall. Ron currently works as a college writing instructor and
writing specialist at Mitchell College as well as a mentor in WCSU
MFA in Creative & Professional Writing program.
In his internship at
Inquiring News in Hartford, he had the opportunity to cover
boxing. “I started attending
more and more fights and wrote a blog about boxing in New England.
That created a platform that eventually lead me to an interview with
ESPN. While that didn't work out, opportunities within the program
afforded me some exciting places to grow and move.”
