Courtney Semoff

Selected Shorts in the Spring

Selected Shorts is a popular travelling series and podcast produced by Public Radio International. Stories by new and old writers alike are read by a variety of actors and actresses. The broadcast is aired on over 150 different stations and the podcast is popular on iTunes.

Courtney Semoff

Why Start NYWCompendium?

Courtney Galligan (now Semoff) was interviewed by Kevin Factor on WGXC’s “Foraging Ahead” to discuss writing and NY Writer’s Compendium.

Stories with Strangers

Stories with Strangers

The gorgeous garden patio of Lucas Confectionery offered a lovely backdrop for some of Upstate’s most creative minds to showcase their talents.

NOAH DAVID ROBERTS: “SLIME THING [AND OTHER POEMS]”

VOICE LESS readings is an open mic that began in March 2017 and is held every Thursday night at the Green Kill Gallery in Kingston, NY. VOICE LESS seeks to “give those who feel like their art is not heard, a place where they can share, listen, and become inspired.” According to host Noah David Roberts, the open mic is “a place for those without a place.”

Olympic Gymnast Aly Raisman Visits the University at Albany

Raisman had trained her entire life for the Olympics. Raisman was the team captain of the U.S. Women’s Olympic Gymnastics team in 2012 and 2016, and a six-time medalist. She was also one of the 156 women who testified against Olympic Doctor Larry Nassar in the largest case of sexual abuse in sports history.

A Peek Inside the Mind of a Traveller

I love to write. I’ve always been a writer, since I’ve been old enough to hold a pen. I do creative writing, fiction, and dabble in spy fiction, travel writing, romance, historical fiction. Mostly I write short stories, and I’ve published a couple collections of short stories. I’ve self-published A Serious Evening in Vienna, The Love Letter with a Bullet Hole,and The Traveler’s Sketchbook. The last one dips into another creative outlet that I have which is drawing.

“Friday Black”: An interview with Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

I want to start by thanking the NYS Writers Institute for making this event possible. What an incredible semester they’ve put together so far. Thanks to Paul Grondahl and his incredible team. They give a gift to— anyone who finds inspiration in the essential acts of reading and writing. So, thank you to the Institute for bringing Nana back to campus. It’s just an incredible pleasure to have him back here. As most of you know, Nana is a UAlbany alum. He was an English major here; he wrote his honors thesis here.

Writer of His Own Creative Life

Schwarzschild is the Director of Creative Writing and an Associate Professor in the English Department at the University at Albany. He’s also a Fellow at the New York State Writers Institute. He specializes in Fiction Writing and Contemporary Literature.  He received his Ph.D. in American Literature from Washington University in St. Louis and his MA in Creative Writing from Boston University.  He was also a Wallace Stegner Fellow in Stanford University’s Creative Writing Program.

In Loving Memory…

Sharkey’s original conception for the prize didn’t start as a memorial to DiBiase. “When I conceived the idea of having a contest, first of all, the main driving force was that I wanted to give something back to the local writing community,” Sharkey said. The ground rules for the prize were different from other poetry contests. There are no specified line limits or page limits.