About
Ana Maria Spagna is a member of the faculty in the Graduate Program in Creative Writing at the School of Graduate Studies of Western Colorado University. She has held teaching positions at Whitman College, St. Lawrence University, Antioch University, and served as the William Kittredge Distinguished Writer in Residence in Environmental Studies at the University of Montana. She resides in Stehekin, Washington, with her wife Laurie.
She holds an MFA in Nonfiction & Poetry (Fairfield University, 2020), an MA in English with a Fiction Writing emphasis (Northern Arizona University, 1996), and a BA in English Literature (Clark Honors College, University of Oregon, 1989).
Her research interests focus on merging creative writing with socio-environmental advocacy. Key areas include nature writing, civil rights history, indigenous rights, LGBTQ+ narratives, and environmental journalism. She employs innovative forms like braided nonfiction to explore ecological sustainability and community resilience in marginalized settings.
Her publications reflect a commitment to environmental and social justice. Recent works such as PUSHED (2023) investigate land-use conflicts, while Mile Marker Six (2021) delves into personal and ecological identity. Earlier works like Test Ride on the Sunnyland Bus (2010) blend memoir with civil rights activism, winning the River Teeth Prize.
She has received notable awards, including:
- River Teeth Literary Nonfiction Prize (2010)
- Rachel Carson Book Award finalist (2015) for Reclaimers
- Four-time finalist for the Washington State Book Award
In addition to teaching at Western, she instructs CRWR 685: Nature Writing Prose and CRWR 689: Special Topics – Writing the Nonhuman. Her career transitioned from 15 years in backcountry trail crews to academia, emphasizing environmental themes. She actively contributes to creative writing pedagogy and has collaborated on projects linking literature with ecological advocacy.
