Courtney Sender

Courtney Sender is an Assistant Professor of Fiction Writing at Seton Hall University’s Department of English. Her work bridges creative writing with scholarly exploration of Holocaust literature and Jewish-Christian Studies. She holds an MFA from Johns Hopkins University, an MA in Religion & Literature from Harvard Divinity School, and a BA in English from Yale University.

Her research focuses on the intersection of fiction craft (short story/novel techniques) and theological themes, particularly Holocaust legacy. Teaching emphasizes narrative structure and ethical storytelling. Notable publications include her acclaimed story collection In Other Lifetimes All I’ve Lost Comes Back to Me (2023) and essays in The New York Times and The Atlantic.

Awarded prestigious residencies at VCCA (2024), Ucross (2022), Yaddo (2018), and MacDowell (2015), her work blends historical trauma with intimate human relationships. Current projects explore intergenerational memory through magical realism techniques.