Jane Kurtz

Jane Kurtz is a faculty member in the MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults program at the Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA), where she has taught for over a decade. She holds a BA in Psychology from Monmouth College and an MA in English from the University of North Dakota. Her work focuses on global storytelling, often exploring themes of cultural displacement and belonging through 'fish-out-of-water' narratives. She is a children’s book author, speaker, and literacy volunteer, particularly in Ethiopia, where she spent most of her childhood and later collaborated with local writers to produce over 100 bilingual books celebrating Ethiopian culture.

Her research interests include creative writing techniques, cross-cultural narratives, and literacy advocacy. She has given talks across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and nearly all U.S. states, emphasizing the power of stories to bridge cultural divides. In 2021, she was nominated for the IBBY-iRead Outstanding Reading Promoter Award by the U.S. Board on Books for Young People.

Jane’s advising and grants narrative includes her long-term commitment to VCFA’s low-residency model, which allows her to mentor students remotely while balancing her volunteer work in Ethiopia. She has no explicitly listed grants, but her collaborations highlight community-driven literary projects. Her website (www.janekurtz.com) reflects her dedication to exploring global themes through children’s literature.