Mary Quade

Mary Quade is a Professor of English at Hiram College, where she teaches creative writing, including poetry, creative nonfiction, fiction, and screenwriting. She holds an M.F.A. from the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop and an A.B. in English from the University of Chicago.

Her research interests span contemporary literature, American frontier studies, environmental writing, travel literature, science writing, nuclear history, comics, and photography. She has led student field trips to the Galapagos Islands for interdisciplinary coursework on natural history.

Her publications include the poetry collection Local Extinctions and Guide to Native Beasts, as well as essays such as “The Collection” (SUNY) and “Old Iron: A Restoration” (Michigan State University Press). Her work often blends scientific and cultural narratives, exploring themes like ecological loss, technological history, and human-environment interactions.

Quade’s creative process emphasizes curiosity-driven inquiry, encouraging students to engage with the “concrete stuff of life” rather than seeking predetermined answers. Her personal projects include raising domestic animals and maintaining a taxidermied Canada goose in her office.