Mary Helen Specht

Mary Helen Specht is an Associate Professor of Creative Writing at St. Edward's University's School of Arts and Humanities, Department of Literature, Writing and Rhetoric. She directs the creative writing specialization and co-organizes the Marcia Kinsey Visiting Writers Series and Sorin Oak Review literary magazine.

• MFA in Creative Writing & Literature from Emerson College
• BA in English from Rice University

Her research focuses on fiction, particularly fantastical and flash narratives, with interdisciplinary connections to literary studies and American literature. Her upcoming novel The Mudlark (2026) expands on these themes.

Scientific recognition includes:

• Texas Institute of Letters Best First Fiction Award
• Writers' League of Texas Best Fiction
• Fulbright Scholarship to Nigeria
• Dobie-Paisano Writing Fellowship
• Texas Monthly's Ten Writers to Watch