Megan Paonessa

Megan Paonessa is a Teaching Assistant Professor of English at Marquette University, specializing in creative writing and rhetoric. Her academic home is the Department of English, where she teaches courses like Foundations in Rhetoric and Creative Writing: Fiction. She holds an MFA from the University of Alabama and a double BA in English and Fine Art from the University of Notre Dame.

Her research interests focus on creative writing pedagogy, surreal and fabulist fiction, and personal narrative. She emphasizes pushing students to explore experimental forms and unconventional storytelling techniques. Her own fiction often examines the intersection of mental health, imagination, and environmental themes through innovative narrative structures.

Awards and Honors include the 2024 Author’s League Fund Award, 2023 Micro Madness shortlist, and the 2022 TL;DR Press Flash Fiction Competition. Her work has appeared in venues like The Adirondack Review, Hayden’s Ferry Review, and Scary Mommy.

Recent teaching engagements include Foundations in Rhetoric and Creative Writing: Fiction in Spring 2025. She has also developed courses on Lifewriting and Community, blending creative nonfiction with social engagement.

Her creative nonfiction addresses personal and societal themes, such as postpartum depression and maternal health, while her fiction frequently explores speculative and psychological landscapes. She actively seeks grants for research in peacekeeping literature and environmental storytelling.