“I write because I have to write. That’s what I became.” - Rudolfo Anaya
My name is Vanessa Ramos. I am the author of many unpublished books, and I teach composition, literature, and creative writing in the Twin Cities.
Writing
Thanks are owed to the Jesse H. Jones Dobie Paisano Fellowship program sponsored by the Texas Institute of Letters and The University of Texas, The Loft Literary Center and The Playwrights’ Center in Minneapolis as well as the Minnesota State Arts Board for their support of my writing.
I am currently at work on a novel for young adults.
Teaching
Teaching is something I am fortunate to do. I’ve been at it now for over ten years. If you asked any of my own college professors about my occupational prospects as an undergraduate, maybe one might say he imagined this future for me. By some miracle, I began my career in creative writing as an Assistant Professor of English at Salem State University in Massachusetts. I coordinated the Creative Writing program and local Writers’ Series and served as the faculty advisor for Soundings East literary magazine during part of my tenure there. Since returning to the Twin Cities, I managed programs and events at The Loft Literary Center and then began teaching again at a number of local colleges and universities. I can’t seem to stay out of a classroom - it clearly is the best place to be.