Ideas popping in the brain. Visions swirling in the mind’s eye. Words flowing through one’s thoughts like a verbal river. Creativity has spurred many writers to decorate blank pages with ink or granite. Many writers steer towards others who can mentor them or push them forward; a constant beacon to swim to when the seas of fear and insecurity grow too deep. Though there have been many mentors throughout the country—throughout the world, Rosemont’s community knows how lucky it is to have a writing mentor of its own.

The Authors’ Author

Carla Spataro teaches a vast variety of classes in the MFA creative writing program at Rosemont. Most of these classes focus on fiction writing. These include crafting and constructing novels, content and form in fiction, novel workshop, seminar in short story. Meanwhile, she also focuses on adaptation studies, particularly adaptation of Shakespeare’s works. Her adoration of teaching is felt by all her students, and she pours all of her efforts into every class. She explains, “I feel like whatever I happen to be teaching at that particular time is my favorite [class].”

The Prologue

Carla first arrived at Rosemont as a graduate student in 2005. She recalls, “I hadn’t heard of Rosemont [at the time, but]…as soon as I got here, I was, like many people, entranced in such a beautiful campus.” Carla, already receiving an MA in music from Michigan State, had already experienced the difficult rhythm of graduate school. However, she knew that she wanted to teach, and having already worked at a publishing company for a few years, the world of writing called to her.

Since then, Carla had remained in the Rosemont community, gaining more experience and learning how to inspire students. Since her first adjunct position in 2009, she worked her way up until becoming the director of the MFA creative writing program in 2012. Ten years later, she also began overseeing the MA in publishing program in 2022. “I’ve been here for over 20 years,” she smiles, and it’s obvious that her passion and love for Rosemont remains as strong as the day she stepped on campus.

The Workshop

Carla helps the creative writing community in many different ways. She is part of the Writer’s Studio that ensures that many different events occur throughout the year. A monthly reading series, writers’ retreats, master classes, and noncredit classes are all made available for students, faculty, alumni, and community members. A part of the ever-turning cog of the machine, Carla works tirelessly to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard. She also ensures everyone’s writing is seen. She explains, “[The community is] something that [is] really important to me. [It was] something I kind of missed when I was a student…[I’m always] trying to build as close as a supportive community as possible in the program.”

The Epilogue

Carla strives for her work to be remembered as a positive experience for all her students. She says with eagerness in her voice, “My hope for the students is that I, in some small measure, am able to empower them to believe in themselves and their talent. So that when they leave Rosemont and move out into the world, they do it as confident artists.” Carla admits that the inspiration to learn and craft is not one-sided. She explains, “I probably would have never written More Strange Than True if not for all the students…I decided if it’s good enough for my students, it’s good enough for me.”

Carla is a member of the Rosemont community that never stops moving, yet she always finds time for her students. Her words touch students and other faculty members alike. She also typically answers any question pertaining to the world of writing and publishing. She reminds writers, and students, “if you can’t imagine doing anything else, then you’re doing the right thing…[Just] keep plugging away. And something will break loose.” As her own pen scratches against paper, as her own ideas flood the bright, blank pages, creativity floods the surrounding area, inspiring the students of Rosemont, and the surrounding community, to continue down their paths, no matter how difficult the journey.

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