the last of august by brittany cavallaro

At Interlochen, Brittany encourages her writing students to experiment in a variety of genres, like she has done herself, as well as submit to the Scholastic Awards. She eventually found herself coming back and working at her alma mater-Interlochen Arts Academy-where she still teaches today.

in English Literature at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee.ĭuring her time in school, Brittany taught literature, creative writing, and composition to undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin and advanced high school students through Northwestern University’s CTD program. Post-grad, Brittany completed an MFA in Poetry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and even acquired a Ph.D. While at Middlebury, she was a founding editor-in-chief of Devil’s Lake, her university’s literary journal, and received the David and Jean Milofsky Prize in Creative Writing. When asked about how it felt to be recognized by the Awards, specifically for her portfolio, Brittany mentioned that it “in a way this was really wonderful validation that I could do more than one thing.” This recognition provided her with the confidence she needed to continue developing her writing style into a variety of genres-a step that most writers fear taking.Īfter high school, Brittany went on to study at Middlebury College and received her B.A. The following year as a senior, Brittany won the Award’s highest honor-the Gold Medal Portfolio Award-for her writing collection, which consisted of a mix of poetry, flash fiction, and nonfiction pieces. She won her first national awards in 2003 for flash fiction and poetry. It was during her time at the school where she was first introduced and encouraged to apply to the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

When she was just 16 years old, Brittany won a scholarship from the school to study creative writing. Today, we will be spotlighting alum Brittany Cavallaro, a NYT bestselling author, accomplished poet, and creative writing instructor at Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan.īrittany always knew she wanted to be a writer, but her writing and overall Awards journey didn’t begin until she reached Interlochen Arts Academy.

Every week leading up to the national Awards ceremony at Carnegie Hall in June, we will be sharing the stories of some of the program’s incredible alumni whose lives have been impacted by the Awards. Welcome back to our OOM series dedicated to spotlighting those who have participated in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards over the past 100 years.

The last of august by brittany cavallaro