About Michael Brooks
After working as an outdoor educator and mountain guide in Wyoming, Michael Brooks pursued advanced studies in creative writing with a primary focus in fiction. He’s at work on a few novels and a linked short story collection set in a Michigan forest. His scholarly interests explore the intersection of faith and art. When he’s not rock-climbing, writing, or hiking with his family, he writes and produces indie music. You can find his album Art from Darkness on Spotify or Apple Music under the name M Brooks.
Education
- D.Min., The Sacred Art of Writing, Western Theological Seminary [in progress]
- M.F.A., Pacific University
- B.A., Hope College
Classes I Teach
- Introduction to Creative Writing
- Poetry Writing
- Fiction Writing
- Writers Series Seminar
- Creative Writing Workshop
- World Literature
- Professional Writing and Editing
- Literature in Society
Signature Experiences
- Creative Writing Fellowship Mentor, Pierce Cedar Creek Institute, 2024 and 2025
- Fiction Judge, New Writer’s Award, Great Lakes Colleges Association, 2024
Recent Scholarly Work & Publications
“The Seas of the Moon,” The Southampton Review (forthcoming)
“Melonhead Tunnel,” Columbia Journal, (forthcoming)
“Avian Flaws,” The Fourth River (forthcoming)
“Swordfish Strips,” X-R-A-Y Literary Magazine, 2025
“A Fresh Zodiac,” BULL, 2025
“Unmade,” Relief: A Journal of Art & Faith, 2024
“Still Birds,” Qu Literary Magazine, 2024
“Iceman and My Inner Artist,” Redivider, 2023
“A Ghost in Flight,” Appalachian Review, 2023
“L’Ombre Glauque,” EcoTheo Review, 2023
“Smoke Signal,” The Windhover, 2023
“Mask,” Wayne Literary Review, 2023