Peter Chilson
Associate Professor
Biography
Chilson got his MFA in creative writing from Pennsylvania State University in 1994. He coordinates the undergraduate creative writing program. His essays and short stories have appeared in The American Scholar, The North American Review, Audubon, Ascent, Creative Nonfiction, High Country News, Rain City Review, West Africa, North Dakota Quarterly and elsewhere. He is a former Fulbright Scholar and associate editor of the environmental journal High Country News. Chilson's first book, Riding the Demon: On the Road in West Africa (University of Georgia Press 1999) won the Associated Writing Programs Award in nonfiction. His second book, Disturbance-Loving Species: A Novella and Stories (Mariner Books 2007), won the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference Fiction Prize. His work has twice appeared in the Best American Travel Writing anthology (the 2003 and 2008 issues) as well as journals such as The North American Review, Audubon, The American Scholar, Ascent, Creative Nonfiction, Gulf Coast, West Africa, and many other publications.
Publications:
Books
Book in Progress: We Never Knew Exactly Where: Stories from an African Borderland (under contract to University of Nebraska Press).
Disturbance-Loving Species: A Novella and Stories. Mariner Books. New York: 2007
Riding the Demon: On the Road in West Africa (Associated Writing Programs 1997 Award Series winner). University of Georgia Press, Athens, Georgia: March 1999
Essays and Stories
"The Fickle God (chapter in Riding the Demon) anthologized in Speed: Tales of Survivalr from Behind the Wheel, Avalon Books, New York: June 2002
"The Road from Abalak: Heat, Wind, Dust, Fear." The American Scholar, Washington, D.C.: Summer 2002
"Disburbance Loving Species," Clackamas Literary Review, Clackamas Community College, Portland, OR: Spring 2002
"Drinking Tea with Soldiers" (novella), Ascent. Concordia College, Moorhead, MN, Spring 2002
"Tourist of Fire, Prisoner of Dust," North Dakota Quarterly, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, Spring 2002
"Guilt and Malaria: A Memoir of Africa," Ascent. Concordia College, Moorhead, MN, Fall 2001.
"Confronting Terra Firma: Landscape as Adversary." FUGUE, The University of Idaho; Moscow, ID: Winter 2001
"English Lessons." (short fiction) Ascent, Concordia College. Moorhead, MN: Spring 2000
"Following Wole Soyinka: A Modern Road Tale." Ascent, Concordia College; Fargo, ND: Fall 1999.
Creative Interests
Chilson's work has primarily focused on literary journalism, with an emphasis on Africa and the American West. He is interested in travel writing, the memoir, investigative journalism and fiction. He is presently finishing a collection of essays on the confluence of landscape between Africa and the American West and is at work on a novel about Africa.
Teaching Interests
Chilson coordinates the undergraduate creative writing program, but teaches an array of undergraduate writing courses, including professional writing and editing. His graduate teaching interests include the literature of literary journalism, African literature, and the pedagogy of teaching creative writing.
Contact
- Avery Hall 367
- 335-7309
- pchilson@wsu.edu
- Peter Chilson's Website
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