Heather Solsvik

Heather Solsvik has been an English teacher at Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy since 2001 and a resident of Coeur d’Alene her entire life. She enrolled in the EWU Creative Writing MFA program (non-fiction) while also teaching full-time, which made it possible for her to acquire her Master’s Degree while still working—a great bonus. She thoroughly enjoyed her time in the program. It energized her teaching, enriched her writing, and increased her knowledge of all genres.

Here’s what she had to say about her time at Eastern’s MFA program:

“I enjoyed the discussions in class with my knowledgeable professors and diverse classmates, which gave me many lenses through which to view writing and the world. The time spent with my classmates felt like being a part of a crazy, intellectual family, and I loved learning from them. We read great literature and essays, which helped us to see different approaches to writing and inspired me to expand my own writer’s scope.

“I was also forced out of my comfort zone, being asked to write not only academic essays, but poetry and fiction. It was fun to branch out and try my hand at all genres of writing, even though my specific focus was non-fiction. I had wonderful guidance from my thesis advisor, Natalie Kusz, who supported my efforts and always made me laugh. Jonathan Johnson, whom I met at a writer’s retreat in Sandpoint, was kind, encouraging, and made me feel like I could actually write decent poetry. To be honest, I miss trekking off to Spokane for two nights of classes with such wonderful people, and I think about them often. I hope all of my friends are finding success with their writing in one form or another. Since graduating in 2008, I have had three essays published in Idaho Magazine, and hopefully my thesis manuscript will one day be found in print.”