Former Penn State Altoona emerging writers-in-residence share publication news

ALTOONA, Pa. - Penn State Altoona writers-in-residence alumni Kate Blakinger and Matthew Pitt have recently reached career milestones.

The emerging writer-in-residence program is a one-semester position created to support the careers of up-and-coming poets and writers by giving them time to write as well as teaching experience.

Blakinger, a 2010 resident, is the winner of the 2026 Iowa Short Fiction Award for her short story collection "How to Court Disaster," forthcoming from the University of Iowa Press.

The collection introduces characters who long to escape the confines of ordinary life and unfurl their courage. Others are entangled in difficult situations that force them to strike out beyond the borders of the familiar. Moving headlong into trouble, many discover they possess the inner resources they need to carry them beyond it: pluck, grit, fierceness, hope, and a growing sense of who they are becoming.

Blakinger's stories have appeared in publications such as "Alaska Quarterly Review," "Catamaran," "Epiphany," and "The Iowa Review." She is the recipient of an Elizabeth George Foundation grant, as well as fellowships from MacDowell, Jentel, and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts.

"As an emerging writer at Penn State Altoona, my primary task was to write. To have that kind of focused time early in a writing career is both profoundly validating and incredibly useful in forging ahead with a manuscript. I remain grateful for the time and support. It was also a joy to work with Penn State Altoona students as they crafted their own short stories."

Blakinger lives with her family in Philadelphia.



Pitt, a 2005 resident, has published his first novel, "Tear Hear," with Carnegie Mellon University Press.

The novel reflects on the dark rise and fall of an ambitious rock music collective in the upper Midwest and examines the fierce fallout of cravings for celebrity and fame.

Born and raised in St. Louis, Pitt now lives in Forth Worth, Texas, and is an associate professor of creative writing at Texas Christian University.

Pitt's prior books are a pair of story collections: "These Are Our Demands," winner of the Midwest Book Award in Short Fiction, and "Attention Please Now," winner of the Autumn House Fiction Prize. His novella, "The Be-Everything! Brothers," is forthcoming at the end of 2026.

Pitt has won a variety of grants, fellowships, and prizes, and his fiction has appeared in many publications including "Story," "Oxford American," "Michigan Quarterly Review," and "Colorado Review."

"At Penn State Altoona, I was granted a wonderful runway to build momentum for my voice, both on the page and in the classroom. My first book made significant strides toward completion and publication. The English faculty truly mentored me during my semester on-campus, and well beyond. They were my first colleagues and continue to be my friends. At my university, I strive to model their profound generosity with new colleagues."