Academics

Dustin Leavitt

Assoc Professor, Creative Writ

Degrees: M.F.A., Creative Writing, University of Arizona, 2002; B.A., English, University of Arizona, 1978

Office: Creative Writing , Hall of Letters

Phone: 909/748-8582 Campus Ext. 8582

E-mail: dustin_leavitt@redlands.edu

Portrait

Academic Interests and Areas of Expertise

  • Nonfiction creative writing
  • Foreign correspondence
  • Social history of vernacular photography
  • Museums

Current Research

  • Curated an exhibition of the photographs of the turn of the century academic painter, E. I. Couse, which is traveling to venues around the country and am writing an accompanying monograph
  • Working on a book about the male geisha Eitaro in Tokyo, Japan
  • Working on a book that assembles three bodies of vernacular photographs and theorizes them in three essays
  • Produced the webzine ELLIPSI, which synthesizes written and photographic texts

Courses Offered at Redlands

  • Introductory, intermediate and advanced nonfiction writing workshops
  • Conflict Journalism
  • Foreign Correspondence
  • Planting Rice (a travel course to an organic farm in rural Japan)

Degrees Held

  • B.A., English, University of Arizona, 1978
  • M.F.A., Creative Writing, University of Arizona, 2002

Professional Experience

Senior Exhibitions Designer, The Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona, 1990-2002

Awards, Honors and Grants

  • Artist’s Residency, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, 2009
  • Faculty Research Grant (University of Redlands), 2005
  • Foundation Award for Non-fiction Writing (University of Arizona), 2002
  • Japanese Ministry of Culture Fellowship for Visiting Artists from Abroad, 1995
  • Various small arts grants.

Publications

  • “Why,” Journal of the Southwest, Summer 2009
  • “I Should Have Known,” mark(s), www.markszine.net, Winter 2009
  • “Why,” in The Best Travel Writing 2008, San Francisco, 2008
  • “The Barber,” in The Best Travel Writing 2007, San Francisco, 2007
  • “Awaiting the Dragon-God’s Foot-Stomping Thresher,” Ascent, Fall 2006
  • “Japanese Tattoo,” in The Best Travel Writing 2006, San Francisco, 2006
  • “The Barber,” Kyoto Journal, no. 62, 2005
  • “Balinese Canoes,” in The Best Travel Writing 2005, San Francisco, 2005
  • “Doublestar (Why I Write),” in The Best Travel Writing 2004, San Francisco, 2004
  • “Dance Kitchen,” Kyoto Journal, no. 58, 2004
  • “The Mystery of Mastery,” Kyoto Journal, no. 52, 2002
  • “Balinese Canoes,” Kyoto Journal, no. 51, 2002
  • “Japanese Tattoo,” Kyoto Journal, no. 47, 2001
What started as a freshman prank in 1913?
The giant R

The giant "R" seen on the mountain north of the University that is about one-third the size of the Quad.

More »