
Alena B. Graedon, M.F.A.
Assistant Professor
Graduate Faculty
Career Advising Mentor
- Department
- English
- Office
- The Great Hall Annex 403
- Phone
- 732-923-4769
- agraedon@monmouth.edu
- Office Hours
- Monday, 4:30 - 6:00 p.m.; and by appointment.
Alena B. Graedon, M.F.A.
Alena Graedon’s first novel, The Word Exchange, was a New York Times Editors’ Choice and Paperback Row pick, and selected as a best novel of 2014 by Kirkus, Electric Literature, and Tor. It has been translated into eight languages. Graedon’s nonfiction has been published in The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times Book Review, newyorker.com, The Believer magazine, and Guernica, among other places, and her short fiction has appeared in VICE magazine. Graedon has twice received fellowships from MacDowell, as well as from The Corporation of Yaddo, The Ucross Foundation, The Jentel Artist Residency, The Lighthouse Works, VCCA, and The Vermont Studio Center.
Preferred Pronouns: she/her/hers
Education
M.F.A., Columbia University
B.A., Brown University
Publications
Books

Forthcoming
She is currently at work on a second novel, provisionally titled Spitfire, and a collection of short stories, Survivalists.
Professional Associations
PEN America
Additional Information
Graedon’s nonfiction has been published in The Believer, Guernica, The New York Times Book Review, Postroad, and elsewhere.
Courses
Frequently Taught Classes
Recently Taught Classes
2021 Fall
2021 Summer D
2021 Spring
- EN-451-01 - Advanced Creative Writing
- EN-644-GRA3 - Manuscript Seminar
- EN-655A-GR3GI - Mfa Creative Thesis Seminar
- EN-698-01 - Special Topics in English
2020 Fall
- EN-652-50 - Craft Intensive Seminar in Creative Writing
- HO-396-GRA2 - Honors Thesis/Capstone Proposal
- EN-615-50 - Seminar in Creative Writing: Writer's Craft
2020 Summer D
2020 Spring
- EN-451-01 - Advanced Creative Writing
- EN-251-01 - Creative Writing: Introduction
- EN-644-GR3G - Manuscript Seminar
- EN-644-GR3F - Manuscript Seminar
- EN-611-50 - Seminar in Creative Writing: Fiction
2019 Fall
- EN-251-02 - Creative Writing: Introduction
- EN-251-01 - Creative Writing: Introduction
- EN-611-01 - Seminar in Creative Writing: Fiction