Jarita Davis Jarita is a true New Englander, raised in Connecticut by parents from Massachusetts, and who went to college in Rhode Island. Her academic career began with a focus on ancient literature as she studied Latin for ten years, graduated with honors in Latin from Choate Rosemary Hall, and received her B.A. from the department of classics at Brown University. After college, she moved to Rome where she taught English as a Foreign language for two years. Since moving to Lafayette, she has completed a collection of short stories for her master’s thesis and has become more involved in poetry. She is currently working on a collection of poems about Cape Verdean and Cape Verdean-American culture and heritage entitled, As Minhas Mornas.

Jarita’s Work So Far

Education

1998-present University of Louisiana, Lafayette, LA.

Fall 2000 M.A., Department of English.

1992-1996 Brown University, Providence, RI.

•B.A. with honors, Department of classics.

Spring 1995 College Year in Athens, Athens, Greece.

Fall 1994 Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies, Rome, Italy.

Research Experience

1995 Fulbright Scholarship Proposal: “Ovidian Influences in Dante’s Inferno” •(presented researched proposal for 100-150 pp. publishable work).

1995 (summer) Leadership Alliance Early Identification Program, Providence, RI (presented independent literary research project at symposium).

1995 (spring) American School in Athens, Athens, Greece (prepared literary discourses for College Year in Athens).

1994 (fall) American Academy in Rome, Rome, Italy•(presented topographical research for ICCS at historical sites).

1994 (summer) Brown University Corfu Excavation Program, Corfu, Greece•(excavation photographer at site of ancient Roman basilica).

Teaching Experience

1999-2000 University of Louisiana, Lafayette, LA. •Developed and taught Intro to Creative Writing course to 20 undergrads;•designed and taught Survey of Early American Lit course to 42 undergrads.

1996-1997 Quantock Institute, Rome, Italy.•Taught EFL to university students, journalists, bankers.

1997-98 (summers) Il Ciocco, Scuola Nuova Travel, Castelvecchio, Italy.•Created 3 hr daily English lessons for 25 children at Italian summer camp.

Publications

2002 The Southwestern Review, University of Louisiana, Lafayette.

2000 Cave Canem Anthology.

1999 The Southwestern Review, University of Louisiana, Lafayette.

1996 The Independent, Brown University, Providence, RI.

Public Readings

2001 South Central Writing Centers Association.

2000 Deep South Writers Conference.

1998-2002 University of Louisiana, Lafayette Reading Series•(two readings annually).

Leadership Experience

2000-present Phi Beta Phi, elected membership in academic honors society.

2000-present Sigma Tau Delta, honors society for literary studies.

1999-2000 Southwestern Review, editor, University of Louisiana, Lafayette, LA.

1998-present National Black Graduate Student Association.

Awards

2000-present Cave Canem Fellowship, workshop for Afro-American poets.

2000 Richard G. Neiheisel Phi Beta Kappa Award.

1999 Hedgebrook writing colony residency.

1998-present University of Louisiana, Lafayette Fellowship.

1996 Lucius Lyon Prize, best Latin translation at Brown University.

1994-present Mellon Undergraduate Minority Fellowship.

Jarita Davis on UL Lafayette

The creative writing program at UL Lafayette has been a great match for me. It has allowed me to develop a strong background in American literature while working on my own writing. I came here as a fiction writer, but began dabbling in poetry when I arrived, and now feel comfortable with both genres. The faculty here has been so encouraging and supportive that I feel comfortable pushing my boundaries and stretching as a writer.

The faculty at UL Lafayette have extended themselves beyond the call of duty in taking an interest in my growth as a scholar and a writer. Dr. Joseph Andriano, Dr. Barbara Cicardo, Dr. Marcia Gaudet, and Dr. Reginald Young have all been more than generous with their time. Professors George Clark and Ernest Gaines have been fundamental in my development as a fiction writer, and I will be forever indebted to Professor Darrell Bourque for helping me blossom as a poet. I am extremely grateful for the experiences I’ve had in this supportive program.

Read a Sample of Jarita’s Poetry

See Jarita’s Chapbook, There Should Be More Water

Go to UL-Lafayette Creative Writing Anthology

Creative Writing home Page

English Department Home Page

© 2001, University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
This site designed and maintained by The Creative Writing Concentration of the English Department of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
To contact us by mail: Director of Creative Writing, English Department, Box 44691, UL-Lafayette, Lafayette LA 70504-4691; by telephone, 337-482-5478;
by email, jlm8047@louisiana.edu.
Last updated: May 1, 2001.