Curriculum Vitae
John Tait
206A Auditorium Building
Department of English
University of North Texas
Denton, TX 76203
(940) 231-3547
john.tait@unt.edu
_______________________________________________________________________
Education
Ph.D. in English (Creative Writing -- Fiction), University of Missouri-Columbia, 2002
-- Primary Areas: 20th-Century American Fiction and American Film
M.F.A. (Creative Writing -- Fiction), University of New Orleans, LA, 1997
M.A., English Literature and Language. University of Toronto, 1993
B.A., English Specialist, Philosophy minor. University of Toronto, 1992
Professional Experience
2008 – Present
Associate Professor of Fiction Writing. University of North Texas.
2002 – 2008
Assistant Professor of Fiction Writing. University of North Texas.
Publications
Short Fiction
“Masha.” Aesthetica Creative Writing Anthology 2025. (Aesthetic Magazine 2025).
The Visiting Writer.” Arlington Literary Journal (arlijo.com, spring 2025)
“EDC.” The Bridport Prize 2024 Anthology (RedCliffe Press 2025)
“Why Are These the Things That We Worry About?” The Sun. (May 2024):
"Dolor." Third Coast (Spring / Summer 2020): 76-80.
“This Might Hurt Some.” Nimrod (Fall 2019): 30-48.
“The Kristian Vang Fan Club.” Witness (Spring 2019): 126-140.
“Per Ardua Ad Astra.” Narrative Magazine story of the week April 5, 2019.
“Women with Large Dogs.” Cutthroat (Spring 2019): 102-115.
“Improv.” Meridian 43 (Winter 2019): 74-86.
“A Deeper and Steeper Slope and Slant.” Southwest Review 103.3 (Autumn/Winter
2018): 193-203.
“All the Pretty Girls Look the Same.” Crazyhorse 94 (Fall 2018): 118-125.
“Dad’s Trying to Be Cool Again.” Fiction 58 (Spring 2012): 192-206.
“Face and Fix It.” Iron Horse 10.4 (Fall 2008).
“The Byte Bastard.” Chariton Review (Fall 2008): 25-38.
“Halfrica.” Crazyhorse (Spring 2008): 9-22.
“The Poplars, 1983.” The Sun (January 2008): 16-22.
“Lisbon.” Triquarterly (Spring 2007): 169-177.
“Jane from Cameroon.” Michigan Quarterly Review (Spring 2007): 316-327.
“Nothing Will Happen That I Don’t Tell You About.” Meridian (Spring / Summer
2006): 92-108.
“Reasons For Concern Regarding My Girlfriend of Five Days, Monica Garza.”
Crazyhorse (Spring 2006): 87-92.
“I Will Soon Be Married.” The Sun (September 2005): 24-31.
“Canton NY.” Prairie Schooner (Summer 2002): 107-120.
“Heavy Metal Love.” Bellingham Review (Spring 2002): 50-65.
“The Girl on the Mailbox.” Dogwood (May 2001): 42-56.
“Cementhead.” The Sun (June 2000): 40-46.
“Starvation, Class Struggle, Etc.” River City (Winter 2000): 108-124.
“Stepdaughter.” The New Orleans Review (Fall / Winter 1997): 98-108.
“O’Reely is Dead and O’Reilly Don’t Know It.” Sonora Review (Fall / Winter
1997): 47-57.
Grants, Awards, Honors and Republications
2024 — Gival Press Short Story Award ($1000), judged by Joan Goldsmith Gurfield
2024 — Published Finalist, Aesthetica Creative Writing Award in Fiction
2024 – “Highly Commended” story (£100) — the Bridport Prize for the Short Story
2023 – First Runner-up for the Nicholas Schaffner Award, Schaffner Press (Fiction
Collection)
2019 – Second place ($1000) in Nimrod Magazine’s Katherine Anne Porter Prize for
Fiction
2019 -- Semi-finalist for Florida Review's Editors' Prize in Fiction
2019 – Finalist for the Narrative Magazine Spring 2010 Fiction Prize ($100)
2018 – First Prize for the Rick DeMarinis Short Story Award ($1300), judged by Mona Susan Power
2018 – Finalist for the Narrative Magazine Fall 2018 Fiction Prize ($100)
2018 – First runner-up for the Witness 2018 Literary Award for Fiction
2016 – “Reasons for Concern Regarding . . .” republished in Monday Nights: Stories from the Creative Writing Workshop at the University of New Orleans. Ed. Frederick Barton and Joanna Leake. New Orleans: University of New Orleans Press, 2016. pp. 319-326
2011-- Everett Southwest Literary Award ($5000) for a novel manuscript, judged by
Sandra Cisneros
2010 -- “Reasons for Concern Regarding . . .” republished in Crazyhorse 50th
Anniversary Issue
2009 -- “I Will Soon Be Married” republished in The Mysterious Life of the Heart (Sun
Publishing, 2009)
2006 -- “Reasons for Concern Regarding . . .” selected for New Stories from the
Southwest 2006 anthology (University of Ohio Press, 2007)
2006 -- “I Will Soon Be Married” cited as one of “100 Other Distinguished Stories” in
Best American Short Stories 2006
2006 -- Two nominations for a Pushcart Prize
2006 -- First Prize ($1000) in the H.E. Francis Literary Competition (Judged by Verlyn
Klinkenborg)
2005 -- Canada Council for the Arts Grant ($9000 Canadian) for Emerging Writers
2002 -- The Tobias Wolff Award ($1000) for Fiction (Judged by Lan Samantha Chang)
2001 -- First Prize ($500) in the Dogwood Fiction Awards
2000 -- Nominated for a Pushcart Prize
1999 -- First prize ($2000) in the River City Short Story Competition (Judged by Francine
Prose)
1997-2001 -- Creative Writing Fellowship (Fiction), University of Missouri
1997 -- Fiction Fellowship for the Prague Summer Writers’ Workshops
Teaching
Courses Taught
Graduate Fiction Workshop
Graduate Creative Nonfiction Workshop
Form and Theory in Fiction (Graduate)
Intermediate Undergraduate Fiction Workshop
Advanced Undergraduate Fiction Workshop
Introductory Undergraduate Fiction Workshop
Freshman Writing
Remedial Writing
Introduction to Film
Introduction to World Literature
Introduction to American Literature
Genres: The Novel
Conferences and Readings
Invited Lecture. Parr Library Young Writers Group. Plano TX. October,
2012.
Everett Literary Award Reading. University of Central Oklahoma. Edmond OK. April 2011.
Editors’ Roundtable Panel Discussion. Richland College Literary Festival. Dallas TX. March 2011.
Story Reading. Texas Association of Writing Teachers Conference. Fort Worth TX.
October 2010.
“Literary Publishing in Uncertain Times.” Invited Lecture. Writer’s Guild of Texas.
Richardson TX. March 2010.
“The Pros and Cons of Poetry and Fiction Contests.” Panel Discussion. Associated
Writing Programs Annual Conference. Austin TX. March 2006.
Story Reading. Professor’s Corner Lecture Series. Denton TX. May 2004.
Story Reading. North Texas Review Reading Series. Denton TX. March 2003.
Story Reading. Faculty Reading Series. University of North Texas English
Department. October 2002.
“Profs and Panderers.” Panel Discussion. Aesthetics vs. Cultural Studies Academic
Conference. University of Missouri-Columbia. March 2001.
Story reading. Legacy Art Gallery. Columbia, MO. September 2000.
"The Punk Club and the Lyceum." Disruptive Disciplines Academic Conference.
Michigan State University. April 1999.
Story reading. University of Missouri English Department Reading Series. March
1998.
Story reading. University of New Orleans English Department. May 1997.
Service
UNT English Department Search – Creative Nonfiction. (Fall 2024 to present)
UNT Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures Tenure and Promotion Committee. (Fall 2024 to present).
University of North Texas First Year Writing Advisory Committee (2023-present).
UNT English Department Search Committee Chair – Three Continuing Lecturer Positions (Fall 2023).
University of North Texas Graduate Admissions Committee (2015-2023).
Fiction Co-Editor, American Literary Review (2002-2022).
University of North Texas English Department Personnel Affairs Committee (2014-
2018).
University of North Texas English Department Website Committee (2008-2011).
University of North Texas English Department Executive Committee (2007-2014).
Editor, American Literary Review (2003-2004 and 2005-2011).
Search Committee, University of North Texas English Department (2010-2011).
Search Committee, University of North Texas English Department (2008-2009).
Search Committee, University of North Texas English Department (2007-2008).
University of North Texas English Department Undergraduate Committee (2005-2007).
Search Committee, University of North Texas English Department (2004-2005).
Search Committee, University of Missouri-Columbia English Department (2001-2002).
Faculty Co-Facilitator for “America in Context” Freshman Interest Group (F.I.G.) (2001).
Senior Advisor at The Missouri Review (1999-2001).
Reader / Judge for the Editor’s Prize in Fiction, The Missouri Review (1999-2000).
Reader / Judge for the Tennessee Williams One Act Play Competition. New Orleans (1995-1997.)
Freshman Advisory Committee, University of New Orleans English Department (1995-
1997).