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Dr. John A. Tait

Associate Professor

University of North Texas

Department of English

(940) 231-3547

Email: tait@unt.edu

Education

  • PhD, University of Missouri-Columbia, 2002
    Major: English
    Specialization: Criative Writing -- Fiction --Primary Areas: 20th-Century American Fiction and American Film
  • MFA, University of New Orleans, 1997
    Major: Drama & Communications
    Specialization: Creative Writing -- Fiction
  • MA, University of Toronto, 1993
    Major: English Literature and Language
  • BA, University of Toronto, 1992
    Major: English Specialist

Professional Positions

  • Associate Professor, University of North Texas. University of North Texas. (2008 - Present).
  • Assistant Professor, University of North Texas. University of North Texas. (2002 - 2008).
  • Teaching Fellow, University of Missouri-Columbia. University of Missouri-Columbia. (1997 - 2002).
  • Teaching Assistant, University of New Orleans. University of New Orleans. (1994 - 1997).

Professional Memberships

  • Association of Writers and Writing Programs. (2002 - Present).

Teaching

Teaching Experience

    University of North Texas

  • ENGL 3140 - Beginning Fiction Writing, 36 courses.
  • ENGL 3996 - Honors College Mentored Research Experience, 1 course.
  • ENGL 4100 - Advanced Fiction Writing, 34 courses.
  • ENGL 4900 - Special Problems, 7 courses.
  • ENGL 4910 - Special Problems, 2 courses.
  • ENGL 4951 - Honors College Capstone Thesis, 2 courses.
  • ENGL 5145 - Form and Theory: Prose, 2 courses.
  • ENGL 5820 - Creative Writing: Prose Fiction, 14 courses.
  • ENGL 5900 - Special Problems, 17 courses.
  • ENGL 5910 - Special Problems, 3 courses.
  • ENGL 5950 - Master's Thesis, 34 courses.
  • ENGL 6900 - Special Problems, 1 course.
  • ENGL 6941 - Directed Research, 20 courses.
  • ENGL 6942 - Directed Research, 2 courses.
  • ENGL 6944 - Directed Research, 2 courses.
  • ENGL 6950 - Doctoral Dissertation, 35 courses.

Directed Student Learning

  • Dissertation Committee Member, English. (May 2021).
  • Doctoral Comprehensive Exam Member or Grader, English. (May 2021).
  • Doctoral Comprehensive Exam Member or Grader, English. (November 2020).
  • Master's Thesis Committee Chair, English. (November 2020).
  • Master's Thesis Committee Member, English. (November 2020).
  • Dissertation Committee Chair, English. (May 2020).
  • Dissertation Committee Chair, English. (May 2020).
  • Dissertation Committee Member, English. (May 2020).
  • Doctoral Comprehensive Exam Member or Grader, English. (May 2020).
  • Doctoral Comprehensive Exam Member or Grader, English. (May 2020).
  • Master's Thesis Committee Chair, English. (May 2020).
  • Master's Thesis Committee Co-Chair, English. (2019).
  • Master's Thesis Committee Member, English. (2019).
  • Dissertation Committee Chair, English. (April 2019).
  • Doctoral Comprehensive Exam Member or Grader, English. (April 2019).
  • Doctoral Comprehensive Exam Member or Grader, English. (December 2018).
  • Master's Thesis Committee Member, English. (2018).
  • Master's Thesis Committee Member, English. (2018).
  • Dissertation Committee Member, English. (November 2018).
  • Dissertation Committee Chair, English. (May 2018).
  • Doctoral Comprehensive Exam Member or Grader, English. (March 2018).
  • Dissertation Committee Member, English. (February 2018).
  • Doctoral Comprehensive Exam Member or Grader, English. (2017).
  • Doctoral Comprehensive Exam Member or Grader, English. (2017).
  • Master's Thesis Committee Chair, English. (2017).

Awards and Honors

  • Nominated for Nominated for a Pushcart Prize, Cutthroat Magazine. (November 2019).
  • Nominated for Narrative Magazine Story of the Week, Narrative Magazine. (April 2019).
  • First Runner Up for Katherine Anne Porter Prize for Fiction, Nimrod International Magazine. (January 2019).
  • UNT English Kesterson Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching, UNT English Department. (2019).
  • First Runner Up for Witness Literary Award for Fiction, Witness Magazine. (December 2018).
  • 2018 Rick Demarinis Fiction Award, Cutthroat Journal of the Arts. (November 20, 2018).
  • First Prize ($5000) for a novel manuscript, Everett Southwest Literary Award (Judged by Sandra Cisneros). (2011).
  • "Reasons for Concern Regarding . . ." included in Crazyhorse 50th Anniversary Issue, Crazyhorse Literary Journal. (2010).
  • "I Will Soon Be Married" republished in The Mysterious Life of the Heart anthology, The Sun Publishing, 2009. (2009).
  • "I Will Soon Be Married" cited as one of "100 Other Distinguished Stories", Best American Short Stories 2006. (2006).
  • "Reasons for Concern Regarding . . ." selected for New Stories from the Southwest 2006 anthology, University of Ohio Press, 2007. (2006).
  • First Prize ($1000), H.E. Francis Literary Competition (Judged by Verlyn Klinkenborg). (2006).
  • Nomination for a Pushcart Prize, (2006).
  • Nomination for a Pushcart Prize, (2005).
  • The Tobias Wolff Award ($1000) for Fiction, Judged by Lan Samantha Chang. (2002).
  • First Prize ($500), Dogwood Fiction Awards. (2001).
  • Creative Writing Fellowship (Fiction), University of Missouri. (1997).
  • Nominated for a Pushcart Prize, (2000).
  • First prize ($2000), River City Short Story Competition (Judged by Francine Prose). (1999).
  • Fiction Fellowship, Prague Summer Writers' Workshops. (1997).

Research

Published Intellectual Contributions

    Book Review

  • Tait, J.A. (2000). For the Relief of Unbearable Urge. Nathan Englander. The Missouri Review.
  • Tait, J.A. (1999). Beat Writers at Work. ed. George Plimpton. The Missouri Review.
  • Tait, J.A. (1998). The Next Step in the Dance. Tim Gautreaux. The Missouri Review.

    • Journal Article

  • Tait, J.A. (2012). Dad's Trying To Be Cool Again. Fiction.
  • Tait, J.A. (2008). Face and Fix It. Other.
  • Tait, J.A. (2008). The Byte Bastard. Chariton Review. 25-38.
  • Tait, J.A. (2008). Halfrica. Crazyhorse. 9-22.
  • Tait, J.A. (2008). The Poplars, 1983. Other. 16-22.
  • Tait, J.A. (2007). Jane from Cameroon. Michigan Quarterly Review. 316-327.
  • Tait, J.A. (2007). Lisbon. Triquarterly. 169-177.
  • Tait, J.A. (2006). Nothing Will Happen That I Don't Tell You About. Meridian. 92-108.
  • Tait, J.A. (2006). Reasons For Concern Regarding My Girlfriend of Five Days, Monica Garza. Crazyhorse. 87-92.
  • Tait, J.A. (2005). I Will Soon Be Married. Other. 24-31.
  • Tait, J.A. (2002). Canton NY. Prairie Schooner. 107-120.
  • Tait, J.A. (2002). Heavy Metal Love. Bellingham Review. 50-65.
  • Tait, J.A. (2001). The Girl on the Mailbox. Dogwood: A Journal of Poetry and Prose. 42-56.
  • Tait, J.A. (2000). Cementhead. Other. 40-46.
  • Tait, J.A. (2000). Starvation, Class Struggle, Etc.. Other. 108-124.
  • Tait, J.A. (1997). O'Reely is Dead and O'Reilly Don't Know It. Sonora Review. 47-57.
  • Tait, J.A. (1997). Stepdaughter. New Orleans Review. 98-108.

    • Short Story

  • Tait, J. (2020). Dolor. Third Coast.
  • Tait, J. (2019). This Might Hurt Some. Nimrod International Journal. 63 (1) 18.
  • Tait, J. (2019). Per Ardua Ad Astra. Other. https://www.narrativemagazine.com/issues/stories-week-2018-2019/story-week/ardua-ad-astra-john-tait
  • Tait, J. (2019). The Kristian Vang Fan Club. Witness. 32 (1) 14.
  • Tait, J. (2019). Women With Large Dogs. Cutthroat. 24
  • Tait, J. (2019). Improv. Meridian. 43 12.
  • Tait, J. (2018). A Deeper and Steeper Slope and Slant. Southwest Review. 103 (3) 10.
  • Tait, J. (2018). All the Pretty Girls Look the Same. Crazyhorse. 94 7.

Presentations Given

  • Tait, J.A. (Other), (2011 - 2011).
  • Tait, J.A. (Other), (2010 - 2010).
  • Tait, J.A. (Other), Literary Publishing in Uncertain Times, (2010 - 2010).
  • Tait, J.A. (Other), The Pros and Cons of Poetry and Fiction Contests, (2006 - 2006).
  • Tait, J.A. (Other), (2004 - 2004).
  • Tait, J.A. (Other), (2003 - 2003).
  • Tait, J.A. (Other), (2002 - 2002).
  • Tait, J.A. (Other), Profs and Panderers, (2001 - 2001).
  • Tait, J.A. (Other), (2000 - 2000).
  • Tait, J.A. (Other), The Punk Club and the Lyceum, (1999 - 1999).
  • Tait, J.A. (Other), (1998 - 1998).
  • Tait, J.A. (Other), (1997 - 1997).

Service

University Service

  • Member, Graduate Admissions Committee. (2015 - Present).
  • Other, Fiction Co-Editor for American Literary Review. (September 2002 - Present).
  • Chairperson, Chair: Fiction Search Committee. (November 2019 - April 2020).
  • Director, Acting Director of Creative Writing. (August 2019 - January 2020).
  • Committee Member, PAC Committee. (2014 - 2018).
  • Other, Website Committee. (2008 - 2016).
  • Committee Member, Executive Committee. (2007 - 2014).
  • Other, Search Committee. (2010 - 2011).
  • Other, Search Committee. (2008 - 2009).
  • Other, Search Committee. (2008 - 2008).
  • Other, Graduate Committee. (2007 - 2008).
  • Other, Search Committee. (2007 - 2008).
  • Other, Undergraduate Committee. (2005 - 2007).
  • Other, Search Committee. (2004 - 2005).
  • Other, Search Committee. (2001 - 2002).
  • Other (Faculty Co-Facilitator), "America in Context". (2001 - 2001).
  • Other, Freshman Advisory Committee. (1995 - 1997).

Professional Service

  • Other (Reader / Judge), Tennessee Williams One Act Play Competition. New Orleans, (1995 - 1997).