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Miroslav N. Penkov

Professor

University of North Texas

Department of English

(940) 565-2129

Email: Miroslav.Penkov@unt.edu

Education

  • MFA, University of Arkansas, 2009
    Major: Creative Writing
    Specialization: Fiction
  • BA, University of Arkansas, 2005
    Major: Psychology

Professional Positions

    Professional

  • Fiction Editor, UNT/American Literary Review. UNT/American Literary Review. (2016 - Present).
  • Associate Professor, University of North Texas. University of North Texas. (2015 - Present).
  • Editor in Chief, UNT/American Literary Review. UNT/American Literary Review. (2015 - 2016).
  • Nonfiction Editor, UNT/American Literary Review. UNT/American Literary Review. (2015 - 2016).
  • Assistant Professor, University of North Texas. University of North Texas. (2009 - 2015).
  • Fiction Editor, UNT/American Literary Review. UNT/American Literary Review. (2009 - 2015).
  • Editor in Chief, UNT/American Literary Review. UNT/American Literary Review. (2011 - 2011).

Professional Memberships

  • Associated Writing Programs. (Present).
  • Phi Beta Kappa Society. (2009 - Present).

Teaching

Teaching Experience

    University of North Texas

  • ENGL 3140 - Beginning Fiction Writing, 23 courses.
  • ENGL 4100 - Advanced Fiction Writing, 19 courses.
  • ENGL 4900 - Special Problems, 1 course.
  • ENGL 4951 - Honors College Capstone Thesis, 1 course.
  • ENGL 5145 - Form and Theory: Prose, 2 courses.
  • ENGL 5820 - Creative Writing: Prose Fiction, 11 courses.
  • ENGL 5900 - Special Problems, 9 courses.
  • ENGL 5950 - Master's Thesis, 19 courses.
  • ENGL 6900 - Special Problems, 1 course.
  • ENGL 6941 - Directed Research, 26 courses.
  • ENGL 6950 - Doctoral Dissertation, 37 courses.

Directed Student Learning

  • Dissertation Committee Member, English. (2023).
  • Dissertation Committee Member, English. (2023).
  • Dissertation Committee Chair, English. (2022).
  • Dissertation Committee Chair, English. (2022).
  • Dissertation Committee Member, English. (2022).
  • Dissertation Committee Chair, English. (2020).
  • Dissertation Committee Chair, English. (2020).
  • Dissertation Committee Chair, English. (2019).
  • Dissertation Committee Chair, English. (2020 - November 27, 2023).
  • Dissertation Committee Chair, English. (2019 - April 2023).
  • Master's Thesis Committee Chair, English. (2020 - 2022).
  • Dissertation Committee Chair, English. (March 2021).
  • Dissertation Committee Chair, English. (October 2018 - March 2021).
  • Master's Thesis Committee Chair, English. (2016 - November 2020).
  • Master's Thesis Committee Member, English. (March 2020).
  • Dissertation Committee Member, English. (February 2018 - March 2020).
  • Dissertation Committee Member, English. (November 2019 - February 2020).
  • Dissertation Committee Member, English. (2018 - 2019).
  • Dissertation Committee Chair, English. (2015 - 2019).
  • Master's Thesis Committee Chair, English. (September 1, 2017 - October 21, 2019).
  • Dissertation Committee Chair, English. (2016 - February 2019).
  • Dissertation Committee Chair, "A Novel," English. (2014 - October 2018).
  • Dissertation Committee Chair, English. (2016 - April 2018).
  • Master's Thesis Committee Chair, English. (2016 - 2017).
  • Dissertation Committee Member, "A Novel," English. (2015 - 2017).
  • Master's Thesis Committee Chair, English. (2016 - 2016).
  • Master's Thesis Committee Member, English. (2016 - 2016).
  • Dissertation Defense Committee Chair, English. (2015 - 2016).
  • Dissertation Committee Chair, "A Novel," English. (2013 - 2016).
  • Dissertation Committee Chair, "Down and Out: Novel," English. (2015 - 2015).
  • Dissertation Committee Chair, "Derivation: Novel," English. (2015 - 2015).
  • Dissertation Committee Chair, "Bass Reeves: A Novel," English. (2015 - 2015).
  • Master's Thesis Committee Chair, "No Paper Cowboys: Stories," English. (2015 - 2015).
  • Master's Thesis Committee Member, "Stories," English. (2015 - 2015).
  • Dissertation Committee Chair, "Patrol: A Novel," English. (2014 - 2014).
  • Dissertation Committee Chair, "Gray City: Stories and a Novella," English. (2014 - 2014).
  • Dissertation Committee Member, "Dissertation: Novel," English. (2014 - 2014).
  • Master's Thesis Committee Chair, "The Angular Degrees of Freedom: Stories," English. (2014 - 2014).
  • Master's Thesis Committee Chair, "Werewolves and Time Machines: Stories," English. (2014 - 2014).
  • Master's Thesis Committee Member, "Thesis: Collection of Stories," English. (2014 - 2014).
  • Master's Thesis Committee Chair, "Infinite Hallways: Parabola Heretica and Other Journeys," English. (2013 - 2013).
  • Undergraduate Honors Thesis, "Honors Thesis," English. (2013 - 2013).
  • Dissertation Committee Chair, "After the Planes: Novel," English. (2012 - 2012).
  • Master's Thesis Committee Chair, "Thesis: Collection of Stories," English. (2012 - 2012).
  • Master's Thesis Committee Member, "Collection of Stories," English. (2012 - 2012).
  • Dissertation Committee Member, "Set for Life: A Novel," English. (2011 - 2011).
  • Master's Thesis Committee Chair, "Thesis: Collection of Stories," English. (2011 - 2011).
  • Master's Thesis Committee Member, "Thesis: Collection of Essays and Stories," English. (2011 - 2011).
  • Master's Thesis Committee Member, English. (2011 - 2011).
  • Master's Thesis Committee Chair, "Thesis: Collection of Stories," English. (2010 - 2010).
  • Master's Thesis Committee Chair, "Thesis: Short Stories," English. (2009 - 2009).

Awards and Honors

  • University Distinguished Teaching Professor: Renewal, UNT, Office of the Provost. (January 18, 2024).
  • 100 Notable Stories - "Black Water, Plum Rain.", The Best American Short Stories 2020. (October 2020).
  • The Golden Knight (First Place Award) for best feature film debut for "A Picture With Yuki", XXIX International Film Forum “Zolotoy Vityaz” 2020. (September 2020).
  • Best Fiction Feature for "A Picture with Yuki", IV Ibiza International Festival of Independent Film – Ibizacinefest. (February 2020).
  • The Critics Guild Award to Feature Film (A Picture With Yuki), Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers. (October 2019).
  • CLASS Advisory Board Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching, UNT, CLASS Advisory Board. (September 19, 2019).
  • A Special Mention for Feature Film Debut (A Picture with Yuki), Golden Rose Film Festival. (September 2019).
  • University Distinguished Teaching Professor, UNT, Office of the Provost. (September 1, 2019).
  • Audience Award for films from the International and the Balkan competitions (A Picture With Yuki), Sofia International Film Festival 2019. (March 2019).
  • Nominated for Semi-Finalist, VCU Cabell First Novelist (for Stork Mountain). (June 1, 2017).
  • Nominated for J. H. Shelton Excellence in Teaching Award 2017, Department of English. (2017).
  • Nominated for Teacher Scholar Award, UNT. (2017).
  • Nominated for Longlist - The Center for Fiction’s First Novel Award, The Center for Fiction. (2016).
  • Literature Protege - Rolex Mentor and Protege Arts Initiative, mentor Michael Ondaatje, Rolex. (2014).
  • Early Career Award for Research and Creativity, Office of Research and Economic Development, UNT. (2014).
  • Research Excellence Award, College of Arts and Sciences, UNT. (2014).
  • "East of the West" selected for the 2013 Best American Nonrequired Reading, Best American Series. (2013).
  • Kesterson Award for Outstanding Graduate Teaching, UNT. (2013).
  • Institute for the Advancement of the Arts Faculty Fellow, UNT, Institute for the Advancement of the Arts.. (2012).
  • "The Letter" selected in 100 Other Distinguished Stories, Best American Short Stories 2012. (2012).
  • Finalist for the Steven Turner Award for Best Work of First Fiction, Texas Institute of Letters. (2012).
  • Finalist for the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing, The Stanford University Libraries and the William Saroyan Foundation. (2012).
  • Notable Books of 2011, The Story Prize. (2012).
  • Research Initiation Grant, UNT. (2012).
  • Winner of the BBC International Short Story Award 2012 with "East of the West", The British Broadcasting Corporation. (2012).
  • "East of the West" selected for the 2012 PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories, PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories. (2011).
  • 5 Recommended Books, Boston Globe. (2011).
  • Best of 2011 - Book by Texas Author Published in Last 12 Months, Fort Worth Weekly. (2011).
  • Honor Professor, Student Government Association (UNT). (2011).
  • Junior Faculty Summer Research Fellowship, UNT. (2011).
  • Pushcart Nomination for "Makedonija" published in Five Chapters, Pushcart Prize. (2011).
  • Junior Faculty Summer Research Fellowship, UNT. (2010).
  • Research Initiation Grant, UNT. (2010).
  • "Buying Lenin" selected for inclusion in The Best American Short Stories 2008, Best American Short Stories 2008. (2008).
  • Eudora Welty Prize in Fiction, The Southern Review. (2008).

Research

Published Intellectual Contributions

    Book

  • Penkov, M.N. (2023). A River In The Labyrinth: A Novel. 336. Ciela Norma. https://ciela.bg/knigi/hudozhestvena-literatura/balgarska-hudozhestvena-literatura/reka-v-labirinta-predstoyashto/
  • Penkov, M.N. (2023). East of the West: A New Edition. 272. Ciela Norma. https://ciela.bg/knigi/hudozhestvena-literatura/balgarska-hudozhestvena-literatura/na-iztok-ot-zapada-novo-izdanie-predstoyashto/
  • Penkov, M. (2021). East of the West (Serbia, translation).
  • Penkov, M. (2020). Stork Mountain (Iran, Translation).
  • Penkov, M.N. (2018). East of the West (Iran, translation).
  • Penkov, M.N. (2018). East of the West (Japan, translation). Hakusui-Sha.
  • Penkov, M.N. (2018). Stork Mountain (Greece, translation). Antipodes.
  • Penkov, M.N. (2017). East of the West (Turkey, translation). Yüz Kitap.
  • Penkov, M.N. (2017). Ooievaarsberg (Stork Mountain, Netherlands, translation). De Bezige Bij.
  • Penkov, M.N. (2016). East of the West (Greece, translation). Antipodes.
  • Penkov, M.N. (2016). Stork Mountain (UK version). Sceptre.
  • Penkov, M.N. (2016). Stork Mountain (Bulgaria, my own Bulgarian translation). Ciela Norma.
  • Penkov, M.N. (2016). Stork Mountain (US version). 448. New York, NY, Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
  • Penkov, M.N. (2014). East of the West (China, translation). Yilin Press.
  • Penkov, M.N. (2011). East of the West: A Country in Stories. Bond Street Books, Doubleday. http://www.randomhouse.ca/catalog/display.pperl?isbn
  • Penkov, M.N. (2011). East of the West: A Country in Stories. Sceptre, Hodder & Stoughton. http://www.hodder.co.uk/authors/author.aspx?AuthorID
  • Penkov, M.N. East of the West: Stories (France, French Translation). Éditions Héloïse d'Ormesson.
  • Penkov, M.N. East of the West: Stories (Germany, German Translation). Karl Blessing Verlag, Random House.
  • Penkov, M.N. East of the West: Stories (Holland Translation). Bezige Bij.
  • Penkov, M.N. East of the West: Stories (Norway Translation). Gyldendal.
  • Penkov, M.N., Mörk, Y. (2011). Öster om Väst East of the West: Stories (Sweden). Bonniers Group, 2244. http://www.bonnierforlagen.se/Katalog/2244/Vintern-2011-2012/Oster-om-Vast/
  • Penkov, M.N., Penkov, M. (2011). На Изток от Запада East of the West: Stories (Bulgaria). Ciela.
  • Penkov, M.N., Hodell, C. (2011). East of the West: A Country in Stories. 240. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. http://us.macmillan.com/eastofthewest/MiroslavPenkov

    • Book Chapter

  • Penkov, M.N. (2016). Klisura (in Brick Magazine). Stork Mountain excerpt.

    • Personal Essay

  • Penkov, M. (2017). Why we should all claim this America as ours. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/jun/27/miroslav-penkov-stork-mountain-why-we-should-all-claim-this-america-as-ours
  • Penkov, M.N. (2016). Literary Mixtape. https://www.theguardian.com/books/literary-mixtapes-by-electric-literature/2016/mar/16/literary-mixtape-miroslav-penkov-cranks-up-radiohead-and-queen-on-the-shores-of-the-black-sea
  • Penkov, M.N. (2013). "First Sentence". Granta Online. http://www.granta.com/New-Writing/First-Sentence-Miroslav-Penkov
  • Penkov, M.N. (2013). Best Untranslated Writers. Granta Online. http://www.granta.com/New-Writing/Best-Untranslated-Writers-Petar-Delchev
  • Penkov, M.N. (2008). The Myth of the Muse. Blackbird.

    • Popular Press Article

  • Penkov, M.N., Furman, L. (2012). "East of the West". 2012 PEN/O Henry Prize Stories. Anchor Books.

    • Screenplay, Co-Script Writer

  • Penkov, M. (2019). A Picture With Yuki (Feature Film). https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4291014/

    • Short Story

  • Penkov, M. (2020). Buying Lenin. 20. Sofia, Bulgaria, Ciela.
  • Penkov, M. (2019). Black Water, Plum Rain. The Southern Review. (Summer 2019)
  • Penkov, M. (2017). Makedonija. PEN American Center.
  • Penkov, M.N. (2016). Blood Money (Finland, translation). 6 Granta Finland.
  • Penkov, M.N. (2016). Blood Money (Israel, translation). 2 Granta Israel.
  • Penkov, M.N. (2016). Blood Money (Japan translation). 3 Granta Japan.
  • Penkov, M.N. (2015). Makedonia (Iran, translation). Dastan Magazine.
  • Penkov, M.N., Freeman, J. (2013). "Blood Money". Granta (124:Travel). http://www.granta.com/Archive/124
  • Penkov, M.N., Eggers, D. (2013). "East of the West". The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2013. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
  • Penkov, M.N., Vidich, P. (2011). "East of the West". Storyville. http://storyvilleapp.com/stories.php?sid
  • Penkov, M.N. (2011). "East of the West". Storyville. http://storyvilleapp.com/stories.php?sid
  • Penkov, M.N. (2011). "Öster om Väst" "East of the West" (Sweden). Mix Förlag. http://www.bonnierforlagen.se/Katalog/Mix/Exil/Oster-om-vast/
  • Penkov, M.N., Tinti, H. (2011). A Picture With Yuki. (148) One Story. http://www.one-story.com/index.php?page
  • Penkov, M.N. (2011). Buying Lenin. The Sunday Times.
  • Penkov, M.N., Blake, H.E. (2011). East of the West. Orion Magazine.
  • Penkov, M.N., Daley, D. (2011). Makedonija. Five Chapters. http://www.fivechapters.com/2011/makedonija/
  • Penkov, M.N., Hughes, B. (2011). The Letter. (13) A Public Space.
  • Penkov, M.N. (2008). Boxer. Underground Voices.
  • Penkov, M.N., Rusdhie, S., Pitlor, H. (2008). Buying Lenin. The Best American Short Stories 2008. The Best American Short Stories 2008.
  • Penkov, M.N. (2008). Tobacco Wedding. Blackbird.
  • Penkov, M.N., Lott, B. (2007). Buying Lenin. The Southern Review. LSU Press.
  • Penkov, M.N. (2007). Makedonija. Big Muddy: A Journal of the Mississippi River Valley.
  • Penkov, M.N., Lott, B. (2005). Devshirmeh. The Southern Review. LSU Press.
  • Penkov, M.N. (2005). Icarus Reborn. The Ozark Review.
  • Penkov, M.N. (2005). The White Mariana. The Prairie Margins.

Presentations Given

  • Penkov, M.N. (Panelist), English Graduate Forum Creative Writing Pedagogy, (2013 - 2013).
  • Arkansas Literary Festival, (2012 - 2012).
  • One Story Literary Debutante Ball, (2012 - 2012).
  • Penkov, M.N. (Other), Post-Communist Literature and Exile,, (2012 - 2012).
  • Small Wonder Festival - Charleston, UK, (2012 - 2012).
  • The Times Cheltenham Festival - Cheltenham, UK, (2012 - 2012).
  • EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL: Stories with and Without Boundaries., (2011 - 2011).
  • EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL: Ten at Ten, A Reading, (2011 - 2011).
  • The Future of Translation: Writing, Publishing, and Developing an Audience in the Digital Age, (2011 - 2011).
  • Chicago Humanities Festival, (2009 - 2009).

    • Invited Talk

  • Penkov, M.N. (Author & Presenter), Sofia International Literary Festival, A River In the Labyrinth: A Conversation with Miroslav Penkov, moderated by Zachary Karabashliev, Sofia, Bulgaria, Bulgaria. (2023).
  • Penkov, M.N. (Author & Presenter), The Rolex Arts Festival, Fiction and Locality in a Global Context: Miroslav Penkov in conversation with his Greek translator Akis Papantonis, Rolex SA, Athens, Greece, Greece. (2023).
  • Penkov, M.N. (Author & Presenter), The Rolex Arts Festival, The Rolex Arts Initiative: Literature: A conversation with writers Miroslav Penkov, Collin Barret, Julia Lee, Julián Fuks, Edem Awumey., Rolex SA, Athens, Greece, Greece. (2023).
  • Penkov, M.N. (Panelist), Small Countries in Big Literatures, Reading and Talk with Josip Novakovich, Miroslav Penkov, Stacy Mattingly, Elizabeth Kostova Foundation, Bulgarian Consulate General New York City, United States of America. (2017 - 2017).

    • Lecture

  • Penkov, M.N. (Author), Rolex Arts Weekend, On Literary Influences, A Conversation with Michael Ondaatje, Rolex SA, Mexico City, Mexico. (2015 - 2015).

    • Oral Presentation

  • Penkov, M.N. (Author), Rolex Mentor and Protege Arts Initiative, Stork Mountain, a presentation, Rolex SA, Geneva, Switzerland, Switzerland. (2014 - 2014).

    • Panel Presentation

  • Penkov, M.N. (Other), AWP, Writing a Short Story Collection., Minneapolis, MN, United States of America. (2015 - 2015).
  • Penkov, M.N. (Other), AWP, The MFA in Academia, United States of America. (2010 - 2010).

    • Symposium

  • Penkov, M. (Panelist), Rolex Arts Weekend, Do we have the right arts education? Homi Bhabha, William Kentridge, Miroslav Penkov, Tatiana Bilbao, Fergus Linehan, and Sir Anish Kapoor., Rolex SA, Deutsches Theater, Berlin, Germany, Germany. (2018 - 2018).

Media Contributions

    TV

  • "Michael Ondaatje and Miroslav Penkov, Rolex Mentor and Protégé in Literature, 2014–2015," (December 7, 2015).

Contracts, Grants, Sponsored Research

    Fellowship

  • Penkov, M.N., "Rolex Arts Initiative - Collaboration Fund," sponsored by Rolex SA, International, $1 Funded. (2024 - 2025).
  • Penkov, M.N. (Principal), "Mountain of Myrrh," sponsored by Junior Faculty Summer Research Fellowship (UNT), University of North Texas, Funded. (2011 - 2011).
  • Penkov, M.N. (Principal), "Mountain of Myrrh," sponsored by Junior Faculty Summer Research Fellowship (UNT), University of North Texas, Funded. (2010 - 2010).

    • Grant - Research

  • Penkov, M.N. (Principal), "Rolex post mentoring project," sponsored by Rolex SA, International, $1 Funded. (2016 - 2019).
  • Penkov, M.N. (Principal), "The Imaginary Tsar," sponsored by Institute for the Advancement of the Arts (UNT), International, Funded. (2012 - 2013).
  • Penkov, M.N. (Principal), "The Imaginary Tsar," sponsored by Research Initiation Grant (UNT), University of North Texas, Funded. (2012 - 2012).
  • Penkov, M.N. (Principal), "Mountain of Myrrh," sponsored by Research Initiation Grant (UNT), University of North Texas, Funded. (2010 - 2010).
  • Penkov, M. (Principal), "Rolex post mentoring project," sponsored by Rolex SA, International, Funded. (2016 - 2019).

Service

University Service

  • Committee Member, Personnel Affairs Committee (PAC). (September 2018 - Present).
  • Member, Graduate admissions in Creative Writing. (August 2009 - Present).
  • Committee Member, Poetry Search Committee. (September 2022 - May 2023).
  • Committee Member, Creative Nonfiction Search Committee. (October 2021 - May 2022).
  • Committee Member, Fiction Search Committee. (October 2021 - May 2022).
  • Committee Member, Creative Nonfiction Visiting Assistant Professor Search Committee. (May 2021 - June 2021).
  • Committee Chair, Fiction Search Committee. (September 1, 2019 - November 15, 2019).
  • Other (Fiction Editor), American Literary Review. (September 2016 - September 2018).
  • Other (At-large member), Executive Committee (EC). (August 2014 - September 2018).
  • Other (Editor in Chief), American Literary Review. (May 2015 - May 2016).
  • Other (Nonfiction Editor), American Literary Review. (May 2015 - May 2016).
  • Committee Member, Job Search Committee. (September 2015 - March 2016).
  • Other (Fiction Editor), American Literary Review. (September 2009 - September 2015).
  • Other (IAA Emeritus Fellow), IAA Steering Committee. (2013 - 2014).
  • Other (Assisting in the recruitment of a Writer in Residence), IAA. (2013 - 2013).
  • Other (Editor in Chief), American Literary Review. (May 2011 - December 2011).

Professional Service

  • Other (Fiction Contest Judge), Agop Melkonian Short Story Contest 2019. Sofia, (February 2019 - May 2019).
  • Other (Wrote monthly non-fiction), Zona-F magazine in Bulgaria. (1999 - 2003).

Consulting

  • Academic, PEN Texas, United States of America. (2013 - 2013).
  • Academic, Granta Books/Portobello Books, United Kingdom. (2012 - 2012).
  • Academic, UNT Press, United States of America. (2012 - 2012).