
Associate Professor of English; Director, MSU Writing Center
Office: Hartnett 308
Email: patti.kurtz@ndus.edu
Phone Number: 701-858-3073
Personal Website
Credentials:
BA, English: Waynesburg University, Waynesburg, PA
MA, English: Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, PA
DA, English: Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID
MFA Writing Popular Fiction: Seton Hill University, Greensburg, PA
Courses Taught:
ASC 087 College Writing Prep
ASC 088 Composition Lab
English 110 & 120 (Composition 1 and 2)
English 191 English Community Seminar
English 211 Introduction to Creative Writing
English 244 Writing in Multiple Genres
English 238 Childrens Literature
English 321 Topics in Creative Writing: Fantasy
English 321 Genre Fiction
English 391 Junior Research Lab
English 410 Fiction Workshop
English 338 Topics in Adolescent Literature
English 209: Introduction to Linguistics
English 322 American Dialects in Film and Media
English 317: Teaching Writing
English 318 and 318 L: Writing Tutor Training
English 343: Graphic Novels
English 491: Senior Seminar
More about Dr. Kurtz:
I see myself as a writer first and a teacher of writing second. I've been writing for over 20 years, mainly fiction for teens, poems, fantasy stories and novels, and mystery novels. Teaching writing is the best of both worlds for
Drawing on over seven years of working as a tutor in various Writing Centers, I also direct the MSU Writing Center, located on the lower level of Gordon Olson Library. The Writing Center employs student tutors to help writers one on one with their paper assignments and is free for all MSU students. Being a tutor also helps students become better critical readers, thinkers,
I grew up in Pittsburgh, PA (Go Penguins!), and it will always be my home town, no matter where I'm living (sorry, North Dakota!). I also belong to the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). In 2006, I won the Emily Rhoades Johnson Award for the most promising manuscript at the UND/SCBWI Dakotas conference in Grand Forks. I was also the SCBWI Dakotas chapter
My current projects include a high fantasy novel, a detective novel, a young adult contemporary novel about wolf reintroduction, and a young adult sports novel. I regularly attend The Pikes Peak Writers Conference in Colorado Springs, CO, where I enjoy networking with other authors, agents, and editors. I've read my work at the NDUS Humanities summit and presented at the Midwest MLA conference several times.
In 2016, I earned my MFA in Popular Fiction at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA, and I'm proud of having done that while working full time and going to school full time. My thesis novel is a young adult sports novel titled Spinout which I have recentlty revised. I am actively seeking a literary agent or editor to publish my work.
I live in Minot with my husband, a Lab named Goldberry and a blind beagle named Elanor, both named after Lord of the Rings characters. I'm a huge hockey fan (go Penguins!) and Indy Car racing fan (Yay, Scott Dixon).
Curious to know more? Check out my Prairie Profile from the Minot Daily News.
To learn more about me and my writing follow me on Twitter/X @Patti J Kurtz or visit my