Jones Teaches Writing in Cambodia

Alden Jones, assistant professor in the Marlboro Institute and Writing, Literature and Publishing, has been selected as a Fulbright Specialist. She will assist the Khmer Literature Festival and small publishing house Kampu-Mera in Cambodia with a creative writing workshop.

A program of the U.S. State Department, the Fulbright Specialist Program is a unique opportunity for U.S. academics and established professionals to engage in two- to six-week, project-based exchanges at host institutions across the globe.

Arts mentorship is a crucial need in Cambodia after the Khmer Rouge’s near-elimination of the country’s artists during the 1970s, Jones said. By teaching writers how to teach their craft, she hopes to strengthen arts communities for future generations of international creators.

As a writer who believes in the importance of arts mentorship, Jones said she feels a strong drive to pass along what she has learned, both from her own mentors and from her work in the craft of writing.

“Teaching is my passion,” says Jones.  “I believe the future of literature depends upon our ability to pass down knowledge and integrate it with the changing times, across ages and cultures, to create the best possible environment for creative expression.”

Jones’ Fulbright application arose from a 2023 trip to Cambodia and Vietnam to conduct research for course development on a travel fellowship from the Marion and Jasper Whiting Foundation. Her research in Cambodia included interviewing artists and arts administrators, and during that time she met Phina So, a writer, publisher, and the director of the Khmer Literature Festival. So explained that creative writing education does not really exist in Cambodia, and So’s ultimate goal is to be able to offer creative writing classes in Khmer.

In addition to providing a needed service in Cambodia, Jones anticipates that the initiative will provide international teaching experience to select Emerson MFA students who are aspiring instructors in creative writing, who want to interact with writers across geographical lines, and who aspire to teach creative writing rather than academic writing.

Story contributed by the Office of Research and Creative Scholarship (ORCS).