Featured Fiction Alum:

Jaed Coffin

Jaed Coffin has wanted to be a writer for as long as he can remember. A philosophy major as an undergrad, Jaed wrote two unpublished novels while finishing his BA degree. After traveling abroad for several years, from Alaska to Spain to Thailand, Jaed returned home to pursue his MFA in Creative Writing. A native Mainer, he chose the Stonecoast Program because he “wanted to study at a place that understood (his) sensibility as a Maine writer, in an environment that represented who (he) was as a Maine kid.”

In a life that has taken many twists and turns in just a quarter century, Jaed was ordained a Buddhist monk in the Fall of 2001. His forthcoming novel, A Chant to Soothe Wild Elephants (Fall, 2007), is an account of his experiences growing up in traditions rooted in both ancient and modern cultures and the challenge to reconcile one with the other. In 2003, his novel Take the Road as it Closes was nominated for the Story Line Press Three Oaks Prize in Fiction. His first published short story will appear in the August issue of Portland Magazine. Also an avid boxer, he is a two year veteran of the Portland Boxing Club and competes regularly in national competitions, most recently in the Golden Gloves amateur bouts held in early 2006. He also serves as Administrative Coordinator for the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance.

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Selected Publications:

A Chant to Soothe Wild Elephants (Da Capo Press, Fall, 2007)

Links:

Interview with Portland Press Herald

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Stonecoast MFA Commencement Speeches

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