Patrick Henry, associate professor of English<\/strong><\/a> and director of the Creative Writing Program at the University of North Dakota, says storytelling is far more than an art form \u2014 it is one of the most powerful ways people connect with one another.<\/p>\n“I believe, fundamentally, the stories we tell matter,” Henry said. “We are storytelling animals.”<\/p>\n
That belief shapes everything he does, from mentoring student writers and publishing award-winning fiction to leading one of UND’s longest-standing artistic traditions: the annual UND Writers Conference.<\/p>\n
As director of the UND Writers Conference, Henry oversees one of UND\u2019s longest-running traditions. The free, three-day event welcomes students, faculty, alumni and community members to campus for author readings, panel discussions, writing workshops and conversations centered around literature and creativity.<\/p>\n
Now preparing for the 58th Annual Writers Conference, scheduled for March 22\u201324, 2027, Henry has chosen the theme of “Who Tells the Story?”<\/p>\n
The conference brings nationally recognized authors into classrooms and creates collaborative workshops where students, alumni, faculty and community members write together in the same space.<\/p>\n
Its longevity, Henry said, speaks to the passion of the community.<\/p>\n
“There are community members who have attended since the very first conferences,” Henry said. “Our predecessors built something that continues to impact future students, and UND has continued to champion the arts and creative expression.”<\/p>\n
Alongside his teaching, Henry is an award-winning fiction writer and literary scholar. His short story collection, “Practice for Becoming a Ghost,” received the Northeast Modern Language Association Creative Writing Book Award, and he is currently completing a new collection, “Cursed Objects.”<\/p>\n
Support from the College of Arts & Sciences’ Fine Arts and Humanities Scholarship Initiative has helped advance this work through writing retreats and professional workshops.<\/p>\n
By remaining an active author, Henry brings real-world publishing experience into the classroom, giving students firsthand insight into the creative process while demonstrating the value of persistence and revision.<\/p>\n
Whether mentoring emerging writers, organizing community workshops or publishing award-winning fiction, Henry measures success by connection.<\/p>\n
“Writing might seem like inherently solitary work,” he said. “But we’re writing stories and poems to connect with people.”<\/p>\n
For him, the most meaningful moments come from hearing how a conference workshop inspired someone to write, receiving a message from a reader touched by one of his stories or watching students discover confidence in their own creative voices.<\/p>\n
Through his leadership, scholarship and creative work, Henry continues to strengthen UND’s culture of artistic expression while demonstrating how the humanities build empathy, foster community and create lasting connections. His work exemplifies the College of Arts & Sciences’ commitment to research and creative activity that enriches students, serves the broader community and reminds us why stories matter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Patrick Henry, associate professor of English and director of the UND Writers Conference, featured in latest College of Arts & Sciences research spotlight.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":82,"featured_media":110663,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[520],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-110656","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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<\/p>\n