Why come to Oxford? We're a literary town that likes its writers, from William Faulkner to John Grisham. And at the University of Mississippi, we try to create more of them. Encouragement is key: we have a small faculty and staff, and each incoming class is limited to about a handful of students who receive a lot of individual attention. We boast a solid program that provides a grounding in both writing and reading, the cornerstones of an author's craft. We specialize in what we do best, fiction and poetry.

Oxford itself is a writer's dream, with everything from author readings to literary conferences, not to mention the best independent bookstore in the South. Below is just some of what's available:

The Yalobusha Review, the university's annual literary journal, is a joint project of the English and Art departments. At over 120 pages in plus-size format, it's run by MFA graduate students but draws on material nationwide, featuring fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, interviews, artwork, and photography. Go to http://www.olemiss.edu/yalobusha/.

The Yoknapatawpha Summer Writers' Workshop is a three-day event near the end of June, featuring fiction and poetry workshops, panels, readings, lectures, and a catfish dinner. Go to http://www.outreach.olemiss.edu/summer/yokna_writers/.

The Visiting Writers Series, made possible by the generosity of the Grisham fund, allows us to bring in some of the most accomplished writers working today. Our featured writers have included:

Also thanks to John and Renée Grisham, the Department of English offers a limited number of Grisham Fellowships in Creative Writing. Grisham Fellows receive a $14,000 annual stipend plus tuition remission, renewable up to three years. All applicants to the MFA program in creative writing are eligible for the award, and no separate application is necessary.

The MFA Reading Series is a student-organized activity featuring writers from within the MFA program here. Once a month, two writers from the MFA program give a reading at a night spot on the Square. This is an opportunity for the featured writers to knock everyone's socks off with some great material. It's also a chance for the writer to feel the rush of reading in front of an audience, and for some, it will be their first time to do so. In addition, the reading series is a good way to meet other writers in the community and show mutual support. It's a chance to get away from the computer and have a good time! Contact Jake Rubin at jarubin@olemiss.edu.

The Outreach Series is a student-initiated program in which graduate students in creative writing volunteer time and talent, through various community-service activities, to bring about positive social change beyond the university setting. Outreach activities are coordinated by the Outreach director (a voluntary position that changes each semester) and are carried out by students. Activities may include but are not limited to teaching community writing workshops, visiting and reading at retirement homes, donating and delivering books for libraries, and judging writing contests. All activities are voluntary, and the Outreach program receives no university funding.

The Ten-Minute Play Contest is a locally run but nationally renowned competition that brings in short drama from all over, with the winning material performed in Oxford. Go to http://www.tenmi nuteplays.com.

The Oxford Film Fest is a cinematic feast in September, offering everything from children's shorts to documentaries and full-length features. Go to http://www.oxfordarts.com/off /events.htm.

Southern Writers, Southern Writing is a three-day conference hosted by the university's graduate students every July. Go to http://www.olemiss.edu/conf/swsw/.

The Marshall County Correctional Facility Writing Project is a volunteer on-site creative writing class for inmates, sponsored by The William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation. The MCCFWP is usually taught by MFA students.

Southern Writers Reading is a literary conference held each year the week before Thanksgiving in Fairhope, AL. Over the Transom Books provides fellowships for two University of Mississippi MFA students a year to attend and meet some of the South's best writers, as well as editors and publishers. See http://www.overthetransom.com for more information.

Square Books is an independently owned bookstore owned by Richard Howorth, a former president of the American Booksellers Association. Having grown from its humble origins as a one-flight walk-up over twenty-five years ago, it now boasts a main store with an upstairs café, a sales annex, and a children's shop, as well as clerks who read a lot and know what they're selling. The authors who have visited Square Books for readings make for an honor roll of literature, from the half-unknown to the extremely famous. Go to http://www.squarebooks.com/front.php.

Thacker Mountain Radio Hour is broadcast live from Off Square Books on Thursday afternoons and combines music and commentary with literary readings. Besides the great live bands and hip announcer, authors on the air have ranged from Donna Tartt to Robert Stone. Go to http://www.thackermountain.com/.

The Oxford Conference for the Book is an annual event that pulls in authors, editors, agents, and publishers for three days every Spring. Designed for both readers and writers, it can put you in touch with an author you admire or give you help on marketing your poetry collection. Go to http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/south/ocb/.

The Faulkner and Yoknapatawpha Conference, now past its 30th year, attracts scholars from all over the globe for a week of Faulkner appreciation around the end of July. Topics range from scholarly criticism on the Bard of Yoknapatawph a County to the Faux Faulkner Write-Alike Contest. Go to http://www.outreach.olemiss.edu/events/faulkner/.

Rowan Oak, the living museum of Faulkner's home, is a restored house featuring Faulkner's books, typewriter, bedroom, and even an outline for one of his novels that he drew on his study wall. Go to http://www.mcsr.olemiss.edu/~egjbp/faulkner/rowanoak.html.

The Center for the Study of Southern Culture is situated in the restored Barnard Observatory on campus and offers one of the few programs in the nation to focus exclusively on Southern culture, from the origin of the blues to the nature of grits. Go to http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/south/.

The Yoknapatawpha Arts Council sponsors a wide range of arts in the county, from art in the schools to grants for performances. Go to http://www.oxfordarts.com/.

The Double Decker Arts Festival, a weekend extravaganza that spills out from the Square every June, has two live music stages, food stalls and crafts fairs, and free rides on a British double-decker bus. Go to http://www.doubledeckerfestival.com/.