Bernadette Murphy, MFA
Core Faculty in MFA in Creative Writing
Biography
Bernadette Murphy has published three books of creative nonfiction: The Tao Gals’ Guide to Real Estate (with LA novelist Michelle Huneven), a nonfiction narrative following the lives of six women (herself included) as they put Tao principles to work navigating the red-hot real estate market (Bloomsbury USA, 2007); The Knitter’s Gift (2004), an anthology of creative nonfiction, poetry and fiction; and the bestselling Zen and the Art of Knitting (2002) in which she uses memoir and reportage to explore the connection between fiber arts, creativity, and spirituality.
Murphy has recently completed a first novel about music, motherhood and madness titled Grace Notes, an early version of which was a finalist for the Heekin Group Foundation’s James Jones Novel-In-Progress award. She has been a contributing book critic for the Los Angeles Times and has published hundreds of reviews there. Her personal narratives and essays on literature have appeared in BOOK Magazine, Ms. Magazine, LA Weekly, San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, Los Angeles Times Magazine and elsewhere. She has taught at the UCLA Extension Writers Program and National University’s MFA Program, as well as in private writing workshops.
