Writer alumna at East Bay

California State University, East Bay alumna Candice Eroz Diaz comes full circle Nov. 17 as the former English major and published author returns to campus to speak in the English Department’s Distinguished Writers Series.

Diaz was first published in CSUEB’s literary magazine “Occam’s Razor” and has since been featured in several short story collections. She is the first alumni to speak in the school’s Distinguished Writers Series.

After graduating from East Bay, she completed her Master of Fine Arts in creative nonfiction and fiction at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga, where she studied with another featured author, Marilyn Abildskov. Both published authors have received literary awards.

“[Abildskov] was awarded a Rona Jaffe Writers’ Award, a fellowship at Yaddo, Pushcart Prize nominations for essays in top literary journals and notable essay citations in the annual Best American Essays Series for essays in top literary journals,” said Jacqueline Doyle, a CSUEB English professor.

On Nov. 17, Abildskov and Diaz will be sharing personal essays for the series – a free event held in the University Library Biella room.

Abildskov is reading a new essay. Diaz has not confirmed what she will be reading at the event, but Doyle hopes Diaz will share “Breaking Wide Open,” her essay that was published in the latest issue of “Huizache” magazine and won the San Miguel Writers Conference Writing Contest.

Throughout the years, this series has featured popular authors from all over the Bay Area such as Dorothy Allison, Patricia Smith, Al Young and Daniel Alarcon.

“The Distinguished Writers Series coordinator for [each year] looks at nationally acclaimed writers with recent books, or recent publications in top literary magazines,” said Doyle.

The series will also feature authors, Kathryn Ma and Marilyn Chin. Although the series only features writers with considerable publications, students still have an opportunity to be a part of the series.

“Student winners of the [CSUEB’s] DeClercq Poetry Contest will read in the spring at Marilyn Chin’s reading, and there will be a separate launch party and reading for student writers in the Occam’s Razor in the spring as well,” said Doyle.

Occam’s Razor publishes every spring and features works from CSUEB students. The magazine is available online and each year at the English Department’s Annual Publication Party which will be held during the spring quarter.