Biography & Publications

D.K. McCutchen is Senior Lecturer ll at UMass Amherst in the College of Natural Sciences. Previously Provost’s Designee and one time Chair of the University Writing Committee , she is currently Co-Associate Director of Junior-Year Writing for the UMass Writing Program (collaborating with Dr. Haivan Hoang, author of Writing Against Racial Injury, in setting up Mutual Mentoring support for JYW Faculty using multi-modal curriculum). She has an MFA in creative writing (UMass) and a graduate Diploma in Science, DipSci (Otago University, New Zealand).

Her writing, as separate from her teaching, includes two upcoming books with three small presses. JELLYFISH DREAMING (gender-bender speculative fiction) will be published in 2023 by small presses in the US and UK. (Announcement pending). She is currently editing its prologue, ICE (when she has time!). JELLYFISH DREAMING was the subject of a Mossy Skull interview when the short story version was published pre-pandemic.

Her first book, THE WHALE ROAD, will be also be republished in the USA with JackLeg Press in 2023/24. WR is a creative nonfiction tale about sailing with whale researchers in the South Pacific  (Random House, NZ, 2004; Blake, UK, 2007). It received a Pushcart Nomination and was listed as a Notable Book for the 2005 Kiriyama Prize.

DKM has other publications with (among others) Fourth Genre, Hayden’s Ferry Review, Isotope, Identity Theory, several Fish Publishing literary competition anthologies (Cork University Press), The Café Review, Route 9 and Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet No. 33 out of Small Beer Press.  In a literary attempt to save the world, she’s currently writing gender-bender post-apocalyptic speculative fiction — and focusing her writing classes on a theme born out of the pandemic to help engage students in remote learning: Witnessing History.

PUBLICATIONS

BOOKS

WHALE ROAD (WR) will be republished with JackLeg Press 2023/24

WR won a session with a Publishing Sherpa through the 2020 Write Angles Conferences. Love those guys. Wish the pandemic had let the conference continue. The Publishing Sherpa did just what she promised, however, and led the book to a publisher!

SFWP published a chapter of the book long before it was published by Random NZ (see “FRESH BONES” below) . So delighted to have WR published in this country at long last! 

I worked with Editor Michael J. Deluca (The Mossy SKull , Reckoning Press: Creative Writing on Environmental Justice & Author of Night Roll),on finishing the prose version of JELLYFISH DREAMING (JFD). The graphic version was illustrated by Mike Bukowick. My wonderful Sherpa also suggested I submit JFD to the Leapfrog Global Fiction prize, to good effect!

SHORT STORIES & POEMS  IN LITERARY JOURNALS

ANTHOLOGY CONTRIBUTIONS

COMMENTS on FORM & ONLINE INTERVIEWS

NONFICTION ARTICLES / FLASH MEMOIR / RESEARCH

  • WE STORY (Oct 2020), Journal of the Write Angles Conference 2020
  • WHY I’M A SUPERHERO (Nov. 2018), Journal of the Write Angles Conference 2018
  • TREASURED ITEM (May, 2018), Journal of the Write Angles Conference 2018
  • TO MARCH: Tramp, Trudge, Protest, Picket, Advance, Progress, Step-Out, Strut, Swagger (Nov. 2017), Journal of the Write Angles Conference 2017.
  • FALLING (2016), Journal of the Write Angles Conference 2016.
  • HIDDEN DANGERS IN OUR WATER (Monday, June 20th, 2016) The Recorder: http://www.recorder.com/my-turn-radon-2895264
  • WHALE FORCE WINDS, (April 2007). Identity Theory.com [nonfiction]. http://www.identitytheory.com/nonfiction/mccutchen_whales.php
  • WHALE WINDS, (1996). The Right Whale Research Newsletter, vol. 5. 2. p.2. Edgerton Research Lab, New England Aquarium, Boston, MA.
  • INVITING POLLUTION WITHIN, (Oct., 1993). [Feature], New Zealand Science Monthly. Archived (2007): http://nzsm.webcentre.co.nz/article1188.htm
  • TEACHER/TUTOR INTERACTION, (2007). [A Balfour Grant manual] BayPath College, MA.

Wildlife Management Reports on file with: Otago University Science Library, The Department of Conservation, & The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, New Zealand (1993):

Newspaper Articles:

Freelance feature articles on the Arts and Sciences since 1987: Hampshire Gazette, Heath Herald, Greenfield Recorder & The Boston Tab. Otago Daily Times, New Zealand, 1993, West County News [Shelburne correspondent] 2004-2005, & The Independent,(for an example scroll to pg. 5 “A Ten Year Plan: What will we do locally about global warming?”) 2006-2007.