NEWS: Jeb Livingood Retires from UVA Creative Writing

Charlottesville, VA — June 2026

After many years of service to the University of Virginia’s Creative Writing Program, Jeb Livingood has retired, concluding a tenure marked by steady leadership, deep institutional knowledge, and a lasting commitment to graduate students.

Livingood was a constant presence in the program through multiple periods of transition, seeing generations of faculty and directors come and go while providing continuity and stability. He was especially known for his accessibility to MFA students, maintaining an open-door approach and offering practical guidance and steady support throughout their time at UVA.

He also served as faculty advisor for Meridian, the MFA program’s student-run literary magazine, helping sustain a key platform for emerging writers. His own work has appeared in Best New American Voices 2001, The Texas Review, Yemassee, and other publications, and he contributed as an editor to several volumes of the Best New Poets series, including the 2020 edition co-edited with Brian Teare.

Before joining UVA, Livingood served in the United States Coast Guard as a lieutenant commander in the Coast Guard Reserve, a background that informed his consistent professionalism and sense of service.

Within the program, he was a familiar presence in the Creative Writing Lounge, often accompanied by his dog, who became a welcome part of the community. He was also a strong and engaging speaker at program events, known for his clarity and an understated sense of humor.

As he steps into retirement, Livingood leaves behind a program shaped in part by his reliability, care, and long view of its development. His influence will be felt in the students he supported, the publications he helped guide, and the institutional continuity he helped maintain over many years.

The Creative Writing Program extends its gratitude for his service and wishes him all the best in retirement.