Visiting Artists

The School of Critical Studies invites a diverse group of visiting writers, theorists and artists to come to CalArts each year. These guests share their experience and vision with students in lectures, class discussions, workshops and one-on-one meetings. Visit the MFA Writing Program site and the MA Aesthetics and Politics site for more information about the current schedule of visiting artists and to visit our archive. In recent years, visitors have included:

Ammiel Alcalay, writer and poet

Will Alexander, poet

David Antin, performance artist
Andrew Arato, political theorist

Robert Ashley, composer

Alain Badiou, philosopher

John Baldessari, artist

Stephen Barber, cultural theorist

Aimee Bender, writer

Bill Berkson, poet and critic

David Bunn, artist

Elise Capron, literary agent

Catherine Cazalé, philosopher, writer and critic

Michael Chabon, writer

Joseph Chaikin, theater director and writer

Iain Chambers, cultural theorist

Wanda Coleman, poet and performer

Bernard Cooper, essayist and art critic

Victor Hernandez Cruz, poet

John D'Agata, essayist

Trinie Dalton, writer

Mike Davis, historian and social critic

Vaginal Davis, performance artist

LaTasha N. Nevada Diggs, poet and vocal performer

Harry Dodge, writer, performer and artist

Bruce Ferguson, curator

Chris Fishbauch, editor

Carolyn Forché, poet

Maria Irene Fornes, playwright

Peter Frank, art critic

Coco Fusco, performance artist, writer and curator

Peter Gadol, writer

Cristina Garcia, writer

Lynell George, journalist

Amy Gerstler, poet and art critic

Jeffrey Goldfarb, media, cultural and political sociologist

Barbara Goldoftas, scientific journalist
Ingrid Gouws, novelist and playwright
Jorie Graham, poet
Hans Haacke, artist
Nina Hagen, musician
Bruce Hainley, art critic
Lynn Hejinian, poet
Christopher Hitchens, cultural critic and Vanity Fair columnist
Jen Hofer, poet and translator
Cathy Hong, poet
Silas Howard, writer, director, and musician
Holly Hughes, performance artist
Ashley Hunt, artist
Lewis Hyde, nonfiction writer
Gary Indiana, writer
Michael Joyce, hypertext writer
Heidi Julavits, writer
Marsha Kinder, film theorist
Rachel Kushner, essayist and novelist
Ernesto Laclau, political theorist
Paul LaFarge, fiction writer
Deena Larsen and geniwate, hypertext writers
Ann Lauterbach, poet
Li-Young Lee, poet
Ali Leibegott, poet, novelist, and performer
Tan Lin, poet and theorist
Felicia Luna Lemus, writer
Stewart Lindh, poet, screenwriter and critic
Steve McCaffery, poet, essayist and critic
Ben Marcus, writer
David Marriott, poetry and prose writer
Anthony McCann, poet
Czeslaw Milosz, writer
Trinh T. Minh-ha, filmmaker, writer and composer
Honor Moore, poet and nonfiction writer
Kyoko Mori, fiction and nonfiction writer
Eileen Myles, writer
Phyllis Nagy, screenwriter and director
Richard Nash, publisher
Geoff Nicholson, writer
Celeste Olalquiaga, cultural critic and author
Peggy Phelan, performance theorist
Vanessa Place, fiction and nonfiction writer
Salvador Plascencia, fiction writer
D. A. Powell, poet
Yvonne Rainer, filmmaker
Claudia Rankine, poet
Charles Ray, artist
John Rechy, writer
David Rees, writer, comic book artist and satirist
Frances Richard, poet
Anne Garcia Romero, playwright
Martha Ronk, poet
John Sack, literary journalist
Carolee Schneemann, artist
Leonard Schwartz, poet and translator
Carolyn See, writer
Mona Simpson, artist
Reneta Slaclel, cultural theorist
Gary Snyder, poet
Mary Ellen Solt, poet
Matthew Stadler, novelist
Frances Stark, writer and artist
Lorin Stein, editor
Janet Sternburg, writer and photographer
Laurie Stone, nonfiction writer
Mark Strand, poet
Stephanie Strickland, hypertext poet
Michael Taussig, anthropologist
Lisa Teasley, fiction writer
Hector Tobar, journalist and novelist
Jalal Toufic, film theorist and video artist
Quincy Troupe, poet and biographer
Wu Ingrid Tsang, perfomance artist
Sandra Tsing Loh, humorist
Luisa Valenzuela, writer and critic
Michael Ventura, writer and journalist
Catherine Wagner, poet
Samuel Weber, philosopher
Hayden White, cultural theorist
Rebecca Wolff, poet and editor
Karen Wolman, novelist, editor and queer activist
Terry Wolverton, poet and performance artist
Susan Yankowitz, playwright and theater director
Slavoj Zizek, cultural theorist