Robbie Maakestad grew up in Indianapolis, IN, before attending Taylor University for undergrad, Ball State University for an MA in Writing, and George Mason University for an MFA in Writing (Nonfiction). He is working on two books—a history of the City of David Archaeological site in Jerusalem (nonfiction) and a collection of short stories about Bill Murray (fiction). Robbie is Senior Editor at The Rumpus.
Education
- M.F.A., Creative Writing (Nonfiction), George Mason University
- M.A., English (Nonfiction), Ball State University
- B.A., English (Creative Writing), Taylor University
Courses Taught
- Literature and Culture - Essays - LIT 2000
- American Writers II - LIT 2057
- Diverse Voices in American Literature - LIT 3052
- College Composition: Writing and Research - WRI 1010
- College Composition: Research - WRI 1016
- Introduction to Creative Writing - WRI 2020
- Advanced Composition - WRI 3015
- Creative Nonfiction - WRI 3023
- Professional Writing - WRI 3065
- Writing for the Community - WRI 4000
- Experimental Nonfiction - WRI 4090
- Writing Across the Genres - WRI 5020 / WRI 6020
- Nonfiction Workshop - WRI 5023 / WRI 6023
- Fiction Workshop - WRI 5022 / WRI 6022
Experience in Field
- Professional Lecturer, George Washington University
- Graduate Teaching Assistant (Instructor of Record), George Mason University
- Instructor, Creative Writing Club, Burris Laboratory School
- Graduate Teaching Assistant (Instructor of Record), Ball State University
Awards and Honors
- Excellence in Teaching Award 2021-2022, Point Loma Nazarene University
- Excellence in Teaching Award 2019-2020, Point Loma Nazarene University
- Notable Essay, The Best American Essays 2019, for "A Most Fragile Organ," Boulevard
- "Coke in Jerusalem,” Short List, Penguin/Travelex Next Great Travel Writer Award, 2017
- “What To Do When Trapped in a Tiny Turkish Hotel Elevator While Studying Abroad,” Second Place, Bethesda Magazine Essay Contest, Summer 2017
- “movie night: a postmodern romance,” Honorable Mention, Dan Rudy Fiction Award, 2017
- “Refuge in Ruins,” Honorable Mention, Bethesda Magazine Essay Contest, Summer 2016
- “Insignificant,” Winner, Mary Roberts Rinehart Nonfiction Award, Spring 2016
- “Seasick,” Honorable Mention, Marco Polo Arts Magazine’s 100 x 100 Contest, Summer 2012
Dissertations, Presentations, and Publications
Books In Progress
- Nonfiction: The City of David: A Biography of Place
- Short Story Collection: Untitled: Bill Murrays
Magazines
Nonfiction
- "The View from Bethlehem," X-R-A-Y, Summer 2025
- "On Creation, Pneumothorax, Death, and the Breath of God," Anatomical Sciences Education, 17.1, “Intersection of Spirituality and Anatomy" issue, January/February 2024
- "Edward Robinson and the Legends of Jerusalem's Springs," Gulf Coast, Winter/Spring 2022
- "The Crossroads of America" by Andrew Cartwright, Rajpreet Heir, and Robbie Maakestad, Essay Daily, Spring 2021
- "Church in the Age of COVID-19," The San Diego Union-Tribune, Spring 2020
- "Preacher Man," MarchVladness.com, Spring 2019
- "Sphecius Speciosus," Barren Magazine, Spring 2019
- "Sphecius Speciosus," Bestiary Podcast, April 23, 2019
- "@_Florida_Man Arrest or Justin Bieber Antic," Slippage Lit, Spring 2019
- “The Secrets of the Excavators,” The Normal School, Fall 2018
- “A Most Fragile Organ,” Boulevard, Spring 2018
- “Three Things I Hate,” Hellscape, Spring 2018
- “Dear Wigleaf,” Wigleaf, Winter 2018
- "movie night: a postmodern romance," Wigleaf, Winter 2018
- “An Open Letter to a Cliché,” Bad Pony, Winter 2018
- “On Pneumothorax and Writing Medical Trauma,” Essay Daily, Summer 2017
- “What To Do When Trapped in a Tiny Turkish Hotel Elevator While Studying Abroad,” Bethesda Magazine, Summer 2017
- “A Potsherd,” The MacGuffin, Spring 2017
- “Oh Lung that Keeps Collapsing,” SFWP Quarterly, Spring 2017
- “Coke in Jerusalem,” Penguin/Travelex Contest, Spring 2017
- “A Baker’s Dozen,” The Free State Review, Spring 2017
- “A Historic/Linguistic Lithostratigraphic Exploration of How David Conquered Jerusalem,” The Rumpus, Winter 2016
- “Refuge in Ruins,” Bethesda Magazine, Summer 2016
- “The View From Moresheth-Gath,” Altarwork, Fall 2015
- “The Sea of Galilee: My Assurance,” Windhover Journal, Spring 2015
- “First Night In Jerusalem,” Mojave River Review, Winter 2014
- “The Mountain Finds All Climbers: On John Leax’s 'Recluse Freedom,’” with Daniel Bowman, Jr. and Hannah Hanover, Antler, Fall 2012
- “Seasick,” Marco Polo Arts Magazine, Summer 2012
Fiction
- “Grown Adult Bill Murray Purchased a Box of Jojo Siwa Strawberry Bop Cereal Because,” JAKE, Winter 2025
- "Bill Murray Likes to Dress Up as Jesus when He Creates an Altercation," Whale Road Review, 34, Spring 2024
- "Bill Murray Ponders at Taco Bell," Beaver Magazine, Fall 2023
- "Bill Murray Decides He’s Going to Win People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive Award," Rejection Letters, Fall 2023
- “Bill Murray Awakens,” carte blanche, Fall 2023
- "Bill Murray Solves Recycling,” HaveHasHad, Summer 2021
- "Bill Murray Terraforms Mars," Okay Donkey, Spring 2021
- "Spiderman" Window Washer," Linden Avenue Literary Journal, Summer 2017
Poetry
- “המלוא (Millo),” Windhover Journal, Spring 2017
- “Early Morning Overlooking the Temple Mount,” The Wayfarer, Fall 2013
- “Akko, Israel – Market,” The Wayfarer, Fall 2013
- “I Know What It Is To Be Icarus,” The Broken Plate, Spring 2013
Interviews
- "The Correlation Between Love and Essay-Writing: An Interview with Jill Christman," The Rumpus, Fall 2022
Presentations & Readings
Writer’s Symposium by the Sea, 2024, PLNU, San Diego, CA—Workshop with Nick Hornby
AWP Conference, 2024, Kansas City, KA—“We Can’t All Marry Rich: Teaching Creative Writing Students Professional Skills,” February, 2024
AWP Conference, 2023, Seattle, WA—“Mentoring Across Race: Practices to Support BIPOC Students and Writers,” March, 2023
- Writer’s Symposium by the Sea, 2023, PLNU, San Diego, CA—Workshop with Anthony Doerr, Point Loma Nazarene University
- AWP Conference, 2022, Philadelphia, PA—“Navigating Layered Identities in Creative Nonfiction,” March, 2022
- The Butterfly Reading Series, Feb. 11, 2020, San Diego, CA
- Crossing the Lines Conference 2019, Moderator/Panelist, "Researched Nonfiction: Writing the Other/Self," October, 2019
- Stars to Steer By, Interview, 2018
- AWP Conference, 2017, Moderator/Panelist, “Editors Engage the Digital Age: Transforming the Modern Lit Journal”
- LoudFire Reading Series, Fairfax, VA, December 13, 2016
- Bethesda Literary Festival, "Refuge in Ruins,” Bethesda, MD, April 15, 2016
- Kindling Reading Series, “movie night: a postmodern romance,” Fairfax, VA, September 21, 2015
- This Is the End Reading Series, “Camping at Karnei Hittin,” Muncie, IN, April 21, 2014
- Practical Criticism Midwest Panel, “Arraba,” Muncie, IN, February 7, 2014
- Practical Criticism Midwest Breakout Session, “The Cow,” Muncie, IN, February 7, 2014
- Practical Criticism Midwest, “My Grandparents Smell Awesome,” Muncie, IN, February 8, 2013
Editorial Experience
- Senior Editor, The Rumpus, 2019-Present
- Features Editor, The Rumpus, 2018-2019
- Assistant Features Editor, The Rumpus, 2017-2018
- Editor-in-Chief, Phoebe Journal, 2016-2017
- Assistant Editor, Phoebe Journal, 2015-2016
