Warren Wilson College is a private liberal arts college work college in Swannanoa, North Carolina. It was established in 1894 as the Asheville Farm School, and became the Warren H. Wilson Vocational Junior College and Associated Schools in 1942. It took its current name in 1966 when it became a four-year college. Following is a list of some of the college's notable alumni and faculty.

Alumni

Dilruba Ahmed (MFA), poet Louise Aronson (MFA, 2006), geriatrician, writer, and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco Sally Ball (MFA, 1994), poet and professor at the Arizona State University Catherine Barnett (MFA), poet and professor at New York University Ven Begamudré (MFA), writer and writer-in-residence for the University of Calgary and the University of Alberta Bart Bellairs (1979), college basketball coach at Virginia Military Institute and athletic administrator for Savannah State University and Southeastern Louisiana University Sara Benincasa (2005), comedian and television writer Reginald Dwayne Betts, poet, legal scholar, and teacher at Emerson College Brian Blanchfield (MFA), poet and essayist Adrian Blevins (MFA, 2002), poet and professor at Colby College Tommye Blount (MFA), poet Laure-Anne Bosselaar (MFA), poet and professor Brandel France de Bravo (MFA), poet and public health specialist Christopher Bursk (MFA) poet William Brandon Lacy Campos, poet, writer, columnist, LGBT and HIV/AIDS activist Shannon Cain (MFA, 2005), writer Bianca Canizio, team captain for the United States Virgin Islands women's national team Victoria Chang (MFA, 2005), poet, writer, and chair in poetry at Georgia Tech Kipyego Cheluget, Kenyan diplomat and assistant secretary of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa Patrick Donnelly (MFA), poet and program director of The Frost Place Tony Earley (1983), novelist, short story writer, and Samuel Milton Fleming chair in English at Cornell University Elizabeth Eslami (MFA), writer and professor of creative writing at DePauw University Diane Gilliam Fisher (MFA), poet James Franco (MFA), actor and filmmaker Richard P. Gabriel (MFA, 1998), poet and distinguished engineer and chief scientist at Sun Microsystems Rayna Gellert, fiddler and former member of The Freight Hoppers Donna Gershten (MFA), novelist Doreen Gildroy (MFA), poet Jennifer Givhan (MFA), author and poet Goldie Goldbloom (MFA), novelist, essayist and short story writer Lee Meitzen Grue (MFA, 1992), poet Shadab Zeest Hashmi (MFA), poet Artis Henderson (MFA), journalist Janet Holmes (MFA), poet and professor at Boise State University Samantha Hunt (MFA), novelist, essayist, and short story writer; professor at the Pratt Institute Charlotte Hussey MFA, 1991), poet, literary critic, and English professor at Dawson College and McGill University Jenny Johnson (MFA), poet and professor at University of Pittsburgh and West Virginia University A. Van Jordan (MFA, 1998), poet Pentti Kanerva (A.A., 1956), neuroscientist and the originator of the sparse distributed memory model Vita Kari (B.A., 2018), multi-media visual artist and social media personality Maeve Kinkead (MFA, 2008), actress and poet Mary Leader (MFA), poet and teacher at the University of Memphis and Warren Wilson College Krys Lee (MFA), writer, journalist, and translator Jeffrey Levine (MFA), poet Chris Llewellyn, poet Vyvyane Loh (MFA), novelist, choreographer, and physician Corey Marks (MFA, 1994), poet Jamaal May (MFA), poet Grace Dane Mazur, author Heather McElhatton (MFA), public radio producer and presenter Richard Mibey (B.A., 1976), professor of mycology and vice-chancellor of Moi University Elizabeth Mosier (MFA), novelist and essayist Angel Nafis (MFA), poet and spoken-word artist Mary Jane Nealon (MFA), poet Hieu Minh Nguyen (MFA), poet Tiana Nobile (MFA), poet Achy Obejas (MFA, 1993), writer and translator Kira Obolensky (MFA), playwright and author Dzvinia Orlowsky (MFA), poet, translator, and editor Meghan O'Rourke (MFA, 2005), nonfiction writer, poet, and critic Mariah Parker (B.A.), rapper and labor organizer Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (non-degreed), United States House of Representatives Maya Phillips (MFA), poet and arts critic at large for The New York Times Michael Pritchett (MFA), novelist and associate professor at the University of Missouri–Kansas City Volker Campus Lewis Pullman, actor and son of Bill Pullman Alicia Jo Rabins (MFA, 2009), member of the band Golem, writer, and poet Martha Rhodes (MFA), writer, publisher, and college instructor Gwyn Hyman Rubio (MFA, 1986), author Jim Schley (MFA), poet and editor Rebecca Seiferle (MFA, 1989), poetCline, Lynn. "Poetry wanders a landscape's mysteries: Rebecca Seiferle covers mind field and faults", Pasatiempo, weekly magazine of The Santa Fe New Mexican (February 11, 2000), p. 52. Marisa Silver (MFA), author, screenwriter, film director, and college educator Tatjana Soli (MFA), novelist and short-story writer Sandy Solomon (MFA), poet and writer in residence at Vanderbilt University Matthew Specktor (MFA, 2009), novelist and screenwriter Katie Spotz (2008), youngest Atlantic solo rower Lisa Gluskin Stonestreet (MFA), poet Laura-Gray Street (MFA), poet and assistant professor at Randolph College Michael Thomas (MFA), author and academic, winner of the International Dublin Literary Award Daniel Tobin (MFA), poet and professor at Emerson College Duncan Trussell, stand-up comic and actor David Weber (B.A.), science fiction and fantasy writer Joe Wenderoth (MFA, 1993), poet Billy Edd Wheeler (1953), songwriter, performer, writer, and visual artist David Wilcox, folk musician Fran Wilde (MFA, 1996), science fiction and fantasy writer Paul Wright, racing cyclist Charles Wyatt (MFA), musician and writer David Wroblewski (MFA), novelist Martha Zweig (MFA, 1998), poet

Faculty and staff

Undergraduate faculty and staff

Ruth Currie-McDaniel, former professor of history and political science Stacey Enos, athletic director and head coach of the women's soccer team from 2001 to 2017 Vievee Francis, poet; creative writing instructor Sebastian Matthews, poet; creative writing instructor Todd May, political philosopher; professor of philosophy Doan Ogden, landscape architect; taught at Asheville Farm School Al Petteway, guitarist; artist in residence Hank Steinbrecher, head soccer coach and athletic director Lisa Sturz, puppeteer Lydia Vandenbergh, head women's soccer coach

Graduate faculty Betty Adcock, poet; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Kaveh Akbar, poet, novelist, and editor; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Agha Shahid Ali, poet; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Debra Allbery, poet; director of the MFA Program for Writers from 2009 to 2023, poetry faculty from 1995 A. Manette Ansay, author; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Lesley Nneka Arimah, writer; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Elizabeth Arnold, poet; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers David Baker, poet; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Dean Bakopoulos, writer; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Sally Ball, poet; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Oliver Baez Bendorf, poet; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Wilton Barnhardt, writer and sports journalist; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Rick Barot, poet; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Andrea Barrett, novelist and short story writer; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Charles Baxter, novelist, essayist, and poet; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Don Belton, author and editor; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Karen Bender, novelist and short story writer; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Adria Bernardi, novelist and translator; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Marianne Boruch, poet; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Robert Boswell, short story writer and novelist; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Liam Callanan, novelist; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Gabrielle Calvocoressi, poet, editor, and essayist; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Anne Carson, poet; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Raymond Carver, poet and short story writer; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Maud Casey, novelist; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Christopher Castellani, novelist; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Lan Samantha Chang, novelist and short story writer; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Richard Chess, poet; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Robert Cohen, playwright and dramastist; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Michael Collier, poet; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Frank Conroy, author; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Peter Cooley, poet; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Justin Cronin, novelist; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Charles D’Ambrosio, short story writer and essayist; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Tracy Daugherty, writer and biographers; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Carl Dennis, poet; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Stacey D’Erasmo, novelist; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Stuart Dischell, poet; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Stephen Dobyns, poet and novelist; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Judy Doenges, writer; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Anthony Doerr, novelist and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Stephen Dunn, poet; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Stuart Dybek, writer and poet; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Kim Edwards, novelist and short story writer; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Lynn Emanuel, poet; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Susan Engberg, novelist; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Danielle Evans, fiction writer; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Richard Ford, novelist and short story writer; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers B. H. Fairchild, poet; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Roger Fanning, poet; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Angela Flournoy, novelis; iinstructor in the MFA Program for Writers Chris Forhan, poet; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Daisy Fried, poet; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Carol Frost; poet; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Reginald Gibbons, poet; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Louise Glück; poet and winner of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Literature; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Linda Gregerson, poet; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Lauren Groff, novelist; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Judith Grossman, writer; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Jennifer Grotz, poet; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Allan Gurganus, novelist and short story writer; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Donald Hall, poet, writer, editor, and literary critic; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Jane Hamilton, novelist; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Matthea Harvey, poet; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Robert Hass, poet; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Ehud Havazelet, novelist and short story writer; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Brooks Haxton, poet and translator; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers David Haynes, novelist; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Edward Hirsch, poet and critic; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Tony Hoagland, poet; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Jonathan Holden, poet; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers Marie Howe, poet; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers David Huddle, writer; instructor in the MFA Program for Writers