D.S. Holmes

Creative Writing, MFA

A native of Philadelphia, De’Andre Holmes (D.S. Holmes) received a bachelor’s degree from Temple University and is a second-year MFA candidate at Columbia College Chicago. He is an aspiring author, penning his first book of short stories titled Daddy, do you love me? and a novelette titled Trophy Boy. De’Andre’s creative work can be found in Short Story Break, SONKU magazine, Allium Literary Journal, and Timothy J. Verret’s blog. 

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU WERE DOING BEFORE YOU CAME TO COLUMBIA.

I was working full-time at a job that I didn’t find any fulfillment from. I wasn’t sure what to do to gain a sense of place here in Chicago, but then I decided to apply to grad school to study something I wish I would have studied in undergrad: writing.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE COLUMBIA FOR YOUR GRADUATE STUDY?

I chose Columbia because of its student diversity. I come from a PWI, most of students presented the same. However, at Columbia, I was not sure what I was expecting from an Art school, but it was refreshing to see so many different people with different aesthetics.

TELL US ABOUT A PROJECT YOU’RE WORKING ON THAT YOU’RE EXCITED ABOUT.

I am currently working on my thesis. It is about Black and Brown family dynamics, specifically highlighting the nuances between father and son. I decided on this thesis because of me and my father’s relationship. Thinking about where we came from to today was a journey. I want to share that journey in the form of short stories.