MFA Writers

Caroline J. Trussell — Butler University

05 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we’re joined by YA author Caroline J. Trussell to talk about what it really means to write and publish beyond the debut. The conversation...

Marisol Aveline Delarosa — Cedar Crest College Pan-European MFA

21 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Marisol Aveline Delarosa joins Jared to discuss what it means to be a nonfiction writer in a time that often feels chaotic and unkind. They talk about...

Brad Hoge — San Francisco State University

07 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What does poetry look like when it starts with an equation? Brad Hoge joins Jared to discuss how his background in wetland ecology, biogeochemistry, a...

Wilson M. Sims — Florida Atlantic University Rerelease

24 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this instant classic episode, Wilson M. Sims and Jared talk about the step-by-step process of getting an agent, what they do (or know they shouldn’...

Komal Bukhari — Southern Illinois University

10 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Self-proclaimed “protest poet” Komal Bukhari tells Jared what this title means to her and how, in her view, speaking truth to power is not an act ...

Michael Fitzer — Spalding University

24 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Award-winning cinematographer Michael Fitzer joins Jared to talk about his work in the film industry and how it compares to writing about their own ex...

edwin bodney — Faculty Series — Vermont College of Fine Arts

10 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

LA-based spoken word poet edwin bodney joins Jared to explore what it really means to build an authentic writing life rooted in connection and communi...

Neil Griffin — University of Victoria Rerelease

27 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

MFA Writers is going to Canada! Neil Griffin, wildlife biologist turned poet and essayist, tells Jared about how both ecology and writing require pati...

Alejandro Puyana — Debut Author Series — Freedom is a Feast Rerelease

13 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Following Venezuela’s disputed presidential election, debut author Alejandro Puyana returns to the show to discuss his novel, which explores the rev...

Deborah Jackson Taffa — Faculty Series — Institute of American Indian Arts Rerelease

30 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Memoirist and director of the Institute for American Indian Arts MFA program Deborah Jackson Taffa talks to Jared about her new book, Whiskey Tender. ...

Tyler Ayres — Chatham University

16 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tyler Ayres draws on his extensive resume in manufacturing, Chinese translation, and hospitality to inform his workplace fiction, exploring interperso...

Josephine Gawtry — Colorado State University

02 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Many people pursue an MFA to have time to write (time enough at last!), but how much time does an MFA student really have? Josephine Gawtry talks to J...

Rone Shavers — Application Series — MFA vs. PhD Rerelease

18 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Rone Shavers joins Jared for our annual application episode to discuss the differences between MFA and PhD applications and programs. Rone and Jared t...

Caylin Capra-Thomas — University of Missouri

04 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What do poets and humorists have in common? For Caylin Capra-Thomas, whose writing is sure to make you laugh, both pay close attention to life’s idi...

Henneh Kyereh Kwaku — Chapman University

21 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What role can poetry play in public health? Henneh Kyereh Kwaku joins Jared to explore how his MFA in Creative Writing intersects with his academic ba...

Spencer Robert Young — University of Idaho

07 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Spencer Robert Young sits down with Jared to talk about their path from punk music concertgoer to writing a chamber opera. Plus, Spencer and Jared dis...

Max Delsohn — Syracuse University Rerelease

23 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Former stand-up comedian Max Delsohn sits down with Jared to talk about how humor and detailed line-level revision show up in his work for the stage a...

Sophia Tone — Hollins University

09 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Having moved from Atlanta to Montreal as a toddler, some of Sophia Tone’s earliest memories are shaped by the “slipperiness of language.” In thi...

Lewis Millholland — Boise State University

26 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Writers often share work in readings, but how often do we write stories that are designed to be read aloud? Lewis Millholland tells Jared about prepar...

James T. Morrison — Fresno State

12 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In our Season 6 premiere, James T. Morrison talks about how creative nonfiction provides an opportunity to discuss challenging topics like drug depend...

Sam Herschel Wein — University of Tennessee, Knoxville Rerelease

29 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode, Sam Herschel Wein tells Jared about their path to finding poetry outside of academia, co-founding and editing Underblong, and their a...

Suli Holum — Goddard College Rerelease

15 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What’s it like to pursue a low-residency MFA when you’re a collaborative playwright and performer? In this episode, Suli Holum describes devised w...

Noah Evan Wilson — Rutgers University-Newark Rerelease

01 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Noah Evan Wilson spent ten years finishing his undergraduate degree while developing as a musician and a photographer. In this episode, he talks with ...

Austin Tucker — Ohio University

17 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How do voice-driven writers find their characters? Austin Tucker tells Jared how he uses collage and research into his characters’ life histories to...

Brandon Blue — Arizona State University Rerelease

03 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Poetic forms are sometimes considered limiting, but can we find freedom within the constraints? On this episode, Brandon Blue tells Jared about how re...

De’Andre S. Holmes — Columbia College Chicago Rerelease

20 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt writing imposter syndrome! We all have our hands up. On this episode, De’Andre S. Holmes of Columbia College C...

Jude MacAllen Tatman — University of Nebraska Omaha

06 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

After writing poetry for nearly 50 years, Jude MacAllen Tatman enrolled in an MFA program. In this episode, he sits down with Jared to discuss what it...

Tyler R. Moore — University of Illinois

22 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Poets are known for considering form in their writing, but form is also critical in prose. In fact, for Tyler R. Moore, form tells us the most about t...

Siloh Radovsky — UC San Diego Rerelease

08 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Siloh Radovsky sits down with Jared to talk about her path from anarchistic activism to experimental writing, the blurry line between fiction and nonf...

Ray Wise — Rutgers University–Camden

25 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when a tech startup employee starts taking online writing classes? They end up in an MFA program, of course. In this episode, Ray Wise si...

Oli Peters — University of Notre Dame

11 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Integrating elegy, ekphrasis, and dance notation, Oli Peters’s thesis project is a multilingual, multi-genre exploration in translation and lyric po...

Emily St. Martin — UC Riverside, Palm Desert Low-Residency Rerelease

25 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Can you find a close community in a low-res program? Emily St. Martin, having met her best friends in her MFA, says absolutely yes. She joins Jared to...

Derek Chan — Cornell University Rerelease

11 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How does our excavation of ancestral history shape our understanding of ourselves and how can writing guide us through this process? On this episode, ...

Matt Homrich-Knieling — Western Connecticut State University

28 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Speculative memoir allows Matt Homrich-Knieling to lean into the subjective nature of memory and explore his experience with separation anxiety. Plus,...

Meghan Perry — Debut Author Series — Water Finds a Way

14 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

15 years after her MFA, and 4 years after scrapping a book that just wasn’t working, Meghan Perry’s debut novel WATER FINDS A WAY is receiving str...

Rerelease: Jamie Li — Vermont College of Fine Arts

31 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The pod team is traveling this week, so we invite you to travel back to a great episode from our previous season. We’ll be back with new episodes in...

Rerelease: Krista Diamond — University of Nevada, Las Vegas

17 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s winter break! Strap on your snowshoes, brew a hot chocolate, and escape to the heat of the Vegas desert with one of our favorite episodes from ...

Wilson M. Sims — Florida Atlantic University

03 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this instant classic episode, Wilson M. Sims and Jared talk about the step-by-step process of getting an agent, what they do (or know they shouldn’...

Mackenzie McGee — University of Kansas

19 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, PhD Candidate Mackenzie McGee talks about her process when writing speculative fiction, including how she decides on topics and theme...

Rone Shavers — Application Series — MFA vs. PhD

05 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Rone Shavers joins Jared for our annual application episode to discuss the differences between MFA and PhD applications and programs. Rone and Jared t...

Rerelease: Jess Silfa — Application Series — MFA Draft

22 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The leaves are turning, the pumpkin spice lattes are brewing, and that means the MFA applicants are revising and re-revising their personal statements...

Carlee Jensen — Johns Hopkins Writing Seminars

08 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Carlee Jensen reflects on how the American West and constructions of personal mythology shaped her writing, and how coming out “late” taught her t...

Jonny Teklit — University of Wisconsin–Madison

24 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode, Jonny Teklit sits down with Jared to talk about crafting odes to small, granular subjects, sharing his personal productivity tips and...

Emma Allmann — University of Alabama

10 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s not quite Halloween, but on this episode, Emma Allman talks to Jared about the utility of defamiliarization, surrealism, uncanniness, and body ...

Rerelease: Simon Graham — University of Washington

27 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As the pod team settles into the fall semester, we’re excited to celebrate the recent accomplishment of one of our past guests. Simon Graham was awa...

Alejandro Puyana — Debut Author Series — Freedom is a Feast

13 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Following Venezuela’s disputed presidential election, debut author Alejandro Puyana returns to the show to discuss his novel, which explores the rev...

Vivian (Xiao Wen) Li — University of British Columbia

30 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ever heard of an MFA program with 12 different genre concentrations? On this episode, Vivian (Xiao Wen) Li tells Jared about how UBC’s multi-genre e...

Rerelease: Nikki Lyssy — University of South Florida

02 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As the pod team wraps up our summer vacation, we’re highlighting one of the gems from a previous season. Watch out for the Season 5 premiere in two ...

Rerelease: Maurice Carlos Ruffin — Faculty Series — LSU and Randolph

30 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The pod team is still on vacation! In the mountains! Without recording equipment! The Season 5 premiere will be in your feed soon. Until then, enjoy t...

Rerelease: Rachelle Toarmino — UMass Amherst

04 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The podcast team is on vacation! In the meantime, we invite you to listen to one of our favorite episodes from Season 3. Wishing you all a great summe...

Eric Larsh — Portland State University

21 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s the Season 4 finale! On this episode, Eric Larsh tells Jared about writing into obsessions, whether he’s focusing exclusively on sonnets or, ...

Max Delsohn — Syracuse University

07 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Former stand-up comedian Max Delsohn sits down with Jared to talk about how humor and detailed line-level revision show up in his work for the stage a...

Abhijit Sarmah — University of Georgia

23 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What’s involved in an English PhD with a creative dissertation? Abhijit Sarmah tells Jared about how this path allows him to pursue his research on ...

Sam Herschel Wein — University of Tennessee, Knoxville

09 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode, Sam Herschel Wein tells Jared about their path to finding poetry outside of academia, co-founding and editing Underblong, and their a...

Rerelease: Gina Chung — Debut Author Series — Sea Change

26 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The podcast team is on spring break, giving us (and you) the perfect opportunity to revisit an episode we love. In celebration of her new short story ...

Deborah Jackson Taffa — Faculty Series — Institute of American Indian Arts

12 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Memoirist and director of the Institute of American Indian Arts MFA program Deborah Jackson Taffa talks to Jared about her new book, Whiskey Tender. D...

Jamie Li — Vermont College of Fine Arts

27 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Drawing from her decade-long career in Silicon Valley, Jamie Li tells Jared about writing tech satire that struck her MFA colleagues as far-fetched an...

Rerelease: Luna Adler — Brooklyn College

13 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The podcast team has been busy at the annual AWP conference, so we’re bringing you a rerelease of a great conversation from Season 2. A new episode ...

Kate Brody — Debut Author Series — Rabbit Hole

30 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kate Brody, debut author of the literary thriller RABBIT HOLE, sits down with Jared to talk about crafting a true crime novel that focuses on the vict...

Noah Evan Wilson — Rutgers University-Newark

16 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Noah Evan Wilson spent ten years finishing his undergraduate degree while developing as a musician and a photographer. On this episode, he talks with ...

Rerelease: Kayla Cayasso — University of Central Florida

02 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Happy New Year from the pod team! We’re ringing in 2024 with a vacation, so enjoy this episode from our last season. Regular programming will resume...

Sarah Ann Noel — NYU Writers Workshop in Paris

19 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When she became a mother, Sarah Ann Noel turned to autofiction as a way to process her own childhood. In this episode, she sits down with Jared to sha...

Matt Farley — Miami University (of Ohio)

05 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Finance proofreader turned full-time poet Matt Farley joins Jared to share how his transition out of the corporate world affects his perspective on hi...

Rerelease: Jonathan Escoffery — Debut Author Series — If I Survive You

21 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

During this season of gratitude, we are grateful for all of you, dear listeners, writers, and friends. We’re also grateful for a university-sponsore...

Krista Diamond — University of Nevada, Las Vegas

07 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, an MFA with an international focus! Krista Diamond sits down with Jared to talk about UNLV’s required (and funded) study abroad component...

Jess Silfa — Application Series — MFA Draft

24 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Happy MFA Application Season to all who celebrate! Jess Silfa returns to the show bringing seven years of experience with the MFA Draft Facebook Group...

Rerelease: Lindsay Bernal — Application Series Admissions Coordinator Edition

10 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Spooky season? More like application season! To help ease your fright, we've got our annual MFA application episode in preparation. Before then, w...

Brandon Blue — Arizona State University

26 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Poetic forms are sometimes considered limiting, but can we find freedom within the constraints? On this episode, Brandon Blue tells Jared about how re...

Jess Silfa — Vanderbilt University

12 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What can you learn from a veteran of two MFA programs and an admin of the MFA Draft Facebook page? A lot! Jess Silfa joins Jared to talk about how liv...

Ross Gay — Faculty Series — Indiana University Bloomington

29 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Poet, essayist, and Professor Ross Gay talks to Jared about his new book, The Book of (More) Delights. Together, they discuss how social connection ev...

Rerelease: Bryan Byrdlong — Helen Zell Writers' Program, University of Michigan

15 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The pod team is wrapping up our summer vacation. In the meantime, we’re rereleasing one of our favorite episodes from our first season. We’ll be b...

Rerelease: Alejandro Puyana — Michener Center for Writers, University of Texas at Austin

01 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The pod team is on summer vacation! While we rest, recharge, and record some fabulous Season 4 episodes, we hope you enjoy this rerelease from our fir...

Amanda E. Scott — Western Michigan University

18 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Prose encompasses fiction and nonfiction, but how does the genre affect our process? On this episode, Amanda Scott discusses her “fragmented” appr...

Simon Graham — University of Washington

04 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How do you write about the climate crisis without becoming didactic? On this episode, Simon Graham describes their approach to activist writing, guide...

Kayla Cayasso — University of Central Florida

20 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What’s it like writing historical fiction in an MFA program? On this episode, Kayla Cayasso tells Jared about the family histories and archival rese...

Neil Griffin — University of Victoria

06 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

MFA Writers is going to Canada! Neil Griffin, wildlife biologist turned poet and essayist, tells Jared about how both ecology and writing require pati...

Special Episode! Maurice Carlos Ruffin — The Ones Who Don’t Say They Love You

23 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Maurice Carlos Ruffin, author and faculty member at two MFA programs, joins Jared for this special episode about Maurice’s multi-year journey from c...

Suli Holum — Goddard College

09 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What’s it like to pursue a low-residency MFA when you’re a collaborative playwright and performer? On this episode, Suli Holum describes devised w...

Special Episode! Gina Chung — Debut Author of SEA CHANGE

25 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Gina Chung, debut author of the speculative novel SEA CHANGE, tells Jared how the book began with a writing prompt in her MFA program and how her fe...

Derek Chan — Cornell University

11 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How does our excavation of ancestral history shape our understanding of ourselves and how can writing guide us through this process? On this episode, ...

Rerelease: Steven Duong — Iowa Writers’ Workshop

28 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

School's out for spring break! The pod team is resting and recharging this month, so we're bringing you one of our favorites from earlier this...

Rerelease: Taylor Byas — University of Cincinnati

14 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The podcast team is on spring break, so we're rereleasing one of our favorite episodes to celebrate Dr. Taylor Byas's successful defense of her disser...

Erica Reid — Western Colorado University

28 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Poetic constraints may feel limiting to some, but for others, they spark creativity. In this episode, Erica Reid discusses the freedom and discovery o...

Caroline Catlin — Pacific University

14 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode, Caroline Catlin talks about how her cancer diagnosis motivated a career change from social worker to nonfiction writer. She also desc...

Edward Daschle — University of Maryland

31 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In a small program with a cohort of just three students, who you’re around makes a world of difference. On this episode, Edwards Daschle talks about...

Mary Kate McGrath — Boston University

17 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Most MFA programs last 2-3 years, so what’s it like to earn this degree in just 1-1.5 years? Mary Kate McGrath describes the pros and cons of Boston...

De’Andre S. Holmes — Columbia College Chicago

03 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt writing imposter syndrome! We all have our hands up. On this episode, De’Andre S. Holmes of Columbia College C...

Rerelease: Chibuihe Obi Achimba — Brown University

20 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The podcast team is on winter break. Thanks for listening, friends. We wish you all a great end of the year. We'll be back with a new episode in two w...

Kaitlyn Airy — University of Virginia

06 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode, Kaitlyn Airy talks about how her experience as an adoptee shapes the themes of her work on abandonment, identity, and history. Plus, ...

Special Episode! Jonathan Escoffery — Debut Author of If I Survive You

22 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jonathan Escoffery, author of the highly acclaimed debut collection If I Survive You, sits down with Jared to discuss how this book grew out of his MF...

Nikki Lyssy — University of South Florida

08 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode, Nikki Lyssy tells Jared about how, as a blind writer, she uses research to access the sighted world and fill her fiction with vivid i...

Special Episode! Lindsay Bernal — MFA Applications Admissions Coordinator Edition

25 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It’s the third annual MFA application episode! This time, Jared is joined by Lindsay Bernal, poet and Academic Coordinator for the MFA program at th...

Rerelease: Special Episode! Gregory Spatz — MFA Applications Faculty Edition

11 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Happy MFA application season to all who observe! As you craft and revise your applications, here's last year's annual MFA application episode from a f...

Sean Dolan — Western Washington University

27 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It’s increasingly common for writers to get accepted in their second (or third) attempts at MFA applications. In this episode, Sean Dolan shares wha...

Emily St. Martin — UC Riverside, Palm Desert Low-Residency

13 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Can you find a close community in a low-res program? Emily St. Martin, having met her best friends in her MFA, says absolutely yes. She joins Jared to...

Rachelle Toarmino — UMass Amherst

30 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As the editor-in-chief of Peach Mag, Rachelle Toarmino is consistently focused on the work of others. She chats with Jared about her own writing caree...

Steven Duong — Iowa Writers’ Workshop

16 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Season 3! It’s finally time to tackle the oldest and most famous MFA of them all: the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. On this episode, Steven D...

Rerelease: George Saunders — Story Club

02 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week, as the pod team enjoys the last of our vacation, we’ve got a rerelease of a special episode from Season 2 of the podcast: Jared's convers...

Rerelease: Adachioma Ezeano — University of Kentucky

19 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Pod's out for summer! We wrapped up Season 2 on our last episode and are busy planning Season 3. In the meantime, enjoy one of our favorite episodes f...

Taylor Byas — University of Cincinnati

05 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On the season 2 finale, Taylor Byas talks to Jared about how her fiction background helps her develop sharp images and accessible lines in her poetry ...