MFA Writers
Episodes
Luna Adler — Brooklyn College
21 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Luna Adler talks to Jared about moving between fiction and non-fiction, Brooklyn College’s unique novel-writing workshop aimed at accommodating the ...
Taylor Sklenar — Iowa State University
07 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Taylor Sklenar of Iowa State University’s MFA in Creative Writing and the Environment talks with Jared about how growing up in a small town influenc...
James Craig Hartz Jr. — Oregon State University
24 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, James Craig Hartz Jr., a Combat Medic turned MFA graduate, tells Jared about flipping the traditional military homecoming story into ...
Siloh Radovsky — UC San Diego
10 May 2022
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...
Gauri Awasthi — McNeese State University
26 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gauri Awasthi talks to Jared about how McNeese allowed her to earn an MA and MFA in three years, decolonizing the poetry cannon, and how she first fou...
Rerelease: Vanessa Chan — The New School
12 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jared's taking this week off to focus on finishing his thesis, so enjoy this rerelease with Vanessa Chan who recently signed a fabulous deal for two b...
Erin Slaughter — Florida State University
29 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How does a creative writing PhD compare to an MFA? Erin Slaughter talks to Jared about the focus on professionalization in her doctoral program at Flo...
Chibuihe Obi Achimba — Brown University
15 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Chibuihe Obi Achimba sits down with Jared to talk about the anguish and extreme joy of transferring a poem from imagination to language, using writing...
Katie M. Zeigler — St. Mary's College of California
01 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Over the last ten years, Katie M. Zeigler filled out an MFA application six times and never submitted. Now in her second year at St. Mary’s College ...
Gabrielle Grace Hogan — The New Writers Project, University of Texas at Austin
15 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Poet Gabrielle Grace Hogan of the New Writers Project at the University of Texas at Austin talks with Jared about using images to find theme in poetry...
Special Episode! George Saunders — Story Club
01 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jared sits down with author and Syracuse Professor George Saunders to discuss his advice for new and prospective MFA students, the value of trusting y...
Jason Rodriguez — School of the Art Institute of Chicago
18 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With a background in cinema, Jason Rodriguez of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago sits down with Jared to talk about how film influences his ...
Rerelease: Marcus Jamison — University of South Carolina
04 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The podcast team is on vacation (re: staycation)! Enjoy one of our favorite episodes from the earliest days of the show. Regular programming will resu...
Cordis Paldano — Minnesota State University, Mankato
21 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Both stage acting and fiction writing are practices in understanding and embodying characters. Cordis Paldano of Minnesota State University, Mankato j...
Luke Larkin — University of Montana
07 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Literary fiction on Monday, pulp on Tuesday, YA on Wednesday, poetry on Thursday. Luke Larkin of the University of Montana tells Jared about crossing ...
Keely O’Connell — University of Alaska Fairbanks
23 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Skiing to campus and living without running water may not be typical aspects of the MFA experience, but they are common at the University of Alaska Fa...
Rerelease: Special Episode! Cady Vishniac — MFA Applications
09 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As we approach the first application deadlines of this MFA cycle, enjoy this rerelease to help you tackle questions such as: Should I get an MFA? What...
Special Episode! Gregory Spatz — MFA Applications Faculty Edition
26 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The annual MFA application episode is back! This year, Jared is joined by Gregory Spatz, Professor and Program Director of the MFA program at Eastern ...
Adachioma Ezeano — University of Kentucky
12 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Jared talks to O. Henry Prize winner Adachioma Ezeano of the University of Kentucky about finding her love of literature through Nigerian novels and f...
Natalie Warther — Bennington College
28 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Natalie Warther of Bennington College talks to Jared about the potential of flash fiction to introduce literature to nonreaders, making the writer’s...
Ashley Sojin Kim — University of Florida
14 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Jared and Ashley Sojin Kim of the University of Florida discuss learning about suppressed historic events through poetry, adding form restrictions to ...
Katie Schorr — Hunter College
31 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jared talks with Katie Schorr of Hunter College about overcoming rejection and the failure to sell her first novel, finding her voice...
Shreya Fadia — Indiana University Bloomington
17 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Season 2! Jared is joined by Shreya Fadia of Indiana University Bloomington to discuss incorporating genre elements in literary work, makin...
Special Episode! — Jared on Music at Midnight
03 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
With deep gratitude, we have reached the end of Season 1. The pod team is taking a little vacation and launching Season 2 in two weeks. In the meantim...
Tarik Dobbs — University of Minnesota
20 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Drawing attention to American and Israeli occupation in the Middle East, Tarik Dobbs of the University of Minnesota crafts experimental poetry based o...
Aggie Stewart — Newport MFA at Salve Regina University
06 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How do emotional pacing and narrative structure influence one another in a story? Jared talks to Aggie Stewart of the Newport MFA at Salve Regina Univ...
Keith Enterante — San Diego State University
22 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Fantasy. Sci fi. Literary absurdist fiction. Keith Enterante of San Diego State University’s novel excerpt has it all. He joins Jared to talk about ...
Evan Fleischer — Emerson College
08 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Pursuing an MFA is not only about improving your own writing, but also that of your peers. Evan Fleischer of Emerson College talks to Jared about how ...
Ellie Black — University of Mississippi
25 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Humor. Experimentation. Sound play. Ellie Black of the University of Mississippi talks to Jared about how her poetry has gotten increasingly weird, th...
Antonio Villaseñor-Baca — University of Texas at El Paso
11 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What does a bilingual MFA program look like in practice? Antonio Villaseñor-Baca of the University of Texas El Paso joins Jared to talk about studyin...
Special Episode! — Felicia Rose Chavez and The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop
27 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Creative writing workshops have remained largely unchanged since their creation in 1936. But what if there’s a better, more empowering, more inclusi...
Alejandro Puyana — Michener Center for Writers, University of Texas at Austin
13 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
With political and social unrest rocking his home country of Venezuela, Alejandro Puyana turned to writing as a way to process. He applied to MFA prog...
Jemimah Wei — Columbia University
30 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In Singapore, a young nation focused on economic prosperity, the path to the writer’s life can seem uncertain. Against this backdrop, Jemimah Wei of...
Jeremiah Barker — Litowitz MFA+MA, Northwestern University
16 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A joint MA+MFA program allows students to deepen their understanding of literary criticism and theory while crafting creative works. Jeremiah Barker o...
Koyé Oyedeji — Warren Wilson College
02 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A low-residency MFA program helped Koyé Oyedeji of Warren Wilson College develop the discipline to work full-time while writing his composite novel. ...
Danielle P. Williams — George Mason University
16 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
An MFA-sponsored trip to the Mariana Islands allowed Danielle P. Williams of George Mason University to reconnect with her ancestral culture. She sits...
Sarah Ruth Bates — University of Arizona
02 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What’s it like to work on a research-driven nonfiction book in an MFA while freelancing on the side? Sarah Ruth Bates of the University of Arizona j...
Bryan Byrdlong — Helen Zell Writers’ Program, University of Michigan
19 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How is the zombie of Haitian folklore a poetic metaphor for how society treats Blackness? Bryan Byrdlong of the Helen Zell Writers’ Program at the U...
Emily Holland — American University
05 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Should I go straight into an MFA or take some time between degrees? Emily Holland of American University talks to Jared about how she decided to go ba...
Kaj Tanaka — University of Houston
22 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wondered how contest winners are selected? Kaj Tanaka of the University of Houston takes us behind the scenes of Gulf Coast’s Barthelm...
Michal “MJ” Jones — Mills College
08 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What’s it like to write a poem from the perspective of someone you despise? Michal “MJ” Jones of Mills College joins Jared to discuss their thes...
Special Episode! Cady Vishniac — MFA Applications
24 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Should I get an MFA? What should I consider when applying? How can I strengthen my application? In this special episode, Jared is joined by Cady Vishn...
Dana Liebelson — University of Wyoming
10 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What’s a journalist doing in an MFA program? Dana Liebelson of the University of Wyoming tells Jared how her journalistic habits facilitate and comp...
Marcus Jamison — University of South Carolina
27 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Can writing be a form of protest? And if so, is there room for hope? Jared sits down with Marcus Jamison of the University of South Carolina to talk a...
Vanessa Chan — The New School
13 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Do we write because we understand or do we write to reach understanding? Jared and Vanessa Chan of The New School unpack this question. Along the way,...
Hannah Cajandig-Taylor — Northern Michigan University
29 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Every word matters when writing flash fiction and poetry. Jared sits down with Hannah Cajandig-Taylor of Northern Michigan University to talk about wr...
Matthew Dougherty — West Virginia University
15 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Singer-songwriter turned novelist Matthew Dougherty of West Virginia University joins Jared to talk about writing songs versus writing prose, fictiona...
Marcos Damián León — University of California, Riverside
01 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What’s it like to be a YA writer in an MFA program? Jared talks to Marcos Damián León of the University of California, Riverside about crafting yo...
Clancy Tripp — The Ohio State University
18 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Clancy Tripp of Ohio State University talks to Jared McCormack about what happens when people believe your satire, how OSU encouraged her to experimen...
Ali Geren — University of Arkansas
04 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jared McCormack talks with Ali Geren of the University of Arkansas about writing accessible poetry, growing up in small-town America, coming out in a ...
Preety Sidhu — Louisiana State University
21 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, Jared sits down with Preety Sidhu of Louisiana State University to discuss how to finance an MFA (Hidden fees? Healthcare? Cost of li...
Sasha Debevec-McKenney — New York University
07 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Sasha Debevec-McKenney of New York University joins us to talk about completing her thesis during a pandemic, diversity in MFA programs, networking wi...
Mary Henn — University of Missouri-Kansas City
23 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Mary Henn of the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Missouri State University joins us to talk about gender, trauma, writing as healing, and wheth...
MFA Writers Trailer
21 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Host Jared McCormack describes the upcoming MFA Writers podcast launching in June 2020.