Podcasts by MFA Writers

Matt Farley — Miami University (of Ohio) from 2023-12-05T11:00

Finance proofreader turned full-time poet Matt Farley joins Jared to share how his transition out of the corporate world affects his perspective on his MFA program and future career. Plus, Matt ...

Rerelease: Jonathan Escoffery — Debut Author Series — If I Survive You from 2023-11-21T11:00

During this season of gratitude, we are grateful for all of you, dear listeners, writers, and friends. We’re also grateful for a university-sponsored break from our laptops. So, as we take a pau...

Krista Diamond — University of Nevada, Las Vegas from 2023-11-07T11:00

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 and its emphasis on translation. Plus, Krista...

Jess Silfa — Application Series — MFA Draft from 2023-10-24T10:00

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. On this episode, Jess and Jared offer advi...

Rerelease: Lindsay Bernal — Application Series Admissions Coordinator Edition from 2023-10-10T10:00

Spooky season? More like application season! To help ease your fright, we've got our annual MFA application episode in preparation. Before then, we invite you to check in with last year'...

Brandon Blue — Arizona State University from 2023-09-26T10:00

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

Jess Silfa — Vanderbilt University from 2023-09-12T10:00

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 living in New York, growing up in a Caribbean o...

Ross Gay — Faculty Series — Indiana University Bloomington from 2023-08-29T10:00

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

Rerelease: Bryan Byrdlong — Helen Zell Writers' Program, University of Michigan from 2023-08-15T10:00

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 back with new and exciting episodes in two weeks....

Rerelease: Alejandro Puyana — Michener Center for Writers, University of Texas at Austin from 2023-08-01T10:00

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 first season.  With political and social unrest ro...

Amanda E. Scott — Western Michigan University from 2023-07-18T10:00

Prose encompasses fiction and nonfiction, but how does the genre affect our process? On this episode, Amanda Scott discusses her “fragmented” approach to the page both across genres and with hyb...

Simon Graham — University of Washington from 2023-07-04T10:00

How do you write about the climate crisis without becoming didactic? On this episode, Simon Graham describes their approach to activist writing, guided by their experiences growing up on the bea...

Kayla Cayasso — University of Central Florida from 2023-06-20T10:00:18

What’s it like writing historical fiction in an MFA program? On this episode, Kayla Cayasso tells Jared about the family histories and archival research that informed her collection portraying f...

Neil Griffin — University of Victoria from 2023-06-06T10:00:32

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

Special Episode! Maurice Carlos Ruffin — The Ones Who Don’t Say They Love You from 2023-05-23T10:00:50

Maurice Carlos Ruffin, author and faculty member at two MFA programs, joins Jared for this special episode about Maurice’s multi-year journey from corporate lawyer to professional writer (with p...

Suli Holum — Goddard College from 2023-05-09T10:00:52

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 work, partnerships between writers and actors, an...

Special Episode! Gina Chung — Debut Author of SEA CHANGE from 2023-04-25T10:00:25

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 fellow students encouraged her to turn ...

Derek Chan — Cornell University from 2023-04-11T10:00:52

How does our excavation of ancestral history shape our understanding of ourselves and how can writing guide us through this process? On this episode, Derek Chan discusses the role of family stor...

Rerelease: Steven Duong — Iowa Writers’ Workshop from 2023-03-28T10:00:20

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 season. We'll be back with new episodes...

Rerelease: Taylor Byas — University of Cincinnati from 2023-03-14T10:00:01

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 dissertation. Congratulations, Dr. Byas!

On...

Erica Reid — Western Colorado University from 2023-02-28T11:00:34

Poetic constraints may feel limiting to some, but for others, they spark creativity. In this episode, Erica Reid discusses the freedom and discovery of poetic forms. Plus, she talks with Jared a...

Caroline Catlin — Pacific University from 2023-02-14T11:00:18

On this episode, Caroline Catlin talks about how her cancer diagnosis motivated a career change from social worker to nonfiction writer. She also describes how she pairs photography with writing...

Edward Daschle — University of Maryland from 2023-01-31T11:00:11

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 finding a writing community, a welcoming envi...

Mary Kate McGrath — Boston University from 2023-01-17T11:00:25

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 University’s accelerated program. Plus, she a...

De’Andre S. Holmes — Columbia College Chicago from 2023-01-03T11:00:53

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 Chicago shares his experience with self-doubt, ex...

Rerelease: Chibuihe Obi Achimba — Brown University from 2022-12-20T11:00:08

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 weeks. 

Chibuihe Obi Achimba sits...

Kaitlyn Airy — University of Virginia from 2022-12-06T11:00:05

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, she and Jared discuss the benefits they have...

Special Episode! Jonathan Escoffery — Debut Author of If I Survive You from 2022-11-22T11:00:59

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 MFA writing sample and how he plays w...

Nikki Lyssy — University of South Florida from 2022-11-08T11:00:51

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 imagery, while in her nonfiction, she explore...

Special Episode! Lindsay Bernal — MFA Applications Admissions Coordinator Edition from 2022-10-25T10:00

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 the University of Maryland. She answers listener...

Rerelease: Special Episode! Gregory Spatz — MFA Applications Faculty Edition from 2022-10-11T10:00:42

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 faculty member's perspective. We hope it prov...

Sean Dolan — Western Washington University from 2022-09-27T10:00:33

It’s increasingly common for writers to get accepted in their second (or third) attempts at MFA applications. In this episode, Sean Dolan shares what he did differently his second time around th...

Emily St. Martin — UC Riverside, Palm Desert Low-Residency from 2022-09-13T10:00:47

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 talk about how her program has helped her c...

Rachelle Toarmino — UMass Amherst from 2022-08-30T10:00:54

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 career, including finding and using play...

Steven Duong — Iowa Writers’ Workshop from 2022-08-16T10:00:59

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 Duong and Jared discuss whether Iowa lives up to ...

Rerelease: George Saunders — Story Club from 2022-08-02T10:00:04

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 conversation with George Saunders. This episode is fu...

Rerelease: Adachioma Ezeano — University of Kentucky from 2022-07-19T09:00

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 from this past season. We’ll be back in Augus...

Taylor Byas — University of Cincinnati from 2022-07-05T09:00:17

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 while her poetic knowledge taught her to tak...

Luna Adler — Brooklyn College from 2022-06-21T09:00:17

Luna Adler talks to Jared about moving between fiction and non-fiction, Brooklyn College’s unique novel-writing workshop aimed at accommodating the long form, the tension between a slow revision...

Taylor Sklenar — Iowa State University from 2022-06-07T10:00:56

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 influenced his interests in chemistry and theatre, com...

James Craig Hartz Jr. — Oregon State University from 2022-05-24T10:00:47

On this episode, James Craig Hartz Jr., a Combat Medic turned MFA graduate, tells Jared about flipping the traditional military homecoming story into one filled with resilience, hope, and hard-w...

Siloh Radovsky — UC San Diego from 2022-05-10T10:00:33

Siloh Radovsky sits down with Jared to talk about her path from anarchistic activism to experimental writing, the blurry line between fiction and nonfiction, and the joys and pains of teaching i...

Gauri Awasthi — McNeese State University from 2022-04-26T10:00:41

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 found poems through Bhakti poetry, love poems t...

Rerelease: Vanessa Chan — The New School from 2022-04-12T10:00

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 books, THE STORM WE MADE, and THE UGLIEST BAB...

Erin Slaughter — Florida State University from 2022-03-29T10:00

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 Florida State University compared to the explor...

Chibuihe Obi Achimba — Brown University from 2022-03-15T10:00

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 to explore the impacts and losses of modern...

Katie M. Zeigler — St. Mary's College of California from 2022-03-01T11:00

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 of California, she talks to Jared about pursui...

Gabrielle Grace Hogan — The New Writers Project, University of Texas at Austin from 2022-02-15T11:00

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, giving ourselves permission to write about...

Special Episode! George Saunders — Story Club from 2022-02-01T11:00

Jared sits down with author and Syracuse Professor George Saunders to discuss his advice for new and prospective MFA students, the value of trusting your writing intuition, the best (and worst) ...

Jason Rodriguez — School of the Art Institute of Chicago from 2022-01-18T11:00

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 poetry. They unpack how Jason captures movem...

Rerelease: Marcus Jamison — University of South Carolina from 2022-01-04T11:00

The podcast team is on vacation (re: staycation)! Enjoy one of our favorite episodes from the earliest days of the show. Regular programming will resume in two weeks.

Can writing be a for...

Cordis Paldano — Minnesota State University, Mankato from 2021-12-21T11:00

Both stage acting and fiction writing are practices in understanding and embodying characters. Cordis Paldano of Minnesota State University, Mankato joins Jared to discuss the ways his acting ca...

Luke Larkin — University of Montana from 2021-12-07T11:00

Literary fiction on Monday, pulp on Tuesday, YA on Wednesday, poetry on Thursday. Luke Larkin of the University of Montana tells Jared about crossing and mixing genres in a program with a litera...

Keely O’Connell — University of Alaska Fairbanks from 2021-11-23T11:00

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 Fairbanks. On this episode, Keely O’Connell te...

Rerelease: Special Episode! Cady Vishniac — MFA Applications from 2021-11-09T11:00

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 should I consider when applying? How can I ...

Special Episode! Gregory Spatz — MFA Applications Faculty Edition from 2021-10-26T10:00

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 Washington University, who explains what the...

Adachioma Ezeano — University of Kentucky from 2021-10-12T10:00

Jared talks to O. Henry Prize winner Adachioma Ezeano of the University of Kentucky about finding her love of literature through Nigerian novels and folktales, learning craft from strong women, ...

Natalie Warther — Bennington College from 2021-09-28T10:00

Natalie Warther of Bennington College talks to Jared about the potential of flash fiction to introduce literature to nonreaders, making the writer’s life work with a full-time job in advertising...

Ashley Sojin Kim — University of Florida from 2021-09-14T10:00

Jared and Ashley Sojin Kim of the University of Florida discuss learning about suppressed historic events through poetry, adding form restrictions to enhance the creative process, and networking...

Katie Schorr — Hunter College from 2021-08-31T10:00

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 through the writing and revising process, a...

Shreya Fadia — Indiana University Bloomington from 2021-08-17T10:00

Welcome to Season 2! Jared is joined by Shreya Fadia of Indiana University Bloomington to discuss incorporating genre elements in literary work, making a career change from law to writing, and h...

Special Episode! — Jared on Music at Midnight from 2021-08-03T10:00

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 meantime, enjoy this rebroadcast of Music at Midnig...

Tarik Dobbs — University of Minnesota from 2021-07-20T10:00

Drawing attention to American and Israeli occupation in the Middle East, Tarik Dobbs of the University of Minnesota crafts experimental poetry based on extensive research and personal ex...