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 explores the pressure and possibility of a second book, the realities of building a career in YA, and why mental health and representation remain central to her work. We discuss the lasting influence of books you read when you are young, the importance of writing queer and neurodivergent characters into the center of the story, and what it’s like to pursue genre writing at Butler University MFA Program. Along the way, we also touch on the Iowa workshop debate, communities like Booth Literary Magazine, and how her latest novel, Liberated, embraces both strength and struggle as part of the same story.

Caroline J. Trussell is the published author of ENHANCED and has served in a number of creative roles throughout her career. She has previously written for multiple publications, including Her Campus and Folio Weekly. Caroline graduated from the University of Central Florida with a major in Writing and Rhetoric and is a current Creative Writing MFA student at Butler University. She is a mental health and chronic illness warrior and hopes to inspire others through discussing these topics in her work. Caroline resides in Indianapolis and hopes to one day teach students the craft of writing herself.

MFA Writers is hosted by Jared McCormack and produced by Jared McCormack, Hanamori Skoblow, and Brié Goumaz. New episodes are released every two weeks. You can find more MFA Writers at ⁠MFAwriters.com⁠.

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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 pursuing a second MFA in travel writing, building a creative life in New York City, and becoming her truest self by committing to a writer’s life. Marisol reflects on how writers meet the moment, balancing rage, fear, and joy, and what it means to bear witness through nonfiction.

Marisol Aveline Delarosa is a New Yorker who holds an MFA in nonfiction from The New School and she recently started her second MFA at Cedar Crest College’s Pan-European Creative Writing MFA program, where she is focusing on nonfiction travel writing. Marisol was chosen by Deborah Taffa (a former guest of ours here on the podcast) as the winner of the 2025 Bette Howland Prize for her essay titled, "Pursued by the Furies", which was published in A Public Space.

MFA Writers is hosted by Jared McCormack and produced by Jared McCormack, Hanamori Skoblow, and Brié Goumaz. New episodes are released every two weeks. You can find more MFA Writers at ⁠MFAwriters.com⁠.

BE PART OF THE SHOW

— Donate to the show at⁠ Buy Me a Coffee⁠.

— Leave a rating and review on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠.

— Submit an episode request. If there’s a program you’d like to learn more about, contact us and we’ll do our very best to find a guest who can speak to their experience.

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What does poetry look like when it starts with an equation? Brad Hoge joins Jared to discuss how his background in wetland ecology, biogeochemistry, and science education shapes the way he writes. Brad approaches poetry as a space for questioning and meaning-making. They discuss the challenges of writing about climate change, the psychology behind science denial, and how creativity lives at the center of both science and art.

Brad Hoge’s poetry appears in numerous anthologies and journals, most recently in the California Writers Club 2024 Best of the Best Literary Review, CWC Redwood Branch Anthology: Phases, The California Literary Review, CWC SF Peninsula Branch Anthology Fault Zone: Reverse, Consilience, and the CWC Redwood Branch Anthology: One Day. 

His photography has been published in Otoliths and Vision and Verse: A Fusion of Art and Poetry from CWC. He has also published four chapbooks, and was the managing editor for Dark Matter Journal. Much of his poetry uses metaphors from the sciences. He considers himself a retired wetland ecologist, even though he is currently teaching middle school English. 

He has taught at middle schools and high schools in Louisiana, Texas, and California. He has also been a children’s museum curator, a college professor, a restoration ecologist, a stay-at-home Dad, and the Director of multiple STEM programs. His broad range of experience has helped him mine many different fields for natural metaphor. His 2nd book of poetry, N = R* fp x nhime x fl x fi x fc x L (The Drake Equation) was published in 2020 by VRÆYDA Press. His first book, Nebular Hypothesis, was published by Cawing Crow Press in 2016. He is currently an MFA student at San Francisco State University and lives in the California Bay area.

MFA Writers is hosted by Jared McCormack and produced by Jared McCormack, Hanamori Skoblow, and Brié Goumaz. New episodes are released every two weeks. You can find more MFA Writers at ⁠MFAwriters.com⁠.

BE PART OF THE SHOW

— Donate to the show at⁠ Buy Me a Coffee⁠.

— Leave a rating and review on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠.

— Submit an episode request. If there’s a program you’d like to learn more about, contact us and we’ll do our very best to find a guest who can speak to their experience.

— Apply to be a guest on the show by filling out ⁠our application⁠.

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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’t do) when a story isn’t working, how MFA programs are like basketball drills, and approaching craft discussions in ways that are more flexible and time-varying than declarative and concrete. Plus, Wilson discusses making lasting connections with faculty and visiting writers and shares the realities of living on an MFA stipend and pivoting to part-time to maintain a day job.

Wilson M. Sims is a behavioral-health worker and policy strategist in the final year of his MFA program at Florida Atlantic University. His work is published in Longreads, The Florida Review, Witness Magazine, and Virginia Quarterly Review. He is the winner of the 2021 Lascaux Prize in Creative Nonfiction, and his essay “Unknown Costs,” received a special mention in the 2025 Pushcart Anthology. Find him at wilsonmsims.com.

MFA Writers is hosted by Jared McCormack and produced by Jared McCormack and Hanamori Skoblow. New episodes are released every two weeks. You can find more MFA Writers at MFAwriters.com.

BE PART OF THE SHOW

— Donate to the show at Buy Me a Coffee.

— Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.

— Submit an episode request. If there’s a program you’d like to learn more about, contact us and we’ll do our very best to find a guest who can speak to their experience.

— Apply to be a guest on the show by filling out our application.

STAY CONNECTED

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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 of bravery—it’s a way of being. They also discuss Komal’s process, how she approaches the heavy themes of her work with patience to avoid burnout, and how MFA deadlines complicate this process. She also tells Jared about teaching creative writing versus English composition, how the MFA taught her it takes a hundred hours to finish a poem, and what it’s like moving from Pakistan to the small town of Carbondale, Illinois. 

Komal Bukhari is a Pakistani poet and MFA candidate in creative writing at Southern Illinois University. Her work explores theology, dissent, and the personal cost of defying patriarchal and religious boundaries. She writes about honor killing, blasphemy laws, and the politics of faith in Pakistan, often examining her own struggle to seek freedom within and beyond these systems. Her poem “Iconoclast” was featured by BBC Urdu, where she was named an emerging poet, and her poems have appeared in Pakistani anthologies. 

MFA Writers is hosted by Jared McCormack and produced by Jared McCormack, Hanamori Skoblow, and Brié Goumaz. New episodes are released every two weeks. You can find more MFA Writers at ⁠MFAwriters.com⁠.

BE PART OF THE SHOW

• Donate to the show at⁠ Buy Me a Coffee⁠.
• Leave a rating and review on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠.
• Submit an episode request. If there’s a program you’d like to learn more about, contact us and we’ll do our very best to find a guest who can speak to their experience.
• Apply to be a guest on the show by filling out ⁠our application⁠.

STAY CONNECTED

• Twitter: ⁠@MFAwriterspod⁠
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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 experience in the US military. Michael shares what it’s like to build a creative career in Louisville, Kentucky’s growing film scene. He also reflects on how the magic of the Spalding Low-Residency MFA transformed his writing path, offering guidance and validation he hadn’t previously found. Plus, Michael discusses his mission to help other artists recognize that a life in creative work is not only possible, but within reach.

Michael is a recent graduate of Spalding University’s low-residency MFA in Writing program after spending more than 25 years in the film industry. He’s an Emmy Award-winning DP, Director, Producer, and Editor whose work has been seen on networks like Discovery, History, A&E, The Documentary Channel, iTunes, and Netflix, and represented at major film markets like Cannes, Berlin, and Toronto. Most recently, he assisted in the development of the Netflix hit show WRESTLERS, where he served as production supervisor. He is also a decorated combat veteran of the United States Army. 

MFA Writers is hosted by Jared McCormack and produced by Jared McCormack, Hanamori Skoblow, and Brié Goumaz. New episodes are released every two weeks. You can find more MFA Writers at ⁠MFAwriters.com⁠.

BE PART OF THE SHOW

— Donate to the show at⁠ Buy Me a Coffee⁠.

— Leave a rating and review on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠.

— Submit an episode request. If there’s a program you’d like to learn more about, contact us and we’ll do our very best to find a guest who can speak to their experience.

— Apply to be a guest on the show by filling out ⁠our application⁠.

STAY CONNECTED

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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 community. edwin shares their journey to finding an artistic home at Da Poetry Lounge and why discovering the right community can shape your craft, confidence, and longevity as a writer. 

They also tackle the question, “Do you need an MFA to be successful?”, asking whether the MFA path is right for everyone. edwin speaks honestly about what it is like to teach at an MFA program without holding the degree, what they have learned from the experience, and how writers can define success on their own terms.  

edwin bodney is a Black, Queer, non-binary artist, award-winning educator, and nationally recognized poet from Los Angeles. As someone living with M.S. and the rest of the world’s chaos, they strive to remind all vulnerable communities of their joy and laughter. edwin and their work have been featured in platforms and publications like Button Poetry, Platypus Press, The Exposition Review, The Advocate, Lexus, TvOne, Amazon Prime, UW-Madison, and many others. Their full-length book of poetry, A Study of Hands (2017), is available through Not A Cult Media. edwin is a former co-host of Da Poetry Lounge, one of the country’s largest and longest-running, non-profit poetry venues.

edwin currently works supporting LGBTQ+ students at California State University, Dominguez Hills.

MFA Writers is hosted by Jared McCormack and produced by Jared McCormack, Hanamori Skoblow, and Brié Goumaz. New episodes are released every two weeks. You can find more MFA Writers at MFAwriters.com.

BE PART OF THE SHOW

— Donate to the show at Buy Me a Coffee.

— Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.

— Submit an episode request. If there’s a program you’d like to learn more about, contact us and we’ll do our very best to find a guest who can speak to their experience.

— Apply to be a guest on the show by filling out our application.

STAY CONNECTED

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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 about whether “creative nonfiction" is a useful label, the pros and cons of a small program, and UVic’s emphasis on training students in creative writing pedagogy.

Neil Griffin is a poet, essayist, and former wildlife biologist. A former finalist for CBC's Poetry Prize and multiple Alberta Magazine Awards, his writing has appeared throughout Canada and Western Europe. He's an MFA student at the University of Victoria, working on a book-length lyric essay about extinction. In addition, he is the 2023 Artist-in-Resident for Ocean Network's Canada, where he writes about the ecology and history of the abyssal regions of the Pacific Ocean. Find him at his website, neilcgriffin.com, and on Twitter @prairielorax.

MFA Writers is hosted by Jared McCormack and produced by Jared McCormack and Hanamori Skoblow. New episodes are released every two weeks. You can find more MFA Writers at MFAwriters.com.

BE PART OF THE SHOW

• Donate to the show at Buy Me a Coffee.
• Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.
• Submit an episode request. If there’s a program you’d like to learn more about, contact us and we’ll do our very best to find a guest who can speak to their experience.
• Apply to be a guest on the show by filling out our application.

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Following Venezuela’s disputed presidential election, debut author Alejandro Puyana returns to the show to discuss his novel, which explores the revolutionary lives of both ordinary and extraordinary Venezuelans over the span of fifty years. He also shares insights with Jared about the rewrites he made to his MFA thesis before publication, the experience of collaborating with an editor, and the journey of securing book blurbs.

Alejandro Puyana is the author of the upcoming novel Freedom Is a Feast, available from Little, Brown on August 20th. Alejandro moved to the United States from Venezuela at the age of twenty-six. In 2022, he completed his MFA at the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas. His work has appeared in Tin House, American Short Fiction, The American Scholar, New England Review, and Idaho Review, among others, and his story “The Hands of Dirty Children” was selected by Curtis Sittenfeld for Best American Short Stories 2020. He lives with his wife and daughter in Austin, Texas. Learn more at alejandropuyana.com.

MFA Writers is hosted by Jared McCormack and produced by Jared McCormack and Hanamori Skoblow. New episodes are released every two weeks. You can find more MFA Writers at MFAwriters.com.

BE PART OF THE SHOW

• Donate to the show at Buy Me a Coffee.
• Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.
• Submit an episode request. If there’s a program you’d like to learn more about, contact us and we’ll do our very best to find a guest who can speak to their experience.
• Apply to be a guest on the show by filling out our application.

STAY CONNECTED

• Twitter: @MFAwriterspod
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Memoirist and director of the Institute for American Indian Arts MFA program Deborah Jackson Taffa talks to Jared about her new book, Whiskey Tender. Deborah shares how memoir writing is a form of familial and historical preservation, and offers advice on having difficult conversations with the real people who appear in our creative nonfiction. Plus, she discusses the value of the low-res IAIA program for both indigenous and non-indigenous writers, offers strategies for sustaining creative energy, and describes methods to avoid falling into a common misstep for MFA students: social comparison.

A citizen of the Quechan (Yuma) Nation and Laguna Pueblo, Deborah Jackson Taffa is the director of the MFA in Creative Writing program at the Institute for American Indian Arts. She is the author of the memoir WHISKEY TENDER and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Iowa. Her writing can be found at PBS, Salon, LARB, Brevity, A Public Space, The Boston Review, The Rumpus, and the Best American Nonrequired Reading. In late 2021, she was named a MacDowell Fellow, Kranzberg Arts Fellow, and Tin House Scholar. In 2022, she won a PEN American Grant for Oral History and was named a Hedgebrook Fellow. Find her at deborahtaffa.com and on social media @deborahtaffa.

MFA Writers is hosted by Jared McCormack and produced by Jared McCormack and Hanamori Skoblow. New episodes are released every two weeks. You can find more MFA Writers at MFAwriters.com.

BE PART OF THE SHOW

• Donate to the show at Buy Me a Coffee.
• Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.
• Submit an episode request. If there’s a program you’d like to learn more about, contact us and we’ll do our very best to find a guest who can speak to their experience.
• Apply to be a guest on the show by filling out our application.

STAY CONNECTED

• Twitter: @MFAwriterspod
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• Facebook: MFA Writers
• Email: [email protected]