Why MFA Programs Matter

The tutors of the past have disappeared. But good writing programs can take their place. Turn any article into a podcast. Upgrade now to start listening. Members can share articles with friends & family to bypass the paywall. It is a sunny July morning in the Midwest, one of those days when it starts off cool, the dew lingering a while on the grass and the delighted flowers. Yet you know the second you walk outside and feel the sultry air on your skin that it will warm up dramatically by lunchtime. And in my small town of Ashland, Ohio, a classroom building whose large windows face a bright flower garden is filled with activity—conversation after conversation on various aspects of writing literature. Nadya Williams is a Senior Fellow in the Ashbrook Center at Ashland University, where she also serves as the interim director of the MFA program. She is books editor at Mere Orthodoxy, where she hosts the Christians Reading Classics podcast. Her latest book is Christians Reading Classics. More From Nadya Williams