Creating Authentic Details: Medicine

Full disclosure: the impetus for this article came from my own research about medicine. I was having fun because I was finally getting to use Bald’s eyesalve in my story – though I’m not so sure the character was enjoying it quite as much as I was.  Bald’s eyesalve (from a 10th-century medical text) is… Read more »

Cozy to Cold-blooded: Famous Authors as Sleuths

One of my favorite types of books is historical fiction, so it stands to reason that I love historical mysteries. Imagine my happiness at discovering mystery series starring famous writers as sleuths. I’m surprised I was able to stand my excitement when I discovered mystery series with mystery authors as the sleuths.  The following seven… Read more »

Sheena Kamal

Interview with Sheena Kamal

[Editor’s Note: As a part of DIY MFA’s ongoing mission to promote unique voices, regular columnist, Sara Farmer, has been conducting a limited series of interviews featuring authors with unique and diverse voices. You can check out her past interviews of Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Marcie Rendon, Ausma Zehanat Khan and Adam Smyer.] About Sheena Kamal Sheena… Read more »

Finola Austin

Interview with Finola Austin

Hello, readers! I’m so excited to share with you my interview with Finola Austin, an historical fiction author who just published her debut novel in early August 2020. Finola and I connected at the Writer’s Digest Conference in 2018 and I’ve eagerly cheered her querying and publishing successes. Finola has some fantastic tips for writers,… Read more »

Sara Farmer

Interview with Adam Smyer

[Editor’s Note: As a part of DIY MFA’s ongoing mission to promote unique voices, regular columnist, Sara Farmer, has been conducting a limited series of interviews featuring authors with unique and diverse voices like this one with Adam Smyer. You can check out her past interviews of Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Marcie Rendon, and Ausma Zehanat Khan.]… Read more »

Interview with Ausma Zehanat Khan

[Editor’s Note: As a part of DIY MFA’s ongoing missions to promote unique voices, regular columnist, Sara Farmer, has been conducting a limited series of interviews featuring authors with unique and diverse voices. You can check out her past interviews of Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Marcie Rendon.] About Ausma Zehanat Khan Ausma Zehanat Khan is the… Read more »

Poetry Can Change the World

Can poetry change the world? Just ask Andrei Voznesensky, a Russian rock-star poet who sold out stadiums for his poetry readings in the 1960s. Yes. Stadiums. Voznesensky said, “If you want to change the world’s spirit, I will suggest that only poetry can do this.” Poetry Is Play Poetry, for the most part, is playful,… Read more »

#5onFri: Five Poems We All Need To Read

There are years I barely remember – what happened to all 365 days of grade four? The only thing I remember is Mrs Vanbuskirk getting so mad she yelled at me in front of the class. I remember her white coat with the red embroidered designs of polar bears. She had impossibly black hair and… Read more »

Interview with Marcie Rendon

Editor’s Note: Columnist, Sara Farmer, is writing a limited series for DIY MFA in which she interviews #ownvoices authors and authors of color. She began her series with an interview of Silvia Moreno-Garcia, author of Mexican Gothic. Check back in two weeks for the next installment! About Marcie Rendon Marcie Rendon, citizen of the White… Read more »