Episode 163: Reading Matters — Interview with Nancy Pearl

Hey there word nerds! Today I am so delighted to have Nancy Pearl on the show! Nancy is a book world legend. From her more than three decades of experience as a librarian and bookseller, to her worldwide speaking engagements on the importance of reading, she has become the go-to person for all things literary…. Read more »

Episode 71: Read Like a Writer – Interview with Lorin Stein

Hello hello Word Nerds and welcome back to DIY MFA Radio. Today I’m interviewing Lorin Stein, editor of The Paris Review,  and we’ll be talking about literature, reading, and what makes stories great. We’ll also be discussing a book he recently edited titled The Unprofessionals: New American Writing from The Paris Review. But first, here’s a little bit… Read more »

#5OnFri: Five Great American Novels That Feature Outsiders

Washington’s Birthday is coming up and, in honor of that, I want to talk about American novels. There’s been a lot of debate about what constitutes the “Great American Novel.” With so many voices, and so many different experiences in American life, this list should be huge. Since we only do five books on a… Read more »

7 Basics of a Writing Education

Random fact: whenever I go out to write, I carry with me a few essentials. These include an unlined notebook, a fountain pen, and an unsharpened pencil. Why the latter? you may be wondering. The unsharpened pencil symbolizes untapped potential, all the endless possibilities and stories yet to be written. Now with a new session of… Read more »

#5OnFri: Five Books to Prepare for the Zombie Apocalypse

Happy Friday everyone! Most of the country is currently being pummeled with snow and freezing cold temperatures. We are also in an arctic freeze of television, in that terrible limbo in-between the first and second half of most TV show seasons. And I don’t know about any of you, but one show that I’m really ready to premier again… Read more »

Episode 23: Make Writing Resolutions That Stick

Happy New Year, everyone! Since it’s the last day of 2014, I thought we’d talk about writing resolutions. But first, let me start with a crazy fact. According to a University of Scranton study, only 8% of people actually achieve their New Year’s goals. For many people the new year begins with all the best intentions for making… Read more »

Episode 18: Deconstructing Shakespeare’s Sonnet 90

Hello and happy Thanksgiving! I’m so thankful that you are here! This podcast has been a true labor of love for me and I’m thrilled to share it with you. Today I want to tell you about something else that I am thankful for: the ability to read Shakespeare in the original English. Shakespeare’s work has made a… Read more »