MFA Grads Share Writing Insights and Five-Star Picks!

Recently, Kamryn Heavin, our intern for the MFA in Writing Newsletter, conducted short one-question interviews with our 2026 MFA graduates. Each student was also asked to share their most recent 5-star read or watch.

Rahul Edwin

Rahul is a writer and poet whose work has appeared in Grain, in medias res, and River Volta.

How has your final project changed over the course of the MFA in Writing program?

I entered the program expecting to write a short story collection, something small and domestic, in the vein of Carver or Lahiri. Instead, I wrote The Ivory Crown of Indus, a fantasy-adjacent novel set in 16th-century India, ending in a tragic war. Everything about it is outside my comfort zone. The idea began as a throwaway novella, but during the program, I went through some mental health struggles and the novel became a way of working through that trauma on a grand scale. The novel’s scaffolding is foreign to me, but much of the heart of it hits close to home.

5-Star Read: Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke

Veronica Fabian

Veronica (they/them) is a speculative fiction writer who wonders what monsters look like in the modern world.

How has your final project changed over the course of the MFA in Writing program?

I applied to the MFA program with a fantasy novel in mind. I’m currently finishing the last touches on a young adult short story collection that spins Western monster tropes. I never imagined that I would write a short story, much less a collection of them. Although that fantasy novel is always beckoning me back, I’m glad I got this chance to write my short story collection. I dearly love each story and have learned so much as a result that has only strengthened my writing.

5-Star Read: Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

Tia Hendricks

Tia (she/her) is an MFA in Writing student who loves fiction–especially fantasy–crafting, and her two big dogs.

What was your favorite component of the MFA in Writing program?

The River Volta reading series, but more specifically, doing the reading series with friends and having our very supportive peers join us. With every event I was shocked at how many people came. The space was full almost every time and many, many people took advantage of the open mics! Plus, of course, getting to be involved in the writing community in Saskatoon and listening to wonderful writers’ work. Overall, the program wouldn’t have been the same had it not been for my peers and our wonderful instructors. They made the program fun and an experience I will never forget.

5-Star Read: Sabriel by Garth Nix

Jolena Klymyshyn

Jolena grew up in Saskatoon and completed her undergraduate in Psychology and Creative Writing in Halifax. During her time on the coast she was consistently inspired to write about home and is currently writing a prairie fiction novel.

How did your preference for poetry, non-fiction and fiction change over the course of the MFA in Writing program?

I came into this program as a prose writer and have always seen myself writing fiction. Getting to work in all three modes throughout the course was an opportunity to experiment in ways I wouldn’t have on my own–as it is easy to find yourself in a creative echo-chamber. Poetry pulled me from my prose safety net and taught me to play with rules of language. Non-fiction expanded my reading and reminded me to observe my daily world. Though I still consider myself a fiction writer, I now have pieces I am proud of in these other forms.

5-Star Read: Etta and Otto and Russell and James by Emma Hooper

Douglas MacDonald

Douglas is a MFA graduate. If there isn’t a pen, or guitar, or tennis racquet in his hand, then he’s probably washing dishes.

How has your final project changed over the course of the MFA in Writing program?

I had no idea what my project would be when I entered the program. I knew I wanted to write short stories but as often happens in writing, I discovered what I wanted to explore through the writing process. It has developed into a Gothic Canadiana collection, focusing on traumatic histories across the country. I would encourage anyone who enjoys writing to apply for the program and allow themselves to find the words along the way.

5-Star Read: No Great Mischief by Alistair MacLeod

Mikayla Marin

Mikayla (she/her) is a speculative eco-fiction writer whose work reimagines ecologically balanced worlds aimed to inspire and motivate climate action.

How has your final project changed over the course of the MFA in Writing program?

My thesis was always focused on using narrative to inspire and motivate change for healthier human-nature relationships. Upon entering the MFA my goal was to finish my novel. I never had confidence in my short pieces. However, through coursework with amazing professors I was exposed to short stories and essays that inspired me to write a solarpunk short story collection. It's been motivating to grow comfortable and confident with short form prose; a practice I intend to continue honing. I'm very happy with and proud of the collection I've produced.

5-Star Read: The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Shayne Metcalfe

Shayne is a filmmaker and writer who blends classic cinema and technology’s influence on humanity into stories that entertain, encourage empathy, and offer new ways of knowing.

How did your preference for poetry, non-fiction and fiction change over the course of the MFA in Writing program?

I gravitated toward fiction because it seemed most related to screenwriting, although I discovered all forms use memory and imagination. Poetry's ability to condense meaning and emotion into a few lines easily applies to screenwriting. It also encourages a slow pace and contemplation of words, creating moments that evoke feelings connected to ideas. Fiction and non-fiction are more similar than I had previously thought: the line between them often blurs. All writing has the ability to elicit emotional responses. The MFA program gave me the time and resources needed to create this kind of magic.

5-Star Watch: The Beast in Me, Season One, Episode One, ‘Sick Puppy,’ by Gabe Rotter, Daniel Pearle, and Erika Sheffer.

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