What do poets and humorists have in common? For Caylin Capra-Thomas, whose writing is sure to make you laugh, both pay close attention to life’s idiosyncrasies in the search for truth. In this episode, she also tells Jared about her experience getting a PhD in creative writing for an advantage in the academic job market (it worked: she’s a professor!), conquering the comprehensive exam, and key differences between the PhD and the MFA.

Caylin Capra-Thomas is the author of a poetry collection, Iguana Iguana, and her poetry and essays have appeared widely, including in Georgia Review, Pleiades, Longreads, 32 Poems, New England Review, and elsewhere. Her scholarship has appeared in the T.S. Eliot Studies Annual. The recipient of fellowships from the Vermont Studio Center and the Sewanee Writers Conference, she earned an MFA in creative writing (poetry) from the University of Montana, and a PhD in English and creative writing (nonfiction) from the University of Missouri in Columbia. She now teaches English and creative writing at Stephens College. Find her at caylincaprathomas.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.

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Caylin Capra-Thomas — University of Missouri