Carlow University MFA in Creative Writing

The brilliant Claire Keegan joined us as our final guest writer to our June residency in Ireland. She gave a wonderful talk on paragraph structure and it was a fabulous way to close out the residency. We look forward to welcoming Claire back to Carlow’s MFA program next June, she is always a highlight.

Virginia Evans conversation with Carlo Gébler is now available to listen to.
The conversation was recorded live in the Trinity College Dublin debate chamber before the Carlow MFA students, and discusses Virginia's process for writing The Correspondent.

You can find the whole, unedited discussion here:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/cormncqbx34ps1k1eqge9/Carlo-Gebler-interviews-Virginia-Evans-4-6-26.mp3?rlkey=2m9kzy05xdegccb7ppgwvqjfc&st=5xd8uyyr&dl=0

Or as a podcast here:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/vmwxyqth9i0ftnyrh8ufx/Virginia-Evans-and-Carlo-Gebler-podcast.mp3?rlkey=vg4zde2xou7fg8y880x865gxf&st=8a3g6zdp&dl=0

Last week the Carlow MFA community was lucky to be the audience for a wonderful recording of the Books for Breakfast podcast, hosted by our Irish mentor Enda Wyley, and poet Peter Sirr.
This week, the podcast is out, and features a thoughtful discussion with author Caitriona Lally regarding her latest book, a memoir titled Home Economics.
You can find the podcast on Spotify, as well as through this link:
https://booksforbreakfast.buzzsprout.com/1162427/episodes/19304413-94-caitriona-lally-on-her-memoir-home-economics

Congratulations to our newest graduate, Theresa Doerfler! Yesterday Theresa defended and then gave a public reading from her MFA manuscript, a collection of linked short stories titled Visitation. She was introduced by her manuscript mentor Niall Williams. We’re so happy for you, Theresa, and can’t wait to read the book!

Congratulations to Virginia Evans Virginia Evans who won the Women’s Prize last night for her brilliant novel The Correspondent. Virginia visited last week at our June residency at Trinity College Dublin and was in conversation with our longtime mentor Carlo Gebler. She was also with us in January in Pittsburgh. Many Congratulations Virginia for this well-deserved recognition of your work!

Congratulations to Virginia Evans who won the Women's Prize last night for her brilliant novel The Correspondent. Virginia visited last week at our June residency at Trinity College Dublin and was in conversation with our longtime mentor Carlo Gebler. She was also with us in January in Pittsburgh. Many Congratulations Virginia for this well-deserved recognition of your work!

Yesterday, the students had their annual student reading at the wonderful Books Upstairs
Emceed to perfection by our beloved James Heaney, students shared works of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry that they've worked on throughout the residency.

Amazing poetry reading today from our Irish mentors, Jean O’Brien and Enda Wyley, and our program director Tess Barry. It was especially wonderful to hear from and celebrate Tess’s incredible book, The Marvelous Real. Thank you Jean, Enda, and Tess! And thank you James Heaney, for the inimitable introductions!

A highlight of every residency are the Masterclasses, workshops led by celebrated writers in each genre. Jan Carson taught fiction, Thomas McCarthy taught poetry, and Kerri Ni Dochartaigh taught CNF. They are all brilliant and we are so grateful!

Today four of our students presented their Craft Talks, as part of their final residency curriculum. They each had remarkable, well read and presented talks, followed by great questions from the audience.