Three Years Out of a Three Year MFA

English department convocation, CU Boulder, May 2014. I graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder, with a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing on May 9, 2014—three years ago exactly. It was a three year MFA program, so I have now been out of the MFA as long as I was in it. I thought this would be a good chance to reflect on my MFA experience in general, and on what I've done (and not done) since finishing the program.

A few people have asked me whether I recommend getting an MFA, a...