MFA Program Welcomes Three Distinguished Writers

The University of St. Thomas is pleased to announce the addition of three esteemed writers to its Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program: Ryan Wilson as Associate Professor of Poetry, Katy Carl as Writer-in-Residence, and Brigid Pasulka as Distinguished Visiting Professor of Fiction. This expansion marks a significant step in the program's mission to cultivate literary excellence grounded in the beauty of being and holistic formation of the human person.

The MFA program, led by the renowned poet and author James Matthew Wilson, who holds the Cullen Foundation Chair in English Literature and serves as the Director of the MFA Program in Creative Writing, is dedicated to serving the Church and the broader culture. Wilson, who is also Poet in Residence at The Benedict XVI Institute and Poetry Editor for Modern Age, emphasizes the program's commitment to safeguarding and cultivating the mastery of craft and literary form.

"In an age where artists have often turned away from these ideals, we aim to preserve and nurture them," says Wilson. "People have turned to literature for millennia to explore and understand their own humanity and the nature of the Real. Our goal is to mentor writers who create work that not only demands attention but also has the potential to change lives."

Meet the Team

Katy Carl, the new writer-in-residence, brings her extensive experience as the editor-in-chief of "Dappled Things" magazine and as a novelist, essayist, and story-writer. In addition to her editorial role with Word on Fire's new literary imprint, Carl will share her practical wisdom with students during the annual Summer Residency.

Brigid Pasulka, a PEN/Hemingway award-winning novelist, joins the program as a distinguished visiting professor of fiction. Pasulka, known for her impactful storytelling, will teach once a year while continuing her own writing endeavors. Brigid tells us, "It was such a freeing experience for a class to have real, intellectual, and faith-based conversations without feeling as though one is entering a minefield of peer-and self-censorship… In the course of any honest inquiry, intellectual, aesthetic, and even personal disagreements arise, but the freedom to address and discuss these issues is one of the things that sets UST apart as a university, and the MFA program apart as a program."

Ryan Wilson, author of two poetry collections, a monumental volume of "Selected Translations," and the newly-published anthology "Contemporary Catholic Poetry," will serve as Associate Professor of Poetry. Wilson joins the University of St. Thomas after a successful tenure as the editor of the journal "Literary Matters." Wilson explains how essential it is to preserve the literary arts in a culture that overwhelmingly favors social media." As what we eat and drink is metabolized and, in a sense, becomes our body, so what we read and watch and listen to, in a sense, becomes our mind and our spirit. Many, especially athletes, are mindful of everything they allow into their bodies; few are mindful of everything they allow into their minds and into their souls."

"Katy, Brigid, and Ryan share our Catholic vision and understand that this vision elevates the demands of literature rather than simplifying them," James Matthew Wilson remarks. "The Church's insight into human life, history, and the very structure of reality is profound, and great literature bears witness to this wisdom, giving it lasting expression."

A New Generation of Writers

The University of St. Thomas' MFA program, founded to nurture a new generation of writers, is excited about the enriching experiences and perspectives these three distinguished writers will bring. "Contemporary readers will recognize these authors' names and understand that our MFA students are tremendously blessed," Wilson adds. "I am thrilled that we have been able to assemble such an important group of writers in a short time, all for the love of literature and the creation of new, significant works."

For more information about the MFA program and its new faculty members, please visit the University of St. Thomas website.

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