Books About MFA Programs

Books About MFA Programs

This article relates to Seduction Theory

Seduction Theory is framed as a student's creative writing MFA (Master of Fine Arts) thesis, and the book's main characters are instructors in the program. MFA programs can serve as uniquely effective settings for stories. Many authors have been through them themselves, and can portray the experience in an authentic way. The often-competitive nature of these programs and the creative types who enroll in them can also act as a foundation for a variety of off-the-wall plots. Here's a genre-spanning list of books about MFA programs:

You Between the Lines by Katie Naymon: This book is unusual for one set in an MFA program, because it's a rom-com. And its main character, Leigh, is also a fish out of water. As a Taylor Swift-loving former sorority girl, she doesn't fit in among her fellow students in the prestigious program—but she's a damn good writer. She becomes embroiled in a rivalry with "serious" writer Will—whom she sees as hopelessly pretentious—to secure a prestigious fellowship. But somewhere along the way, she and Will begin to develop feelings for each other.

Bunny by Mona Awad: This surreal horror story also features an outsider in an MFA program. Its protagonist, Samantha, is a scholarship student at an ultra-preppy New England school. The other women in her cohort are country-club types who all call each other "Bunny." Samantha considers them eyeroll-worthy. But when she is invited to one of their gatherings, she learns there's much more going on beneath the placid surface. The Bunnies are more creative—and more monstrous—than she ever could have imagined.

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz: One-hit-wonder novelist Jacob Finch Bonner teaches classes at an unprestigious MFA program while mourning his once-promising writing career. He's never been a plagiarist, but when a student tells him his incredible idea for a novel, he's tempted. And when the student dies, still unpublished, he decides to go for it. His book becomes a critically acclaimed bestseller, but there's one problem: somehow, someone knows that he ripped off the student's plot. And they're threatening to expose him.

Show Don't Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld: This is a collection of mostly female-led stories in a variety of settings, but its titular story takes place in a prestigious MFA program. Along with her fellow students, the main character is waiting to find out whether she got funding from a fellowship for her second year. This story is full of very true-to-life social dynamics as students gossip and brag about who got which fellowship amid the protagonist's rising anxiety.

These stories might make bookish types dream about grad school—or run far in the other direction!

Filed under Reading Lists

This "beyond the book article" relates to Seduction Theory. It originally ran in September 2025 .