The MFA Book List

This is a set of basic guidelines to help MFA students begin formulating the Book List. 

All MFA Book Lists should be created in consultation with the thesis director and committee. The final Book List must be approved by the entire committee in advance of the Written Comprehensive Exam.

The thirty-book list, composed by the MFA degree candidate, will be used by the thesis committee members to form the Written Comprehensive Exam. These thirty books should focus on the student’s genre of interest, and should demonstrate both breadth and depth by including books from other genres, books in translation, and theoretical/critical writings. 

For the Written Comprehensive Exam, the student will be able to write at length and in great detail about each of the books on the book list, discuss connections between the texts, and relate the texts to important movements, periods, genre concerns, and theoretical frameworks. 

Depth and Breadth

A reading list that exhibits depth and breadth will consist primarily of books in the student’s genre that are relevant to the student’s and intellectual and creative work, but will also include books from other genres, various historical periods, and cultures. The book list should reflect an interest in seeking forms, styles, and traditions outside of the student’s more narrowly selected genre.  In a list of 30, this normally means just a handful of books.

Historical Periods

The book list should boundaries of time and history.  The list should generally include at least one pre-1800 text, and should make an effort to represent a swath of time periods and literary movements, as defined by the committee.

Geography, language, and culture

The book list should demonstrate a broad scope in terms of geographical space, language, and culture.  This commonly takes the form of works in translation, and/or specific cultural/national genres or literary forms.  

Genres

The list should include several books in other genres, to demonstrate the student’s curiosity beyond their chosen area.  To this end,  the list ought to contain several books from other genres that have helped inform the student’s critical interests and creative work. 

For example, poetry book lists are likely to include mostly books of poems, along with several books of fiction and/or creative nonfiction, books on prosody, poetics, craft, and/or literary theory, and other nonfiction relevant to the student’s creative work. 

Fiction book lists are likely to include mostly books of fiction, both novels and story collections, as well as some books of poetry and/or creative nonfiction, craft, and literary theory, and other nonfiction relevant to the student’s creative work. 

Literary Criticism and Theory

The student is asked to demonstrate how important works of literary criticism (as defined by the committee) have shaped their writing and their teaching and/or thinking about writing.

Length

The list may be longer than 30 books if approved by the thesis committee.