Students in the 2025 MFA Creative Writing cohort celebrate the culmination of their studies with the annual capstone reading program, the Next Words Reading Series, with two readings and a showcase taking place across Los Angeles in the month of May.
School of Critical Studies faculty Muriel Leung, who teaches the Creative Writing course Exit Strategies, gave 24700 a preview of what attendees can expect as she oversees the students’ end-of-year preparations:
The graduating 2025 MFA in Creative Writing class features an extremely diverse array of voices that truly represent the eclectic and experimental nature of the program—smart, bombastic, bizarre, intimate, brassy, cutting right to the heart, and everything in between. The Next Words Reading Series is a two-part celebration of some of the most innovative writing from this graduating class. Get ready to laugh, cry, and share a drink with us!
The series kicks off on Friday, May 2 at Junior High Los Angeles in Glendale, California, and Los Angeles-based video store WHAMMY! hosts the second reading on Saturday, May 10. See the list of readers—all (Critical Studies MFA 25)—for both dates below:
First reading event (Friday, May 2)
- Tamar Bresge
- Lucas Escoto
- Zoey Greenwald
- Analise Roth
- Rachel R. Carroll
- Milo Openshaw
Second reading (Saturday, May 10)
- Saba Hakimzadeh-Abianeh
- Melanie O’Hara
- Alissa Binder
- Berlin Mair
- Davan Hamilton
- Margeaux Feldman
- Anna Dória
The series wraps up with each of the writers presenting readings at their graduation show, the CalArts Writers Showcase on Thursday, May 15 at REDCAT in downtown Los Angeles:
This program presents a glimpse into the wild and varied work of the graduating class of CalArts’ MFA Creative Writing Program, featuring the incredible range of experimentation that characterizes the literary accomplishment of students in the program.
Coinciding with the readings is the release of the cohort’s limited-edition anthology May You Find What You’re Looking For, which includes poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and multigenre storytelling. Copies will be sold at both Next Words events and at REDCAT.
