A Brief Interview with Joshua Isard
Joshua Isard (Conquistador of the Useless) will be reading at The Difficult to Name Reading Series on Sat. Oct 25.
RS: As the director of Arcadia University's Creative Writing MFA program, do you have any advice for people thinking about getting an MFA?
JI: If you want to be a creative writer, and it’s at all feasible to enroll in an MFA program, then do it. MFA students improve at a rapid rate, and have an extraordinary opportunity to learn about the creative writing world, from publishing, to craft—everything right down to writing groups. And you meet other writers. In person. It’s important for all of us to leave our mugs of tea and cats once in a while.
What can people look forward to from your reading Saturday night?
A little bit from my novel, and maybe a touch of something new. Included in all of it will be self-deprecation, sarcasm, and cynicism—and an attempt to be funny.
You live in Philly. Any good restaurant recommendations?
Burger & beer: Royal Tavern.
Chinese: Han Dynasty (best Szechuan ever).
Cheesesteak: Jim’s
Roast Pork, the Philly sandwich that’s better than a cheesesteak: Dinic’s
How much does your book cost?
$15. And remember, all proceeds go to helping me feed my 22-month-old daughter. Her pediatrician said she should eat organic cheese. You wouldn’t want her to have conventional cheese with all those nasty hormones and preservatives, would you?