Graduate Spotlight: Connor Watkins

Interview with MFA student Connor Watkins

What was your focus in creative writing?

I focus on poetry, and my thesis explores the intersections of faith and mental health, as well as family relationships, memory, and place (particularly growing up in the South).

Why did you decide to study at UMD?

I was excited to study at UMD because of the opportunities to gain teaching experience in multiple different courses, as well as the supportive faculty and third-year funding. Having more time to grow and gain experience as a teacher was something I was looking for, and with the pandemic, I'm even more thankful for the time to finish my thesis. I was also thrilled about living in the DMV and being on the East Coast. I knew coming here would be an overall new experience. Funny enough, I didn't know the faculty very well before I came, which ended up making me really open to getting to know them and their individual expertise.

What was something that inspired you during the program (be it something you read, a professor, classmate, etc).

I think I've been inspired a ton by my cohort and professors, especially Josh Weiner. As my thesis advisor, he always has insights that push me further, and his critical eye and caring nature have always helped me grow as a poet and person. In particular, I really enjoyed the translation course I took with Michael Collier and a course in Poetic Forms with Elizabeth Arnold. Both were challenging and gave me skills to do poetry translation and write more formal rhymed verse that I wouldn't have had otherwise. I translated a Chinese poet I admire in the translations class, and along with encouragement from Josh and my wife, I've found a deeper love for Chinese poetry and try to continue challenging myself to read more international literature.

What job/field are you interested in after graduation?

Long term, I want to teach English and creative writing at the university level, optimally as a part of an MFA program, but short term I'm looking for jobs where I can use my writing skill in a business or editorial setting. I love teaching, but I'm planning to shift gears for a little while to focus on finishing my first book of poems.

What was a memorable piece of writing you worked on during the program?

The poem perhaps most central to my work is the title poem of my thesis, "Missing You". It's a sonnet addressed to God about feeling distant from Him, which ends on a line that seems to really resonate with my readers: "Lord, Friend. Tell me a secret. Tell me about your day." This poem was nominated for the AWP Intro Journals project a few years back and just won the Academy of American Poets Prize at UMD, so it's kept coming up for me, and the feelings it captures are still on my mind a lot. It's a concise picture of my style and obsessions.