Sarah Lawrence College

MFA Programs

Akhir Stewart, MFA ’23

Master’s & Dual Degrees
MFA Writing Alumni
MFA Writing Alumni Profiles Moncho Alvarado, MFA ’15 Max Halper, MFA ’19 T Kira Mahealani Madden, MFA ’12 Akhir Stewart, MFA ’23 Aaron Tillman, MFA ’98 Leah Umansky, MFA ’04 Arriel Vinson, MFA ’19 Zachariah Claypole White, MFA ’23
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Akhir Stewart is a writer and teacher who lives in New Jersey with their cat, Adina Boots.

“Sharing my love for literature with my students has been an absolute privilege.”

Can you tell us a little bit about your path to the MFA? What did your life look like before applying?

Before my MFA, I was an archiving fellow at Williams College, my alma mater. I’d gone into the fellowship after spending about two years in Europe, where I’d rekindled my love for writing. It was in Berlin that I began to publish my personal essays. So, I went into the fellowship vaguely aware that I might want to apply to an MFA. Luckily, the library department at Williams was very supportive of my decision.

Who or what influenced you most during your time in the program? Was there a professor, mentor, or class that was particularly impactful?

My amazing cohort. Many of my peers and teachers seemed to really understand what I was trying to accomplish with my writing and they were enthusiastic about it. Heather Harpham, for instance, nominated me for Aspen Words when I was only a first-semester fiction student. She believed in my writing before I did. Kevin Pilkington read so much of my work and was so kind about it; he made me feel like an author. Carolyn Ferrell introduced me to diaspora stories that became my foundational texts. Then, of course, Jess Lynne, Tori Walker, and Lily Andrews… friends that I still have today who all helped me mature as a professional writer (and a person) in some way.

Do you have any advice for current or prospective students?

Don’t force it.

How do you find yourself engaging with the literary world these days?

My entire life is literature. I work with an organization called Vanguard, and through this company I’m able to work with amazing nonprofits like Cave Canem. Last year, a one-woman act I wrote while still at Sarah Lawrence was produced at a local theater and nominated for two awards. I’ve started acting in local theatre as well, which gives me an opportunity to embody language in ways I’d never considered. And this past spring, I was a reader for Aspen Words, which was pretty great. 

I’m also a high school English teacher; it’s the most rewarding job I’ve ever had. Sharing my love for literature with my students has been an absolute privilege.