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About Us
PocketMFA, founded by Joshua Roark and the Discover New Art team in 2022, offers a fresh approach to writing education that prioritizes accessibility and community. Departing from traditional academic models, PocketMFA aims to provide writers with an inclusive and supportive environment for continuous growth in their craft.
PocketMFA’s inception stems from Roark’s own experiences as the founding editor of multiple literary magazines, including Frontier Poetry. After years of talking to writers, it became clear that there was a deep and urgent need for graduate level instruction, but also that such instruction was inaccessible to so many talented and serious writers.
Recognizing the barriers posed by time and financial constraints in traditional MFA programs, Roark and the team sought to create a more accessible alternative that focuses on the experience, community, and progress rather than the attainment of a terminal degree.
“PocketMFA began with the recognition that many talented writers were being left behind by the current MFA system,” says Roark, Founder and Director of PocketMFA. “We believe that for many writers, the degree itself is less important than the community and support system an MFA provides. We’ve aimed to make that accessible to more writers.”
As a graduate and professor of Antioch University Los Angeles’ low-residency MFA program, Roark recognized that using the low-res model was an intuitive and effective solution. PocketMFA’s core program consists of twelve-week cohorts, offering an intensive yet accessible learning experience akin to an MFA semester. Participants join a diverse community of writers, gaining life-time access to exclusive ongoing support, mentorship, and networking opportunities.
“One of our fundamental beliefs is in the concept of lifelong learning,” says Roark. “We reject the notion of alumni, that learning is ‘terminal.’ Instead, we wish to emphasize that learning as a writer is an ongoing journey. That’s why all our features are available to PocketMFA writers for life, ensuring that writers can progress at their own pace and access support whenever they need it.”
PocketMFA’s innovative approach has garnered attention for its commitment to accessibility and community-building within the literary world. In the Fall of 2023, Lauren T. Davila joined the team as Assistant Director.
You can contact our team at info (at) pocketmfa (dot) com.
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Our Leadership Team
Joshua Roark
Founder & Director
Joshua Roark works as the main faculty for Antioch University Los Angeles’ Post-MFA Certificate in the Teaching of Creative Writing, as well as an infrequent Poetry Mentor for their MFA program. He completed his own MFA in Poetry with Antioch’s low-residency program in 2017. After founding Frontier Poetry in that same year, Joshua went on to become the Editorial Director of Discover New Art and helped launch several more literary magazines and platforms, publishing many books by incredible artists, serving writers of every genre and style.
Joshua Roark’s book of sonnets about teaching middle school as a Teach for America teacher, Put One Hand Up, Lean Back, was published by Unsolicited Press.
In addition to his poetry, Joshua is a screenwriter and film producer in Los Angeles. Most recently, Joshua produced Dead Deer High, a feature film based on his original screenplay about a high school teacher and his team of misfit slam poets going to the national championships. The film was directed by his wife, Jo Rochelle, his frequent collaborator. The film is currently in post-production and will premiere in 2025.
Lauren T. Davila
Assistant Director
Lauren T. Davila (she/her/ella) is a Pushcart-nominated, Latina author, anthologist, and editor. She has edited multiple short story anthologies, and her poetry and short fiction has appeared online at Granada Magazine, The Paragon Journal, Ghost Heart Literary Magazine, Peach Velvet Mag, Voyage Journal, Second Chance Magazine, Headcanon Magazine, In Parentheses, and Poets Reading the News. She is currently editing her debut adult novel, as well as working on poetry and short story collections.
Lauren has an MA in English from Claremont Graduate University and an MFA in Fiction Writing from George Mason University. She has two years of teaching experience as Instructor of Record for English Composition, English Literature, and Introduction to Creative Writing courses. She is also the Acquisitions Editor at Inked In Gray Press, actively acquiring genre fiction from historically marginalized writers.
She lives in the greater Los Angeles area where you can find her swimming, walking her golden retriever, and drinking one too many rose lattes. She is represented by Susan Velazquez Colmant at JABberwocky Literary Agency.