S. Isabel Choi Reflects on Her Time at USF

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What attracted you to USF?

The MFA program offered a strong nonfiction curriculum, which was important to me as I was interested in writing a hybrid generational memoir. At the time, I also was a program director and assistant professor at the university’s law school, so walking just across the campus to reach my MFA classes was marvelously convenient!

I also appreciated that the MFA program required producing a book-length thesis — not only did I want to learn the craft of writing, but I also wished to have a tangible manuscript in hand by graduation.

What are you doing now?

I received a National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellowship in 2024, as well as a 2025 Fellowship from the Periplus Collective. With this support, I am working on two books: 1) a hybrid generational memoir on the legacy of loss and illness, inspired by the story of my grandfather, the Chief Justice of South Korea’s Supreme Court from 1981 to 1986; and 2) a World War II novel featuring a Korean American protagonist.

How did your USF education prepare you to do your work?

The MFA faculty who taught my nonfiction classes were excellent, as was the program overall. As a former litigator, I was familiar with research and writing legal documents, and learning in the MFA program how to transpose these skills into creative writing was a thorough and satisfying experience.

Do you have any career advice for current USF students?

Everything takes time. Learn what you can in the moment, figure out a regular writing routine that works for you, and trust that opportunities will come.