Choosing recommenders when your CV is varied

[ACurlyShepherdLad]

Hi, everyone:

I'm toying with the idea of doctoral programs right now and I had a bit of a question. I'm interested in English lit programs, but my CV is somewhat interdisciplinary. I have a BA with English, writing, philosophy and religion majors, a Master of Divinity, and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. My areas of interest in English lit usually involve religion in some capacity. My MFA is fairly recent, but my MDiv and BA are 7+ years old. I took a couple lit classes in my MFA and did well, but my lit profs from my most recent grad program don't know me as well as my creative writing profs from my MFA or my divinity profs (one of my divinity school profs served as a close mentor/MDiv thesis reader and taught religious literature courses)--or even my undergraduate profs.

If you were in my shoes, what would you prioritize when asking for recommendations: recency, how well they know me/my work, what courses they taught? It doesn't feel like there's a perfect fit (someone who is strong in all these areas) or obvious contender at current.