America's "Two Literary Cultures"

For those of you who have not seen this article, it is a very interesting angle on what is happening in the American literary community today. Do you agree with the points made? How many of you attend school/write or wish you attended school/wrote in New York City?

Mailbag (Nov. 19)

Here's hoping we can keep the mail bags under 1k this year : - )

(Just moving the mail bag up)

Holiday Cheer from Strunk & White

I’m going to be honest. I’d found a different link to share, one that would have been accompanied by a few paragraphs of thoughtfulness, plus a question or two for your consideration. But due to the clutter of my writer’s brain, compounded by the clutter of pre-Thanksgiving angst, I cannot remember what it was about or even where I saw it. While searching for clues this morning, I stumbled upon a McSweeney’s piece from last summer—a riff on the grand arbiters Strunk and White—and it made me smile. What writer hasn’t been caught in the tug of war between syntax and personal style? I love the Elements and its authors, and I love this. Hope you enjoy. Likely my other idea will come flashing back while I’m on the train home for the holiday. In the meantime, just be thankful I didn’t include a transcript of last night’s vegetable and side dish debate.

Christmastime

You know that feeling you had when you were a kid? You'd go to bed on Christmas Eve, absolutely giddy at the thought of what tomorrow would bring. I remember going to sleep right next to the Christmas tree at my grandparents' house, convinced that I could stay awake to spot Santa leaving me, say, She-Ra's bad-ass horse, Swift Wind. And of course, I never could stay awake. The next morning, the magic spell would still be intact: the tree lit up and the toy I'd wanted so badly sitting there next to my overflowing stocking; everything was as close to perfect as I could hope for.

I've got to be honest. I didn't expect the MFA experience to be perfect. I did an MA program in a different field before this one, and when I finished, I was frustrated, seemingly more unemployable with my higher (though not terminal) degree, and without any real additional knowledge or experience to show for it. So, I went into my current program with open, even jaded, eyes. And you know what? They're losing their jadedness. I had serious concerns about burnout, or even my ability to write so consistently. I've always been the kind of writer who works when inspiration strikes. And that's usually only once every month or two. But being here, having a structure and deadlines, specific forms to adhere to? I love it. More than I ever thought I would. One semester in, and I'm still having fun.

In the last few weeks, I've seen Margaret Atwood, Aimee Bender, Tom Sleigh, Carl Phillips, and Kate Daniels read; I picked up former New Yorker poetry editor and current PSA president Alice Quinn from the airport; a fellow poet and I chatted with Tom Sleigh one morning about poetry, The Life of Brian, and the state of Syria and Lebanon. The weekend before last, all of us students attended an all-day symposium about work opportunities outside of academia with four published writers with MFA's who now work in different fields (while still publishing). Last week we all went out for drinks with Carl after his reading (which he said was lovely and something many programs don't do). And last night, before her reading, we all went out for Indian food to celebrate the publication of Kate's new book, and then heard her read her challenging, unflinching, amazing poetry.

All of this is to say that every damn day feels like Christmas here, if your favorite kind of Christmas is one filled with books and other people who love writing. Even when I'm writing a paper about how a stanza works in a poem or forcing myself to learn the form of a rondeau, or spending hours staring at one poem with no idea where to go with it: all of it contains a little bliss. And I really think being here is the best-case scenario.

When I applied to schools, I tried really hard not to get attached to any of them preemptively. I chose only schools I felt I would genuinely be happy at (primarily based on location and funding). I didn't spend much time researching faculty, because it's such a craps shoot where you'll get in. I'm lucky to have ended up with teachers whose work I admire and whose teaching skills I appreciate. For those of you currently in the application process, one thing I learned was to shoot high. So many people on this blog ended up places they never thought they would, myself included. Don't apply to schools unless you genuinely want to go there. And also? Keep a sense of humor about all of this. You're all about to go headlong into insanity. But I really think it'll be worth it.

Where Are You Applying? (Nov. 18), Pt. 2

Post here and put in your two cents! Lurkers particularly, we'd love to hear where you're applying! (And for all: Helpful MFA data, including MFA rankings, is in The Suburban Ecstasies sidebar.)

Where Are You Applying? (Nov. 18), Pt. 1

Post here and put in your two cents! (And for helpful MFA data, including MFA rankings, see The Suburban Ecstasies sidebar.)

James Frey and the Creative Writing Master of Fine Arts (A New Article From The Huffington Post)

My most recent Huffington Post article can be found here. If you like it I'll hope you'll re-tweet, post on Facebook, etcetera. My other MFA articles for The Huffington Post can be accessed at the top of the right-hand sidebar on my blog, The Suburban Ecstasies.

Low-Residency Prep: The Countdown Begins!

The January countdown begins! I haven't paid these people at Queens a dime yet and I've been up to my nose in reading and writing. That's okay because, so far, all the books have been great. Currently reading: Your Blues Ain't Like Mine by Bebe Moore Campbell. Books completed...A Sport and a Pastime, by James Salter, Spending by Mary Gordon, The Passion by Jeannette Winterson, and Revolutionary Road by Robert Yates (no, the movie doesn't count!) There are a few more to go and I plan to have them completed, along with reading log and response papers, by January (as soon as Nanowrimo is over!)

This is how it has worked so far. Upon acceptance into the Queen's program, we newbies received an in-depth syllabus that explained the workshops and seminars for the January residency as well as our required assignments. Each workshop and seminar has a required reading list  - 2 - 4 books each. The seminars are based on a particular theme, reflected in the instructors choice of required reading. In total, there are 12 craft seminars, broken down by genre - fiction, nonfiction, poetry and stage and screen. Two larger seminars are required, regardless of genre, on topics such as literary reviewing, depending on whether you are a first, second or third residency student. Finally, there are two manuscript workshops, in large and small group settings.

This week, a third residency student contacted all of us with a detailed, FAQ email about the program. She let us know what would happen when we first arrive on campus, how the meal plans work, where the library is located, and what happens at the end of the day (ie, where can we get dinner and a drink?)
This also opened up the opportunity for us newbies to introduce ourselves via email to everyone else. Its been fun to get to know everyone. Even better, I've met some folks in my general neck of the woods, so we've discussed carpooling to Charlotte and possible meet ups, before or after the residency.


Let me know if you have questions about the low residency process. I plan on keeping you all updated as I go along. Keep writing!

The Top 25 Underrated Creative Writing MFA Programs (Article from The Huffington Post)

See the full listing here.

Take the 2010-2011 MFA Blog Challenge!

Hello, all! Adam again.

As I'm hitting the intense part of the semester--preparing final projects, revising work, and drafting those dreaded 20-page papers--I'm reminded of how much worse it was to apply to school. Lots of schools, really: 8, which probably wasn't even enough. I don't miss the experience.

Worse yet was the aftermath, the waiting, the constant visits to MFA Blog. Refresh! Refresh! I wasn't the narrator in the story by Benjamin Percy, but I was nearly as desperate. Who had a friend who heard so-and-so got wait-listed where? Oh, at Notre Dame? I didn't apply there. Refresh! Any news was NEWS, and I was hooked. While this blog does an amazing job providing vital information--seriously, it's the envy of my friends in other fields--I don't think its head honchos want it to ruin your day-to-day lives.

The only thing that got me through the stress in November and December was working on my manuscript and my statements. In January, once most of the apps were sent, I wrote new poems, read a lot, sent work out to journals, applied to residencies, etc. By the time March rolled around, I had to regiment myself. Finish this chaper, and I can visit MFA Blog! I still managed a daily visit, and I still managed to feel fulfilled outside of the application process.

So I'd like to invite you guys to take part in a little challenge where you set your own rules:

• How will you stay fulfilled as a writer while you apply, and then while you wait for the responses?
• Will you regiment yourself to make sure you aren't spending entire days (and workdays) refreshing?
  

Share ideas in the comments section! I'll be checking in through the season to ask how everyone's doing. Good luck to everyone who's in the thick of it!

The New Face of the Creative Writing Master of Fine Arts (An Article at The Huffington Post)

[PS: Don't forget to vote in the 2010 TSE Poll if you haven't already! You can find it in the right-hand sidebar at TSE].

My current article for The Huffington Post responds to claims made by both Anis Shivani and the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) about the present and future of the MFA degree. I think you'll find the article filled with interesting data; it may even be the sort of article you can pass along to friends or family who wonder why you're pursuing this degree. So feel free to comment under the post itself at The Huffington Post, pass the link along via Facebook and Twitter, etcetera.

Mailbag (Nov. 3)

Not a new mailbag, but an up-dating (literally) of the old one.

Recommendations

Hello everyone! As I wrap up my applications, I am struggling with one major thing: recommendations. I have been "out of the game" for a few years pursuing other jobs and, later, yoga and feel very distant from my university professors. While I am still in touch with them about writing a letter for me , and with my professor from the workshop I attended this summer, I am getting worried that I will not be able to flush out three solid recommendations from this pool.

I have some wonderful bosses who I know would love to write a recommendation for me, but they can only speak to my leadership, attitude, etc. Any creative ideas/suggestions?

Leaping Before I Look

I love hearing David Rakoff speak for several reasons, including but not limited to: 1) He called Barbara Bush a "stupid f*****g cow," 2) He is always honest about how difficult writing is and how long it takes him to do it, and 3) As he is revealing the truth about himself, he is also revealing the truth about me.

Case in point, last night I had the privelege of hearing David read from his new book Half Empty during the Writers Speak series at Stony Brook Manhattan. During the Q & A afterwards, he was asked how he finally made the transition from publishing house lackey/occasional freelance writer to celebrated author of three books. He said that he finally had to just face his fear of failure and go for it. The publishing gig was a comfortable job that didn't require much from him, gave him health insurance, and a salary close enough to a living wage. He recognized that those circumstances, though not ideal, were certainly sustainable, and he could continue on that same path for a long time. Except that he couldn't. He couldn't stand the thought of living the rest of his life regretting that plunge into the unknown that he never took. So he jumped.

As he told his story, I began to squirm in my seat. He was hitting very close to home. I, too, have a comfortable, unobtrusive day job. In fact, when people ask me what I "do," I reply that in real life I am a writer and in fake life I work for a non-profit organization. The truth is that I spend seven hours a day, five days week on my fake life, and not nearly that much time on my real life. And my real life is the one I actually want to be leading. So what to do? According to David Rakoff, jump.

Sound familiar, dear reader? Are you jumping or just looking over the edge?

Yoga and Writing

In my time as a yogini and now yoga teacher, I have noticed that a great number of my truly devoted students are also writers. Workshops focusing on practicing yoga and then journaling or writing a more creative piece are popping up in studios all over my city. While I love this idea, I tend to find that yoga (and really any form of intense physical exercise) clears my mind to the point that I have no writing in my head to put on the page. It's like I'm too calm to create.

Are many of you out there yogis? Do you find it helps or hinders your creative process? Both yoga and writing are disciplines, but I cannot determine if they feed or inhibit each other.

Also, with a hat tip to my procrastination post, sometimes I tell myself "I'll just finish writing this chapter after yoga class..."

Going Grey Gardens

Do you watch Bored to Death? For those who may not be familiar with the HBO comedy, Jonathan Schwartzman’s character is a writer-slash-private detective, and last night’s episode opened with a scene of him in his apartment, working on a short story. The phone rings; a friend asks to come over. He hesitates before responding: “The place is very Grey Gardens at the moment. I’ve been writing.”

I hope I’m not the only person who understands too well what he means. And it got me thinking—not only about the mess that consumes my studio after a few marathon days at the computer, but also the eccentricities that I indulge while writing in that zone state. In particular, my hat. I bought it several years ago at an agricultural fair—a shapeless, floppy-brimmed number that’s meant to be worn at the beach. The color is a shade of denim better suited for the 1980s, and the logo on front sports three pigs parading in sequence, noses to the ground as if rooting for something to eat. Though I never start my writing day with the hat on, inevitably there comes a moment around hour four or five when I stand up—to stretch or to pace or, sometimes, to scream—then march over to my nightstand, grab the hat, and jam it on my head. I won’t go so far as to credit it with inspirational powers, but there’s something oddly comforting in having it on.

I’ve talked with a number of classmates about this hat, and most everyone can relate. I have one friend who wraps himself in a rainbow bathrobe a la Joseph’s Technicolor Dreamcoat. Which brings me to the question: Does anyone else out there have an unusual writerly habit they’d like to share? It could be wardrobe-related, or a bit of routine that puts you in the creative frame of mind. I’d love to hear about it!

NaNoWriMo: Are You Doing It?

Two questions: Are you participating in National November Writing Month? And what happens on December 1st?
 
I'm doing it - or will try. This is my second attempt at completing the 50K in one month. The point of NaNoWriMo is quantity, not necessarily quality. The purpose (as I'm sure most of you know) is to get something down on paper/in the computer in one month's time. NaNoWriMo is the antithesis to procrastination.

Last year was tough - I only got to 15K or so. My excuses were real - death in the family, new job starting - all things that distract from anyone's writing. That said, I've done nothing else with that 15K. It IS the start of a novel. I WILL do something with it eventually. So what happens at the end of the month? Has anyone completed a full publishable manuscript? The fact that The Great Gatsby was written in a similar amount of time should motivate us all.

This year, I'm working on the sequel. Being marginally employed, I have a lot more time to write. I'll start MFA classes in January, so I'm also telling myself that I'd better get used to this writing schedule. Self-bribery. Motivation. Whatever.

Several of my friends are also participating, so we compete with each other on Facebook and Twitter (I wrote 5K today! Ha! I wrote 6K!) I usually opt out of the NaNoWriMo pep talk emails and local writing groups, but for a lot of folks, the extra encouragement helps.

I'm also looking forward to hearing about Tom Kealey's class and how NaNoWriMo worked this year for his students! Have a great November and keep writing!