Friday, January 29, 2010

Mailbag, Friday January 29, 2010

Time for a new mailbag!

999 comments:

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Stranger said...
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Farrah said...

@ Coreyann

Too bad about BC, but to echo everyone else, it's early and hopefully you have many days with good news ahead.

Nick McRae said...

@laura

Depends on the school. Last year, Ole Miss, McNeese, and Bucknell all had funding info up front. UNCG wasn't sure yet--said they'd let me know. This year so far Ohio State had funding info upfront, while North Texas and the MAs at Northern Michigan and Alabama-Birmingham said they'd have to get back to me. My sense is that fully funded programs tend to have funding offers ready for you while ones that are not fully funded (especially those that are less competitive) often don't. (The exception in my examples would be UNCG, which is fully funded but couldn't give me a solid offer up front because they still weren't sure of their own funding situation at that time--so really I guess it could potentially happen that any given school might on occasion not be able to give funding info right away.)

As far as asking, it's not rude--it's expected. I mean obviously you'd want to work it into the conversation naturally, but it's definitely not rude to ask.

All best,

NM

Unknown said...

Sorry to hear that, Coryeann. Keep your chin up though.

Unknown said...

@WanderingTree

It sounds to me like that Steven Seagal doppelganger wanted to get Under Siege with you.

frankish said...

Really? You picked Under Siege instead of Fire Down Below for that joke? :D

Cratty said...

Chin up Coreyann. I know the feeling. But it helps to stay positive.

Ashley Brooke said...
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Amy said...

Even though I know it's waaayyy to early for any of my schools to notify, I must admit that my heart just jumped into my throat right now when my mobile rang with an area code that I KNOW is NOT from any of my schools (909, the Inland Empire of southern California, around where I grew up.)

Stupid credit consolidation recorded message!

Lauren said...

@coreyann,

I'm sorry to hear about the official rejection. This process really sucks. It's hard to not take a rejection personally. I hope you can remember how worthwhile all this will be when you get accepted somewhere. Chin up :)

Brandy Colbert said...

awww, sorry coreyann. :( but here's to there being lots of pleasant news in your future.

Andrea said...

Coreyann, sorry about the bad news. We're all feeling for you, though, and will inevitably be joining you in the near future- you are not alone! Plus, the season is young yet.

Oh man, I am loving these work stories. Kerry- ba-zing! Nice one. And "Animals"? Priceless.

I spent a summer working at a marijuana-themed sandwich shop where both my fellow employees and a large amount of the customers were stoned a majority of the time. The comprehension issues were...interesting. As in-

Me: Do you want spicy, honey, or regular mustard?

Blazed, sunglasses-wearing customer: Uh, what?

(Repeat 10 times)

Blazed, sunglasses-wearing customer: Uh, mustard.

koru said...

@coreyann, sorry to hear that you got a rejection.

@laura, to echo what Nick said, asking about funding if they don't offer the info is a good idea, and if they say they don't know yet, ask when they'll be able to make financial offers. funding radically changes whether most of us can accept an offer or not.

@ everyone else. if you are looking for distraction, how about writing your congressional representatives or senators about some pet project, health care, alien invasions or whatever. it can prove to be entertaining diversion. i wrote my senators in november to let them know i was in favour of health care, since one was very outspoken against it. one responded with a four-page single-spaced letter that went down my letter showing everything he agreed with. i just received the other senator's letter today. he actually told me in the letter i am stupid for thinking everyone deserved health care. good times. and it took him 3 months to respond. i can see some bizarre letters from my cats being sent to him.

Unknown said...

Coreyann,

Things will work out for the best, no matter how this particular process shakes out. And as a few have already said, though rejections suck, it's still really early. I hope you get accepted to a great program that makes you glad you didn't end up @ UBC.

Mostly Swell said...

@Coreyann
I'm bummed for you. I get the tiny bit of relief at knowing instead of being in the dark having not received word last week, but still. I guess we've arrived at the season of mixed condolences and congratulations. Hang in there.

Thanks for your encouragement this morning. I camped out at the library and actually was productive. Only a few sentences, but a lot of scaffolding. I feel like having those first few sentences will be a good starting point for me in the morning, if not later thsi eve. Oh no, that's right, I want to get started on "Copenhagen". Yeh!!!

RE: the damn phone - I am with you all on the anxiety. I got home and avoided the phone, then finally got up the nerve to see if there were any calls. Mixed relief and disappointment at "0 missed calls". ):

@Kerry
I shopped at the Giant Eagle in PGH. I don't know if there was a co-op in my area at that time. They're all over the place now - and yes, obnoxious. Even more so now, since they have to compete with Whole Foods. Now they're snotty and pricey! TJ's is about the only place I'll shop anymore.

Jason J said...

@koru, i LOVE writing my representatives too! i don't just use it for distraction though. i'm shocked a senator who disagreed with you actually wrote you back.

my congressperson, who is actually a carpetbagger from long beach, ca (i'm in norcal - and now you can figure out who he is), arrogantly chooses to be quoted in the press as saying his constituents don't want health care reform in "any way, shape or form" - conveniently disregarding the fact that obama won this district and that it's just patently false to claim the entire district doesn't want health care reform. so anyway, i wrote him a good letter calling him out on this. and still no response.

not trying to turn this comment board political but just adding that it is quite fun to write your representatives. i believe the best way to get in their face is to actually pen a letter so that they can hold your letter in their hands if they ever need to have evidence of support/opposition to whatever is going on.

Kati-Jane said...

Sorry to hear that, Coreyann, but I'll join everyone else in wishing you luck with your other applications.

Ugh. I can now officially join in the "missing materials mass panic attack" because I got an email from Ole Miss saying one of my letters of recommendation didn't make it there. Sent the professor an email asking about it, but she is both busy and a luddite, so I'm freaking.

MommyJ said...

Congrats to all who have received acceptances.

I am sorry I have dropped out of the conversation. This moves so fast I can't follow it right now. I am working ft teaching pt as adjunct and in a grad program. Insane. And my 17 yo with ADHD is having more trouble.

@xtaro I apologize publically for not getting back re: your poems. This weekend I promise.

NY Quarterly has a matching donation and is trying to raise $5K. If anyone can help keep small presses alive, we're it so here's the link.

http://www.nyquarterly.org/?tx=0PE2521572687652X&st=Completed&amt=5.00&cc=USD&cm=&item_number=NYQ01

I gave $5 through paypal. If everyone did that, I think they could meet the $2500 more they need.

I'll be back when I have more time ... I have to go cook a paper and write dinner.
-J

DougO said...

For anyone having a missing recommendation issue--maybe a bit late now, but does your undergrad school offer a dossier service? Mine does--all the recs are on file, and they send them all out from their office. Very convenient.

Anonymous said...

To chime in on missing-material awfulness:

Missing letters of rec: 1
Missing transcripts: 2
Missing GRE scores: 1

(And I only applied to eight programs.)

Grand total that I had to pay in January for material I already sent in November:

-almost certain damage to keyboard from all the angry slammings that resulted from reading "missing materials" e-mails
-two anxious weeks waiting for my LOR writer to send her letter again
-$23 . . . luckily, my undergrad institution was nice and didn't charge me the $10 to send my transcripts again.

It's like I broke up with this process in November, they partied all through the holiday season, and then came back for more, saying they want to try to make it work again. When I'm all, "Don't call me until you're ready to put a ring on it."

It's exactly like that.

frankish said...

@Anna - :D

Book_Moth said...

@M.Swann: I work in a bookshop, I share your pain.

Inane Customer: "Do you have this book... um... I think 'love' is in the title? Yeah, 'love'."

Me: "Do you know the name of the author or the publisher? What the cover looks like? What it's about?"

Inane Customer: "No. I saw it here, about a year ago. I think. There's another bookshop down the street though. It could've been there. Do you know if they have any books about love?"

BookMoth bangs head against counter.

junowind said...

something about having no control over this process once the applications are sent in is exhilarating...nothing to do but wait and read!

sample trade? i'm in fiction, but willing to read any genre.

junowind(at)gmail

Pema D said...

hey coreyann,
sorry about the bummer news. treat yourself to a little something nice and keep looking forward. it's so early, things will definitely brighten.

@laura
for wyoming, the director basically said, "you're accepted and we offer full funding" in the same breath. but that's to be expected bc that's the nature of the program. since both parties know the money matters, i second that it wouldn't be rude to slip in a general question about when or how you learn more about the situation regarding funding...
however I am so bad on the phone I can imagine botching that pretty bad. so let's hope we don't need to ask and they just tell it how it is.

Corey Haydu said...

thanks everyone for the support! there's actually something pretty great about other writers i've never met giving me some motivation to cheer up. Much appreciated!


To jump in on the crappy service industry jobs bandwagon... I worked for three years at a comedy club, cocktailing. Its in Times Square and used to be a strip club-- it was still run by the same owners who ran the strip club (and of course the porn shop downstairs...) Two years into the gig the owners were sued for pulling a gun on a comedian... and you know, being part of the mafia.

Not to mention we had to call the police every weekend because customers refused to pay their bills.

If any of you end up in NYC next year do NOT work there. Or work there for a month, get some good stories to write about and then quit. =)

Corey Haydu said...

thanks everyone for the support! there's actually something pretty great about other writers i've never met giving me some motivation to cheer up. Much appreciated!


To jump in on the crappy service industry jobs bandwagon... I worked for three years at a comedy club, cocktailing. Its in Times Square and used to be a strip club-- it was still run by the same owners who ran the strip club (and of course the porn shop downstairs...) Two years into the gig the owners were sued for pulling a gun on a comedian... and you know, being part of the mafia.

Not to mention we had to call the police every weekend because customers refused to pay their bills.

If any of you end up in NYC next year do NOT work there. Or work there for a month, get some good stories to write about and then quit. =)

Elissa Cahn said...

Yeah, I'm so ready to be done working for the corporate mega-giant ubiquitous coffee shop that shall not be named. Note to customers: Ordering a decaf 1% extra hot no foam latte does not make you sound smart. It just makes you a pain in the ass over-entitled yuppie. Thank you.

Amy said...

Decaf coffee boggles my mind. Like non-alcoholic beer.

Why would someone do something like that? It hurts humanity.

Himbokal said...

I like the turn for the stories of customer service. I've been a manager of restaurants and bars for the last 6-ish years. There are code phrases that customers use in the food service industry. Here's a few:

"I/We don't usually do this" translation: I almost always do this. This phrase will never be followed by: Here's an extra ten percent. May be followed by solicitation for a phone number.

"I/We work in the industry so" translation: I don't work in the industry but my roommate hosted for 3 months a while back. Generally followed by inane suggestion on how to improve operation(e.g. add covering to outdoor patio to keep out the rain that falls for 7 days a year in San Diego).

"I/We aren't asking for anything" translation: We are asking for the item for free. For each repetition of we aren't asking for anything please subtract one more item from our bill. If phrase is said in conjunction with We don't usually do this, please comp entire bill.

"I/We just thought you should know" translation: We are very perceptive and feel that we have stumbled across a stunning insight into your operation that you never would have discovered...and we'd like something comped. Usually uttered before pointing to a burned out light bulb or lack of toilet paper in the bathroom.

I'm sure people have tons of these. Favorite recent story:
Guest asks for taster of a wine. Bartender opens fresh bottle pours taster. Guest says he'll take a bottle of it. Bartender proceeds to pour a glass. Guest stops him and says he wants a bottle and that bottle has already been poured from so he'd like a new one. I had to give the guy credit. Talk about chutzpah!

junowind said...

it's like non-caffenated diet coke. why would you ingest all the delicious chemicals without the benefit?

Amy said...

I'm trying to stay proactive with writing and stuff, but really can't bring myself to start a new story. I'm way too tense to do it. But I joined a fiction writing group through meetup.com. I really want to attend an meet-up, but just simply cannot take my writing sample stories there to be read. Ugh, I can't even imagine having a group of strangers poke holes in these stories right now because I'm already feeling iffy enough.

This waiting thing is yucky.

Elissa Cahn said...

I do have to give said coffee shop credit, though, for providing the inspiration for one of my submission pieces.

Along the lines of decaf Diet Coke: Tons of people order sugar-free syrup/nonfat milk, and sometimes decaf on top of that. Really? You're willing to pay nearly five bucks for that crap?

Emily Walker said...

@Coreyann

Sorry about the UBC rejection. Two years ago I got rejected from every school I applied to and this year I hear an acceptance from my first school I hear back from. This process just plain sucks.

Out of curiosity, where else did you apply?

And to whoever suggested the New Yorker fiction podcast, genius. Absolutely loving it!

Unknown said...

Outstanding materials issues:

-UC Irvine's online system doesn't seem to in any way reflect the 1 paper recommendation someone sent on my behalf. Emailed and called several times on this, no one got back to me yet.

-Pitt never said whether they did or didn't get my writing sample (nor did they return my SASP). And when I asked about it way back I was told my materials had gone on to the committee so they couldn't answer my question. Dur.

Other than that all my schools have confirmed my files are complete.

Corey Haydu said...

@EmilyWalker

That actually DOES make me feel better. It's my first time around, so the perspective is helpful. I didn't go through this with college-- got accepted early decision so I never had to hear what my other schools had to say.

Here's my list:

Iowa
Columbia
New School
Brooklyn
Sarah Lawrence
Portland State
U of Oregon
Brown
Arizona
UMass Amhearst
American
U of Toronto

Farrah said...

Just a couple of random thoughts re: this blog.

1. For many years, I've had a shopping issue. Of course I buy work clothes and leisure clothes, but then I also have a small segment of my closet that represents my imaginary life: the dresses and the SHOES that I only get to wear a few times a year. In my real life, I'm Banana Republic and J. Crew; in my imaginary life, I'm Carrie freakin' Bradshaw.

2. This blog could be considered my imaginary life insofar as it's all virtual.

3. At the same time, I think about it and talk about it so much that those closest to me ask each day--before anything else--what's new on the blog?!

4. Which makes me even more upset because I'm still overdressed for my imaginary life.

5. BUT because I keep this real and/or imaginary life (read: my computer) in my second-floor study, I go up and down stairs more times each day than I could begin to count.

6. THEREFORE, my real and imaginary ass has raised about an inch since discovering this blog in early November.

Kerry Headley said...

@Mostly Swell

I left Pgh in the mid-90s. There was no Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. I think there were only two health food stores in the city. The co-op was in Point Breeze. What I miss about Pgh are the mung bean cakes you can get in the Strip. The Squirrel Cage was pretty cool back in the day too, but I don't know now. Many god-awful customer service stories from that town, that's for sure.

I'm loving everyone's work stories!

Unknown said...

I mean, all my terrible work stories come from working in 3rd world countries. Most come from Tuvalu, like:

-"What do you do to someone if they rape a woman in Tuvalu?"

"Well, we say you should at least marry the woman after."

-"Hey, what are you looking for?"

"Baby folu (sea turtles). They're delicious."

Laura said...

Also enjoying everyone's crappy-job stories. I work in a little privately-owned Whole Foods-wannabe grocery store. It's in a pretty wealthy neighborhood (not where I live), and it would be impossible to even count the number of customers who wear Prada but are willing to fight to the death about how they thought some item cost one dollar less than it does. They seem to be convinced that I personally am plotting their bankruptcy, one bag of organic oranges at a time.

Also they like to let me know that I actually only exist to ring out their groceries, and that I should be glad to stay after closing to do so, and then help them lug all their stuff outside to a massive SUV parked illegally in a handicapped spot.

Oh god I hate that job.

Jessa said...
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Andrea said...

@ Jessa-

Oh good God, I ALSO encountered a woman who wiped poo on the bathroom wall at one of my restaurant jobs! Seriously, what is with that?! Maybe it was the same woman- the terrorist bathroom poo-smearer, traveling from town to town, taking down America one family restaurant bathroom at a time...

Cratty said...

I would love to get inside the mind of a poo-smearer (the stains were practically decor in my high school bathroom). Every time I see it, I have to wonder - what goes on in your head that you feel obliged to plunge your finger in the muck and slide it across the wall? Does it bring pleasure? Does it eke a sense of triumph . . . or are you just plain nasty?

Jessa said...
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Elissa Cahn said...

Oh my God! Some woman at my store once pooped in the corner of the bathroom. The corner! I just...don't understand.

Unknown said...

I think Jessa hit the nail on the head. You're assuming said person is like you except in their decision to smear poo. The reality is, it's probably not malice that's involved. If it were a malicious thing, it wouldn't be habitual.

frankish said...

I've never worked in a restaurant, but (thank God) I've never seen this shit smearing you guys are talking about...not out to eat, not at a bar, not at school. Ugh. :P

Andrea said...

@ Jessa

Yowza, a regular? Ours was an anonymous...drive-by? That's wrong. But you feel me.

We had a regular- a homeless man that was notorious throughout town, and was all decked out in crazy furs and layers of clothes- who used to come in and buy a to-go cup of coffee. The manager eventually asked him not to come in anymore because his stench literally made people (employees and other customers) gag and dry heave. It was sad, but necessary. Afterwards we'd see him approaching the door and just go outside with a free cup of coffee.

Sequoia N said...

When I was co-managing a local political campaign in S.F. for a district supervisor, there was a homeless woman who came to one of our field offices and locked herself into the bathroom. When we finally got it open, she was half naked and rolling around in her own filth. My mouth dropped, and I closed the door. I wasn't paid enough to deal with that shit. Fortunately one of our volunteers was a social worker and helped the police get her out.

J said...

I worked at DQ in high school, and one day the manager found that someone had left her purse in the bathroom. So he opened it up to find some ID and there was poopy underwear in it. And it reeked. So he gathered us around and warned us not to open the purse...and just as he was going on and on about how poopy and gross it was, a lady came up to the counter and asked if we had found a purse.

Mostly Swell said...

@Kerry
I only lived in PGH one year as an adult. We moved away when I was in HS. I returned in 93 for a job that ended up consuming just about every bit of my time. So I didn't get out much (but I did leave the job when my contract was fulfilled. One year.) I did get to the Beehive Coffee House / movie theater combo - and still have a coffee cup from them. (I couldn't leave town without one.)

Sequoia N said...

Haha, we've started a poop thread. All this anxiety has finally worn away any social mores.

koru said...

@Laura T .. your Whole Foods wannabee sounds just like the one around here. The customers are amusing, but what I find absolutely hilarious is when the grocery bagger asks with a straight face "Do you mind if I put your organic and non-organic produce in the same bag?"

Cratty said...

Really though: how do you guys have all these crazy anecdotes? Do I have any crazy stories . . . I got stuck in an elevator once. I just . . . I just never saw someone rolling around in poo :(

Cratty said...

No wait! I do have a story - I do! I was in a car that knocked over someone. I wasn't behind the wheel, but I felt the thud.

Cratty said...

That sounded horrible . . . for the sake of clarity:
(1) The person was okay
(2) But he deserved it as he had tried to forcibly fondle my friend (she was behind the wheel).

Jessa said...
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LAswede said...

the only mental health issues i'm addressing deal with organized religion ;)

Amy said...

It's a sad commentary on the economy when I just received a call for a mere interview to be a dishwasher and I'm so excited.

My refugee immigrant parents are so stoked that I still have thousands to pay off on my student loans.

Maybe I'll get my own poo story soon too!

Sequoia N said...

I've toyed with mental health a little in some of my stories. One floats between 1st person and 3rd person. The first person being an aspect of the protagonist and the 3rd describing another aspect.

Daniel said...

I hate to be a downer, but somebody's got to say it - these mailbags are getting a little too bloggy/forumy. Actual questions and information about the programs are kind of being drowned out.

Is there a way to link a forum to the top of the site as an alternative location for the ranting/venting/poo-ing that is currently going on?

Just a thought...

Unknown said...

@Frankish

Lol. I guess I need to brush up on my Steven Seagal movies for future jokes.

Unknown said...

@Jessa

I frequently write characters who have some minor "issues." But the stories are always about the character and not the issues.

Unknown said...

re: bad job experiences

I don't ever remember it when people do something stupid while I'm working. I only remember it when I do something stupid, and I think I'll keep those stories to myself.

Ryan said...

@Everyone: Does anyone know what the selectivity is for University of Miami and U Pitt?

@Daniel: Hear hear! And to think some people subscribe to this. I'd rather find shit in a purse than 800 comments about shit in my inbox.

LAswede said...

i just wanted to throw out one good work story that just happened today, and incidentally that strengthened my career choice...after a 102 class at 9 this morning, a student came up to me while i was smoking and thanked me for teaching the class (a weird statement, i know), and that he was glad to be in it...after the initial humbling swell, i immediately felt better about doing what i do...it was a nice moment to say the least

Rich said...

Hey y'all. My name's Rich and I'm currently a first-year at The New School for nonfiction. I didn't think I'd ever read this blog again, but once I saw the mailbags, everything came back to me...haha. So if anyone has any questions about the program, feel free to ask me.

dv said...

@ Daniel. I agree. While there are many conceivable purposes to this blog---arguably including finding a community of like-minded folks and sharing one's thoughts and feelings about the application process---it would be helpful to separate substantively helpful information from the other chatter.

LAswede said...

...and one more quick note...i know i'm not a 'supercontributer' to this board, but i do appreciate the comradery involved...this is a community where we are all going through the same scary few months together...the hopes, dreams, fears, and letdowns are a part of it, and it's exciting to be around this many people from, apparently, all over the world, to get closer to everyone without even seeing each other...so if you don't like it, then simply fuck off...

Lucas said...

re: LAswede

102 as in comp/first year writing? That's what I do brother. I've been doing it for a couple of years now and I can't go to campus without some kid saying hey to me...it makes me smile. If you aren't talking about teaching comp...my bad.

LAswede said...

yep man, 102 comp...it's definitely great. i didn't think it was going to be when i started, but so many of these kids are ready to learn, or, even more importantly, are ready to think, or have their opinions valued, that it culminates in joy for them in the classroom...it's pretty special to be a part of and i feel fortunate everyday to be involved in that process.

The Portland Review said...

@ryan: I think pitt's selectivity is 15%, but that could be an old/innacurate figure.

Mostly Swell said...

@Gena
OMG!!! I'm absolutely positively loving "Copenhagen"!!! I just finished Act 1, it's intermission, which fortunately for me, is a rather long one, to last through the night and most of the day tomorrow. The play will resume tomorrow evening. Aside: I think I'll avoid the public restroom scene. (;

I'm making a list of all the people I know who I think would enjoy this book. Netflix will be mailing me the PBS production tomorrow, so more fun in store. yippee.

Ya know, it's the simple things....

Amy said...

Hey Rich,

I dunno if you could answer this for the fiction program, but what's the funding like?

Jenna said...

@Farrah

Your post of "random thoughts" amused the hell out of me. So thank you for cheering up a gray day :)

re: Job stories
When I worked in a bookstore, we would always find the art books and graphic novels in the guy's bathroom. The pages stuck together. Needless to say, we threw them out immediately.

Jason J said...

@daniel and others dismayed with the bloggy/forumy turn of the mailbag.

what pertinent information regarding programs is being drowned out? i'm sympathetic to your view about what's being currently discussed through these comments, but find it a little strange that very important information is obviously not 'drowned out'. we are all waiting to hear back. essentially, all we can do now is notify each other about when responses come in. when someone does have a question or a notification regarding programs, i know that my inbox quickly fills with about 50 congrats or responses/answers to questions. i just don't see this info being drowned out, sorry.

additionally, ms rawlinson's instruction in the previous mailbag was that this would be an area for us to express ways of distracting ourselves from the anxiety of waiting. sharing poo-stories/work stories is exactly that.

on the other hand, there was what seemed like an overabundance of poop stories. really strange.

would anyone like to share a winter vacation story? where are the cool spots to go in your area for a winter break?

being that i am from norcal, close to the sierras, a lot of people go snowboarding/skiing. for some reason, i've missed the boat/chairlift on this and have never been snowboarding. feel a little weird to be a norcal person who isn't a "snowboarder" enthusiast.

Jason J said...
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sh said...

Okay, question:

Let's be overly optimistic for a moment, and say you get into five or six programs. Let's even say you get into your favorite program. You're sitting around, trying to make a hard decision between schools, and yet *another* program director calls you up offering a spot. Let's say it's a school that, by comparison with the programs you already got into, isn't going to make you change your mind. What do you say to the director while you've got him on the phone? "Sorry, I've already been accepted at a program I like better"?

More broadly, how do you turn down any offer politely?

Unknown said...

To those seeking a forum--

really, I think we should take advantage of pw.org/speakeasy more often-- I mean, its already divided into questions on the MFA subforum... including seperate spaces for Acceptances & Rejections so you don't have to... I don't know... climb over someone's rant about Columbia.

Not to say I don't enjoy this blog, because I do! But the speakeasy serves a different... slightly more formal... purpose.

Unknown said...

@Mostly Swell--

Yay!! I don't blme you for breaking; I split it into a two-day venture myself.

Unknown said...

I'd support the idea of a separate mailbag for just important MFA news, but right now that mailbag would be pretty empty. Thus, I don't see any reason for censorship. We're just trying to cope with our anxieties by making each other laugh. That's not so bad, is it?

Ryan said...

Sam, your comment makes me look at this mailbag like all of us are on a ship, and we're losing oxygen fast. The only way for the chosen to survive is to annihilate the weak ones, somehow.

Ok, I'm done with my MFA metaphors.

Unknown said...

@Sh

I'd just tell the person on the phone that I won't be accepting their offer and then tell them how honored I am that they chose me despite my decision. If they ask where I'm going, I'd tell them it's between schools X and Y.

I think the sooner you tell them the better for everyone involved. It's good for the school, and it's good for the waitlisted. So no matter how you word it, they will be thankful. Just be tactful and gracious, of course.

And it doesn't have to be 5 or 6 acceptances. This scenario can happen with just one or two acceptances.

Kerry Headley said...

RuPaul's Drag Race is a great distraction.

Jessa said...
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Unknown said...
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Unknown said...
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Ryan said...

Daniel, et al.

I mean, there are a lot of non-MFA posts here, but like many have already said, we're mostly just playing the quiet game now, where we wait to be spoken to by a program. If you need to ask a question, feel free. I haven't really seen anyone's questions/concerns get overlooked. Maybe no one knows the answer, but they still acknowledge your question. I think there are a lot of us on here who read all of the comments, not just skim them.

Lucas said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Daniel said...

I've enjoyed the conversation as much as anyone. I was just thinking from the point of view of someone totally new to the site. (Say someone who finds it next July when they start looking at schools for the first time.) It would be hard to fish through some of these mailbags to find the really useful information - and there has been a lot of really useful info. I had a lot of questions answered a few months back (thanks WT) and have tried to answer the questions I know.

If we could somehow keep the two separate, all the hard info stays useful for a longer period of time. Again, just a thought.

Jason J said...

@daniel, now that you put it that way - in terms of helping people in the future - it makes perfect sense.

Trilbe said...

@Coreyann - I'm so sorry to hear about your letter! I truly feel your pain, sister. Are you going to keep the letter or throw it away?

When mine start coming in, I think I'm going to keep them. I make handmade books and, if I eventually get in someplace, then I'll use the rejection letters as endpapers in the books I make as Thank Yous for the friends who have supported me through this process. I think that'll be funny, not morbid. I have also decided not to call these little gems "rejection letters." Instead, I will think of them as "best wishes." As in, "The University of _______ has sent their best wishes that I go someplace else."

Juliana Paslay said...

@Trilbe

It's so interesting to hear you say that because my mom has this weird thing where she says you should always keep your rejection letters. She says that that way when you are successful you can see where you've come from. I have always thought this a weird practice but apparently she is not alone! It's funny its almost like being optimistic because by keeping them it assumes there will be an acceptance at some point.

Cratty said...

Coughdrop, Trilbe,
I've kept the letters from the schools that rejected me last year. I dunno if I'm old school, but as soon as I read each one, I'd put it away in my file drawer and try not to think about it again. But ever so often now, I slip one from out of the drawer and stare at it with serious resolve. And sometimes I get so heated that I'd burst into a little song ("And you, and you, and you - you're gonna loooove meeeeeee")

Danielle Wheeler said...

ahh! Just got a fake-out email from UNCW. It basically said my file is complete and being forwarded to the Program Coordinator for review. Heart attack.

apcb said...

@Danielle
yes, I just got the same thing - seems that they're behind schedule (only relative to last year, of course)

koru said...

another fakeout email from UNCW here s well. is it just me, or is it cruel to send out a "we got your stuff" email around the time they usually notify people?

Kati-Jane said...

Sooo... it turns out that Tessa Kilpatrick at Ole Miss is an amazing, wonderful person... Granted, I'm only basing this on the fact that she said I could have my missing letter of recommendation sent to her email address, of course, but hey.

On the topic of off-topic posts, I've got to say, I came to this blog late in the season and read a lot of back-issues, if you will, and I found the chatter almost as helpful as the concrete information. Anxiety-ridden, normal, well-read people venting their frustration or sharing stories are exactly what made me stop lurking and start contributing.

Kati-Jane said...

I suppose normal is subjective, but y'all seem normal in spite of and because of your diverse backgrounds and personalities, if that makes sense...

Seth Abramson said...

I like this new lingo you guys are using: FOE (Fake-Out E-mail). It makes sense to me, as it's both a faux contact from the program--contact without content relevant to what really matters--and it is, without question, the primary foe of the response-waiting applicant. I remember when Oregon started mailing out FOPs (Fake-Out Packages) a few years back--housing stuff for hundreds of unadmitted writers. Folks were like, how tone-deaf can you get? Indeed. Best of luck to everyone.

S.

Ryan said...

I guess it would make it easier to separate it, but you can still search the strings to find what you're looking for, if it's specific. Honestly all the info is so jumbled anyway you have to search through a lot of stuff if you're new here to find something exactly that has to do with a question you may have. Plus, if you already know your question, you can always just ask. If you're totally new to the app process, I'm not sure what info you would just need to search these mailbags for, as most of us already know what's going on, so you'd probably need to pen a question anyhow.

Mostly Swell said...

RE: knowing in advance that you are no longer interested in a program, or that you know they are no longer a consideration for you, why not let them know before they call? I would feel pretty cheesy if I told someone who was taking the time to call me personally that I wasn't interested. I mean, wow, awkward, ya know?

Cratty said...

Hi Guys. So, couple minutes ago my home phone rings (and since I gave programs my cell number, I wasn't expecting anything). But then it someone asking . . . "Is this so and so?" And I'm like....OMG, yeah....it was Indiana University! I got in for Fiction. I'm so happy right now. I can't say this enough, I'm really glad I have this community to share this with and I can't wait to hear the other acceptances as they roll in. (Off to the mall to by some welfare wine)

Emily said...

Congrats, Cratty! Here's to more good news!

Mostly Swell said...

@Cratty
WOO HOO!!! You rock!
Way to go. Congrats.

Juliana Paslay said...

Oh man congrats Cratty!

Kati-Jane said...

Congratulations, Cratty! That's great news. :)

Laura said...

Congratulations, Cratty!!!!

Pet & Gone said...

congrats dude

Danielle Wheeler said...

Congrats, Cratty! Enjoy the wine!!

Unknown said...

Yay Cratty! Congrats!!!

But that gives me an oh-shit moment too... I figured, if they had a phone number along with the "current address" section, they'd call the cell instead of the home phone. Is this not the case, then?

Ashley Brooke said...

Congratulations Cratty! :)
Awesome awesome news!

Eli said...

Cratty, woo hoo!!!

I've been keeping away from this blog and just checked now. Fantastic news, dude!

junowind said...

Hooray cratty! Cheers for wine and stress relief!

Sleitenberger said...

Congrats, Catty (and all others who have heard good news)! I was wondering if anyone had heard from OSU for fiction? I see it on Seth's TSE blog, but don't recall seeing anyone post for fiction, just poetry and CNF. (And, yes, I am a silent stalker of this blog, as I am usually at work... you guys crack me up!)

Sleitenberger said...

Cratty, not "catty"... freudian slip? Haha :-)

Unknown said...

Sara,

All signs to point to OSU having indicated across all genres (including fiction).

And wtf is this about welfare wine? It's VICTORY wine now, buddy!

Lauren said...

@Cratty,

CONGRATULATIONS!

@Sara,

I've been combing this blog for an Ohio State fiction acceptance and have found none. So none of the posters here who applied got in, it seems (including myself).

However, Tory, a current poetry student at OSU, has posted here saying he knows for sure that all 3 genres were notified last Friday. Which, of course, totally sucks. I'm still pretty upset about it.

Kitty in a Cathouse said...

Wow, this blog has been poppin' since I've been here.

Congrats Cratty, and everyone else who has heard!

Sleitenberger said...

@ Dreux, thanks for the info!

@ Lauren, sorry you're bummed, but if it helps at all, I'm handling the "non-acceptances" (why call them rejections until we know for sure?) by indulging in a steady stream of mcdonald's sweet tea and fritos. It seems to be working so far, as my mood is happy/manic/sleep. But serious, good luck, I know there's good news for all of us somewhere (even if it means finding the right school next year)!

Eli said...

Lauren, I've been procrastinating big-style this afternoon and I read something on the Speakeasy Seth wrote way back - it was good advice. It was something along the lines of (said to someone back in early Feb one year): 'This is a 75 day marathon, not a 2-week sprint' and 'Don't even think of anything to do with the word despair until after April 15th.' It's such an early stage right now - you have no idea what might still happen! Good luck - things will turn out okay.

Pet & Gone said...

Just got a phone call with a weird area code and stopped helping someone (I work in a realty office) to answer it, but it was a company wanting a character reference on a friend.

Sigh.

Ben McClendon said...

CONGRATULATIONS, Cratty! Way to go! I'm very happy for you.

Emily said...

So does that mean if we don't get a call from Indiana today for fiction we should assume rejection? :(

Trilbe said...

@Cratty - And they-- And they-- And they LOOOOOVVVEEEE YOOOOUUUU!!! And I-- And I-- I'm sooooo haaaaappppyyyy!!!

I'm sorry! I'm a terrible singer. But big ups to you for IU. That's awesome news.

Unknown said...

@ Emily,

No, assume nothing until we know more. The deal is that every program notifies a little differently.

Some programs are very careful to notify everyone at once. Others will notify the shoo-ins first and the people on the bubble a little later.

Rich Moy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rich Moy said...

@pencore Unfortunately, from what I've seen across all genres at The New School, funding is almost non-existent. Personally, I was given a small scholarship (which I think most people were) and am currently working during the day to support myself. However, classes are all at night, which sort of allows you to find work and still have time to write.

As dyer as my (future) finances might sound, I will say that my workshop with Brenda Wineapple last semester, my current workshop with Susan Bell (The Artful Edit), and the faculty in general here have been pretty stellar. I'm paying a lot, yes, but I also feel like I'm getting a ton out of it too. From what I've seen, some of you have touched on the faculty thing, and as much as I'd love to be getting more help, I don't think I could have surrounded myself with better instructors, so it's definitely something to consider.

Personally, despite what I'm paying, I'm stoked to be here, and this is a widespread sentiment amongst all of my classmates.

frankish said...

Congrats, Cratty! Great program. I'm psyched for you.

This waiting is actually much worse than I thought it would be. None of the schools where I applied have notified yet in fiction (at least as far as I know). Somehow I thought it would be easy to just bury myself in my writing while I waited...Ha!

Cheers!

Emily said...

@Dreux,
Thanks for the info. I'm freaking out.

@Cratty, CONGRATS!!! I'm so happy for you/extremely jealous.

Unknown said...

Congrats, Cratty! Definitely splurge-worthy news (i.e. nice dinner or something).

Brandy Colbert said...

awesome news, cratty! congrats!!!

Andrea said...

Yeah Cratty! Woot!

koru said...

@Cratty, Congratulations! :-)

@everyone ... good vibes for some more phone calls for everyone!

Pema D said...

Cratty— Right on! Congratulations that is AWESOME! have fun celebrating!!

Jasmine Sawers said...

I just got a voicemail from Samrat Upadhyay at Indiana university extending an offer for fiction. I squealed in the gym locker room and people looked at me.

frankish said...

Congratulations, Jasmine!

Ben McClendon said...

Congratulations to you, too, Jasmine! I'd squeal, too!

No poetry yet = no panic.

Sequoia N said...

Congrats, Jasmine & Cratty!

Kerry Headley said...

Fake-out email from UNCW received here too. I had a question about it though. Mine says everything is complete, but in the list it doesn't include my teaching statement, which we were to include in the autobiographical section of the online app. Does your FOE include a mention of the autobiographical/teaching statement? My feeling is that it's all fine, but I wanted to see what you guys saw in yours.

As fake-outs go, this one wasn't that bad. Nothing like "We are pleased to inform you..."
But, dag, I thought we would be hearing actual decisions from them this week!

And congrats to Cratty and Jasmine!

Jasmine Sawers said...

Hey, Cratty, you too huh? Sorry I didn't congratulate you earlier; I've been taking a mental health break from this blog. But, anyway, congratulations, Cratty!

Danielle Wheeler said...

Kerry-
Mine doesn't mention the teaching statement thing, either, and it doesn't mention that anything is missing. And I definitely included mine on the application. Here's what mine lists-

Writing Sample
Application Fee -
College Transcript -
Personal Statement
Reference Letter 1 -
Reference Letter 2 -
Reference Letter 3 -

Kerry Headley said...

Thanks, Danielle. I figured I was being a bit OCD. That's why I love this blog. We help each other and enable each other to obsess. Good luck!

Stranger said...

Conratulations Cratty, and Jasmine! Yaaay =)

Orange said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Emily said...

Congrats, Jasmine!

Kerry, my FOE from Wilmington didn't include the teaching statement either, so I think we're fine. The wording was pretty kind, but at first glance the single line of bold red type halfway down struck fear in my heart. Don't they know how anxious we are?

Orange said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
sh said...

Congrats to Cratty & Jasmine! That's awesome!

Mostly Swell said...

@Jasmine
Way to go. Congratulations.
WooHoo! again and again and again...

RugbyToy said...

Wanted to let y'all know that an Internet-phobic friend received a phone call today from U of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and she's in for Poetry.

Keep your eyes open. Good luck everyone :)

Courtney said...

Cratty and Jasmine--Congratulations times a million!!!

Celebrate your happy day!

Kati-Jane said...

Congrats, Jasmine!

Kerry Headley said...

RE: UNCW's FOE

The line about missing materials that was all in red was not cool. Someone did a bad paste job, I think. Man, I thought I was getting an email from Kanye ALL CAPS West...

Thanks, y'all! Good luck to all of us. UNCW looks so fabulous. I have loved it from the start.

MostLikelyToBeFamous said...

Wow! The people on this board are really talented! Congrats everyone!

Eli said...

Yay, well done, Jasmine!

Pema D said...

Yeah Jasmine! C O N G R A T S !!!

@UNCW peeps....isn't this painful? They are just now notifying us that our apps are complete and going to the program director for review? does this mean they haven't even looked at them yet? i was hoping they'd be calling like....NOW!

alas. as far as procrastination recommendations, i recommend making home made valentines cards. it gets those crafty, creative juices flowing and fills me with love, momentarily displacing all this anxiety and neurosis!

Mostly Swell said...

@RugbyToy
Tell your friend, CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

Amy said...

Congrats again to the Indiana ladies.

RugbyToy, the news of your friend getting into poetry at Illinois just got the game started for me. I applied for fiction and was told notifications (for fiction, I guess) won't go out till March. But just hearing that one of my schools is notifying at all just made this real. Really real!

Insane! Congrats to your friend!

Morgan said...

congrats Cratty and Jasmine!!! Indiana is an awesome program. wooooooo!!!!!

Nick McRae said...

@ Cratty & Jasmine

Congratulations, friends!

NM

Jamie said...

Congrats Cratty and Jasmine!

Anonymous said...

I also received the oh-so-deceptive email from UNCW. Curious: Did this go out to all genres? I applied in cnf.Good luck all.

Danielle Wheeler said...

@Abbie- I'm in poetry, so I think so.

John said...

Illinois-I also got an email saying decision would be made in March. I guess they got through the influx of applications they got faster than they thought they would.

Jasmine Sawers said...

Congratulations to friend of RugbyToy! A friend of the family went to Illinois, and he had nothing but nice things to say about it.

And thanks to everyone for your kind wishes. I can't believe I have to go work retail right now. Maybe my total joy will make my shift go faster.

Amy said...

re: Illinois

Or perhaps there are fewer poetry apps (and they don't take as long to read as fiction samples).

A whole month ahead of schedule? Hrm... I'll begin to really panic when someone posts that they received a fiction acceptance.

Ai yooooo.

Ben McClendon said...

@pencore

This lines up pretty well with when Illinois notified last year. Not much of a surprise. Perhaps they're optimistic and hope to have their people locked in by March.

Kevin said...

Also, I imagine that when some schools say you'll hear in March or whatever, they mean that's when all the letters go out, at the latest.

They're not going to come out and say some people will be getting calls really soon, because then they'd be getting a lot of questions from people who haven't heard anything, etc.

Laura said...

Congratulations Cratty, Jasmine, and RugbyToy's friend!

Farrah said...

@ cratty and jasimne YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@ Frankish, yeah, I thought I'd be writing a lot more during the waiting period, too. Unfortunately my novel isn't about someone waiting for dire information of some sort.

Jamie said...

Oh - so cratty and jasmine, is Indiana tops for you? Are you holding out? Do you get two and a half months to notify them? Don't post too much about how agonizing it is to have to choose between this and the other five top progs who want you, OK you two? Otherwise I'm going to have to do some serious hating on... :P

For everyone else, one thing I'm doing during the waiting is writing something completely different from what I've done in years. I'm working on a sort of play/performance piece. I don't know quite what it is - maybe a radio play? maybe performance art? maybe for the stage? most likely for the trash or for my considerable ha ha ha WTF was I thinking pile...

frankish said...

I wish I had the willpower to take a two-week break. I'm not expecting any of the fictions programs where I applied to start accepting until at least mid-February and most in mid- to late-March. Wyoming might be the exception, based on Seth's recent post.

But I still check in five, ten, fifteen times a day just to see if I -didn't- hear from some school. God, I'm sad.... :P

Ben McClendon said...

I do the same thing, frankish, checking the blog whenever my students are working on an independent activity, before and after school, sometimes hitting refresh over and over. I think I need a break.

Anyone else panicking that your writing sample is crap now? I'm almost finished writing a new poem that goes with two others as officially The Best Stuff I've Ever Written™. Unfortunately, none of these made it into the sample I mailed because I hadn't written them yet when I sent it. It would probably be bad form to email the program whose deadline hasn't passed yet and ask if I can send in a replacement sample, right?

I guess I'll be in better shape for applying next year. Or if lighting strikes, I'll have some decent new stuff to workshop.

Nick McRae said...

Hello all McNeese applicants:

I've mentioned before that I was accepted at McNeese State last year and, since I couldn't go, they allowed me to defer the acceptance to this year. I wanted to let you know that I just wrote (the incredibly sweet) Amy Fleury an e-mail letting her know that I won't be accepting the spot this year. I wanted to let all of you here know that there'll be another spot opening up there. AND, in an e-mail I received from her a couple of months ago, she mentioned that there are going to be more available spots in the program this year than there have been in the past, so even more lucky applicants are going to be getting calls from McNeese!

All the best,

NM

frankish said...

Xataro, if the submission deadline hasn't passed and you feel strongly that the new sample is better, I would drop them a line. There was only one program where I applied much before the deadline, and it turned out that I revised my sample a bit before that deadline. I dropped the administrative assistant an email and she said I could just email her the new sample, no problem.

Now, I'm not saying everywhere will be as kind, but I don't think it's a big deal. If you're worried about them thinking badly of you, just call and say you applied and can you submit a revised writing sample. They will probably say yes or no before they even ask your name.

I'd be cautious, though, that the new sample really is better. Sometimes writers like their new work the most even when it is not their best. It's possible, too, that you're down on your sample just because it's out there and so much is riding on it.

This probably isn't very helpful, but it was time for my every-fifteen-minute check-in, and I saw your post....

Cheers!

Courtney said...

Nick,

What a kind thing to do! Thank you for the info!

Michelle said...

I'm waitlisted at UBC, which I'm choosing to take as encouraging since it's not, as in my nightmares, a "HAHAHAHA who do you think you are? A Writer?" thing.

This waiting is agony.

Unknown said...

Cratty, CONGRATS!!!! I've been rooting for you. Your posts always make me laugh/feel better about my compulsive eating habits. Plus you just sound like an awesome, interesting person. You deserve a drunk before sunset kind of day.

Jasmine, congrats to you too, of course. Would either of you be willing to send me your stories? I'm also a fiction applicant, (applied to Indiana, among other places) and I'm so curious to see what a successful story looks like!

If yes shoot me an email: yesyescherries(at)gmail(dot)com

I'm happy to send mine back if it'd make you feel better about sending some random internet stranger your work. Just let me know.

Brandy Colbert said...

congrats, jasmine!

and hey, michelle, i think that's great news about the waitlist. absolutely better than a flat out NO, and maybe something to hold you over until you hear back from other schools?

Elissa Cahn said...

Congratulations, Cratty and Jasmine! That's awesome! Now I wish Indiana would call me...

Ben McClendon said...

@frankish

Thank you for your kind words. You hit it right on the head when you said I'm down on it because it's out there and so much is riding on it. Very, very much.

I think it's also that I'm hearing places I've applied begin to notify, and my phone isn't broken after all, just silent. Perhaps what I need to work towards is accepting that this is WAY beyond my control and not try to take control over it. Three poems probably won't make much difference in the 20-page sample they asked for, anyway.

I think a better use of my time might be to send my new work out to try getting it published. I can start a collection of shiny, beautiful rejection letters so that when new rejection letters from MFA programs are welcomed into the dark drawer, they won't be lonely. =)

Nick McRae said...

Psssst, super secret info:

I have it on (very) good authority that the Northern Michigan committee will be meeting on Friday. I don't know if that means just poetry or all genres, or if this is the first or final committee meeting--I just know they're meeting.

You didn't hear it from me!

NM

Kerry Headley said...

Last night I dreamed that three of my schools mailed all my stuff back to me unopened and sealed in hard-to-open plastic bags. They had never even looked at my stuff because they said there was some kind of problem. I was trying to rip my way into the bags because they weren't even labeled, so I didn't know which schools sent them to me. I was freaking out because I didn't know if I could fix the problem in time. Woke up to the fake-out email from UNCW. Argh.

Unknown said...

Huge congrats to Jasmine and Cratty! Indiana is big news!

Unknown said...

Before my mini-rant (feel free to skip), a congratulations to Jasmine and the technophobe friend of RugbyToy!


I'm very much on the other side of the FOE, FOP problem...

I have heard nothing. Nothing! Normally I would worry for my addresses-- post and email; but I received the initial "application submitted" emails and most of my SASPs back... I'm going to take this as "everything's in, don't worry", but it's making the whole ordeal more surreal. I just want to hear something...

Michelle said...

yes, beedeecee, I'm hoping that's what it is. It's also encouraging because I applied from a very non-trad background - no Creative Writing classes ever, no publications in fiction - and with rather less self-assurance about the outcome.

also I am lucky enough to have some other options if I'm rejected everywhere. chin up everybody!

Jenna said...

Congrats to all the acceptances so far! I look forward to hearing more.

@Gena
I haven't heard anything either. Not even FOE. It's starting to make me really nervous.

Raina said...

subscribing

Corey Haydu said...

Hey Guys,
Congrats to all the Indiana acceptances!

I got a fake out from Brooklyn today in the mail... "I'm pleased to Inform you that... your application has been sent for review to your program of choice".

UGH. I saw "I'm pleased to inform you..." and thought I was getting in. hahaha. SIGH.

Amy said...

Wow, that Brooklyn fake out is especially brutal with the "Pleased to inform you..." line.

LAswede said...

just got done teaching my fourth composition class of the day and saw all the great news...congrats to the (possible, if taken!) new hoosiers out there!

kaybay said...

Congrats acceptancees! And Gena, I feel the exact same way. I have heard absolutely nothing except for in early January when I had issues with my GRE score report. Other than that, NOTHIN'! The nothingness gets my neuroses going :)

Danielle Wheeler said...

A new mailbag is up!

Ashley Brooke said...

let's

Ashley Brooke said...

get

Ashley Brooke said...

1000

Ashley Brooke said...

guyz

Pema D said...

haha ashley, nice one! when i saw the 1000 comment mark, i was like, ooh! and i wanna be 1001.
palindromes!

Kristina said...

Congrats, guys!

I'm a newbie to the blog and I'm already sucked in...oh no...!

T. said...

Anyone apply to or hear back from UND and their PhD program acceptances? What about BGSU MFA in poetry?

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