tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15642985.post4120154097184004845..comments2024-03-28T02:14:08.783-07:00Comments on THE MFA BLOG: Mailbag (Sept. 2)Tom Kealeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11913868167191023096noreply@blogger.comBlogger504125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15642985.post-50445433887182971632011-12-11T17:14:09.255-08:002011-12-11T17:14:09.255-08:00I Like the post . Please visit our website for F...I Like the post . Please visit our website for Freshman and Transfer College Admissions Consulting | San Francisco Bay Area <a href="http://www.c3admissionadvising.com/" rel="nofollow">college consulting</a>college consultinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15327175817174428825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15642985.post-69352055430643208072010-10-07T10:28:52.292-07:002010-10-07T10:28:52.292-07:00I just put a new mailbag up, plus a post about a w...I just put a new mailbag up, plus a post about a workshop opportunity for NYC based writers.Nancy Rawlinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15612031503087329517noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15642985.post-64329235719221005982010-10-07T09:30:12.841-07:002010-10-07T09:30:12.841-07:00Hi guys, I have a question for all those applying ...Hi guys, I have a question for all those applying to U of Oregon: Did Oregon recently change their application process to make everything online? <br /><br />I had previously printed and given my Recommender their recommendation form along with an enveloped address to their creative writing department. <br /><br />Now I can't find the form anywhere and it appears they are only accepting electronic recommendations. Is this correct?etrangettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17291206697156666052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15642985.post-82423820109144746822010-10-07T07:56:25.718-07:002010-10-07T07:56:25.718-07:00Blob--thanks! I've thought about the funded o...Blob--thanks! I've thought about the funded ones a few hours away, too, as possibilities. It would be a financial stretch to say the least, which is the main problem, because, though funded, I'd have to pay for housing, while not contributing any more to family finances. (My Michigan fantasy seemed possible because we have a wealth of Ann Arbor connections, so I might have been able to stay extra cheap somehwere. But then there's airfare....) I looked into Cornell, which is a fabulous program, but they sound like they expect students to stay in the summer--definitely not an option. It never really occured to me that Syracuse, Brown, UMass aren't all that farther away (Penn State, too.) I'll look into them. Realistically, though, it's NYC or Rutgers-Newark (last year's rejection), or low res, which i have not ruled out yet.<br /><br />Thanks for the suggestions!Lesliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04789466193565758716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15642985.post-89242266014852471382010-10-07T07:42:59.401-07:002010-10-07T07:42:59.401-07:00@leslie
My suggestion would be to look into progr...@leslie<br /><br />My suggestion would be to look into programs that are a few hours from where you live but that are funded so that you could take leave from your job, go away to school, but still come home on weekends. Syracuse, Cornell, Brown, and UMass are four that come to mind. I don't know funding at Sarah Lawrence, but that's another option. <br /><br />I could be wrong, but I don't think it would be possible to keep your job and just take classes in the evenings and have time to sleep with these programs. If keeping your job really is a must, then think about low-res programs. Maybe your work would be willing to make special exception for you, in terms of vacation days. My work has in the past made exceptions. and the one person at work who knows as of now that I'm thinking/planning to apply, has said that if I change my mind and decide to do low-res programs, they could work something out so that I could do my 20 days there and not be totally deprived of vacation days.FZAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11769818831464552021noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15642985.post-42978445847319958882010-10-07T07:36:43.882-07:002010-10-07T07:36:43.882-07:00I'm trying, right now, to decide whether I'...I'm trying, right now, to decide whether I'm going to go through this process again. Last year, I applied to only one school, and started late. Despite this, I feel that I put a good effort in, and learned a lot.<br /><br />I have definite location restraints, as I have a family and home and won't be moving across the country. I have fantasized about getting into say, Michigan (yeah, right) and staying with friends/family and commuting home every month, but besides the unlikeliness of this happening, I don't think it would work financially or personally. So, if I try again, it would be local schools. I live near NYC, where most schools don't give much aid, so it would mean keeping my job and commuting into the city in the evenings. I've also considered low res, but, it would mean all my meager vacation time would go to trips away from home/family; and again, the cost would soak up a lot of my income.<br /><br />I think last year I was the oldest poster on the boards, and at 52, I may well be this year, too.<br /><br />On the other hand, writing has gone well this year. I have had some really strong lit mag feedback. One good journal asked for a rewrite and basically workshopped the story for me (hats off to a wonderful editor, and fingers crossed this works out) and another one gave me a detailed, very encouraging rejection, asking for more in the future.<br /><br />so I feel that I'm thisclose. Alternately, this makes me feel like an MFA would push me through to a greater chance at improvement and possibly success, and on the other hand, I feel maybe I can do this without one.<br /><br />Definitely need to make this decision soon!!! AAAAHH!Lesliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04789466193565758716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15642985.post-11627872629897120462010-10-07T07:27:04.668-07:002010-10-07T07:27:04.668-07:00Also, I have a revised (and final) list. This is f...Also, I have a revised (and final) list. This is for nonfiction.<br /><br />Iowa <br />Florida State<br />Houston<br />George Mason<br />Penn State<br />Arizona<br />Baltimore<br />Old Dominion<br />New Orleans<br />Portland State<br />South CarolinaMartihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10693310336593762279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15642985.post-90328525812514345922010-10-07T07:25:40.291-07:002010-10-07T07:25:40.291-07:00Toughest writing problem--I'd say it would be ...Toughest writing problem--I'd say it would be the over-arching structure--movement from one moment/scene/situation to the next, that feels necessary and uncontrived.<br /><br />I usually like my endings a lot; I feel, though, that I often haven't "earned" them.Lesliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04789466193565758716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15642985.post-72703849525138301832010-10-07T07:22:54.633-07:002010-10-07T07:22:54.633-07:00@ Maia Well put. America is not a meritocracy—bigg...@ Maia Well put. America is not a meritocracy—biggest myth ever. <br /><br />@ Blob I chose location. I want to like where I live and I'd like the town to be on the cheaper side (although I just left NYC, so everywhere seems cheap right now). Things that would be nice: public transportation, decent weather, some organic stores, a sense of community. God I'm such a hippie.Martihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10693310336593762279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15642985.post-45080150054004174632010-10-07T01:38:18.634-07:002010-10-07T01:38:18.634-07:00I keep switching my post name. Will stick with thi...I keep switching my post name. Will stick with this one. Promise.<br /><br />@Blob (re: Seth's Poll)<br /><br />I chose almost entirely by location. I'm partial to the Bay Area, despite the fact that schools there aren't known for much funding. All the other places I've applied to are known to have good atmosphere/resources for writerly types. The only "oddball" (in terms of location) out of my picks is Idaho. The town of Moscow is only 6.2 square miles. It's said that it is somewhat of an "artsy" town, but it is a far cry from like, say, San Francisco or Minneapolis. Definitely the only rural place on my list. Well, perhaps Iowa City can be considered rural as well, but Moscow is so small I could probably bike its perimeter in like 20 mins.<br /><br />@ Writer Dude et al (re: dirty)<br /><br />Some days I pretty much have difficulty with everything. But if I had to put something down specifically, I'd be in the same boat as Jeff. Endings. Though in truth, everything is hard. And then you have to end it, which, I guess, is harder still.'11 MFA Drafthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12254989680148554986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15642985.post-89087940805649528642010-10-06T21:33:34.759-07:002010-10-06T21:33:34.759-07:00Ending a short story is very hard for me. I've...Ending a short story is very hard for me. I've got the openings down smooth, but I have trouble devising an ending that will stick in your gut.<br /><br />Other weaknesses? It's hard for me to create an episode that will cause the protagonist to change. Change is difficult in real life, and it's hard for characters on the page, too. <br /><br />A related flaw I have is that my characters--when they do "change"--perform this 180 degree bootlegger turn, which isn't realistic--that's for the movies. One of the first things I learned as an undergrad is that my characters can't be static. They have to change. Apparently I took this advice to heart so now my people always evolve radically into a new person. But I'm learning now that it's more believable if people just see things differently, or go through other subtle changes.Jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09494937385249122763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15642985.post-32316786983745296492010-10-06T17:35:42.820-07:002010-10-06T17:35:42.820-07:00@kaybay
Nope. Maryville College -- small school j...@kaybay<br /><br />Nope. Maryville College -- small school just south of UT. All my friends are UT fans, though (that was quite a finish with LSU haha).<br /><br />I'm not a fan of sports...although, oddly enough, I was a sports writer for a bit. And I still got a heartache today seeing my Reds go down (in a no-hitter, no less -- the second in playoff history!)<br /><br />:(PAHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18150112855344551488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15642985.post-75601334559359768562010-10-06T17:00:33.854-07:002010-10-06T17:00:33.854-07:00Writer Dude, did you go to UT? If so, I hope you&#...Writer Dude, did you go to UT? If so, I hope you're not a football fan :*( <br /><br />My biggest weakness is probably characterization. I tend to have one clearly defined, "vivid" character interacting with a bunch of poorly defined, vague ones. Their interaction/relationship is tough for me to illustrate, too. I also have a problem with fully integrating readers into the story. I get a lot of feedback saying things like I don't know exactly what the setting is, what the character looks like, etc...kaybayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09656442399144949657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15642985.post-4189478459814889232010-10-06T14:54:28.584-07:002010-10-06T14:54:28.584-07:00I did choose location.
I grew up in Indiana and w...I did choose location.<br /><br />I grew up in Indiana and went to undergrad in Tennessee, so I have a very strong rural background. I now live in Los Angeles (and don't care for it all that much...though having to decide between the beach or snowboarding is a neat decision to be faced with).<br /><br />Having to fly home for any visit now, I personally wanted to pick places that are relatively "short" drives home. Or at least that is what I came to realize as my list kept changing and shifting.<br /><br />Duration doesn't matter all that much to me. I like the idea of a longer program because it's "more for your money" but I also like the idea of shorter ones because 3+ more years of school sounds like a lot. Of course my freshman year in undergrad I couldn't wait to graduate -- my senior year I was contemplating changing my major from writing to chemistry just to extend my stay ;)PAHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18150112855344551488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15642985.post-45445952630658469552010-10-06T14:34:45.233-07:002010-10-06T14:34:45.233-07:00Questions about Seth's poll:
Hi, I found Set...Questions about Seth's poll: <br /><br />Hi, I found Seth's poll really interesting and was hoping some people might be interested in talking about their answers some. <br /><br />I did not pick location as one of my 5, but for those of you who did: are you primarily interested in being close to 'home' or to family or in being a fun/cool liveable place? <br /><br />I did pick duration as one of my 5. I would personally prefer a 3 year program. Do any of you prefer a 2 year program, if so, why?FZAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11769818831464552021noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15642985.post-6030031701821922252010-10-06T14:03:49.189-07:002010-10-06T14:03:49.189-07:00Oh we are so close!
Let's get dirty. What'...Oh we are so close!<br /><br />Let's get dirty. What's your biggest weakness?<br /><br />For me...definitely POV. All my characters usually end up sounding a lot like a 25-year-old sarcastic silly white male from the Mid-West middle class.<br /><br />I also have trouble killing my darlings in the editing phase.PAHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18150112855344551488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15642985.post-72573948824904164862010-10-06T09:21:42.860-07:002010-10-06T09:21:42.860-07:00Hi all,
Don't forget to vote in The Suburban ...Hi all,<br /><br />Don't forget to vote in The Suburban Ecstasies <a href="http://www.sethabramson.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">poll</a>! (See right-hand sidebar). Best,<br /><br />SethSeth Abramsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08059849202129580100noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15642985.post-74308425581559787612010-10-06T04:13:45.989-07:002010-10-06T04:13:45.989-07:00@ Kaybay
I am enjoying the discussion too. Re &q...@ Kaybay <br /><br />I am enjoying the discussion too. Re "educated," yes that's about it. I think you say my point better than I do.<br /><br />However, Maia, I am holding back on whether that makes the entire MFA system unjust - that's too wholesale a judgment for my blood. Though I'll be glad to say the MFA system is situated in an unjust society. <br /><br />Would love to say more, but I've got to write said outside-my-comfort-zone story now.Jamiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17506923967926484067noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15642985.post-42992593931752425982010-10-05T22:58:12.792-07:002010-10-05T22:58:12.792-07:00my final list (fiction)
jhu
brown
iowa
penn state...my final list (fiction)<br /><br />jhu<br />brown<br />iowa<br />penn state<br />maryland<br />va tech<br />hollins<br />sarah lawrence<br />umass, boston<br />new hampshirewilliamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14995843463102178180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15642985.post-55436744939166548992010-10-05T21:42:33.431-07:002010-10-05T21:42:33.431-07:00@ Kaybay & Jamie --
I didn't read the who...@ Kaybay & Jamie --<br /><br />I didn't read the whole Shivani article because I do not have time; and I really do not have time to write a response to your dialogue, either, but I think a few of the subjects you've brought up are so crucial and important -- especially the question Jamie was hinting at, which is, Does the system of the MFA program somehow perpetuate a system that is unjust and that privileges the privileged? -- and I have to put in my two or three cents.<br /><br />MFAs or no MFAs, those that end up successful and influential in the publishing world, those who define the literary landscape, are, as Jamie pointed out, likely to have grown up in an English-speaking household; likely to have had their parents set them on their laps and read to them when they were toddlers; unlikely to have experienced malnourishment or undernourishment throughout their childhood and adolescence; unlikely to have grown up in foster care, homelessness, areas of high crime; not tremendously likely to have had significant experiences with death; extremely likely to have attended a school during their childhood and adolescence in which students almost always stayed in their seats and more or less respected their teachers; ultimately, much more likely to have money and to have come from money.<br /><br />As a public school teacher in a lower-income urban community for three years, I have known and taught young writers who naturally possess more talent and genius than I had at their age, and yet, due to their socioeconomic status and the lower than low quality of their education thus far, who are far behind in mastery of English conventions than their wealthy suburban counterparts, and -- this makes me so incredibly angry to write -- who may be published only if they demonstrate superhuman resilience, diligence, tenacity and passion. Which, actually, some of them do have.<br /><br />Oh, if only ensuring "equal opportunity" in the art world were as simple as shutting down MFA programs. That's a joke. The injustice begins so much earlier than the MFA and is so much more profound.<br /><br />Props to Seth Abramson and Tom Kealey of the original MFA Handbook for at least advocating for MFA programs to become more affordable. That is a step in the right direction for the literary establishment, which, as it stands, and perhaps as it always will stand -- and I know this is a cliche argument, but I stand behind it, as I have found it to be true -- tends to cater to and represent the intellectual elite, the relatively and obliviously rich.STChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17968606784729938920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15642985.post-27598595728370942682010-10-05T21:38:59.714-07:002010-10-05T21:38:59.714-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.STChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17968606784729938920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15642985.post-75694291440710020392010-10-05T21:36:34.577-07:002010-10-05T21:36:34.577-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.STChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17968606784729938920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15642985.post-34716399121101606242010-10-05T21:25:20.888-07:002010-10-05T21:25:20.888-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.xhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05814493825367047841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15642985.post-67913948532707257822010-10-05T20:22:34.751-07:002010-10-05T20:22:34.751-07:00What's the best way to ask for recommendation ...What's the best way to ask for recommendation letters? Some schools ask them to be submitted electronically, and some ask for hard-copies to be mailed either by the professor or myself. When about 10 of these add up, I'm afraid I'm asking my professor a lot. And I also think it lowers the chance of their getting submitted in time - all of them. How do you go about it?meejunghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05250130597489163708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15642985.post-11803964120740815582010-10-05T19:49:13.024-07:002010-10-05T19:49:13.024-07:00@ Jamie and @ kaybay:
I apologise for cutting int...@ Jamie and @ kaybay:<br /><br />I apologise for cutting into the conversation.<br /><br />My understanding on this, after reading your posts, is that you're really trying to figure out your style of writing, your voice. Systems play a big role obviously, in the proportion of their presence/ absence.<br /><br />I think it's unfair, and maybe even short-changing yourself, to break rules without knowing them. The greatest artists first understood the prevalent system before changing the game. And I think the same applies here as well.<br /><br />Jamie, if you find yourself writing a story in a form you are not comfortable with, that's terrific learning. You know how you DON'T want to write; you're fine-tuning, finding your voice and style. You're understanding elements of the system and then choosing to accept or reject them.<br /><br />I think you might have actually hit the very core of what an MFA is all about and practising it.<br /><br />Really interesting conversation.Ragshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05284695527241879105noreply@blogger.com