WorldCon--Whee!
Between a sudden kitty illness and being summoned to do income-producing "work," I only managed to spend a day down in Anaheim. But it was fun! I did my rounds, including hitting the Clarion West party. Saw both Julie and Jim for a little bit, said hi to Ellen and the Bears, talked to some other people I'd been wanting to meet, and put a lot of faces to names. Went to a couple of panels and readings. And spent about an hour wandering around the exhibition hall, chatting with Paul Park. (I don't think I spilled any embarrassing tales about my lovely classmates, although it was still early enough in the morning that brain and mouth were not in direct synchronization.) The day blurred past so fast that I have only sense impressions of everything--no revelations, news, or anecdotes to share. Sorry.
One of the readings I went to was by Phyllis Eisenstein--I haven't read all of her books but I love the fantasy novels I've read by her so far. I talked to her afterwards about her new projects and asked questions about the MFA program at Columbia College in Chicago where she teaches. Every few months I get seized by a strange fever, and while the fever lasts (often over several weeks), I obsessively research MFA programs, make lists of the pros and cons of traditional vs. low-residency programs, and generally expend a lot of brainpower in fretting over whether this is something I should pursue or not. Does anyone else suffer this sickness? If so, what do you do about it? 'Cause grad school applications are coming due in a couple of months and I feel the fever building again...
One of the readings I went to was by Phyllis Eisenstein--I haven't read all of her books but I love the fantasy novels I've read by her so far. I talked to her afterwards about her new projects and asked questions about the MFA program at Columbia College in Chicago where she teaches. Every few months I get seized by a strange fever, and while the fever lasts (often over several weeks), I obsessively research MFA programs, make lists of the pros and cons of traditional vs. low-residency programs, and generally expend a lot of brainpower in fretting over whether this is something I should pursue or not. Does anyone else suffer this sickness? If so, what do you do about it? 'Cause grad school applications are coming due in a couple of months and I feel the fever building again...
posted by tinatsu at 8:34 PM
2 Comments:
Well, if you aren't sure about traditional vs. low-res, you can always apply to some of each. Worst case scenario, you decide that you don't want to go to somewhere that let you in (or decide that you don't want to do it at all this year or you don't want an MFA after all or you can't afford it or whatever and you turn everyone down), in which case you haven't lost anything by applying...apart, I guess, from the application fees, which tend to be pretty minimal. Still, if you apply a bunch of places (I'm assuming you'll get in to at least some of the places you apply, considering the quality of your writing), you'll have options. No applications, no options. Even if you get turned down everywhere (which, again, I have a hard time believing would happen) you're no worse off than if you didn't apply anywhere.
Just a thought.
Umm, that requires actually assemblying applications and getting recommendation letters and a whole bunch of time-consuming work. Oh, and I'd have to get together some stories. .. ;-)
I guess the main thing is actually finding some place to apply that I'd be psyched about enough to want to spend two, possibly three, years there.
Post a Comment
<< Home