365 days of being a writer: day 242

YAWN. I am beat, y'all. And I still need to drive home.

This dispatch is courtesy of the high-speed internet at my parent's house. I have spent the last couple of hours knitting and watching trashy police dramas on their cable. Tonight we went out to eat as a belated celebration of all of my recent good lucks.

Earlier, I got blood drawn so I can prove my immunization status (should have the documentation on Tuesday), I submitted two more demand articles, and a poem for next Friday's 52 | 250 theme.

Speaking of poems, I have been writing them lately. Weird.

It has been a full and writerly weekend. I feel like I have to make up for my less than scintillating weeks--but then those are full of writing every day, just not writing that "counts." It's also full of reading, which I do think counts... I don't know what I want to say about that. I was just about to give myself too much rope, I think. So I will quit now. Time for BED, Sock Monkeys.

Ms Manners on the MFA

The Chronicle of Higher Education has a wonderful piece on MFA draft etiquette by Elise Blackwell, whose common sense and compassion seems second only to one other MFA director I can think of.

I am more than pleased to say that every school with which I had cause to correspond adhered to all of these points, and more. And I'd like to think I did the same.

365 days of being a writer: day 230

So, I will admit when I am wrong. Yesterday, I was wrong. My oldest friend in the world specifically said that I should not freak out until I heard from Wyoming, and I nonetheless freaked the fuck out.

And today, Wyoming called to offer me a spot in their program.

After crying a little bit and calling my mom, and writing to one of the professors that I consider a mentor to get his blessing, and hopping around my apartment like a rabbity nine-year old--I called them back and accepted.

I have written to both TTU and KSU expressing my sadness at being unable to accept all of the offers.

I'm going to attend the University of Wyoming's MFA program in the fall.

You guys!

So, for the second time this week, I am going to go cry a little but this time I'll be listening to a few more repeats of Queen and jumping on the bed before going to sleep.

365 days of being a writer: day 218

I'm tired. And I'm going to bed early.

Today, KSU let me know I won a scholarship that would add a bit of money to my stipend, if I were to choose them. I also heard some rave reviews from another TTU student.

The book review will go up Thursday morning, and I will post a link when it does. I listed a couple of things on craigslist, though I have not yet reposted my lousy cat.

365 days of being a writer: day 216

I was writing last night up to the very last minute on a deadline that dematerialized. So I went to bed and forgot all about writing it up.

The anxiety of having to choose really really soon is going to start stressing me out. It's already stressing me out, but still in a good way--I feel that tide shifting a little. This decision is mine, and I have already sensed pressure to pick a school that would not be in MY best interests. What's crazy is that there are still four weeks until the deadline.

It's a good place to be, I just want to make a decision and get on the road!

Hopefully, I will get a new book review up on Xenith tonight, stay tuned.

My Statement of Purpose

Last year, every school rejected me. This year, all but one have not rejected me. While much of my manuscript has been (or will be) published online, I thought I would share my SOP after the jump. When it came time to write this, I searched high and low for "winning" examples. I only found a few.

Not that I think this is the best statement ever. Already, I cringe in spots when I re-read it. But it was mentioned in two of my acceptance calls, so I figured it couldn't HURT the discussion. I have stripped all identifying sentences (note: this was modified for each school, most notably in the last couple of paragraphs).