Part 1: Reckoning Writing Sample

Ok guys...here we are...nearing the end. I have my final writing sample that I'll be posting in two parts because it's around 16 pages long. This was my longer nonfiction piece that I worked on for weeks last semester. Dr. Graham gave me some suggestions for it, so it's subject to later revision, but for right now, this is what I have. I did go through and shuffle some things around or delete things altogether. But it's a piece I worked hard on and would want to send with my applications. So...without further ado...The Reckoning Essay. (Also, a reckoning essay, in this case, is a personal narrative tied together with other pieces of literature or art. In this case, I used a myth, a poem, and a statue.)

Advice from an Old Friend :)

Amy Bergamo is one of my friends from the horseback riding days. Many people at Marist don’t know that’s where I got my start in running. And much of it is in thanks to Amy. She and Lily told us about “imaginary horses” that we rode around the dusty arena at summer camp. Needless to say, I built up some form of endurance from all that galloping around and jumping over fences. Funny how life turns out. I started riding when I was 4. I had to give it up when I went to college. I sold Bandit and put everything into running. It still hurts when I look back to pictures of him and think of all my memories with my barn friends.

                

Amy was always REALLY talented. She rode Bandit once for me and she actually owned Sierra, the horse I first leased, before she bought another horse to compete with. I follow her blog now, chronicling her adventures with her newest prospect, Dee. However, Amy has decided to attend law school. She’s been following this grad school blog and gave me some constructive criticism about the personal statement. Her blog now follows her law school adventures (take a look at the list of blogs on my sidebar here, it’s titled “Dance Floor Metaphor”). Go take a look! So, to add a little variety, I thought it would be interesting to add in what Amy’s experiences were like and why she made some of her decisions.

                 

 One of my main reasons is to emphasize the point Dr. Graham made to me a few weeks ago. For writers especially, you need to experience life. You need to feel things out and do what you love. Amy’s always been connected with the horse world and continues to own Dee, hopefully completing her training after law school.

                 

 Amy decided to apply in the first semester of her senior year, spring 2010. She was a semester off and therefore graduated in December. And what lead Amy to decide to pursue law, even after she had shrugged off prompts from her professor to apply? An equine law class. Horses had, in a sense, brought her to something else she was interested in. She researched the field and how the classes would be set up. “I had a whole mountain of work ahead of me in the application process,” she said.

                 

 Amy decided on an LSAT test date that would allow her the most time to study and prepare. She didn’t rush just to get the application in. This applies to other graduate programs as well. Mainly, work off your own schedule and see what you will be able to handle. You don’t want to defeat yourself from the start by overwhelming yourself trying to get in tests and applications. Make sure the test date is early enough, however, to be sent in with your application on time. Amy explained that the LSAT only runs 4 times a year. She chose the October date because it fit her time to study and allowed her to apply in a time she felt comfortable with.

                 

 Perhaps one of the most important points Amy talked about was where she applied and why. Although she didn’t apply to many schools, she went by what her LSAT score said. “Basically, what I ended up doing was looking at my LSAT score, and then looking at schools who would normally accept people with scores similar to mine,” Amy said. “Then I began looking at the different programs (employment rates upon graduation, where people were going to work). From there, I narrowed it down by programs I liked and places I might like to live.”

                 

 For creative writers, this process is similar. LOOK AT PROGRAMS THAT OFFER WHAT YOU WANT TO DO AND PLAY TO YOUR STRENGTHS. You want to be a good fit. Even thought you aren’t worrying about LSAT scores, you still need to worry about if your writing is what is being produced by the program already.

                Amy chose the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Her reasons included:

1.)    Decent ranking

2.)    Good atmosphere (great area and laid back school atmosphere; Amy explained she doesn’t succeed in extremely competitive environments.)

3.)    Money. Tennessee was the highest ranked school that offered the most money. And as Amy explained, for law school, ranking is really important for after graduation.

Amy had clearly outlined what she wanted and had a clear idea of what she had to do. And while the process was still stressful at times, such as studying for the LSATs, she said having all her information set up was really helpful.

                 

 One final comment was about taking time off. Dr. Graham suggested this and Amy took some time off before her undergrad. So she had her own time schedule to see to. She didn’t want to spend much more time off. It’s all about where YOU want to take your education and when. Some people benefit from traveling and working different jobs for a while. What matters is that when it comes for application time, you have a clear idea of when, where, and why.

Amy and her horse, Dee

Next week: Look for the infamous Reckoning writing sample. It's a long one. Might post it in segments. Also, we're rounding that final turn with only a couple posts left for a while. One will be on potential jobs for creative writing majors/writing majors in general.

The "Pittsburgh Post"

I had a new program come to my attention a little late in the game. The University of Pittsburgh was a suggestion from Dr. Graham. I map quested the area as soon as I got home, which was bad (DO NOT DECIDE SOLELY ON AREA), and concluded it may be too far away.

Then I actually went to Pittsburgh to visit Paul, who is on co-op at a company in the city. I fell in love with the area. I’m NOT a city person. I actually hate it. But the housing is reasonable and the area around the school is actually really cool. I saw a runner while I was there, big plus for me as I run a lot. And there is a ton to do. It’s a sport city too. That is fine by me. Paul and his housemates drove me around the different areas and I found myself just staring out the window and liking it all. There were maybe a couple things I didn’t like, but they weren’t deal breakers. I just don’t know how I would deal with being so far away. But as my mother said, “Now is the time to do this stuff. When you’re young.” Thanks, Mom. I probably wouldn’t be able to be that far from home for this long, but the program still drew me in based off the city culture and what the nonfiction classes had to offer. 

I had to research the program further. I already knew there was a strong nonfiction program, which is perfect for me. So I got down to adding them to my list after searching out the details.

The website provides its viewers with a way to explore the city via their website. There are links to all the popular attractions. I visited several when I was there. The zoo isn’t far from where I stayed in Morningside. But I also toured South Side, the strip, Shadyside (which was BEAUTIFUL, but sadly, a poor college student probably cannot afford to live in that section) and of course, the airport. I got a good mix, I felt. I wanted to see more, which always makes me want to trust my instincts and look into things further, such as a grad program in an exciting city. 

Here is the program overview:

“Ours is a three-year degree providing students with the time and opportunity to produce a book-length final manuscript. Our graduate writing faculty have distinguished themselves nationally and internationally through numerous publications and awards. They include poets Toi Derricotte, Lynn Emanuel, and Dawn Lundy Martin; fiction writers Fiona Cheong, Chuck Kinder, and Irina Reyn; and creative nonfiction writer Jeanne Marie Laskas. Each year we also welcome a number of distinguished visiting faculty.”

So this program is a little longer than the other ones I have looked at. However, I really like that they offer nonfiction. I also really like that they name successful faculty that I can go look up if I don’t know them. Which I don’t. 

I then looked up the requirements of the nonfiction program. I should also note, DO THIS FOR EVERY SCHOOL YOU LOOK AT. Search through their website, make phones calls or send e-mails if you need clarification. The Pittsburgh site was pretty clear. Being a Journalism major, I was really interested to see the term “literary journalism” appear less than halfway down the page. 

Straight from the website: “The terms “creative nonfiction” and “literary journalism” should serve as indicators of the intent of our program. We expect students to work in any of a wide variety of styles and subgenres, such as autobiography, biography, history, speculative or personal essays, new journalism, investigative reporting and analysis, and feature writing of the quality that appears in publications such as The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, Atlantic Monthly, Harper’s, and literary quarterlies.”

The section ended with a description of the final manuscript. I really want to try and have something published, so this is another aspect of the program that really appeals to me. I would be able to receive feedback on my first big work. Not to mention, this feedback would be the well-aimed criticism I would hope to receive that would help me take a critical look at my own work. 

There is a con to this program. All the others DO NOT REQUIRE the GRE’s. Pittsburgh does. So I would have to wait an entire year before I could apply (they do not have a spring semester admission time), which is fine. I need to search now anyways. 

For their statement of purpose, they clearly state in the FAQ section: “Your statement of purpose should tell us about yourself and what brought you to this program. Why did you choose the University of Pittsburgh’s MFA program? What do you expect from your time in the program? And what are your aspirations as a writer?”

I browsed some course offerings and what the program’s goals are. Great. So now I need to remember to get all my application elements prepared and be signed up for the GRE’s early enough that, if I do decide to go with Pittsburgh, my application would be completed in time for the December 9^th deadline. 

Pittsburgh also asks for much more in the application process. I would have to submit the full 50 pages of writing samples, three letters of recommendation, and a two to three page writing sample. 

My main reason for this post is to just prove to KEEP YOUR OPTIONS OPEN. I had previously turned my nose up at Pittsburgh without really looking into the program and what it could offer me. I’ll be honest, I still really like the Fairfield program best (the low-res), mainly because it would be much more cost effective and provide me with an excellent writing experience. I still have work to do in terms of deciding which samples to definitely send and I have a revision to complete on my personal statement. 

Pittsburgh also keeps potential students and alumni up to date with a news section. I browsed this to see some of the accomplishments of the faculty and students:

http://www.creativewriting.pitt.edu/news

They also offer a section of their 21 admitted students in the various genres and they each have a brief write-up about what they’re focusing on and where they came from. I found this really helpful.

http://www.creativewriting.pitt.edu/people/mfa-students

Link to the program: http://www.creativewriting.pitt.edu/graduate

Short Visual Story Telling Scene!!

So this semester I'm taking an awesome screenwriting course. We just did little mini scenes where they're action based. The important moments are not through dialogue. So I figured I'd post this to break up the monotony of my earlier posts. Hope you guys enjoy. I actually started character outlines for a longer piece.

Also, this was workshopped Monday in class, so I have a couple tweaks for it. But this is the original one. Blogger did something funky to the formatting on me, so hopefully it's not too awful. Grr.

Anis Shivani Commentary on MFA Programs in the Huffington Post

A recent graduate and classmate of mine, Nick Sweeney, sent me a message after following through my blog. He told me about an article in the Huffington Post that I may want to take a look at. Well, I followed Nick’s advice and this post will be a bit of commentary on this and where it left me feeling as a student considering an MFA program. Thanks, Nick! Everyone else, any suggestions, let me know! 

Shivani begins by comparing the MFA programs to a guild system with apprentices and journeymen, focused on craft. His tone has a sarcastic feeling to it. He explains how modern creative writing began to really take off around 1960:

“Before the 1950s, the majority of literary writers were not part of the academy; writers might sometimes teach as well, but this was not an essential condition of their identity; it was still a minority affair. The ideal was to be free of the restraint the academy, or really any institution, imposes. In 2010, literary writers not attached to the academy are so rare as to be almost nonexistent.”

And while there was a lot of just accepting these new programs cropping up, there was a reason behind them. While many writers were still writing on their own, he explains how some were afraid to do that. “The choice was made to retreat behind the barricades as protection from the masses, and to create MFA programs all over the country, where those who were scared of the easy talk of nuclear Armageddon could take permanent refuge.” Writers wanted their own community, is what Shivani is trying to explain. The main “market”, they felt, wasn’t for them. And, as with a guild, the community imposes its own rules and regulations. Perfect for writers who desire freedom in their art. 

Shivani comments on the mentors in the program. How it is their job to teach the students to follow in their footsteps. He also comments on how the students, if by some luck they gain success, are to say that it just happened to them. Instructors, in workshop, are meant to figure out the students who will cause problems by gaining any confidence in their writing. He makes the impression that everyone in the community is supposed to be virtually the same. So how are they then exercising their freedom if their own instructors pull them down if they feel they’re getting ahead? 

He goes on to comment on the different programs  - some are considered elite and others not so much. There’s contest entrants with their PhD’s . To be inducted to a “guild” of writers in the future, you need to have been a part of one of the elite. To have those recommendations grants you admittance. You cannot write across genres and all criticism is nonexistent (which I find kind of hard to believe, but I’m just posting what Shivani said). And then he goes into REVISION. The more revisions, the more adept a student is. “This is cause for bragging rights; the more drafts, the more committed the writer declares himself to execution of craft.”

He begins to close the article by talking about who gets published from these “guilds”. He feels that because of the imposed “house” style, many publishing companies don’t accept them. However, New York is starting to. And many of them are finding success. One example he provides is Wells Tower, but Shivani says that is because he keeps an audience in mind when writing. So it is possible. He also starts saying how the medieval guilds fell apart, collapsing under their own weight because of its exclusivity and control. He thinks digital publishing, however, will allow MFA’s to continue on strongly. It doesn’t mean he necessarily agrees with them. “Talent, in the modern writing guild, has been discounted; it is craft that counts.”

After reading it, I didn’t really like what he was saying. I still hold the feeling that everyone learns differently. And my experience in workshops is that you do get criticism and things to work on. The more workshops you take, the more drastic changes will occur to your writing. Yes, it’s about craft, but through craft, you can make your talent soar. I never forget what I want to write about or why. But being able to construct it in ways that make it appealing is another thing all together. All talent needs honing and I think the MFA programs work well for this. Keara Driscoll loved her poetry program and had some really interesting things to say. The programs are popular. They’re still on the upswing. Writing is one of those things that is a constant flux, based on society and the people engaging in it at certain times.

I thought Shivani, while making me think of MFAs in a new light, was a bit critical of some aspects. It was a good article to maybe make people re-think the programs a bit. And he had a perfect comparison to the guild system. Because that is essentially what it is. A group of writers working on their craft, led by a master. But I don’t see anything wrong with it. It didn’t change my opinion on wanting to apply. 

Read for yourself. I only highlighted a few points from it that stuck out to me. 

Link to the Article By Anis Shivani:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anis-shivani/creative-writing-programs-corrupt_b_757653.html 

I'm going to post a short screenplay scene that I wrote. I'm making some headway in deciding about fiction/screenplay writing as well.  It'll just be for some entertainment :)

Short Interview with Dr. Donald Anderson and Marist Video

Dr. Donald Anderson taught my playwriting class the fall of my junior year of college. I had never written a play in my life, nor had I ever considered writing one. Anderson, however, took on these challenges anytime he teaches a class. He got me to write a couple short plays and taught me the finer aspects of character and dialogue. In a way, he got me jump started into the fiction world. I turned to him for some level-headed advice in terms of the graduate school process and for some interesting comments about his own time studying.

Anderson told me that he felt “under-qualified” to be one of my interviews, since he felt grad school was such a long time ago. However, he still answered all my questions. Anderson decided on a path in English by his junior year of college. He received a National Defense Act grant to attend the University of Arizona.

“It was a Cold War program to develop college teachers so we could ‘compete with the Russians,’” said Anderson. “I was a literature person at that point. The creative writing and theater components of my teaching evolved during my years at Marist.”

At Marist, Anderson had opportunities to branch out, one of the reasons he really loved the time spent teaching at the school. Arizona was on the opposite side of the country from where he grew up. It was a welcome change and he still loves that area of the country.

“I was the first in my family to go to grad school and get the Doctorate,” Anderson said. “My family was very encouraging, even about having me head so far away from the Northeast.”

Anderson’s point proves how you can’t choose a school on location alone. It was a chance going that far away, but it ended up being a well-made decision as he ended up enjoying his time there.

Anderson has advice for prospective graduate students. “I try to tell students to be realistic about where they apply,” Anderson said. His reasoning behind this comment? Although Marist’s reputation has been gaining popularity and repute over the past few years, it’s still lacking the “pull” for students to get in anywhere, even with “high GPA’s.”

Also, while Dr. Graham suggested NOT choosing the school for the place, Anderson recommends being well aware of the city or area where the school is located. If you hate big cities, then maybe the New School isn’t the greatest choice. If you think you can deal with it, then great, go for it.

“Grad school isn’t just academics,” Anderson said. “It’s also potentially the larger experience of a new living situation or culture. That being said, we are clearly sending more and more students to grad school in the past ten to fifteen years.”

Anderson explained how in the mid-90’s the concentrations were “re-tooled” to allow a better preparation for students to attend graduate school. He brought up how Dr. Graham, along with Professor Zurhellen, was one of the professors brought in and, since her arrival, the creative writing program has become much more geared toward students attending MLA programs.

“Prior to their arrival, the courses were more like ‘hobby courses’ for faculty who wanted something a little different to teach from time to time,” Anderson said. “The last decade has shown a marked improvement. Students have become more highly skilled in workshop dynamics, which I could see quite clearly when I taught playwriting.”

In the end, know what program you are coming from and what you’re trying to go into. As with all the other pieces of advice that were given, students need to be knowledgeable about the programs they’re applying to. They also need to really know what they want to do with their graduate degree. Do they want to teach? Be a publisher? Dr. Graham gave me a list of job options that she wrote up in a graduate school packet.

Search out every nook and cranny of graduate school: the school itself, the program, the area, where graduates are working. Be inquisitive. And don’t be afraid to travel somewhere far away because it may give you one of the best educations and experiences to date.

Thank you again to Dr. Anderson!!

Here is a short video about the PRE COLLEGE creative writing program at Marist, featuring Dr. Graham. It’s interesting, after listening to what Dr. Anderson had to say, how this complies with the changes that were made in the program. There appears to be a much stronger focus on the writing programs.