whentostop

Well, that is reassuring...somewhat.

May I be bold enough to ask what you are applying to and the school....???? Maybe that is too far to go....???? I wonder....am I on .... The List....???

Has anyone been accepted to a UNH program and heard about funding? I was accepted to the MA in literature and they told me I wouldn't hear about TAship or fellowship until next month. Are they saying this because they have already offered to some, but are not sure who will accept? Or are they really not making those decisions yet?

Oh sorry. KC is twenty-thirty minutes due East of Lawrence. All I-70. If you get lost, I don't know what your doing applying to grad school. Small toll going both ways (Kansans don't believe in taxes. You use it, you pay for it. Don't bother me about your amenities. They are a little bit endearing sometimes, if not completely terrifying at others.).

Kansas City is about the size of Seattle, if you have ever been there (probably a little smaller). Public transportation is awful, as all places in the Midwest that I've seen. You will need a car, unless you are happy not being able to really get around. There is some wonderful food here. If you are actually coming, may I suggest the dining along 39th street, the westport area, and some stuff in Brookside/Waldo. City developers have been working hard on the downtown area, but it is still largely under construction and a bit more trendy than I can usually be (both in person and in funding). All of those areas are easily reached by a google, I imagine. Music is okay, if you like Jazz and Blues. There is some small grunge/emo-metal/indie things going on, but I doubt it could be much different than anywhere else (largely existing in house parties and the like...) We get some touring bands, but often we miss big names. We had Billy Joel; Bruce Springsteen skipped over us. (I like folk music, so my examples tend that way.) For middleweight performers, we get some (Lucinda Williams, 311, The Killers, just some concerts that were around recently, or perhaps last summer, sheesh I notice nothing when I'm in school), but again, often we get jumped, or we have to drive around a lot. In the last year, I've been to Iowa, Lawrence, Columbia, and Nebraska for music. KC just isn't a big enough magnet, but the area usually gets hit. Night life is okay. Over half the bars close at 1:30, but some are open until 3 (special permit situation). If you are into it, we have three disc golf courses, several regular golf, three theatres that show non-mainstream movies (Tivoli cinema is the best!). I'm trying to think of other things... If you have direct questions, I could answer. There is a lot to do, just not everything to do. We visited NYC this summer and I was blown away. That place doesn't stop. We aren't like that and our arts leave a lot to be desired. The Nelson-Atkins museum has some nice collections, and there is a sort of new thing called the Crossroads district starting up, but it doesn't amount to a great "culture" feeling, if you know what I mean. What I do like about KC, there are a lot of good people, specifically in the midtown area, and while the community is not as apparent as other places, it is there. But indeed, it takes some poking around to find it. Yeah, if you have interests, I have been here a while and would be happy to give you more details that are tailored to your specifics.

I don't actually live in Lawrence, but in Kansas City (a 20-30 minute trip, depending on your velocity). Lawrence is okay, if you like college towns. For many years I thought it was a destination (grew up in a small town in the middle of all three of the cities mentioned in this post), but after living in Columbia, MO, it annoys me how alike the two "college towns" are. Moving to Kansas City, I figured I would spend more time in Lawrence, because they used to draw some good music and I have friends out that way, but usually they prefer to drive into KC. There is more to do, and well, the fascists haven't outlawed smoking here...yet. Lots to do in KC, but none of it is ever as exciting as true big cities sound. Hopefully, given some favor from the grad school gods, I'll find something out about another region soon. *crossing fingers*

Does anyone else feel as if there were a copious amount of results coming in from a variety of English programs, and now, with the exception of a few schools, we are in some sort of calm before the tornado of rejections come? I dare say, I feel a bit like I'm outside a Kansas farm house, feeling the electricity of devastation, hairs on end, everything calm except my heart, and hearing a small voice in the back of my head saying anybody with half a brain would be in a bomb shelter right now.

Oh indeed! My wife has a veritable flow chart of contingencies for living arrangements depending on which of the ten cities I get admitted to. I just kind of nervously smile and wonder what it will feel like to be rejected ten times and watch that list of details about where to live and how to live fold into the trash can.

Does anybody else's mailman come inordinately late in the day? And did anybody else discover this only in the last few weeks? I just sit here and listen for the creek of that metal hinge...and listen...and listen...

It took me a couple minutes to adjust, but now I'm finding the new one much improved.