MoJuiced

OH em gee. Commence nail-biting. Good luck to us all!

I'm also waiting on my five remaining schools. I've been advised that having not heard yet is a good thing. For some, it's just the programs haven't decided. For others it indicates you're still in the running. My discipline is a bit different from normal academic ones, however. My philosophy is to view everything as an opportunity to be gained (rather than lost), so that either you get it and it's a plus or you don't get it and you break even. Just keep trying, regardless of what happens, and you'll succeed ultimately. There's a very real possibility that I will not get accepted by any of the 11! programs I applied to, and I'm prepared to do it all over again next year if needed. I'm terrifically well qualified and still I might not make it this go around. That's just the way it goes sometimes!

University Of Iowa Creative Writing - Fiction, MFA (F14) Rejected via Postal Service on 1 Mar 2014 1 Mar 2014 Knock knock. Who's there? Iowa. Iowa who! Dang my bad...wrong house.

this was up last week but was taken down pretty quickly, luckily I screenshot and configured it

settled Unfortunately, the cat consumed all glory of the moon and stars. It gave him severe anxiety, but also he received the power to fly. A joy. Suddenly...Bees! They flew around, jealous, plotting murder, arson, etc. They were searching for hundreds of floating wildebeest. These evil bees converged into a mega bee! Zooming fiercely throughout the glen until they could find unsuspecting marsupials, the bees settled

I don't want to sound like I'm the son of a theoretical sociologist professor father with a strong background in economics and who has written the Beginner's Book on Kapital... but Capitalism is the cause of most ills in our society.

, jealous

received

also

I'm smoking cigarettes like a champ -- it's almost like I'm devouring them, but not actually because that would be gross. (Ironically: smoking is gross)

Stuff sucks. But nothing rules. I am simultaneously a passionate and profoundly indifferent person. When you reach pure apathy, it's like, why not do stuff, even without motivation -- disinterested effort and suffering is better than small talk. When you truly reach "Who Cares?", then what reason is there to worry about feeling apathetic? It's almost a self-fixing state of contradiction. When nothing is fun, then taking a crap is as fun as winning the Olympics. On the other hand lying in bed for hours and listening to birds -- that's just purely the stuff of gods.

I'm pretty well versed on the various angles of it. I like both artists, find both deserving, find the Grammy's to be stupid in general, and find the cultural commentary to be troubling in several ways. I'm interested in what you think. My point remains though, even if the topical analogy rankles.

We all know from popular culture that the best talent doesn't usually get the proper recognition. You're just like Kendrick Lamar losing to Macklemore at this point.

Also, something to give a bit of solace to the wait is that April 14th is about when schools ask for their first choices to make their decisions so this can stretch on. There's a chance you get contacted beyond that. I've even heard of acceptances coming as late as June.

For the first couple schools I applied to my poetry portfolio didn't contain my name...

It gives me a glimpse into what it must be like for athletes going through draft day, except they know exactly when it will happen and can count down the days til their future is writ.

Are you much older than them? That's a quite a posse :-) It was just my brother and I growing up and he's 3 1/2 years younger than me, so we had enough space but also enough proximity and I'm a nice older sibling. I've definitely had many a stress dream about protecting him from harm, even to this day. Now that we've turned this into a personal conversation maybe I should say something related to the topic and forum... Poetry, Grad School, ACCEPT US!!!!! Sooner than later! I would personally love to go to the UK for grad school.

and re IU wow, glad you emailed or I would have been on edge for 3 more weeks about that one.

goood point, but it's like going to the casino -- gotta consider the money gone for the experience from the outset

'Nox' is outstanding and such a beautiful objet d'art. I actually had the pleasure of seeing a little Anne Carson event this last week in honor of Stanley Lombardo's retirement from KU. She was snowed in and unable to attend in person but she was skyped in and larger than life. She, along with a host of professors, performed a reading of her 'Antigonick' which was wonderful and funny. Lombardo played the part of the mute character Nick who is always on stage measuring things. I love classics and Antigone in particular so I really enjoyed it. There was a profound line that stuck with me and made me reflect on her loss and my own brother (not yet lost): "A husband or child can be replaced, but who can grow me a brother?" Obviously the loss of a child or loved one is incomparably terrible, but a sibling is a one of a kind person with an understanding of you that can't be replicated. My own brother is one of the few people I feel truly gets me.

You cheeky applicant you! I hope they aren't aspiring writers who avoid reading! I do actively read. In fact, I think reading is the heart of it. Fancy that :-/ I do love ee cummings and WCW both. A few of my personal favorites that I like to promote are Lisel Mueller, Li-Young Lee, Cyrus Console, Anne Carson, Dean Young, and Lee Ann Roripaugh. There are so many amazing poets, it's hard to keep track of them all. I made a list of professors' work that I read in the process. Some of them blew me away: Joshua Clover, Mary Jo Bang, Alice Fulton, and Linda Gregerson.

Thanks for the vote of confidence :-) ! There were definitely a couple I did not apply to due to some oversight I'd made and no time to correct it prior to the deadline. Certainly, the process of applying has been a great learning experience for me. I'm really thrilled by all of the great writers I've become exposed to as a result. I like your idea of contacting IU, because I can't be biting my nails much shorter. On the other hand I'm sure they've got their hands full and I like to suspiciously think my chances are better if I don't prod my judges... (I'm not actually superstitious) or perhaps I like to keep the dream alive... or I'm masochistic. If you feel inclined to inquire though, I would love to hear what you're told.

That would be pretty fabulous if we both got into Indiana. I say go with your gut on which discipline to pursue. What is your ultimate goal? I've taken the circuitous route in my education. I began in physics in 2002; sojourned into philosophy; took time off; detoured back to what-I-would-have-done-originally-if-I'd-had-my-head-on-straight: music composition; found my like-minded folk, my people in English lit; moved to NJ with my ex; and finally returned (triumphantly) in 2009, discovering that poetry was my calling. Graduated 2012, been working on several big projects while earning my keep and now here I am, at the mercy of anonymous judges. (Please accept me! please accept me) My father is a professor and, against my great desire as a child not to be his clone, I was destined to teach. My ultimate goal is to teach creative writing, preferably at the college level. Writing will be done by me regardless. I'd love to have the opportunity to meet new minds in mentors and cohort and have a dedicated period of studying the finer points and working concertedly while getting teaching experience. Hopefully it will transpire. That's my story.

OK, rejected by UC Davis, probably as I wrote that post... boo hoo hoo!