ruylopez88

Check out the University of Montana - they have an Environmental Writing Institute as part of their Environmental Studies grad. program, seems to be pretty interdisciplinary, and you can take courses in other departments as well. The University of Oregon in Eugene is a top school for ecocriticism and interdisciplinary humanities/ environmental studies work. In their English department, you can focus on 'Literature & The Environment' at the MA and Ph.D. level. Ole Miss is also a good choice- particularly if you're interested in Southern lit! Ann Fisher Wirth at Ole Miss teaches in the English dept. but also directs the Environmental Studies minor, and teaches courses in environmental literature.

Definitely check out the farmers' markets! Lots of cheap and delicious produce, and you can buy loaves of bread, cheeses, eggs, meat, jams, flowers, and pretty much anything else you can think of... There are usually open early in the morning and wrap up around two pm. During the warm months there is a farmers' market on Saturday (the HUGE one) and on Wednesday, which is a bit more low-key but still has lots of options. They are both located on/near the Capitol square. Those are just the "Dane County Farmers' Markets," but there are also neighborhood markets other days of the week, which are located in other parts of Madison. There is a neighborhood market in Brittingham Park (W. Washington/Park Street) which is open on Tuesday afternoons during the summer. This will be easy to walk to from where you'll be living on West Main Street. As for grocery stores, I recommend Trader Joe's (Monroe St., slightly west of campus...you can get there on the bike path or #3 Bus). I am always surprised when I get a big bag stuffed with groceries for like $25 (and this includes organic stuff!). If you need staples like rice, Midway Asian Foods on W. Washington/Park is a great little store with lots of cheap goods. The most expensive grocery stores are probably Whole Foods, Fresh Madison Market, Metcalfe's and Willy St Coop. They are very nice stores but may not be great if you're on a budget. However, I do like to get coffee from the Willy St Coop because they have a great selection. There are a few campus grocery stores, Fresh Market and Capitol Center Foods, that are convenient for students but the prices are a little high. There is also a grocery chain in Madison called Copp's, which has locations all over the city. It's a regular all-purpose grocery store. I would say prices are average there. If you have a car, there's a large grocery store on the east side, Woodman's, that is also pretty affordable, and they are open 24 hours a day.

You might want to check out New England College- I believe they are one of the only low-residency MFA programs to offer teaching fellowships and assistantships. They also don't charge an application fee.

The French House is cool, although I've only been there once, so I don't know much about it. They host a lot of communal dinners with traditional French food. It's also in a very beautiful old building overlooking Lake Mendota. It could be a nice community for you! You'll definitely get a lot of practice speaking French with native speakers of many nationalities, as well as American students studying French. I think it sounds like a great option!

Hey everyone, I have a question for you all. I received an email from someone in the English dept. at one of my schools, wanting to discuss a teaching assistantship. I didn't recognize the prof's name because they are in another field in the English dept (not the MFA I applied to), but as I understand it's for teaching rhet/comp. I haven't heard anything else from this school and have not been admitted yet. Is it normal to be contacted about an assistantship before you've heard anything else? I'm just a little confused. Any input is appreciated. Thanks!

1. Novelist 2. Musician 3. Artisan bread baker 4. Naturalist

Hey Macabea, I'm so glad the post was helpful! Like MangoSmoothie, I recommend living slightly east of the Capitol, and the Willy Street neighborhood is a great option. Not many undergrads live in that area so you won't have to worry about loud parties- you'll also get more of the 'local vibe' in that neighborhood. There are some very nice flats on Jenifer and Spaight streets in that area- check out the area near BB Clarke Beach and Orton Park- you'll be right next to the lake, biking distance to UW, and walking distance to the Willy St. Coop for groceries, as well as walking distance to several coffee shops and restaurants.

Hi all, I'm a Madison native and thought I'd write a little bit about my experience here, and hopefully that will help prospective UW students get more of a feel for the local life here. This is just one person's opinion... Note: I did not attend University of Wisconsin so I won't focus on the UW. But, I have lived here for a long time, so take this all for what it's worth! MADISON PROS: *The lakes and unique geography of the city. As you probably know, Madison is a city situated between two large lakes, on an isthmus. It's pretty cool to be able to see Lake Mendota or Monona wherever you are in the city (unless you're out in the 'burbs). Madison would not be what it is without our beautiful lakes. During the summer people take part in boating, rowing, sailing, hanging out on the Memorial Union Terrace (UW) drinking local beer, eating local ice cream and watching the sparkling lake. During the winter you'll often see people ice fishing, or even kite skiing. In addition to Lakes Monona and Mendota, there is also Lake Wingra (near the free zoo) and the Monona Bay, Cherokee Marsh, and the Yahara River. There is a slight problem with the lakes, though- since Madison is surrounded by farms, a lot of run-off goes into our lakes, making them not-so-safe to swim in, and sometimes they get pretty funky during the summer. *The bike path system. I am ever-grateful for our fabulous system of bike paths. Madison is a relatively small city (particularly if you live and work and go to school on the isthmus) and it is so easy to get around on the bike paths. In addition to the main city paths like Capitol City Trail and Southwest Commuter Path, there are numerous other paths in or near Madison such as the Badger State Trail (goes to Illinois border), the Military Ridge State Trail (goes from Fitchburg/West Madison to Dodgeville), the Glacial Drumlin State Trail (goes from Cottage Grove, a town just east of Madison, to Waukesha, a town east of Milwaukee). During the summer, LOTS of people take part in commuting by bike or long-distance biking. Every year there is a "bike to work week" to encourage bicycle commuting, where vendors set up on the path to offer commuters things like bacon and coffee. *Walkability. Madison is very walkable- to a point. If you live/work/go to school on the isthmus, things are relatively close together. Most neighborhoods have amenities of their own like grocery stores, a coffee shop, restaurants, etc. BUT, if you live further out, it can be a problem, and you can't always find everything you need on one street. For walkable areas within a 20-minute bus/bike ride to campus, I would recommend Monroe Street near Trader Joe's (though it's expensive), Willy/Spaight/Jenifer St. on the near east side, and Atwood/Winnebago on the near east side. Side note: during the winter, having to walk places can become painful due to extreme cold. *Number of coffee shops & restaurants. Good lord, there are a lot of places to drink coffee and eat. If you don't like your neighborhood coffee shop, there is probably another one within four blocks. We also have a ton of local coffee roasters that are delicious and highly recommended! JUST Coffee is probably my favorite. Colectivo and Anodyne out of Milwaukee are also excellent. If you are new to Madison and looking for a great place to get coffee, I recommend Victory Cafe on Atwood (they are always playing good music and are super friendly), Colectivo on the Capitol Square, Bradbury's on N. Hamilton downtown (delicious coffee + awesome crepes), and Johnson Public House on E. Johnson St. (pour-over). If you are new to Madison and looking for a place to eat that encompasses the 'Madison' experience, lots of people go to the Old Fashioned for local beers and fried cheese curds. There are also a number of really great Thai and Laotian restaurants. I find it confusing though, that there are no 24-hour restaurants (except Denny's). The closest you can get (that I know of) is Willalby's Diner on Willy St. which opens back up for a few hours overnight on weekends...so if you need an omelette and coffee at 2am, that might be your best bet. *Farmer's Markets. During the summer months, every neighborhood has a farmer's market, and there's the Dane Co. Farmer's market, which is HUGE. I recommend doing your produce shopping at these markets- it can be a lot cheaper than the grocery store. *Hiking/camping opportunities. There are opportunities to hike right here in Madison (go for a walk at the Arboretum, hike on the Ice Age Trail in Verona, hike at Cherokee Marsh, etc). Within an hour's drive, there are plenty more places to camp and hike. One of the most popular parks in Wisconsin is Devil's Lake State Park in Baraboo, in the beautiful bluffs, about an hour north of Madison. Definitely check it out! It can get crowded in the summer, though. I highly recommend Governor Dodge State Park in Dodgeville, about 45 miles west of Madison. It doesn't get as much foot traffic, there are two different lakes to swim in, and an extensive system of trails. Another favorite would be Kettle Moraine State Forest near Whitewater, which also has a huge mountain biking trail system. *Madison is clean. It's really clean. I've heard people from other cities remark on how clean the streets are. Although during the winter it can be a bit of a mess. Which brings me to... MADISON CONS: *Number one is definitely the WINTER. It is so awful. I hate it with a passion. I am angry about winter right now because it is 2/28 and -4 degrees outside, and it has been cold since we got an arctic blast in early November. Not to mention the horrible polar vortex last year which just about made me want to jump off a bridge. Winter is bitterly cold here, and it last for what seems like an eternity. I have to be honest, when I meet people who have moved here from places like Oregon or California I think "WHY?!?!?!" Yes, you can take part in winter sports if you are into that, but often times it is too cold for outdoor activities to be enjoyable. Really think about this before moving here: driving in snow (and having your car get destroyed by winter and road salt), waiting for the bus in -10 degree weather, being cooped up inside for months, and endless gray days where there is little daylight. Weather here can be really variable and frustrating as well, we have had snow and cold in March/April and we've had weird streaks of 80 degree weather. You just never know if Fall and Spring are going to warm or cold, but you can bet on winter being long and dark! *Intense local pride to the point of it being annoying. Okay, so from my "pros" list you can see that I love our lakes, trails, local coffee and produce! However, something I have noticed about Madison is that Madison locals think we live in some kind of premier world-class city. WE DON'T. Someone earlier on this forum mentioned that "Madison thinks it's Berkeley and gets offended when you say it's not" or something to that effect. It is difficult to even criticize Madison (or even mention Milwaukee!) without some Madison locals rolling their eyes and scoffing. And yeah...lots of Madisonians look down on Milwaukee for some reason which I do not understand. Milwaukee is a bit more working class, Madison is pretty yuppie and affluent, so it just comes off as snobby when Madisonians hate on MKE. *Wage disparities/ cost of living/ jobs! Now, I do not have a professional job in Madison, because since graduating I have not been able to find one. I work two part-time jobs, which I think is fairly common for 20-somethings here. I have been searching for a full-time job in Madison since 2010. Time to move? Probably! Competition for jobs is FIERCE... and wages are fairly low. The minimum wage here is $7.25, and I see plenty of job listings that pay no more than $10/hr. Since the cost of living is somewhat high in Madison, it doesn't compute. Also, since we have all our coffee shops and restaurants, there are a large number of people who work for low wages in the service industry, even people with advanced degrees because they simply cannot find anything else here. I know this is true for many places across the country, and Madison is not immune. It's supposed to be "a great place to live" but it can be hard to see it that way when you work hard and only make $12k per year. Then, there are plenty of wealthier people with extremely nice houses in Madison. Don't know too many personally, but I have cleaned up their dishes and trash! *Diversity. Madison lacks diversity. It's been a problem for a long time. People of Color often feel invisible here. But people in Madison like to think they are 'culturally sensitive' and it's not uncommon for white people to listen to Native flute music or reggae and feel like they are globally aware. Depending on where you live, you could go for a long time without interacting with a non-white person. There are a few somewhat ethnic neighborhoods, notably the Bayview Neighborhood, which is mostly Southeast Asian. Again, it's not a large city. *Wisconsin politics have been a total mess for the past several years and it's put a huge damper on the local consciousness of Madison. The state has become extremely polarized and there's a lot of tension here in that regard. CAN GO EITHER WAY: *Public transportation. Hmm...this depends so much on where you live. It can be easy and quick to take the bus (and then you don't have to park!) and UW students get a free bus pass. I am definitely grateful that we have a bus system. However, there are many buses that only run during "peak" times (morning and then late afternoon) so it can be difficult to get somewhere during the day if you need to. If you have to get across town there will likely be transferring involved, and the buses can be very indirect. I live about 8 miles from the Capitol and my bus commute takes over an hour each way, plus transferring buses plus walking. The closer you live to downtown, the more expensive rent will be, but if you live further out without a car, it can be extremely frustrating! Keep that in mind when moving here. *The people. Just like our winters, the people here can be ice cold. I wouldn't say that Madisonians are rude, necessarily... they can just be tough nuts to crack. I don't know if it's a combination of the Scandinavian/German heritage here and the cold weather, but people are generally reserved. It's a city of introverts. I often try to say "hi" to people and they just look confused. I am not outgoing at all- I'm a product of my Upper Midwest upbringing. But I do wish that people were a little friendlier/warmer here. To a non-native, Madisonians can appear stuck-up. Even to natives they can appear stuck-up! That being said, I think that once you get to know people here, they do open up a lot- it just takes a lot of effort. There are plenty of community things to get involved in like volunteering, meetup groups, etc. Meeting people is sort of what you make of it. If you are a reserved, private person you probably won't have an issue in Madison. If you like to drink you probably won't have too much of a problem either, which brings me to... *Beer culture. I don't drink much, so it can be difficult to live in Madison. Wisconsin has a HUGE drinking culture. It can be really difficult to socialize, as well, if you are not into drinking. People inevitably end up at bars. Wisconsin actually has more bars than grocery stores. On the other hand, people take a lot of pride in our local beer and we have a lot of craft beer makers and events around our beer heritage. We have a lot of craft breweries which give tours and tastings, which can be cool. If you are into beer you will be in good company. If you're not, it can be a little lonely! This was really long...and there's probably lots more to say. Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks!!

I applied to 2 programs that were not on the list, but now wish I would have applied to more. Even after all the thought and research I put into programs, I think it was a bit naive of me to apply mostly to highly popular programs with 2% acceptance rates. I agree with the poster who said it's all about "fit."

I got a call from an area code I didn't recognize- got a little excited thinking maybe it was one of my schools. Turned out to be someone from Navient (Sallie Mae) saying I was behind on my student loan payment. Go figure!

No, I don't think it makes you a less desirable candidate at all! I noticed when I was researching various MFA programs, that there are some programs that only allow students who already have a masters degree to teach during their first year, and some programs offer a slightly higher stipend to candidates who already have a masters. Think of it this way, too: maybe you'll feel more prepared to take on an MFA since you have already been a grad student, and perhaps you'll have more teaching experience than some other students. If your masters was in English, it could definitely help, since perhaps you have more experience with lit theory or scholarly writing. If it wasn't in English, I still think it could benefit you- an MFA applicant with a diverse background is appealing, and makes you look like a more "well rounded" applicant. Just my two cents.

The whole "too ethnic" criticism just baffles me, but I have seen it happen... I wonder if it's because students see ethnic literature as "belonging some place else"... by that, I mean that ethnic or world literature isn't usually interspersed into the curriculum, so most people have no exposure to it and have no idea how to comment on it in a way that is useful. During undergrad- at my school, anyway- to meet English major requirements you only had to take one "ethnic lit" class, which could be Af-Am, Asian-Am, Latino, Native American etc. So you could graduate having only ever read, like, 5 books by a POC in one semester, and the rest of your English credits would be white American or British lit. I would like to think that students would want to fill in those gaps and read more ethnic or world lit outside of class, but I'm not sure how much it happens. Anyway... I hope that anyone advanced enough in their writing life to seriously pursue an MFA would consider reading a lot of books by writers of varying backgrounds before setting foot in a workshop, or at least before giving unhelpful comments like "Don't use colloquial dialogue," or "The names are too ethnic," etc.

Great question. I'm not sure how to answer it, but it's something I've wondered about a lot myself. I used to read the Poets & Writers speakeasy MFA forum a lot for insight into programs, but that forum isn't very active now. However, there are postings on there dating back about 10 years. From what I've read on that forum, Iowa was more of a "cut-throat" environment when Frank Conroy was there (from 1987-2005). Now that Sam Chang is the program director, she's tried to steer the program away from that image. However, from articles I've read online, a lot of students really loved Conroy and found him to be very sensitive and nurturing toward their writing. I've also read interviews with Sam Chang and she seems great. It's so hard to tell how much the MFA director has to do with the overall "feeling" of the program, or if it just varies year by year depending on the makeup of the cohort and other variables... From an article in the Washington Post about Conroy: "He could be a blunt, forceful teacher, unsparing in his criticism of students' work. Yet he also was loved by his students, who included Jayne Ann Phillips, Chris Offutt, ZZ Packer and Anthony Swofford." I've heard a lot of contradictory things about the program, and I suppose it's just because everyone's Iowa experience is so subjective. I've heard it's an incredibly supportive environment where everyone is really excited about their peers' work, and then I've heard about people who felt like it was a negative environment (Sandra Cisneros, for example: "I like to tell people I'm a writer despite the Iowa Writers' Workshop"). I can't speak for the program, but having spent some time in Iowa City, I will say that the literary heritage runs so deep that you can feel it when you're walking around downtown, on campus, going to bookstores, etc. If you go to a random cafe there are always people sitting there working on their books or reading. It's a place where you can say "I'm a writer" and nobody will give you a funny look. Writing seems to be a given there. The university and the town do a lot to support writers and take writing seriously. That's not something I could say about too many other towns I've visited!

Thanks for the reassurance, HeyIowa - I think everyone on here appreciates it! When I got my rejections from WUSTL and Minnesota, I thought, OK, this clearly isn't happening for me this year. But I still have yet to hear from 5 schools, so I shouldn't necessarily jump to a glass-half-empty scenario.

WOW! Congratulations!!

I applied to Indiana and haven't heard anything either! I was wondering the same thing... I visited Bloomington years ago on my way to Asheville, NC and I thought it was really lovely town, and the campus was beautiful.

Very interesting to read everyone's input on this topic. I had vaguely considered library school because I worked in interlibrary loan in college and really enjoyed it. I had a positive experience with my supervisors, who encouraged me to look for library positions when I graduated. I also have job experience working with music metadata. Since returning to my hometown almost five years ago, I have applied to nearly every library job that comes up- ones I am qualified for, anyway. These jobs rarely, rarely come up, despite the fact that my city has eight public libraries, a dozen university libraries, two law libraries, a library services center, and every suburb or nearby town also has their own library. They just never hire. People must get those jobs and hold onto them for dear life. I've taken the library page exam twice...after taking this exam, you are put into a "pool" of candidates, and nothing ever comes of it, other than your score is kept "on file" somewhere for 6 months. I applied for positions at a university library but was not eligible for the job because I was not a student. So after five years of applying for library jobs, I got ONE interview- for a super-part time, LTE circulation position- and the position was given to someone else. I seriously have no idea how people get library jobs. Is there a secret handshake? I was hoping to find something before I forgot everything I had learned while working in interlibrary loan, but now I haven't used any ILL software since 2010. So, this whole experience made me wary of going back to school for library sciences, because if it's hard enough to get a library job with the experience I have, I can't particularly see a degree helping me...and, if I can't find a position in a city with numerous libraries, what does the rest of the country look like? But most of all, I'm not willing to go into any more debt.

Worst case scenario...hmm. I have considered going back for some kind of technical degree that would provide me with a specific skill set so I could find a decent job. Not sure what that would be yet, but it seems like a wise move. I know so many people who have done this post-BA because it is just too difficult to find work with only a BA anymore. I also need to get my undergrad debt under control. If I could work for a few years and get some more of it paid off, I think I would feel a bit more at ease going to an MFA program, knowing that it wasn't just sitting there gaining interest for 2-3 years. Ick!!! Also, I would be a bit more at ease knowing that I had a technical degree/ skill set that I could fall back on after graduating from an MFA program. I would probably re-apply to MFA programs again in the future. I've already learned a lot about what I would do differently next time. Particularly, applying to a wider variety of schools...and not only applying places with a 1-2% acceptance rate. What was I thinking? I would probably also seriously try to move out of my hometown, which I have been wanting to do for years. I would like to live some place where it isn't miserably cold 5 months out of the year! I also live in a large university town, so I'm constantly competing for jobs with people who have advanced degrees... and it doesn't end up in my favor. :/ Anyway, just some thoughts... No matter what, I'll keep reading and writing and trying to improve.

Just out of curiosity, how many of you are applying straight out of undergrad? Has anyone taken significant time off? Also, what would be your ideal job post-MFA? Are you interested in teaching and looking for the MFA as a credential, or more interested in having a day job of some kind while continuing to write?

If some people have already received acceptances, it sounds like we'll probably know a little more by the end of the week. Thanks, samson36 and shoopster, for your insights!

If the Iowa notifications are real, I've seen only 3 on the results page... 2 fiction acceptances and 1 poetry. They seem to be happening slowly, though, not in batches like the other notifications. I imagine they would be getting back to people slowly due to the 1,000+ applications they have to read. Like a few other posters on this forum, I'm not on Facebook, so I'm not sure what's going on with the Draft page. Any insights?

Aw man, jforms, I am a big Replacements fan and was in a Replacements cover band once for a Halloween show. Haha. Glad to hear someone else digs Minneapolis music in addition to all the great literary stuff.

Thanks for your response, jforms. I had face-to-face meetings with all my recommenders and exchanged several emails with them as well...but, oh well. You're right- it's out of my hands now, best not to worry. Sorry to hear about your Minnesota rejection. I got mine the other day as well. That was one of my top choices, and Minneapolis seems like a city with a lot of resources and support for writers, including some great independent presses like Milkweed and Graywolf, the Loft Literary Center, Louise Erdrich's bookstore, lots of other things I'm probably forgetting... Good luck with the rest of your applications!

So... one of my recommenders showed me the letter he wrote on my behalf after it had already been sent out to all my schools. My heart sank a little when I read it because it contained some false information. The recommender is someone I've done editorial work for a few years. In the letter, he got my age wrong by several years (not sure why it was even included), the dates I had worked for him wrong, and he said I had gone to college at a school I never attended. Much of the (long) letter was also about him and his past, instead of focusing on my accomplishments. I didn't say anything to him about it, because I didn't want to seem ungrateful. This person is older and a bit forgetful, and I really hope the letter doesn't affect the integrity of my applications. Maybe I'm too worried about it, since the writing sample is ultimately what matters. He claimed to have written "many" LORs for students before, so I guess I expected the letter to be a bit more concise (and accurate). I now feel lame for asking him to write it, but I actually thought he'd be a good person to ask considering his experience in editing and publishing. Has anyone else experienced this?

Hello all, I thought I'd chime in on this topic. I am in the process of applying to MFA programs, mostly in the Midwest (my immediate family is in the Madison, WI area). I have a fairly solid list of schools but I am unsure about a few and keep going back and forth on them. Mainly, University of Montana, SIU Carbondale and West Virginia University. My concern with Montana is that it's very far away from my family and from what I understand, fairly remote, and travel to and from Missoula is a bit difficult. My sister already lives in Edmonton, Alberta and it's been a bit hard (and expensive!) to visit. I think the program sounds awesome and I'm enthusiastic about the faculty, but I also worry my husband, who is a mechanical engineer, would have a difficult time finding a job there. Same for SIUC: I have a lot of extended family in the Edwardsville / St. Louis area, but Carbondale is even 2 hours south of there, and I've never been to this town. The program looks great, but I'm a little concerned about the heavy teaching load- 2 sections of comp. per semester- would I be killing myself? Has anyone experienced this in their MFA program? Is it doable? WVU also looks like a fine program that would suit me well, and would be close to my husband's family in West Virginia and Delaware- but again, I wonder about the job situation and the remoteness of the location. Being surrounded by mountains, rivers and forests is very appealing to me... But is it too remote? Does anyone have experience with any of these programs- or other programs in small-ish towns where your spouse had to find work? Any of these programs you'd recommend crossing off my list? Any input is appreciated. Thanks!