shanbanan

Oh wow! It's happening! Thank you for the heads up. Was this on the Results page or Draft? I didn't see it on either but probably missed it.

Hi all! Quick question while we wait. What are some favorite books on craft? I'm looking mainly for a focus on poetics, but could be fiction, nonfiction, syntax, etc. Some of my favorites are "A Primer for Poets and Readers of Poetry" by Gregory Orr; "Rules for the Dance" and "A Poetry Handbook" by Mary Oliver. If anyone has any recommendations, I'd love to hear them! Thanks!

I feel the same way.

Woof. Just heard back from Vandy. Officially rejected (by way of a very compassionate albeit run-of-the-mill email) and feeling bummed but grateful to finally know. One down, four to go

I haven't been writing much throughout this process. This whole waiting game has me feeling a little too self-aware and critical. So, even when I do find the energy to write, I end up second guessing everything I'm putting down on the page. One thing that has helped me is to do Julia Cameron's "morning pages" first thing, before checking email, portals, etc. I've loved this practice for years -- and it usually helps me get out of my own way, and also helps generates ideas for future projects. I also enrolled in a 10-week writing workshop that just happened to fall over this period of waiting to hear back from schools. While that timing is pure coincidence, it has helped me remember why I love this.

Posts like these (and all the rest, I just can't quote them all!) make me feel so seen. I've said it before and I'll say it again: the greatest silver lining of this anxious-nail-biting-waiting-to-find-out phase has been, hands down, *virtually* meeting all you lovely people, hearing about what you're reading, and writing. Wow. This was the loveliest things I've read on the internet in ages. Yes. YES. To all of the above. Dalloway. Woolf. Paradise Lost. I'm just giggling to myself over here thinking about all the potential book titles. As for what I'm reading. For fiction, I'm in the last stretch of Crudo by Olivia Laing and trying to make it last as long as possible. It took me a while to get into the rhythm of it. Once I did, it blew my mind. For poetry, The War Makes Everyone Lonely by Graham Barnhart and Vantage by Taneum Bambrick. For nonfiction, the new Sylvia Plath biography by Heather Clark, Red Comet. OH My GOSH. It is so good. Alright, that's all for me for now. Can't wait to continue learning about what you're all reading, etc.

I have been wondering how the pandemic would impact applicant volume for MFA programs. About six months ago, I imagined it could go either one of two ways: 1) less applicants than usual (due to a renewed focus on more lucrative professions and programs and a consequent move away from the fine arts); 2) more applicants than usual (due to everyone having had so much more time in lockdown to think about the future, while feeling the very real and everyday existential threat of COVID. In this instance, more applicants would decide to apply because of some combination of "if not now, when?" and "why not?") Now, as I hear stories like this from Maryland and others like FSU, I am starting to think that it's a third version that I didn't consider at all: 3) way more applicants than usual (due to a swing towards the arts, the way there can be in times of great uncertainty and existentialism.) While I LOVE this and what it says about the arts as tonic in times of hardship, it makes me think that this "record breaking numbers" trend is something we'll see across the board. Anyway, I've been so curious about all this and seeing how it would impact the MFA applicant pool. If anyone wants to push back or discuss, let me know

I've been curious about this, too. First-time applicant here! I am 30, married, and do not have kids. My husband has been a saint navigating the MFA application (and now waiting to hear) process with me.

I work on the Marketing team for a R1 university and have talked with colleagues about this extensively. Unfortunately, it's really easy for applicants (undergard and grad, alike) to end up on lists that will make them receive all marketing materials, no-holds-barred. Most applicants agree to receive all information from a school when they apply, and the Marketing dept uses this to put the applicant on a list. If the dept isn't very discriminating about what they're sending (and to whom) then it can get confusing. I completely agree with @feralgrad though that this comes across as mean. I've brought it up with my team and I think our school does a pretty decent job of making sure the right information goes to the right groups. I wish it were handled better at other schools. Anyway, I hope this is helpful.

Thank you!

Hello! Another VA Tech hopeful here Have you heard anything? I remember reading that they might be reaching out in mid-February for interviews and just curious. Thanks!

I mentioned one poet and one sculptor in my SOP. I wanted to mention others but every time I tried to work them in, the statement felt "crowded." In the end, I decided to go with one or two influences that I could really speak to within the confines of the SOP, rather than a long list I couldn't fully unpack. Anyway, I think there are so many different and beautiful ways to tackle an SOP. That's just what worked for me.

Thank you! I'm going to *try* to step away for a bit to clear my mind and get into a good place. Sending happy vibes across the internet to all on this thread who are starting the weekend off feeling down, anxious, confused, disappointed, or just tired after a good, old-fashioned adrenaline dump. The single silver lining I have found, in joining this thread, is that I am reminded how kind and uplifting the writerly community can be. Wishing you all a happy weekend and good luck.

I saw someone else say this may or may not be true. Is it confirmed? I'm only asking because I'm trying to decide the degree to which I should start panicking/pacing the room/distracting myself with bad TV.

That's helpful! Thank you