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xenawins

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Everything posted by xenawins

  1. xenawins
    Congratulations on your acceptances! WHOO!! Yeah, I was FLOORED when I saw how much Columbia was and the funding options... yeesh. Sending you all the vibes for whatever decision you make!
  2. xenawins
    Hello all, Been gone for a hot second...going through a divorce so shit has been incredibly difficult. In some ways, it's been a distraction from the agony of waiting for my final response. But now I'm happy to report that I received an acceptance offer from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale with full funding! That brings my results to 1a/2w/5r. It feels so good to know the results and as this is my first time applying, I'm really pleased with the outcome! Still waitlisted at ASU and UTK. I'm so grateful to this group for all the valuable info, encouragement, and insights offered here. I'm curious if anyone here has any info about SIU's program? It sounds amazing and right up my alley. Plus I read a piece by one of their faculty today and got choked up by the intense resonance I felt. I'm waiting to hear back from a current student about her experience, but while I wait, figured I'd bring it back to the group if anyone has thoughts Hope everyone is getting the offers, info, and encouragement they need through this. Sending epic word-smithing thoughts!
  3. xenawins
    Started the morning out with the rejection from Mich. I feel better knowing at least! ...AND THEN I GOT NOTIFIED I'M ON THE WAITLIST AT ASU!! I'm so pleased, this makes waitlist #2 and just feels like a huge boost and validation, no matter what ends up happening. I'm going to keep on writing whether I end up in a program this year or not, but gosh, it always feels nice to be noticed!
  4. xenawins
    Welp, official rejection from University of Kansas via a "you have a status update" email. My first real rejection! Sending good vibes to all of us as we wait for the rest
  5. xenawins
    Sometimes a gif just says it all
  6. xenawins
    Thanks for the tip! I had wondered if this was an option
  7. xenawins
    Congratulations on the interview! I would also imagine (contributing my own grains of inexperienced salt) that them taking the time to interview you means that the rest of your application was promising. I don't imagine they have the additional time to interview anyone they're not seriously considering. They may also be interviewing you to get a sense of that intangible essence of "fit" when it comes to the culture of their program and how they operate. Regardless of writing talent, not everyone will be a good fit for every place. I actually appreciate the idea of interviews because it also gives -you- an opportunity to interview -them- and better decide if this is the institution you want to commit such considerable time and energy to. I'll give the interviewing advice I have offered others, just as ideas to consider (YMMV): - ask your own questions, especially (in this instance) about funding, teaching expectations, if any, and costs not reflected or captured in the funding offered - what about their program are they most proud of? what are the challenges/growth opportunities they see for their program? - what have their alumni gone on to do? is their program more geared toward supporting future educators, publishing, and/or literary prestige? I imagine a lot of them might say "all of the above" but it's still helpful to get a sense of what kind of education you might receive in these different areas and align them with your own personal goals. Some programs have extensive opportunities to learn about publishing, for example, while others have a cursory one-class option once a year kind of thing. - are there opportunities to connect with the writing community outside of the institution? - do they provide funding options for development, such as funding conferences/trainings, international trips, and/or scholarships/fellowships for special projects. - what can you expect regarding timeline after the interview? what do next steps look like? - are there themes, subjects of emphasis, or specific qualifications they are considering as they build their cohort? (this could give you insight into what kinds of things/people you might see in the workshop space) - as you are a parent, asking additional questions about university support (such as childcare on-campus) might be helpful. Also, how have other parents fared in the program? I've noticed some programs are much more holistic about the contesting demands on their students, while others (IMO) have had extremely unrealistic expectations for students, regardless of other responsibilities. Again, congratulations and best wishes on the interviewing process!
  8. xenawins
    Thank you for your work and all you do for the community. I'm a mental health therapist and the situation in my region is dire, desperate, and underfunded in every possible way. Your work is important and I also incorporate these themes as they have shaped so much of my life, personal and professional. Encouraging meaningful life and instilling hope remains one of the most powerful acts I think we can do as human beings.
  9. xenawins
    Thank you so much! After all the nail biting (my stubs hurt) it feels nice just to have reached a level of consideration. I am proud of the piece I submitted so it feels like a resonant validation of the kind we all need from time to time as writers.
  10. xenawins
    Ohhhhh! I was just informed I made the waitlist for UTennessee in fiction! I'm trying to manage expectations, as they only take 5, but this is my first official correspondence from a program and a much needed mental boost! EEEEEEEE! Hang in there everybody!
  11. xenawins
    I feel like there was an awesome compilation of notification timelines that got posted somewhere, either here or in the Draft but I can't find it anywhere now! Waiting sucks and this is a great reference so I can calm my tits about everything (as you said, theoretically). But I've been distracting myself with the massive revision/rewrite I'm doing on my novel so that definitely helps.
  12. xenawins
    Eh, it was just the graduate school responding...not the program. But HEY ANY CORRESPONDENCE IS GOOD RIGHT? AMIRITE? ...please? ....won't someone love meeeeee? *paws pathetically from the sad place under my desk*
  13. xenawins
    I'm curious why you're applying then? Seems like a lot of work to do for something you're good without. Also, I have a lot of compassion for this mindset. It was the exact mindset I had when I applied to UMontana years ago. I didn't get in, because on some level, I was scared to put my best self forward and irritated at the gatekeeping mentality of having my work judged. (not saying any of that is applicable to what you're feeling, just sharing my own experience) I've worked through that and am a much better writer now (I think). I do hear you though - if I don't get in, I'll keep writing. I have two published books (small press and indie) but I would love to teach and gain more experience/opportunity to dive deeper into my craft, especially through a literary lens. Those are my motivations now and though rejection will sting, I also know my love of writing continues on with or without a MFA.
  14. xenawins
    At some point, you have to call it good. I also have some regrets about some schools that I've found interesting after the fact. Brown and VTech among them. But yes, it's ridiculously expensive and time consuming! We can only do the best we can with what we've got at the time. Maybe these "missed" ones can be a seeded opportunity for next round if needed. Hang in there!
  15. xenawins
    Interesting note in the world of "shit happens" in applying to schools... I received a message from ASU saying there was someone else using my social security number??? I'm flabbergasted, though they said it could be a simple mistype in someone's application, so I had to send a special encrypted email through ASU with actual pictures of my social security card. And yes, I double checked to make sure I wasn't yeeting my information into some phish void. Have never encountered this before but it does make me a bit nervous that maybe my info is being used by someone else. Hahahahahha or maybe *I* was the one who mistyped it! Fun things to mull over as I agonize in wait-and-see purgatory.
  16. xenawins
    Yeah, the NW is awesome - but as I get older and the longer I've been here...the longer the dreary winters seem to get. Olympia is quite rainy though, not all regions are the same. None of my applied locations are where I might set up for a long haul, but having never been to several of them I'm open to possibilities. Most of my criteria centered around whether there were opportunities for cross-genre work, any speculative/sci-fi/eco emphasis, diversity, faculty, cost of living, and teaching opportunities. I've applied at (not in any order): - University of Michigan - Southern Illinois University-Carbondale - Arizona State - University of Kansas - Cornell - Syracuse - University of Alabama - University of Tennessee I also struggled with feeling like I was asking a lot of my recommenders, even though they're all very supportive. It also helped me cap my enthusiasm and get more focused on which programs I applied to. Still feeling some regret at not having applied to a couple, but ah well, maybe next year if I decide to apply again.
  17. xenawins
    It's so interesting hearing other people's experiences. The hardest part for me is the waiting... I can deal with what I know, it's the unknown that drives me batty. Also why I'm doing #sowell during this pandemic and the continuous unknown rolling into year three. ? I'm thinking now though, why doesn't rejection bother me as much? I definitely have a harsh inner critic that vacillates wildly between "this is shit...YOU, in all the ways, might even be shit" to "wow, I think this is pretty great!" I can only say maybe it's because I've come to accept rejection as an inevitable part of being a creative. There is almost nothing as subjective as what one considers art, much less "good" art, so it feels easier to not make it personal to me. After all, I'm not everyone's cup of tea and I'm actively working on my own people-pleasing tendencies so receiving rejection always feels like a healthy process for me to experience. Sorry, all this navel gazing and I know I'm just trying to avoid checking my email again. Carry on!
  18. xenawins
    I also found this thread after already having completed a lot of my applications. Ah well! Your published piece is very beautiful and resonated a lot on a personal level. I've strewn my applications to institutions in several regions except the PNW where I live. I'm nervous about the possibility of leaving this place I love, but also excited by something new, even if it's challenging. Even if I don't get accepted into a program, I'm considering a move. I applied to programs based on what I really thought might be best fit, excepting a few top tier schools, which frustratingly enough, seem to provide little information about their programs compared to others. *shrug* We do the best we can I suppose.
  19. xenawins
    Congratulations! Whoooo! Thanks for sharing the joy (and hope) for everyone still waiting
  20. xenawins
    One of my classmates, instead of giving me helpful feedback has called my work "lousy", an "accordion car crash", has explained that he would have done ___ because it's "better", and doodles on his copy of my work in class instead of giving me verbal feedback (something he does for everyone else). Okay, just have to come back to this absolute douche-canoe of a human.... might I suggest wiping your ass with his copy next time?? I really find this kind of attitude towards people's work and art so incredibly gross. I'd suggest giving him your own "verbal feedback" but I have a feeling, in the environment you've described, they would someone figure out a way to blame you. So you'll have to settle for my absolute OUTRAGE on your behalf. *huff huff, stomp stomp*
  21. xenawins
    Okay, just have to come back to this absolute douche-canoe of a human.... might I suggest wiping your ass with his copy next time?? I really find this kind of attitude towards people's work and art so incredibly gross. I'd suggest giving him your own "verbal feedback" but I have a feeling, in the environment you've described, they would someone figure out a way to blame you. So you'll have to settle for my absolute OUTRAGE on your behalf. *huff huff, stomp stomp*
  22. xenawins
    YeeeeeeeeeeeeeeSSSSSS indeedy! Holy... fuck, that sounds AWFUL. I'm about to be *TOO MAD* on this comment but I'm not going to apologize for it. I'm so sorry you're having this experience and though obviously I'm not there and I'm not BIPOC, it does sound to me like there's racial subtext. Being "too intense" has seemed, in instances I've witnessed, to almost have become the new "this brown/black person is so ANGRY." Even without that subtext, none of what you've described is okay, professional, or part of facilitating a healthy workshopping and learning space. An "accordion car crash"?! I'm about to come through this screen! I can't even with that. Are these comments being made in front of faculty? Of course, from what you said, seems some of these instances have occurred FROM faculty so I guess I'm putting too much stock in their conduct. Sure, we all have "vices" but that's not a blank check for rampant misconduct or misdirected blame. Look, I'm neurodivergent, queer, and just a stranger on the internet... but goddamn, you're NOT too much, too intense, or too anything except being completely yourself. Fuck those people - the way they treat you is confirmation of who THEY are, not anything about who you are. The people in your program might not be the people you come to know as your community, but I promise you, there are people in this world seeking YOU as much as you are seeking them. I hope you won't let these asshats deter you from pursuing your art and getting what you need and deserve out of your program, though I know it has put quite a damper on things. You are deserving of respect and to feel valued as a human being, as a student, and as a colleague.
  23. xenawins
    This is the struggle I suppose. There's not really a way to know a cohort until you're in it? And from being informed you've been accepted to the deadline to accept, it doesn't seem like there's always a lot of time to be able to research or connect with folx already in the program. Any suggestions or tips for newbies?
  24. xenawins
    There it is. I do believe in living life out loud and as authentically as I can. And authenticity for me means asking questions, pushing and pulling, experiencing the gravity of my words juxtaposed against my actions. It also means daring to be wrong or falling out of alignment with my values, if only to better understand what my values actually are. Existence is an act of resistance and so is reflection and self-reflection. Whether someone interprets that as announcing or denouncing is their own lens and I'll also argue that for many, especially marginalized folx, their existence has been -made- inherently political. Doesn't mean it should be or has to be, but that is the state of the world and how the majority have organized around it. I'm glad you're trying to get out of public school - though I believe teaching to be one of the most sacred vocations we can undertake, the systemic meat grinder schools have become means so many of the best end up the most ill and wounded. Wishing you all the best in your applications and finding the right homes for your words
  25. xenawins
    So true. I also was a writing tutor and have workshopped with a lot of writers in my community writers group. I also remember having this experience when I was in middle school and writing incredibly florid prose because I thought that was what was desired. A good friend and other writers had the sense to point this out to me and though I was hurt at the time, it fundamentally changed how I wrote from then on. It's intensely frustrating encountering it time and again and watching them experience the same hurt when I share this information - knowing how badly it hurt me the first time around. Ah well, delivered with kindness and encouragement is about all we can do. Schools really do a disservice in this way and I hated reading "the classics" especially when forced to. I found a new appreciation for certain books when I wasn't forced to read them under time crunches, but that probably would never have happened in a classroom setting. "The Master and Margarita" and "Great Expectations" ended up rocking my boat in ways I didn't expect. Generally, I much prefer young reader incentivized programs where students get to choose from a list of different kinds of books and read in a positively reinforced way. I think it could really work for high school students too if incentivized well and reading time was built into the school day. Totally agree that YA has come a long way - yes, some is quite heavy handed, but there are so many excellent options for young readers and adults alike! I think YA can also be more accessible for some adult readers, especially those who struggled with reading comprehension in school. YA can serve an important compelling bridge for those readers to just... well... READ what is readable and develop a joyful relationship with reading that might not have been as possible in school.
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