cashewgirl

ah well, the nightmare continues

Am I the only one with a bad taste in their mouth knowing UTK waitlists so many people? Just feels....icky. 

Just got my UTK Fiction waitlist email!
A little confused about the numbers. In the email, they said "We had a strong pool this year and were forced to make many difficult decisions in determining our five MFA offers." Does that mean 5 total- including fiction, non fiction, and poetry? I know someone mentioned earlier that there were only 3 spots for fiction this year but that would leave 1 for nonfic and 1 for poetry but it seems like they already have at least 2 acceptances for poetry (according to draft and spreadsheet). What am I missing here?

Just got my UTK Fiction waitlist email!
A little confused about the numbers. In the email, they said "We had a strong pool this year and were forced to make many difficult decisions in determining our five MFA offers." Does that mean 5 total- including fiction, non fiction, and poetry? I know someone mentioned earlier that there were only 3 spots for fiction this year but that would leave 1 for nonfic and 1 for poetry but it seems like they already have at least 2 acceptances for poetry (according to draft and spreadsheet). What am I missing here?

Woooh. Was just about to type that today is existential crisis day for me. Making all sorts of wild and outlandish plans and thinking how difficult everything is. What do I do later this year? Finally move out and rent a small room where I can write in peace? Take everything I have (which isn't much) and start a small shop or other business and hope it thrives so I can at least have something going in one aspect of my life? Move to a neighbouring country and look for decent jobs there?
I was just reading about three writers who had  painful experiences with publishing. John Kenneth Toole, who died by suicide after years of having his novel manuscript rejected by publishers. The novel, A Confederacy of Dunces, would be published over a decade after his death, and would go on to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1981. Helen DeWitt, who worked odd jobs for years and years, producing manuscripts that were rejected over and over. She struggled for years before her 50th(!!) manuscript was accepted for publication as her debut novel, The Last Samurai; becoming a bestseller after publication in 2000. She had also considered suicide. Dow Mossman, who went to Iowa Writer's Workshop in the late 60s. His one novel, The Stones of Summer, languished and went out of print soon after publication when the publishing house folded. He broke down and spent time in a sanatorium. Thereafter, he worked as a welder for some 20 years while looking after his parents. His work was rediscovered in the 2000s and a Sundance-winning film made about him and his book. The book was republished by Barnes & Noble. 
It can be hard navigating this writer life because we tie part of our ego to recognition. More important than anything else is that we take care of ourselves, take care of our minds, and create some kind of stability and joy for ourselves outside of writing. The writer must be alive (and well) to do the writing. We can't tie everything to external recognition for our work. We have to take care of ourselves. 
Yesterday was very difficult for me with the back-to-back rejections from Cornell and (the constructive ones) from Michener and Michigan, not to mention the other constructive one from Vanderbilt last week. That makes 7 out of 12 applications, all Rs so far. It's so hard. But I still have to take care of myself. I still have to find joy and inspiration in my life because what else do we have if we don't have that? We are people and we deserve to be cared for, deserve to have soft and affirming places in our lives. Sending deep compassion to everyone feeling terrible right now. I hope we make it through this and come out to better things. But we can only do so if we persevere, take care of ourselves, and try try again.

Just got my UTK Fiction waitlist email!
A little confused about the numbers. In the email, they said "We had a strong pool this year and were forced to make many difficult decisions in determining our five MFA offers." Does that mean 5 total- including fiction, non fiction, and poetry? I know someone mentioned earlier that there were only 3 spots for fiction this year but that would leave 1 for nonfic and 1 for poetry but it seems like they already have at least 2 acceptances for poetry (according to draft and spreadsheet). What am I missing here?

Just got my UTK Fiction waitlist email!
A little confused about the numbers. In the email, they said "We had a strong pool this year and were forced to make many difficult decisions in determining our five MFA offers." Does that mean 5 total- including fiction, non fiction, and poetry? I know someone mentioned earlier that there were only 3 spots for fiction this year but that would leave 1 for nonfic and 1 for poetry but it seems like they already have at least 2 acceptances for poetry (according to draft and spreadsheet). What am I missing here?

@cashewgirlI believe so!

Just got my UTK Fiction waitlist email!
A little confused about the numbers. In the email, they said "We had a strong pool this year and were forced to make many difficult decisions in determining our five MFA offers." Does that mean 5 total- including fiction, non fiction, and poetry? I know someone mentioned earlier that there were only 3 spots for fiction this year but that would leave 1 for nonfic and 1 for poetry but it seems like they already have at least 2 acceptances for poetry (according to draft and spreadsheet). What am I missing here?

Just got my UTK Fiction waitlist email!
A little confused about the numbers. In the email, they said "We had a strong pool this year and were forced to make many difficult decisions in determining our five MFA offers." Does that mean 5 total- including fiction, non fiction, and poetry? I know someone mentioned earlier that there were only 3 spots for fiction this year but that would leave 1 for nonfic and 1 for poetry but it seems like they already have at least 2 acceptances for poetry (according to draft and spreadsheet). What am I missing here?

Umich waitlist for poetry!!! Email says "As a matter of policy we don't give out numerical positions." LOL fair enough