2021 Applicants Forum

[WolfMan]

2 minutes ago, CayceCamus said:

Tarot is great for creative writing since it is all based on archetypes. Need a conflict? Pull a card and see what it inspires based on its archetypal meaning and symbolism. Need some character development? Pull a card and see how you can incorporate its meaning into that character's motivations or history. It fosters thoughts you would not otherwise come to on your own.

Well that's a productive way to repurpose tarot. But when I hear tarot I usually assume people are talking about fortune telling.

[CayceCamus]

1 minute ago, WolfMan said:

Well that's a productive way to repurpose tarot. But when I hear tarot I usually assume people are talking about fortune telling.

Yeah that is a common assumption about it. Certainly people use it that way, but in my experience and view more people use it as a psychological tool. If you are stuck on an issue in life you can pull a spread and apply each archetype to your situation and analyze it. It helps you tangibly connect ideas that are not connected in your mind. It can produce some really creative thoughts and solutions to problems. Like anything else, it is a tool that can be used to help or exploit.

[gustav3]

 

10 minutes ago, WolfMan said:

Well that's a productive way to repurpose tarot. But when I hear tarot I usually assume people are talking about fortune telling.

There was a post on this. If you are interested in being open minded on the fortune telling claim (whether to rule out the possibility or to give it a chance), you could take up this offer, cost free: 

On 1/29/2021 at 11:31 AM, teasel said:

 

I'm a professional reader and have been avoiding the cards for the time being for my own sanity. Once you start over-drawing, it ceases to have much meaning and just feeds anxiety : ) But it doesn't stop me from drawing a card here and there.

I think lots of folks are treating individual cards as "yes" or "no" response or even "bad" vs. "good," but this is a pretty shallow way of interpreting. Instead of asking them "will I get into xyz," it would probably be more helpful to ask a question like "what will my writing life look like in 2021" . It's all about the question you ask... they are powerful for self-development, but once we treat them like a magic eight ball they really just become an extension of our uncertainty.  If you feel like sharing the cards you received or want a mini reading (no charge, just for fun) let me know! Might be a fun way to kill some time 

 

Edited February 5, 2021 by gustav3

[teasel]

I take a very Jungian approach towards tarot and make no claims of being psychic, though that would be very convenient right about now.  I'm also not really interested in "proving" their value to another person, especially a stranger on the internet, if it's something that doesn't resonate with them. As far as I'm concerned, no offense taken--I can handle a bit of sass. I just hate having my time wasted. 

On another note, have you guys been keeping up with what's happening with the Poetry Foundation right now? What are your thoughts? 

[dr. t]

[JPReinhold]

1 hour ago, gustav3 said:

 Then how do you explain that this Creative Writing professor at Ashland University offering:

Literary Life Tarot Readings

For $55, I’ll pull tarot cards on your literary quandary or crossroads and send you a write up exploring what this moment is really about— what spiritual invitations you’re receiving, what energies exist in the options you’re facing, and how you might think about the path forward. 

narrative alchemy — katherine e. standefer (katherinestandefer.com) 

 

Oh my.

[goodcynara]

On 2/3/2021 at 4:22 PM, mrvisser said:

In Astoria, so actually the Goonies town, but Haystack Rock is down south quite a ways. I came here a bit growing up, but it's been a while. Lovely place, really. The Airbnb I'm in is a beautiful old Victorian house, so it's been great for reading Joyce and working on the novel.

And yes, my brother has always referred to "beach people." Astoria is different, but most of Oregon's coastal towns have something a little off about them.

Love Astoria. Might you be willing to share a link to the Airbnb listing for the old Victorian house?

[cosmictones]

Excuse me sir, this is a McDonald's.

[mrvisser]

2 hours ago, goodcynara said:

Love Astoria. Might you be willing to share a link to the Airbnb listing for the old Victorian house?

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/30771126?source_impression_id=p3_1612504557_BBnjH5YEgN9lxFQe&guests=1&adults=1

[goodcynara]

22 minutes ago, mrvisser said:

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/30771126?source_impression_id=p3_1612504557_BBnjH5YEgN9lxFQe&guests=1&adults=1

Ah yes, novels coming out of the walls in this place. Thanks!

[mrvisser]

27 minutes ago, goodcynara said:

Ah yes, novels coming out of the walls in this place. Thanks!

It really was a lovely stay. And there are much more dramatic examples of Victorian architecture in the neighborhood. I forgot how nice Astoria is. Hadn't been for about six years, as lately I've dedicated more time to the Cascades than the coast.

[goodcynara]

47 minutes ago, mrvisser said:

It really was a lovely stay. And there are much more dramatic examples of Victorian architecture in the neighborhood. I forgot how nice Astoria is. Hadn't been for about six years, as lately I've dedicated more time to the Cascades than the coast.

Makes me want to get in an electric VW bus and drive up the coast! I can't believe I've never been to the Cascades -- or Crater Lake. The well-lived road trip strikes me as a fair alternative to grad school. Depending. 

[Botanica]

12 hours ago, teasel said:

On another note, have you guys been keeping up with what's happening with the Poetry Foundation right now? What are your thoughts? 

I have been following it pretty closely. I had a fellowship with PoFo the summer of 2019 and subsequently got to know a lot of people associated with them. To be quite honest, they have been on the steady decline for years in terms of their actions, diversity, inclusion, etc. I don't know if you guys heard about the actual shit storm they caused back when the BLM movement was at it's peak last year, but I would encourage you to check out the letter of demands/petition sent to them by past fellows, poets, and readers as well as their following, multiple, milquetoast responses. 

 

This latest issue is just a strong representation of their continued lack of awareness, leadership, and common sense. It's honestly so disgusting. I am grateful for my experience as a fellow and the community it gave me, but I definitely don't want to be involved with them in the future, which is a huge shame because historically they are one of the few organizations to pay poets. And now I won't apply for the Ruth Lilly ?

[Botanica]

1 hour ago, jka0124 said:

PoFo frustrates the hell out of me. I was always cautious around them (just because they have so much power and not a lot of diversity) but this is really bad. I’ve seen some strong arguments on both sides about where we draw the line in publishing and how nebulous that can be. But I don’t think it should be controversial to not publish friggin’ pedos. Like can we all agree that’s a perfectly fine line to draw? ?

I totally agree! As far as I am aware, they haven't addressed it either. I just don't understand how they keep getting a pass. 

[goodcynara]

On 1/31/2021 at 6:47 PM, fishfish24 said:

Hey all--

I've mostly just been quietly grateful for the company since joining this group, but I thought I'd chime in briefly...

A lot of people seem to be experiencing some degree of agony over the fact they haven't heard back yet and/or are expressing the expectation that they'll be hearing back really soon. (For whatever reason, I've been feeling that with each passing day my chances of being accepted are somehow declining, which I have to remember to laugh at myself for because this belief has zero ties to logic!). Anyway, I just wanted to gently remind people the same thing I'm reminding myself: it's actually too early to be hearing back from most of these programs. I'm sure the info below isn't perfect, but here's the data I put together by combing through the past 3-4 years or so of gradcafe and other forums where applicants have posted about receiving offers for programs I've applied to. (It also includes the dates I was waitlisted at Michener, Minnesota, and Madison-Wisconsin last year). Just hoping the extra info might bring some of you a little peace of mind! The programs are ordered by earliest date of earliest documented acceptance:

Minnesota:

     Earliest acceptance: January 26*

     My waitlist 2019: January 29, 2020

*It seems worth mentioning that Minnesota extended their deadline this year and has had to recalibrate their entire funding program due to covid, so I suspect their responses will be late...

Syracuse:

     Earliest acceptance: January 29

Madison-Wisconsin:

     Earliest acceptance: February 3

     My waitlist response: February 18

Florida (Miami) :

     Earliest acceptance: February 12

Vanderbilt:

     Earliest acceptance: February 13

Michener:

     Earliest acceptance: Feb 14

     My waitlist: Feb 18, 2020

New Writer's Project:

     Earliest acceptance: Feb 14

Helen Zell/ Michigan:

     Earliest acceptance: February 15

Florida (Gainsville):

     Earliest acceptance: February 15

Iowa:

     Earliest acceptance: February 17

Notre Dame:

     Earliest acceptance: February 22

Brown:

     Earliest acceptance: March 5

 

Wishing everyone good luck and peace of mind. 

This is really generous, and no small amount of work. Thank you.

[chaes]

 

2 hours ago, jka0124 said:

PoFo frustrates the hell out of me. I was always cautious around them (just because they have so much power and not a lot of diversity) but this is really bad. I’ve seen some strong arguments on both sides about where we draw the line in publishing and how nebulous that can be. But I don’t think it should be controversial to not publish friggin’ pedos. Like can we all agree that’s a perfectly fine line to draw? ?

Didn't know about the controversy surrounding Poetry Foundation until I saw the posts in this thread. Interesting to follow, as it seems it's become a movement to provide a platform to share the voices of incarcerated individuals. I'm reading and learning more about it, so I don't have a stance on it right now, but I'm torn between a few thoughts and questions: 1) It seems like the purpose for providing a platform for the thoughts and voices of incarcerated persons is for the public to recognize them as individuals with a selfhood that transcends their crime 2) How do you draw the line, if at all, to determine which incarcerated individuals to publish? I mention the if at all part because if the primary purpose is to assert that incarcerated people are defined by more than their crimes, is it best to follow through on that purpose no matter what crime they're imprisoned for? If lines are drawn, is it a bit like playing god if you pick and choose?  Or maybe each journal or organization takes an individual stance and draws their own line depending on their values?

Curious to hear other people's thoughts. 

Currently mulling over this article: Poetry magazine published a child porn convict in its prison issue, but did it deserve the backlash? (slate.com) 

[NLake]

Does anyone else have schools on their list that stated official transcripts aren’t required unless you’re accepted, and yet the application says “awaiting” or “not received” under transcripts? I know it makes sense for the graduate college side of things to keep track of what materials they need to collect should students receive an acceptance. But boy it’s got me scared I was misinformed and needed to send in the officials for my application to be sent over to the department for review. I suppose a simple phone call or email could solve my problem here, but I feel like there’s not much I could do about it now, and would rather remain hopeful that I’m just overthinking as usual! 

[chaes]

Just now, NLake said:

Does anyone else have schools on their list that stated official transcripts aren’t required unless you’re accepted, and yet the application says “awaiting” or “not received” under transcripts? I know it makes sense for the graduate college side of things to keep track of what materials they need to collect should students receive an acceptance. But boy it’s got me scared I was misinformed and needed to send in the officials for my application to be sent over to the department for review. I suppose a simple phone call or email could solve my problem here, but I feel like there’s not much I could do about it now, and would rather remain hopeful that I’m just overthinking as usual! 

I have that for LSU, but I also have an email from the director of the graduate program confirming I can wait on requesting an official transcript until decisions come out. If you want a peace of mind, I'd just reach out to confirm!

[NLake]

18 minutes ago, chaes said:

I have that for LSU, but I also have an email from the director of the graduate program confirming I can wait on requesting an official transcript until decisions come out. If you want a peace of mind, I'd just reach out to confirm!

Yeah, I really should just reach out. I know with UAF it was a system error (wasn’t prompting folx to upload unofficials, so I had to email them in to admissions), and I’ve received confirmation from two others that my app was sent on to the department for review. I guess if I just ask then I won’t have to wonder! 

[sylviaplate]

Any recommendations on poems dealing with grief? I just experienced a really difficult, unexpected loss of a family member and am wondering what people have turned to for comfort or what ya’ll think best articulates the feeling. Short stories or essays also welcome, if you feel so inclined.

[goodcynara]

Those of you who are accepted to multiple programs, or who are holding out for an answer from a first choice program, may find this info from the U-W Madison MFA Admissions page useful (sorry for the huge font - couldn't seem to get out of it after cutting and pasting from the site!):

Wisconsin Protocol

Like most institutions with a graduate program in creative writing, the University of Wisconsin-Madison is a member of the Council of Graduate Schools and as such is bound to the following resolution: "Students are under no obligation to respond to offers of financial support prior to April 15; earlier deadlines for acceptance of such offers violate the intent of this Resolution." You can see the full resolution as well as a list of council members by clicking here.

We at Wisconsin advise any applicant who is feeling pressured to accept another MFA program's offer before the April 15th deadline to simply send the program a friendly email that states, "I see that your institution is a member of the Council of Graduate Schools. As such, I believe that I have the right to consider your offer up until the April 15th deadline as established by the council. Thanks so much!" Most universities are big places where one hand doesn’t know what the other hand is doing. Showing them you know your rights will help ensure that your rights are respected. At Wisconsin, our promise is simple:

• We will make our decisions by March 15th.
• Should you be placed on our waitlist, we will tell you up front. We won't put off giving you an answer about your status simply so we won't have to tell you you've been waitlisted.
• While we will tell you if you are on our waitlist, we will not discuss the nature of the waitlist, e.g. how many students are on it, where a particular student’s place is.
• We will respect the April 15th deadline as established by the Council of Graduate Schools.
• Out of respect to you, (not lack of interest!) we will not call you repeatedly just to "check in with you" to see if you've made a decision.
• All our students are fully funded, which means we won't at any time threaten to yank or alter funding to pressure you to say yes before April 15th.

 

Finally, we urge all MFA applicants to know their rights and to ask the schools they're applying to in advance if they are members of the Council of Graduate Schools. If they're not familiar with the CGS's resolution, send them a link to this page. We hope that by spreading the word regarding applicants' rights, all students can begin their graduate studies on the right path.

[dreamx]

6 minutes ago, goodcynara said:

Those of you who are accepted to multiple programs, or who are holding out for an answer from a first choice program, may find this info from the U-W Madison MFA Admissions page useful (sorry for the huge font - couldn't seem to get out of it after cutting and pasting from the site!):

This is super helpful info - thank you for sharing!

[fishfish24]

35 minutes ago, sylviaplate said:

Any recommendations on poems dealing with grief? I just experienced a really difficult, unexpected loss of a family member and am wondering what people have turned to for comfort or what ya’ll think best articulates the feeling. Short stories or essays also welcome, if you feel so inclined.

I'm so sorry for your loss. My former partner died two years ago, unexpectedly, at thirty. I'm not sure this poem ("Toadstools," by Charles Wright) is one which answers to a new, raw grief, but over time it has brought me more comfort than anything else. The idea of death and grief as something nothing touches or wants to touch strangely comforted my early sense of isolation. And the poem still helps me dismantle the belief that grief is something we're supposed to move past, something which is supposed to be logical in the times and places it arrives. When the pain hits me, brutally, at the most unexpected moments, I find myself comforted by the final lines of this poem:

"Grief is a floating barge-boat,

                                                    who knows where it's going to moor?"

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/05/10/toadstools

[goodcynara]

37 minutes ago, sylviaplate said:

Any recommendations on poems dealing with grief? I just experienced a really difficult, unexpected loss of a family member and am wondering what people have turned to for comfort or what ya’ll think best articulates the feeling. Short stories or essays also welcome, if you feel so inclined.

I am so sorry to hear this. My whole project is about grief resulting from the traumatic, sudden loss of my little sister to suicide. I hope to write the thing I needed when it happened and couldn't find. I still haven't found anything that really nails it for me, but depending on your taste, you might check out Forrest Gander's "Be With," C.S. Lewis' "A Grief Observed," and Max Porter's "Grief is the Thing With Feathers." Allie Brosh's new illustrated book of cartoons, "Solutions and Other Problems" has a chapter on the loss of her sister, who drove her car in front of a train. (Much of the rest of Brosh's book will make you howl with laughter.) Every loss is different. A woman in my writer's group said that when she lost her mother, Mary Oliver's "In Blackwater Woods" kept her sane. I've pasted it below. Love to you and your family in this difficult time. 

 

Look, the trees are turning their own bodies into pillars   of light, are giving off the rich fragrance of cinnamon and fulfillment,   the long tapers of cattails are bursting and floating away over the blue shoulders   of the ponds, and every pond, no matter what its name is, is   nameless now. Every year everything I have ever learned   in my lifetime leads back to this: the fires and the black river of loss whose other side   is salvation, whose meaning none of us will ever know. To live in this world   you must be able to do three things: to love what is mortal; to hold it   against your bones knowing your own life depends on it; and, when the time comes to let it go, to let it go.
Mary Oliver In Blackwater Woods

 

[goodcynara]

2 minutes ago, fishfish24 said:

I'm so sorry for your loss. My former partner died two years ago, unexpectedly, at thirty. I'm not sure this poem ("Toadstools," by Charles Wright) is one which answers to a new, raw grief, but over time it has brought me more comfort than anything else. The idea of death and grief as something nothing touches or wants to touch strangely comforted my early sense of isolation. And the poem still helps me dismantle the belief that grief is something we're supposed to move past, something which is supposed to be logical in the times and places it arrives. When the pain hits me, brutally, at the most unexpected moments, I find myself comforted by the final lines of this poem:

"Grief is a floating barge-boat,

                                                    who knows where it's going to moor?"

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/05/10/toadstools

I am terribly sorry to hear of the loss of your partner, especially so young. Dismantling the belief that grief is something we're supposed to move past is crucial. This poem raked a few more dead leaves out of every cell of my body. Thank you.