suggestions for phd

[hopscotcher]

OK, so I'll be graduating with an MFA in Creative Writing next May--overall, I've been disappointed with my program. Without going into detail--it's a pure workshop program, with little emphasis on literature and theory, and it is steeped in traditionalism and closed to cross-genre studies, i.e. everything I am interested in.

So now I'm looking around for PhD programs, but I don't know where to start. I know I don't want to do a PhD in Creative Writing, because I can't imagine another 3 years of workshops or just another 3 years around Creative Writers. Ideally, I'd like to do something with a theory/philosophy emphasis--but also creative work. What I'd like to write isn't fiction or traditional literature, but something that blurs the lines between philosophy, poetry, and theory. Does anyone on here know any programs like this? (I was told to check out University of California in San Diego, for their mixed genre studies.)

Edit: I suppose I should specify what types of theory and philosophy I'm into. I've seen other people on here refer to continental philosophy--well, yes, I'm interested in that. Specifically, Lacan, Derrida, Deleuze, Cixous, Baudrillard, Foucault. I'm also highly interested (in theory) in Queer theory, though I haven't explored it much yet.

Edited June 14, 2012 by hopscotcher

[graze512]

Probably like, New School, Loyola-Chicago, Columbia, Boston U, BC. I'd imagine these school would be in that vein. Particularly New and Columbia.

[theblues]

You'll want to check out the spep list (spep.org/resources/graduate-programs), because those are the Continental departments where you are more likely to find people working in postmodernism, although a lot of what is mainstream in the (already non-mainstream) vein of Continental philosophy is phenomenology, which seems to be what you are not interested in. Western Ontario has a Centre for Theory which seems to be an interesting program. For your interests and background, I would strongly recommend looking into Comparative Literature programs, because there you will get postmodernism/theory taken more seriously as an endeavor itself. I have some similar interests in theory (Foucault, Deleuze, etc.) but I was put off by Comp. Lit programs just because most require you to acquire good reading knowledge of two languages by the time you finish and to have good reading knowledge of one foreign language when you apply, which I don't think I have.

Hope this helps.

[magog]

Check out Northwestern's and Binghamton's comp lit programs. Also the Pluralist's Guide to GLBT Studies.

EDIT: UCI's Culture and Theory PhD might also interest you.

Edited July 11, 2012 by magog