1: Dean Young, Ravi Shankar, Tony Barnstone + Nathalie Handal, Annie Finch
2: K Silem Mohammad, Cole Swensen, Brenda Hillman, Forrest Gander
3: Major Jackson, Paul Muldoon, Marie Ponsot, Valzhyna Mort
4: Marilynne Robinson, Bharati Mukherjee, Alex Lemon, Eireann Lorsung
5: Nick Flynn, Carolyn Forche, Honor Moore, Donald Hall
6: Carolyn Forche + Donald Hall, Rachel Zucker, Carl Philips, Erin Belieu
7: Tony Hoagland, Marie Howe, Victoria Redel, Elise Paschen
2: K Silem Mohammad, Cole Swensen, Brenda Hillman, Forrest Gander
3: Major Jackson, Paul Muldoon, Marie Ponsot, Valzhyna Mort
4: Marilynne Robinson, Bharati Mukherjee, Alex Lemon, Eireann Lorsung
5: Nick Flynn, Carolyn Forche, Honor Moore, Donald Hall
6: Carolyn Forche + Donald Hall, Rachel Zucker, Carl Philips, Erin Belieu
7: Tony Hoagland, Marie Howe, Victoria Redel, Elise Paschen
The facts: my first year among many firsts this year--first year in an MFA program, first year working on a literary magazine, first year as a reliant wife. Chicago, only five or six hours away from home, a flat drive from here to there, an abundance of folks to meet up with.
The highlights: shall I even say it? Being called "her Molly" by Carolyn Forche and the reminder to send more poems, the star struck feeling of glimpsing those poets I adore, being introduced to still more I ought to be aware of, the heavy books I anticipate reading, seeing old friends (hello Eireann, Betsy!) the meals with good friends (thanks, Colleen, Bart, Amanda, Brian, Meryl, Sheena) and good conversation. The wonder of the city and the silent shudder of the L train by my room, reminding me of nights in Winona as my husband worked on his own Master's degree.
The lowlights: in the dim, that overwhelming-ness--the nights, trying to fall asleep, with that awful whir in my mind. It would take an hour or so from the light's click to my own release, so much was weighing on my mind--transfering from thoughts on panels to thoughts on the semester (to thoughts on the unkemptness of my home).
Next year: Denver? I say yes. This year, bring the husband, rent a car, spend an extra day in Ft Collins (a little windpowered brewery we adore), and hope that dear friends come as well.
xo
The highlights: shall I even say it? Being called "her Molly" by Carolyn Forche and the reminder to send more poems, the star struck feeling of glimpsing those poets I adore, being introduced to still more I ought to be aware of, the heavy books I anticipate reading, seeing old friends (hello Eireann, Betsy!) the meals with good friends (thanks, Colleen, Bart, Amanda, Brian, Meryl, Sheena) and good conversation. The wonder of the city and the silent shudder of the L train by my room, reminding me of nights in Winona as my husband worked on his own Master's degree.
The lowlights: in the dim, that overwhelming-ness--the nights, trying to fall asleep, with that awful whir in my mind. It would take an hour or so from the light's click to my own release, so much was weighing on my mind--transfering from thoughts on panels to thoughts on the semester (to thoughts on the unkemptness of my home).
Next year: Denver? I say yes. This year, bring the husband, rent a car, spend an extra day in Ft Collins (a little windpowered brewery we adore), and hope that dear friends come as well.
xo
9 comments:
could I be more jealous that Forche is proprietary about you? wow- I will need to hear that story.
thanks for posting these photos!
I have a sister in Fort Collins! But I'm not sure I'll be going next year... it is the week before THE THESIS is due - ack!
AUGH YOUR THESIS
I'd like to go to Denver fer sure, but who knows about the $$$
CM: It's always the luck of where you are at what time. Carolyn was an instructor of mine just as I was debating grad school, so she wrote one of my letters of rec, as did Eireann. I kind of want to read them now. :)
All: When is the thesis defense? Is it a block of time in May? I want to make sure I can attend at least the poetry ones, though I'm very interested in the prose as well. I haven't actually witnessed one on campus, though my friend Jonene VanMeter did hers in her hometown (she just did a reading and somehow that counted)--and she's Jonene Lee, if anyone is familiar with her, now--but I'm interested in how the twenty books figure in, etc.
xo
thesis defense = may 11-15... i missed out last year but definitely plan to get to them this year!
Definitely go to any that you can! A good chance to see different faculty member's styles of mentorship before you're where me and Colleen M are (supposed to have made the decisions by then - ack!).
Each writer gets to choose which parts, if any, of the defense are "open" to the public... usually there's a reading of the thesis followed by a defense where the writer is questioned by his/her first and second reader. I've gone to a couple defenses where both parts were open... but it becomes hard to attend non-essentials during that time... everyone is fried and deadlined (and some working or traveling) that week.
Definitely go to any that you can! A good chance to see different faculty member's styles of mentorship before you're where me and Colleen M are (supposed to have made the decisions by then - ack!).
Each writer gets to choose which parts, if any, of the defense are "open" to the public... usually there's a reading of the thesis followed by a defense where the writer is questioned by his/her first and second reader. I've gone to a couple defenses where both parts were open... but it becomes hard to attend non-essentials during that time... everyone is fried and deadlined (and some working or traveling) that week.
oops just to clarify, it was me (colleen M) who posted about defense and for some reason I seemed to be shown as Colleen C...weirdness! we need nicknames :)
Do we know the schedule for thesis week yet? I can only be here for part of it but will definitely get to as many as I can, hopefully across all genres.
Yes, this name thing is causing confusion (I didn't remember writing the above, glad Colleen M. claimed it or I would have thought I was losing my mind). Perhaps nicknames -- but we might need some wacky adventures for those to become clear... :)
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