Most people who read my blog know that I attended an MFA program, but I’m still leery about spending too much time talking about MFA’s because I grow weary of the debate as to whether or not they are beneficial.
Last year I did a post about My MFA Journey. I even hint at myself as an Eternal Student in another post and if you go back to blog posts from 2007-2009 you will definitely see a lot about the MFA as I worked through my program including this last post about my final reading. Feel free to type MFA into the search function on the right and look back. The real meaty ones about the MFA, like I said, are 2007-Jan 2009.
But, in either case, I did a low-residency MFA program and I’m happy to answer questions about the process of applying, going through the program and afterwards here.
I also thought I’d post a link to an article titled Six More Myths about the Creative Writing Master of Fine Arts. And another, bit of a silly link, to a McSweeny’s fiction piece (oh but is it fiction?) about workshopping.
And for a few more links: Lori May’s Low-Residency MFA Handbook which I’m quoted in about my program! And finally a very helpful blog called Creative Writing MFA Handbook.
So prepare your questions, I’ll be brutally honest!
And then back with a writing prompt tomorrow 
Hey Jessie! Thanks for revisiting this subject . . .being brave! ha! I’m really encouraged and happy that you valued your MFA experience. Hoping you get some good questions that can help someone else out. I have one, more you related . . .Do you think you’d be the writer you are today without your MFA? Do you know of successful writers without MFA’s?
I remembered getting a book about MFA’s of some sort , as I read this, so went to find it. I haven’t read it yet, but now I’m more intrigued. It’s titled “the portable MFA in creative writing” by the New York Writers Workshop. For a while there, I was buying writing books to try to learn more. But then I was reading and not writing. I need to begin reading/learning again, to not give that up entirely. I figure it can only help!
Thank you for helping me too! You have been my MFA program. ha!
There are definitely successful writers who do not obtain MFA’s. Lots of them!
I may have developed a lot of the writing skills I have now without the MFA, but I think it would have taken longer. What, perhaps, was most important for me with the MFA was finding a writing community. I think I quite writing for so long in my 20′s because I was no longer around that energy of other writers and I missed it.
I’ve heard good things about that “portable MFA” book so definitely give it a try. If you guys are interested, perhaps I could make my blog – for one week – kind of mirror the residency at a low-res MFA program?
You really do have to balance the learning with the actual act of writing. I think that is what I liked about my program so much. I started to learn technique but I also read a lot of writers I would have not read otherwise. And, of course, I WROTE!
Hi Jessie,
Thanks for this post. Like Debbie, I’ve heard of the Portable MFA and have ordered it. I wonder though if it will be what I need, but then, I guess that is the problem. I don’t really know what I need. I just know I want to write poetry. I want to teach it. So for that, I need my MFA. The trouble is getting started.
I too need more of that writing community, and I have found a small one on Twitter (and that includes you!)
Because of work, I don’t even have the option for a low-residency MFA but the local university here offers one online, but I have to apply soon. VERY soon.
I think your continued blogging about it would be great!! I really appreciate all of your help.
Well, looks like I missed the deadline. When in called they told me Feb 1st. They were off by a month. Oh well. Next year. Looks like the portable MFA is in the cards for me this year.
You can also look into MA programs which are more literature based but still give you the ability to teach at the community college level once you have finished with your degree. Finding actual work teaching poetry is difficult. Even now, I’m teaching composition and literature at a community college.
It was difficult to balance low-res when I was working full-time, but I did it. I just knew that my 2 weeks of vacation were going to school!!
Sorry you missed the deadline
Keep searching around for options and I’d be happy to chat with you about more programs. You might want to pick up the low-res handbook I mentioned.
Just a personal observation, and a related question..
–I have seen some who got something out of an MFA program.
).
I see others who become considerably better at poems,
word and line-wise, but who still have trouble putting
heart-n-soul or flavor out there…maybe from internal
reluctance (no such problems with you, Jessie
Bearing in mind Kooser’s caution, that this is communication,
that you ought to be writing to touch your audience..
um..the question is
–Is there any attempt in the graduate programs to
get the student to put themselves out there, or at least
move the reader (the drama doesn’t have to be yours
if the induction is good, of course) ?
I feel a lot of anxiety when I see that issue, because
I suspect it is a personal barrier. Sometimes I wonder
if method acting classes or something would help.
They are usually quite skilled in writing already…
if they want to touch they have to reach, is all.
Hope that makes sense.
I definitely get what you are saying. A lot of people worry that students in MFA programs can create skillful poems without there being any heart or soul to it. But, perhaps, to the writer there is some heart. For example, I had students in my class (they didn’t know) read a poem of mine that I really like and that is quite popular with most readers, but they felt it lacked emotion. I think that is a generation gap because people of my generation relate to it better.
That is slightly off point, but I do know what you mean. I saw a few writers who only tackled the same topics over and over again. They could create a good sonnet (let’s say) but the actual poem lacked fire. I found a lot of my workshop leaders, however, challenging us to real get into the tough subjects; to push yourself.
I think it all goes back to getting what you want out of a program. There were plenty of people who did the bare minimum to get by and they will probably be that type of writer. Then there were others who sank their teeth into the experience