Tag Archives: creative writing programs

Last Lecture: “Am I a writer?”

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Cathy Day
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At the end of the semester, I give presentations in my novel-writing classes about the publishing business. Many students are seniors getting ready to graduate. Hence, they are full of anxieties. The first thing they say is: Why didn’t anyone … Continue reading →

Posted in CW Programs, Teaching, The Biggest Things, Writing | Tagged , , , | 20 Comments

Novels vs. Stories in MFA Programs Survey Results

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Cathy Day
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My plan was to release the survey results one question at a time via ruminative blog posts like this one on whether MFA programs are “anti-novel” or not and this one on the “professionalization” question. But I’ve changed my mind. Many people … Continue reading →

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Should we make it our business to teach the business of being a writer?

Posted on March 18, 2012 by Cathy Day
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Writing as craft and writing as business Here’s the question I asked both MFA faculty and students on the survey. MFA programs should avoid “professionalization” and “business” issues related to the writing life, such as discussions of the market and … Continue reading →

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How I Answered the AWP Survey

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Cathy Day
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Take the survey! You have until March 22. It’s important. I filled it out the other day, and I found that I had so much to say in that little comment module I decided to cut and paste it into a … Continue reading →

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Survey Results: 56% say MFA favors story over novel

Posted on March 6, 2012 by Cathy Day
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It is possible to teach novel writing in MFA programs, and many do. My panelists (David Haynes, Patricia Henley, Sheila O’Connor, and Elizabeth Stuckey-French) prove it here, by sharing their syllabi with you. You’ve got everything you need to design your … Continue reading →

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MFA FAQ: The LOR

Posted on October 18, 2011 by Cathy Day
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A series of posts about applying to graduate creative writing programs. This one’s about the etiquette of asking for an LOR, or letter of recommendation. Dear former student o’ mine, Thanks for your email/Facebook message asking for a LOR. I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in CW Programs, General, Teaching, The Biggest Things | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

MFA vs. NYC = Team Short Story vs. Team Novel

Posted on November 26, 2010 by Cathy Day
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In his book, The Program Era: Postwar Fiction and the Rise of Creative Writing, Mark McGurl says that it’s time we paid attention to the “increasingly intimate relation between literary production and the practices of higher education.” So. This is … Continue reading →

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