Another MFA submission off the desk. Many of my co-MFA-ers appear to be hitting walls right along with me at the moment. I've come to the conclusion that it is both an upside and a downside of low-residency programs that you can continue with your regular life/career as you do them.
The upside is the obvious one: no need to drop a thriving career, relocate to another city, or anything like that. Life, as you knew it, does not need to end...or at least not quite.
This leads to the downside. Most of us already had full lives and, as a result, the low-residency MFA just takes the regular life and ADDS full-time graduate student responsibilities to it. They estimate that to get the most out of the program you need to put in about 25 hours a week. YOU try finding 25 hours in a week. It's not easy. But the thing is, even when it's not 25 hours, I do manage to find time in a week to write.
This leads to another upside. Life in a low-residency program is probably a lot like the writing life actually is for many writers. From what I can see, most writers have other commitments as well: teaching, speaking, day-jobs not directly connected to their work, partners and children...If you're going to write, you need to carve time out of an ordinary day in which to honor that need (it is, after all, a need. I can't see anyone sticking with it if it's anything less!).
This leads to another downside. Burn out. If the low-residency MFA is a sign of things to come, and if the level of burn out I am now experiencing after the third submission of the third semester is going to be a fact of life, I'm not sure I can make it. I came very close this month to hitting the "what's the point of it all?" wall.
I want to end on an upside. Support. Since most of the other students are in the same situation, the support in a low residency MFA is incredible. I've heard that MFA programs can be competitive and unsupportive. I haven't experienced anything but encouragement and support from the circle of writers I've met through this program. They're fantastic. And for the final upside, if we didn't have all that time in between the times we get to see one another, the residencies wouldn't be quite so magical. In a full time residential program, it would be impossible to sustain the magic of the residencies.
Upsides: 4
Downsides: 2
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5 comments:
Can you get your hands on the November issue of "The Writer"? (If not, remind me to give it to you in Jan.) There's an article debating this very topic (do you need an MFA? How it helps, how it hurts, etc.), AND it features two of our faculty members: Michael Lowenthal and Rafael Campo (along with three other writers). It's an interesting debate, and some of the points they make echo the points you make here (the upsides/ the downsides).
I do think the upsides and downsides you point out are specific to life in MFA programs, not necessarily the writing life itself.
I have something to add to the upside: next June, when we're all officially writing "on our own" (meaning no MFA deadlines, anyway), I think it will be different. First, you'll have worked up to that point over two years, building the "muscle" to work independently (which you already do in your day-job). Second, you'll be providing your own assignments and deadlines, which you'll schedule based on your life. In other words, you wouldn't schedule a deadline for the weekend of Canada's Thanksgiving, right? We don't have that control right now...but we will in a year. Also, I can speak a little bit from experience. I wrote three drafts of my novel "on my own," while fitting in working, teaching, and chasing after George Clooney. It felt a lot different (a lot better) than the structure of the MFA program (mainly because I was in control of my deadlines and schedules). Obviously, this isn't the MFA program's fault--it needs to have deadlines, and it certainly can't check in with everyone to see if the deadlines work.
You're such and organized and diligent scheduler, TI, that I have NO DOUBT that you'll be able to carry on with your writing...and that these "walls" will be less frequent (they might disappear altogether).
Congrats on getting the third sub out the door. One more to go...and then some much needed rest! (And I'd love to read what you wrote, so send it along.)
Hugs,
RB
What a great comment, RB. You're so wise about these things. And you're probably a rare non-Canadian to know that it was CDN Thanksgiving this weekend. Yes, that complicated matters a bit. I'll send you what I wrote if you send me what you wrote.
I love this post, and RB's comment. I actually just attended a meeting with Steven and the Lesley board of directors where I was the student rep for the los res MFA program, and I made a lot of the same points (though probably not as eloquently!)
I hadn't thouhgt about RB's point about making your own deadlines, though, and that makes a lot of sense. That will make life a lot easier!
And let me just second what you said about support. I really wasn't counting on making any friends at an MFA program b/c of that possibility for nastiness and competition that you mention. And here I am with four very close friends, who, even though we see each other only twice a year, I feel very very connected to!
That's intersting, Bug. I'm curious how the meting went? What was the agenda item that made it possible for you to share your views on the pros and cons of low res?
The meeting was to educate the board more on the different models of education, so they wanted to know what it was like from the student POV. It was really interesting, though nerve wracking! But Steven seemed pleased with my performance. :)
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