I’ve returned from snowy Boston and the Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference. It was a mixed bag for me. There were a couple of sessions that were really solid, and I met a handful of interesting editors on the Bookfair floor that I may follow up with at some point. I also attended […]
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MFA Nugget: How Much is Too Much?
March 10, 2013 
10 Comments
BOSTON — In his book Blink, Malcolm Gladwell cites a scientific study that sought to determine if consumers equate more with better. They set up displays of various jams in a supermarket that customers could sample. When there were only six selections, a lot of people stopped. When there were two dozen, nearly everyone kept […]
Read moreAWP Nugget: The Bubbling Debate over Self-Publishing
March 9, 2013 33 Comments
BOSTON — The fireworks didn’t come during the panel session, which is a good thing, because every square inch of the floor was covered by attendees. Pyrotechnics in rooms violating fire codes never end well. But the figurative fireworks came that night, assisted with alcohol. I refer here to the third rail of our modern […]
Read moreAWP Nugget: Takeaways from Nobel Laureates Seamus Heaney and Derek Walcott
March 8, 2013 10 Comments
BOSTON — If you’re given an hour to sit down and listen to two Nobel-Prize-winning writers, you do so. I am still in my infancy when it comes to my understanding and appreciation of poetry and poets, but I made a point to attend the Thursday evening 8:30 pm keynote with Seamus Heaney and Derek […]
Read moreAWP Nugget: Tips for Writers Looking for the Tenure-Track Teaching Job
March 8, 2013 3 Comments
BOSTON — You love to write. You need to earn a living. Why not teach what you love? You’re not the first person to think of that. Every person with an MFA has entertained that fantasy, and many more writers beyond that. Here at the Association of Writers and Writing Programs 2013 conference, four writing […]
Read moreAWP Nugget: Hey Writers, Let’s Meet Up in Person in Seattle in 2014!
March 7, 2013 32 Comments
BOSTON — One emotion I have always felt at the AWP creative writers conference is jealousy. Jealousy of the talent and success of the panelists and readers. Jealousy of the way so many writer attendees approach literary editors on the Bookfair floor without fear. But, mostly, jealousy of how so many attendees have made the […]
Read moreAWP Nugget: Left-Brain Planning for a Right-Brain Conference
March 5, 2013 15 Comments
The process of creating art fires neurons in the right side of our brains. Planning and organization processes in the left side. Planning the most creative use of one’s time at North America’s largest literary conference requires whole-brain thinking. Every artist I interviewed on my cross-country U.S. road trip understood the role of planning in […]
Read moreA Round-Up of Resources for AWP 2013
February 27, 2013 6 Comments
With 11,000 creative writers about to descend upon Boston for the 2013 Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) annual conference, it’s not surprising that some of those writers have written online posts providing guidance and advice. I’ve collected a few below. If you’re planning on attending this year’s AWP from March 6-9, feel free […]
Read moreThe Role of the AWP Conference in a Creative Writer’s Evolution
February 15, 2013 13 Comments
I’ve booked my flight and hotel for this year’s Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) conference in Boston, Massachusetts. I’m in Beantown from Wednesday, March 6th to Saturday the 9th, a very short time to take in all of the workshops, readings, receptions, and of course, the massive trade show floor with just about […]
Read moreMFA Nugget: The Social Life of a Residency
July 4, 2012 12 Comments
“You should write about what the social life is like here. That was the thing I was most afraid of before coming.” One of my fellow students at my Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA residency made that suggestion last night, and so I’m going to take that on here. Now the first question is, […]
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