Every artist on some level understands that the actions of an artist are dictated by technology. Before Gutenberg invented the printing press, writers were far more limited in page count with wound codexes. The sound amplification technology provided by a piano allowed compositions intended for far larger audiences than a harpsichord. We focus on Kindles […]
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AWP Nugget: What You Missed at the Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference
March 11, 2013 
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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 […]
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 moreMFA Nugget: The Writer’s Persona in Essays and Blog Posts
January 7, 2013 17 Comments
MONTPELIER, VERMONT — To what extent is the “I” a writer puts down the page truly that writer? It’s a question that has long vexed personal essayists, in particular since Michel de Montaigne went about as far as any writer could in examining every aspect of himself in his prose. Vermont College of Fine Arts […]
Read moreMFA Nugget: Writing to the Reader, and More
January 4, 2013 19 Comments
MONTPELIER, VERMONT — “Who is your audience?” Ah, the age-old question. Vermont College of Fine Arts instructor Larry Sutin said in his lecture here at our MFA in Writing residency that he hears that question asked all the time, adding with his usual dry wit, “enough times that it must be a very important question.” […]
Read moreMFA Nugget: A Follow-Up on Teaching
January 2, 2013 15 Comments
MONTPELIER, VERMONT — Allow me to take a moment to step out of the daily postings for a moment here with what I will generously call a bonus post, one that follows well with this morning’s post on teaching creative writing. As some readers know, I’ve been exploring the possibility of providing the course I […]
Read moreMFA Nugget: The Writing Teacher as Student
January 2, 2013 12 Comments
MONTPELIER, VERMONT — It can be a bit trite when we hear instructors say they love to teach because they learn so much from their students. If you’re learning from us, we students can say, why are we paying you? But as someone who has also been an instructor, I know this can be true […]
Read moreWhat Would You Like to See on The Artist’s Road?
December 20, 2012 28 Comments
This is your chance, dear readers, to weigh in on the types of posts you’ll see over the next year on The Artist’s Road. I’ve arranged below a list of categories into which Artist’s Road posts could most comfortably be fit. It’s a bit of a challenge, because while this blog has a theme–living the […]
Read moreAre We Living a Golden Age of Creative Instruction?
November 26, 2012 16 Comments
So the countdown begins. Having been admitted to her art college of choice, in a few months my daughter will be a 10-hour drive away, living artistic instruction day and night. It’s a dream for her, and I’m thrilled (my pocketbook is perhaps less so). I’m also a bit envious–at how clear her creative path […]
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Kudos to the Artist’s Road Commenters of 2012
The Artist’s Road is, at its heart, a conversation with its readers. It draws its strength from the quality and depth of its comments, left by thoughtful, reflective commenters. I am continually amazed at the wisdom left there; I love that my blog posts allow me to learn from my readers. So I’d like to […]
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