Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Sorry about no letter yesterday. Our Internet was dead, which no doubt pissed off all the Harmony school kids who had intended to spend their snow day watching YouTube videos. But surprisingly, given the amount of sleet we received and the glum condition of the trees in my yard, we never lost power, so I was forced to edit all day instead of mooning around the house with a book while trying to avoid playing Monopoly.

One interesting thing did happen during the sleet storm: I received a rejection letter that informed me I'd been a finalist for a semester-long teaching-poet-in-residence position at a small college in the south. Now, as you know, I don't have any graduate degrees and never will, which means that most colleges automatically disqualify me for such positions. Still, it's my habit to apply for fellowships, etc., that don't require me to pay an application fee, which was the case here. I figure that applying for stuff is good practice, and it makes me feel like I'm trying to be financially intelligent, and, plus, you never know who has a soft spot for poetry collections with demolition-derby cars on their covers. Nonetheless, I was bemused to learn that I'd been a finalist for this job. Either the search committee members didn't read my resume very carefully, or this school has decided that an MFA doesn't necessarily equal a writer who can teach. An intriguing development, don't you think?

6 comments:

Ruth said...

I really like your comment about the MFA not necessarily meaning one can teach. I once received a rejection letter about a position as Headmistress of a prestigous girls' school in VA. I hadn't even applied for it!

Dawn Potter said...

Hah! That's really funny, Ruth!

Maureen said...

I might know which "prestigious girls' school" that is; Ruth should be pleased she didn't get accepted.

Contrary to what some may believe, lack of a MFA also does not you cannot write.

Dawn Potter said...

Amen, Maureen.

Louise Gallagher said...

Yeah -- I keep thinking about going back for a Masters and then... I keep writing so I figure I'm getting it in 'real life works'.

At least, that's the story I tell myself :)

I like your story!

Rtuh said...

I'd say writing tops a MFA any time. And thank you Maureen, I am rather grateful too that I am in NH in my 5th grade with my amazing students and the poetry that I could only HOPE to write.