2015, Archives, August 2015, The MFA Years

Porscha Coleman Introduction (New England College ’17)

People talk about defining moments, moments that change the trajectory. Oprah calls them “Aha moments” I wouldn’t and couldn’t realize that that was mine not for years to come. There were no refreshments, but being a little black girl in a bookstore owned by a black woman and people coaxing me gently from my shell to share what I had written because my words and my voice matter meant more than I could express then or now.

2015, Archives, August 2015, The MFA Years

Emylisa Warrick Introduction (University of South Carolina ’18)

When I applied to graduate school, I thought I wouldn’t get in. I thought I would apply, receive my rejections, and continue the life that I was living. I had just gotten a job in publishing after several months of internships, and I lived with my partner of eight years by a trio of lakes… Continue reading Emylisa Warrick Introduction (University of South Carolina ’18)

2015, Archives, August 2015, The MFA Years

Lydia Mulligan Introduction (Eastern Washington University ’17)

Image: Carolyn Jewel I fell in love with writing at a young age. I read voraciously in the crook of this one plum tree in our backyard. We all climbed it, but I owned it. It was my special reading nook. I walked through the stacks of the library in my hometown and felt the… Continue reading Lydia Mulligan Introduction (Eastern Washington University ’17)

2015, Archives, August 2015, The MFA Years

About those applications

Image: Mark Grapengater Everyone has a “hardest part.” The research was mine. I started like any millennial would: I googled it: “MFAs,” “Graduate Programs for Writers,” “Creative Nonfiction MA programs.” I looked up my favorite writers to see if they taught anywhere; if they did, I researched that program. I found a few articles that… Continue reading About those applications

2015, Archives, August 2015, The MFA Years

Bailey Boyd Introduction (University of Missouri ’17)

Image: Moose Winans I waited to write this until I was here, in Missouri, in my apartment in Columbia. I waited until I drove home from the airport in Kansas City after Edward flew away on Southwest, back to Orlando International and the house we shared together. I waited until I woke up alone, to… Continue reading Bailey Boyd Introduction (University of Missouri ’17)