May graduation, June classes

My graduation day on Mother's Day 2014 in Sewanee, TN was amazing, and far more than I ever imagined a graduation ceremony could be. At least 400 students (both graduates and undergraduates) accepted their diplomas, and swarms of friends and family members cheered as we exited All Saint's Chapel. A dozen School of Letters students walked that day, and I can honestly say it was magical. And in May 2018, I'll do it all over again...except this time I'll be receiving my M.F.A., instead of my M.A.

The long awaited day

I didn't have long to bask in the glow of achievement, however, because I started back to the SOL less than a month later for my 1st summer as an MFA candidate. My classes were Creative Non-Fiction workshop with Nat Geo writer, Neil Shea, and Bible as Literature with one of my favorite professors (and thesis advisor), Dr. Jenn Lewin. Both courses were demanding in their own right, but I managed to get through them both without pulling my hair out. It helped having four previous years of grad school under my belt, I think. I had the fortune of dining at Pearl's with the editors of The American Scholar and the Virginia Quarterly Review (along with Neil Shea, April Alvarez, and a couple of my classmates) before the summer ended, and learned many hard-to-swallow facts about the publishing world. I learned that I will not be pursuing traditional routes to publication in these types of journals. I have not the patience nor the will power, and I honestly feel that the publishing world has become a soul crusher. The main point of this harsh education, however, led me to realize that writing is not something to be taken lightly (not that I've ever taken much in my life lightly), and like any craft, skill, or profession, it requires constant attention, work, and perseverance in order to walk the lonely road of a professional writer. Writing isn't easy, or I should say, good writing isn't easy, and whoever says so is a big fat liar.

So, all that to say: three copies of my thesis has been submitted for binding, and will take their rightful place in the library, archives, and SOL. My summer papers have been turned in, and I'm officially free to do whatever the heck I choose (writing-wise) from now until June. I have two YA novel drafts waiting to receive 2nd edits, and a NaNoWriMo novel to plot before November. Onward!

Rivendell Dinner with a few professors and former classmate.