tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1256348635404703468.post5471642793260106769..comments2024-03-15T03:12:42.395-04:00Comments on G D C S + S W D P: A Really Long Post about MFA Programs AKA ScurchemeaneradfiueruyBLAKE BUTLERhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01087017442473579674noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1256348635404703468.post-2187279766939160812022-07-31T09:32:20.698-04:002022-07-31T09:32:20.698-04:00link you could check here find out this here rep... link <a href="https://www.dolabuy.ru/ophidia-c-157_168_171/gucci-replica-547947-aaa-ophidia-soft-gg-supreme-medium-tote-green-p-3120.html" rel="nofollow"><strong>you could check here</strong></a> find out this here <a href="https://www.dolabuy.ru/lockme-c-157_158_258/louis-vuitton-replica-designer-lockme-tender-m58557-bag-p-5013.html" rel="nofollow"><strong>replica bags buy online</strong></a> click here for info <a href="https://www.dolabuy.ru/20cm-c-157_190_228_229/2020-luxury-cc-cf-20cm-flap-lambskin-classic-black-bags-p-2338.html" rel="nofollow"><strong>visit this site</strong></a>teytheighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14189827775861710966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1256348635404703468.post-53963237899393705742020-11-24T04:27:20.116-05:002020-11-24T04:27:20.116-05:00This target could be a new bike or a new computer....This target could be a new bike or a new computer. Here, see for yourself what interests your child has. <a href="https://grademiners.com/" rel="nofollow">website that writes papers for you</a>AmandaOrleanderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01067182344574620252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1256348635404703468.post-29155646106186294392018-11-24T08:02:30.266-05:002018-11-24T08:02:30.266-05:00keep it up keep it up anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05752790295251753500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1256348635404703468.post-33962988928756092322008-09-05T00:38:00.000-04:002008-09-05T00:38:00.000-04:00best 5 rules everteach something alreadybest 5 rules ever<BR/><BR/>teach something alreadyKen Baumannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12621073880755140131noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1256348635404703468.post-19224089433998145822008-09-02T13:16:00.000-04:002008-09-02T13:16:00.000-04:00thanks michael, that is really nice words to hear,...thanks michael, that is really nice words to hear, i am glad to have set a taint fire, good luck figuring it out... and thanks for readingBLAKE BUTLERhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01087017442473579674noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1256348635404703468.post-50002472716318807672008-09-01T21:35:00.000-04:002008-09-01T21:35:00.000-04:00After reading this, I gather that you liked your M...After reading this, I gather that you liked your MFA experience to a certain degree.<BR/><BR/>I've been reading a lot of your stuff lately. I like it. I write a lot of those boring, long, linear pieces that you wrote about. I can see why you don't prefer them--but you can do a lot with a story like that, as far as disturbing people. One of the stories I wrote is 30 pages long (LONG) and it ends with a guy shitting his pants. I mean, I liked to try to EARN that gag, and I think I did, and by writing these long stories, and then giving people what they want BY giving them what they didn't expect can be pretty rewarding. I like super-mind-fuck-shit too (that is not meant to be demeaning: I'd consider a lot of your writing that, in a VERY GOOD WAY (i.e. that story you had in the New Ohio Review)), and I guess what I'm really saying is that I'm going to be applying to a bunch of MFA programs this fall, and I'm still trying to figure out how the hell I really want to write, so it's nice to know that people like you (who'd I consider an artistic success) went through the same kind of slog that I feel like I'm going through as far as voice and attitude and general "why the fuck am I doing this" questions. I'm really glad I found this blog, Blake. Lights a fire under my taint, that it does.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1256348635404703468.post-16344847986676227682008-08-26T15:29:00.000-04:002008-08-26T15:29:00.000-04:00michael, that name sounds familiar, i have a bad m...michael, that name sounds familiar, i have a bad memory for names, but i'm pretty sure.....<BR/><BR/>jamie, shitting hair is awesome, i want to read thatBLAKE BUTLERhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01087017442473579674noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1256348635404703468.post-3669703950776199112008-08-22T18:04:00.000-04:002008-08-22T18:04:00.000-04:00'fuck' is a very misunderstood wordyou got moxygoo...'fuck' is a very misunderstood word<BR/><BR/>you got moxy<BR/><BR/>good jobjeremehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13536779108190430035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1256348635404703468.post-34887998885228708652008-08-22T17:59:00.000-04:002008-08-22T17:59:00.000-04:00Also, some girl told me I sounded like a psychotic...Also, some girl told me I sounded like a psychotic ex-gf because I happened to use the words fuck and fucking. And also, I apparently write depressing stories because I didn't rewrite a chirpy fairy tale. This is making me rethink my MFA ambition.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1256348635404703468.post-55017300811280848292008-08-22T17:51:00.000-04:002008-08-22T17:51:00.000-04:00"called me often over-the-top to the point of naus..."called me often over-the-top to the point of nausea, and pointed at a description where I had likened the main character's pained facial expression to something like 'like a very Jewish rabbi passing a kidney stone.' She pounded the table with her fist after she read it. She said, 'What is that? I can't see that. I can't see that!'"<BR/><BR/>Haha. At the end of one of my stories, I made my female narrator shit hair that she consumed earlier that morning 'red on porcelain' or something like that. Someone else was writing about liking boys and having boy boobs. Everyone thought I was extremely weird. That workshop made me extremely conscious and throughout, I just showed the least offensive stories.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1256348635404703468.post-17996402561369111792008-08-21T16:22:00.000-04:002008-08-21T16:22:00.000-04:00Did one of your low residency cohorts happen to be...Did one of your low residency cohorts happen to be Rosina Talamantes?Michael Hemmingsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17441800190702888919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1256348635404703468.post-43532804501588162552008-08-21T11:47:00.000-04:002008-08-21T11:47:00.000-04:00and yes, isolation is certainly underrated. it's w...and yes, isolation is certainly underrated. it's why people don't get shit done. i think that's why i've been feeling it lately, post MFA, the feel of failure in such isolation. <BR/><BR/>again it comes down to having balls. writing with your testicles. or vag. or whatever the hell's down there.Keith Montesanohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04894963729123360757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1256348635404703468.post-629063443244403192008-08-21T11:45:00.000-04:002008-08-21T11:45:00.000-04:00haha. what do you mean? i was lucky. it kept me ou...haha. what do you mean? i was lucky. it kept me out of trouble and kept my head right. who knows what i would've been doing otherwise?<BR/><BR/>and i'm now engaged to her. so there you go.Keith Montesanohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04894963729123360757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1256348635404703468.post-35126563844859595222008-08-21T02:38:00.000-04:002008-08-21T02:38:00.000-04:00jason -i think im gonna just go the stephen king r...jason -<BR/><BR/>i think im gonna just go the stephen king route. i think there's like 6 of em now.DOGZPLOThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04016869523700569767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1256348635404703468.post-2179621019563670782008-08-21T02:36:00.000-04:002008-08-21T02:36:00.000-04:00keith - i was feeling your comment all the way up ...keith - i was feeling your comment all the way up until the "long distance relationship" thing. fuck. <BR/><BR/>low res programs - ive heard good things about:<BR/><BR/>antioch - la<BR/>bennington<BR/>chatham<BR/>goddard<BR/>murray state<BR/>pacific<BR/>vermont college<BR/>wilkesDOGZPLOThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04016869523700569767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1256348635404703468.post-38491518647856676942008-08-21T00:06:00.000-04:002008-08-21T00:06:00.000-04:00excellent commenti would be interested in a low re...excellent comment<BR/><BR/>i would be interested in a low res vs full res mfa comparison rundown somehow<BR/><BR/>isolation is underratedBLAKE BUTLERhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01087017442473579674noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1256348635404703468.post-13323720810216108532008-08-20T23:18:00.000-04:002008-08-20T23:18:00.000-04:00finally got to read this behemoth. i may delete my...finally got to read this behemoth. i may delete my shitty one i did a while ago. i don't even remember what i wrote about. <BR/><BR/>i do have to say, though, that the 3 years was key for me. my first and second years were all fuck-ups, both with interaction (lots of "what did i DO last night" and "where the fuck is my car... hopefully on my block since i'm waking up on my couch") and my writing. <BR/><BR/>i was smart, i think, in workshop, and sat and listened a lot, taking notes on the good and the bad, mostly for others' stuff, since i knew mine wasn't any good and 99% or more got thrown out, i think.<BR/><BR/>the third year, though, i was there w/ some testicular writing, just said fuck it and went for it, and without that, i'm not sure it would've ever happened. meaning the metamorphosis moment. or actually writing from the gut. whatever the fuck it is. <BR/><BR/>and to anyone reading this, if you PAY for an MFA -- meaning you go sans stipend or fellowship -- either don't do it or apply again next year to get a fellowship or stipend. it wouldn't have been worth it for me without a stipend (as i never got any kind of fellowship, which is an option if you can impress your faculty), especially if you're sacrificing that time to read and write with other jobs and worries and such. <BR/><BR/>what a great post overall though, especially since i don't know jack about the low residency thing, except the slightest bit. though many are taking that route these days, and i think it's great that someone has that option, especially for folks that DO have families and don't want to uproot -- and can't uproot -- their families because they're making nothing. <BR/><BR/>and even if you're lucky and getting paid for your work, by the time your first shitty super late $20 check comes for your story or poem, you've spent over $50 on fees getting stuff out there: for the journals that are still in the dark ages and don't have submission systems. <BR/><BR/>i admit though that i did a lot of sailing, mainly because it was accidental, as i was just out of undergrad, extremely immature (still am), and moved hours away from anyone i knew to a new city. but the dude-in-the-shitty-apartment-drinking-beer-and-reading-and-writing (replace w/ lady if application is necessary) was also good. i had tons of time to think and explore w/o having someone else to deal with when i got home. and i was in a long-distance relationship, not single, if that means anything. necessary for singularity? no. did it end up being great for me? yes. time time time. <BR/><BR/>anyway, i'll stop. i think people are probably done reading this thread anyway. but thanks for that, blake. it's one of the more solid and specific "my MFA experience" posts, all of it sans bullshit, and i liked all the comments too. <BR/><BR/>i always feel like i can at least attempt to give advice to the folks who need it from my own experience, which was also a weird and wild one. i think if it ain't weird and wild (w-wild and crazy, w-wild and crazy... kiddddz), then something's wrong. <BR/><BR/>hallelujah. holy shit. where's the tylenol?Keith Montesanohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04894963729123360757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1256348635404703468.post-84255890996709067752008-08-20T17:10:00.000-04:002008-08-20T17:10:00.000-04:00I heard Naropa had an internet classroom thing and...I heard Naropa had an internet classroom thing and I was surprised. I've never really heard about that kind of thing for an mfa program.<BR/><BR/>I don't think I've never read Chekhov. Or maybe a short story or two for an English class in college if he wrote those kinds of things. I don't know.Bradley Sandshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06556181380912931853noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1256348635404703468.post-14202797049773993832008-08-20T16:50:00.000-04:002008-08-20T16:50:00.000-04:00Bradley,I went to Warren Wilson. I really loved th...Bradley,<BR/><BR/>I went to Warren Wilson. I really loved that place. Mostly. Sometimes. Often. Maybe.<BR/><BR/>One might fairly say, though, that Wally is conservative. Check the faculty list. Lots of Chekhovians.<BR/><BR/>I don't necessarily think this is a bad thing, though. I loved the resistance I met. Really.<BR/><BR/>And I also learned to sort of love the heck out of Chekhov.The Man Who Couldn't Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02910718558602413449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1256348635404703468.post-25670433998685605952008-08-20T16:48:00.000-04:002008-08-20T16:48:00.000-04:00good will huntinggood will huntinggood will huntin...good will hunting<BR/>good will huntinggood will huntinggood will huntinggood will huntinggood will huntinggood will huntinggood will huntinggood will huntinggood will huntinggood will huntinggood will huntinggood will huntinggood will huntinggood will huntinggood will huntinggood will huntinggood will huntinggood will huntinggood will huntinggood will huntinggood will huntinggood will huntinggood will huntinggood will huntinggood will huntinggood will huntinggood will huntinggood will huntinggood will huntinggood will huntinggood will huntinggood will huntinggood will huntinggood will hunting<BR/><BR/>late chah-jezBLAKE BUTLERhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01087017442473579674noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1256348635404703468.post-15315992088090587362008-08-20T16:46:00.001-04:002008-08-20T16:46:00.001-04:00I already have one education I'm not "using" and p...I already have one education I'm not "using" and paying up the ass forphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16630527710204854175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1256348635404703468.post-77445761979515610752008-08-20T16:46:00.000-04:002008-08-20T16:46:00.000-04:00I already have one education I'm not "using" and p...I already have one education I'm not "using" and paying up the ass forphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16630527710204854175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1256348635404703468.post-30127303773734838442008-08-20T16:29:00.000-04:002008-08-20T16:29:00.000-04:00Barry: I unfortunately can't pay for your classes....Barry: I unfortunately can't pay for your classes. My advice would be to use a pseudonym for your book--Tao Linn or something like that--which should help you sell 25,000 copies easy!<BR/><BR/>For me, I'd done a lot of writing and submitting prior to grad school, so when I got there, I was confident in my abilities and writing style and voice. Many other writers I've encountered over the years in workshops aren't confident and/or are too hard on themselves. While I'm learning a lot in my MFA, I don't think it's changed my style to a significant degree. Thankfully the faculty I'm under now is very open to experimentation, online publishing, etc.Jason Jordanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17512025552464332123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1256348635404703468.post-1065220815700131952008-08-20T15:40:00.001-04:002008-08-20T15:40:00.001-04:00haha, snarling urethrahaha, snarling urethraBLAKE BUTLERhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01087017442473579674noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1256348635404703468.post-83682689433493852582008-08-20T15:40:00.000-04:002008-08-20T15:40:00.000-04:00bradley,no online section of bennington. it's real...bradley,<BR/><BR/>no online section of bennington. it's really primarily based on mail work, which i like.<BR/><BR/>there is a list on the web somewhere of all the lo res places, it shouldnt be too hard to find<BR/><BR/>the only real way to learn to write is to read and write, all the rest is extraBLAKE BUTLERhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01087017442473579674noreply@blogger.com