MFAs

[ellenkushner]

in the wake of my little rant and the ensuing LJ discussion, my cousin Els* sent me this link to a blogpiece by Kate Harding in defense of MFA programs (that mentions our very own Mary Anne Mohanraj!). It lays it all out pretty clearly, pros, cons and grim realities. As one comment says, "This is one of the best defenses of the MFA that I’ve ever read" - yeah, it is; and I'm still not perfectly convinced. But I understand better, now.

*She is such a wonderful blogger. A recent entry included: I was going to tell the story of My Harrowing Second Annual Holiday-Mailing Trip Down to Sumas In the Snow last Thursday, in four-part harmony, with feeling, but now it's been a few days and I'm afraid much of the narrative juice has leached out of it -- replace "Trip Down to Sumas" with justabout anything that happens to me, and she speaks for me - I still owe you all the story of the Spanish Swordsman! - "the narrative juice has leached out of it" . . . YEAH. That's the Stuff!