As of last week I finished student teaching sixth graders at Farnsworth Middle School. I must admit that I miss the children terribly, but I am now back into reading and writing mode. Being essentially finished with school, however, is incredibly disconcerting. There are no jobs in the area for teaching, so my options are limited.
Grad. school? I've been looking at a few low-res MFA programs, Chatham and Bennington to be exact, but I'm not sure how this all works. I love writing, but I'm afraid to invest $30,000 into a degree that doesn't necessarily guarantee me some kind of employment in the end. I would like to teach at the college level one day, but I'm not sure if a low-res is enough to get me there.
I love reading, and I love writing. Books, paper and pens are always there for me. They don't need me to rub their feet, make them a sandwich, or buy them a package of tampons in the middle of the night. They don't make me give up my television remote or put the seat back down after I'm done peeing.
I need advice, advice that I'm not finding locally. I'm essentially looking for a pipe-smoking soul-searching Shaman to hypnotize me into a dream vision where purple monkeys share their sage wisdom and doves poop skittles. Should I go to grad school and hope that I can find a job in my field when I'm done, or should I just substitute teach until something comes up that I could be eligible for? You're suggestions and comments are greatly appreciated.
My immediate future lies in completion of issue two. We will be finishing up our final selections on Thursday night at Signe's house, a posh little apartment on the fourth floor of a high rise overlooking the beauty and splendors of Lake Michigan. Jim and I have begun cover layout, and I must admit that it looks quite artsy. I'm very pleased with it and I can't wait to see what Signe and Lisa think about it. It's a bit of a different direction from our last cover.
Also, we've received a ton of submissions thanks to our new listing on Duotrope's Digest Website. Quality submissions are pouring in for our July deadline. I can't wait to start editing our next issue.
Excessively pondering life has been pick-pocketing time that I can't get back. Right now it doesn't matter because I have nothing pressing that I need to do, and that's killing me. Help me find who I'm supposed to be...please.
Until next time, keep writing!
3 comments:
Think of it this way, Rob...you just spent $30,000 on that fancy ed degree, but that didn't guarantee you employment, either.
I don't know if that illuminates the situation or not. What I *do* know is that employment is the wrong reason to enter an MFA program. If you want to treat yourself to 3 years of prioritizing your writing, and if you want to treat yourself to 3 years of being part of a writing community, and if you want to become a better writer -- if those are your true reasons -- then by all means go for it. If it's just about potential job prospects, though, then forget it. That MFA won't do you a lick of good in that department, unless you want to consider adjuncting...and believe me, you don't want to do that.
I want to see the pigeons pooping skittles. Or was it doves? Anyway, that's got me curious. See you tonight!
Thhanks for a great read
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