To MFA or Not to MFA?
Author: laurie | Date: January 2, 2010 | Please Comment!Homegirl Kelly was writing on her blog the other day about the past decade in terms of her growth as a writer, and it sent me back to my own early days as a writer. I’ve been writing seriously since high school, but only decided to focus on poetry about eight years ago, in 2002. I know this because I recently found some old journals I started keeping after I said to my husband one day, “I think I’m going to forget about fiction and do poetry instead.” See, I say these things and they seem like an offhand comment, and then next thing you know…
But this story isn’t about how I became a poet (and let me just say…holy CRAP were those early efforts horrible. Seriously, I’m so embarrassed. But I suppose we all have to start somewhere.) This story is actually about MFAs. Masters of Fine Arts for those of you who are physicists or engineers or whatever and not in on the literary degree lingo.
Here’s the thing: MFAs are controversial. That in itself seems supremely silly to me, but people spend a lot of time being outraged by a lot of things that seem silly to me, so who am I to say? But yes, silly as it is, there is a whole, and fairly large, set of people who are anti-MFA. They argue that MFAs are a dime a dozen. Everyone has them these days! (As if that negates the work put into earning one because, let me tell you, it ain’t a cakewalk.) They say that MFAs turn out cookie-cutter writers who only learn to regurgitate the style of their teachers. (My two main poetry teachers had vastly different styles, neither of which are remotely like mine. As for my fellow MFA poets–none of us writes just like any other of us. We each have a unique voice.) Perhaps some rail against MFAs because they feel “art” should come naturally and not be forced by rules. (Ok, that’s just ridiculous. Craft is craft in any art form. You learn it from people who know better than you.) Whatever, MFA haters!
Going back to 2002, when I decided on a whim that I wanted to leave fiction in the dust and become a poet, I found a local workshop taught by a woman who would later become a friend and mentor, and I signed up. Showed up on the first day with my notebook and pen, ready to roll. I jumped into the local poetry scene with both feet–I did several workshops, went to local readings, and I wrote and read a LOT of poetry. Eventually I joined a private critique group in my very small town. All of these things definitely helped me to improve, but the improvement wasn’t happening as fast as I wanted it to. In other words, I wasn’t publishing.
So I started looking into MFA programs. I’d actually been interested in pursuing an MFA since my undergrad days as an English/creative writing major, but had never felt like the time was right. Now I wanted to do it. The funny thing, though, is that I think I wanted to do it more so I could feel like a legitimate writer than to improve my writing. I mean, I figured my writing would improve and that would be a good thing, but at first it was the letters I wanted, the letters that told the world “Hey, this girl has a degree so she’s legit.” (Silly, silly me.) I also thought, to be honest, that it would help me publish–the letters in my bio, I mean. It didn’t occur to me that I would be publishing because my poetry would become THAT much better.
Getting to the point, I ended up applying and being accepted to the Whidbey Writer’s Workshop low-residency program and three years later I had my letters. (I took a year off in the middle — it was really just a two-year program.) I can say without any doubt that my writing is exponentially better than it was before I began the program. Sure, I got some letters, but what was far more valuable was that I was taught the craft of writing poetry. I was taught how to read the great writers who came before me and then apply their lessons to my own work. Not only that, but I came out of the program with a tight group of fellow writer friends, with whom I still share work regularly. I made professional contacts within the program, as well, one of which led me to my current position as poetry editor at LA Review. I became a good enough poet to start getting published regularly, which has led me to get to know lots of editors and other writers out there in the industry. I’ve become part of the inner circle. All that stuff? It’s like gold, really. It’s what took me from some woman sitting at her kitchen table with a notebook, writing stuff to share with her neighbors, to what my former teacher and current boss Kate Gale calls “a literary playa.” Damn, I wouldn’t trade that for anything. I love being a literary playa. That’s really what I wanted all along — more than those letters, even. And did the letters make it a lot easier to get in the game? Hell yeah! There’s no doubt about it…but it was more about the learning and the networking than the letters themselves. So if you’re a writer and considering taking the MFA leap, I would encourage you to shut out the naysayers (perhaps they are too afraid to make the step themselves?) and go for it. The rewards you reap will be endless–and go far beyond the letters in your bio.
3:37 pm on January 2nd, 2010
Hey MFA-er and online Addonizio workshop sista – I have a big congratulations for you on EARNING that MFA. I would say that one might not need the degree to get to the same literary place as one who has the degree – there are many paths to literary success. But, those who have earned their letters should be celebrated, credited, and above all respected. Hard work should never be negated. That being said, MFA’s do not come cheaply and not everyone who would like one can afford it. In fact, these days with universities hiring adjunct, rather than full-time faculty, the “return” on the investment in a MFA for a student of a certain age – that is, an “older” student, who would like to use the degree to teach – is not good. However, the investment in the knowledge, the opportunity to work with amazing poets, and, yes, the connections one makes is invaluable. Workshops are another way to get to work with poets – but they are also not cheap and they are not as intensive. There are many reasons to get this degree. But, it isn’t entirely necessary for a successful literary career.
3:52 pm on January 2nd, 2010
Joy, you do make an excellent point about affordability, although like any college program, most MFAs have financial aid. Of course, nobody goes into writing to make money. It just isn’t there. It amazes me that so many writers DO manage to figure out a way to pay for their degrees! As for your point about an MFA not being entirely necessary for a successful literary career, you are absolutely right. But it helps tremendously. I know I would not have been able to make a successful career for myself in the literary world without it. Yes, a certain type of very talented and motivated person could do it, but boy am I not that person! Heh. (It’s good to know one’s limitations, I suppose…)
Have a great New Year, Joy, and I hope 2010 brings you much literary success.
4:46 pm on January 2nd, 2010
Yeah, for me, it was allllll about the connections. And not just the faculty, but the other students I met while I was there. And it’s also buying time, in a way – concentrated time where you HAVE to write – which is priceless for someone who might have the talent but needs to learn discipline.
5:44 pm on January 2nd, 2010
L–I am so glad that you made the leap. Our little snark salon just wouldn’t be the same without you! We are all lucky to have found each other in the process of furthering our literary educations. We’re a blessed bunch of nerds.
9:03 pm on January 2nd, 2010
Thanks for the food for thought, Laurie, I’m constantly tossing up whether to study again or not. I’ve often thought that it would help me feel more legitimate as a writer plus improve my writing, but hadn’t really given much thought to the contacts and networks I’d make – something else to put on the pro side of the list.
1:43 pm on January 4th, 2010
It is odd that MFA’s remain controversial — they’re so well established now. I’ve always heard that they are great for networking and contacts.
The criticisms seem really to be a skepticism over what actually makes a student’s writing better: the teaching aspect of the program, or the fact of the student taking their writing “seriously” (as the main focus of their daily life, not something they “find time” to do)? The ability to teach verse as a craft does come down to whether one believes “anyone” can be a good poet or whether it takes something innate or “special”.
I’m hung on the question — or, really I’m a skeptic by nature. A mediocre writer can’t be made that much better; or, can they? Who can say for sure. That being said, I have had some really negative experiences with the people of such programs, which has totally put me off the idea of applying.
5:52 pm on January 4th, 2010
It is still funny to me how controversial the MFA degree is. I wouldn’t trade having gotten one though. I think when I decided to go back it was to say – I love to write and this show a commitment to wanting to learn and really live a writing life.
Great post!
12:30 pm on January 5th, 2010
I think while there may be a controversy over MFAs specifically, it’s probably part of a larger feeling about Master’s degrees in general – they’ve become sort of neither here nor there degrees, graduate qualifications that aren’t, you know, really professional like a proper Ph.D.
About the same time I got an MA in English (which has been, as a certification, not terribly useful), my father’s secretary got an MA in Secretarial Science. She teaches high school now, with a smidge higher salary than she would without it. I wonder what her course of study was like.
From an academic perspective (or, well, business-of-academia perspective), MFAs at least are considered *terminal* degrees, which means that a holder is qualified for a full professorship… as opposed to those of us who are qualified only to be adjuncts in order to supplement our writing gigs.
6:23 pm on January 5th, 2010
>>The criticisms seem really to be a skepticism over what actually makes a student’s writing better: the teaching aspect of the program, or the fact of the student taking their writing “seriously” (as the main focus of their daily life, not something they “find time” to do)>>
I’m always flummoxed by this question. Could a classical dancer simply improve his technique by dancing alone–very seriously–in his kitchen, or would he require the instruction of a teacher to achieve professional quality? Clearly, any artist must start with some level of talent, but without instruction, no one–dancer, painter, sculptor or, yes, *writer*–is likely to improve a great deal. Teachers show us what we can’t intuitively grasp ourselves, and direct us to materials and resources we don’t come across on our own.
10:34 am on January 6th, 2010
[...] That turned out to be a pretty interesting discussion in the comments on the MFA post. You should go read them if you haven’t already. And how nice to get some fresh [...]