Friday, March 10, 2006
Banana darts.
Week Nine is done. One more to go. I'm mostly done with Brad's interview. Well, maybe half-way.
Wednesday we had a meeting before workshop with the search committee. So they asked us about our meetings with the visiting writers and what we thought of them. What I hadn't realized until that point was there was a serious division between the members of the search commitee, which became apparent during the meeting. It seemed one was more in favor of one candidate and the other was in favor of another, and though it was subtle, it was still obvious based on how they phrased their questions. Right before then I had witnessed a conversation between them that was fraught with tension. I was surprised, as things had seemed harmonious before this.
I also was a bit of a mouth piece about some things some of us felt should be happening. First, as I mentioned, having a craft class at least once a year is vital. Second was that I was so surprised that there was no official plan to work on your thesis with an instructor. It's kind of--go do it on your own, then hand it in. Which some people like, but I, and others, don't. I work best in one-on-one instruction situations. They said that we could come to them anytime to read pages, but that's not the vibe that's around. The vibe is if you want them to read something extra, you better have a good reason, because they're so busy. Which is understandable. I think they're trying to find a way to have a third creative writer on staff, which would be great, though improbable.
This quarter went by so fast.
I still have to write that dumb narrative for the composition conference, eck.
Wednesday's workshop was tough too. It was good, but we got pretty in depth on both pieces and there's one classmate's work which always ends up being contentious. So things get strained. Still positive, it's really a good crew, but just somewhat whelming.
Wednesday night after workshop at my place was fun. It was Izzy's birthday, so happy birth day. A few poetry students and fiction writers hung out, got drunk, played games with the dictionary (so lame, but fun) then threw darts at bananas and launched potatoes off our back balconies. Setting such a good example for the undergraduates that live around us.
Here's a photo essay of our drunken dart party:
That's me in attack position, and Izzy with the scotch.
Death to the banana.
Then we eat the body.
Wednesday we had a meeting before workshop with the search committee. So they asked us about our meetings with the visiting writers and what we thought of them. What I hadn't realized until that point was there was a serious division between the members of the search commitee, which became apparent during the meeting. It seemed one was more in favor of one candidate and the other was in favor of another, and though it was subtle, it was still obvious based on how they phrased their questions. Right before then I had witnessed a conversation between them that was fraught with tension. I was surprised, as things had seemed harmonious before this.
I also was a bit of a mouth piece about some things some of us felt should be happening. First, as I mentioned, having a craft class at least once a year is vital. Second was that I was so surprised that there was no official plan to work on your thesis with an instructor. It's kind of--go do it on your own, then hand it in. Which some people like, but I, and others, don't. I work best in one-on-one instruction situations. They said that we could come to them anytime to read pages, but that's not the vibe that's around. The vibe is if you want them to read something extra, you better have a good reason, because they're so busy. Which is understandable. I think they're trying to find a way to have a third creative writer on staff, which would be great, though improbable.
This quarter went by so fast.
I still have to write that dumb narrative for the composition conference, eck.
Wednesday's workshop was tough too. It was good, but we got pretty in depth on both pieces and there's one classmate's work which always ends up being contentious. So things get strained. Still positive, it's really a good crew, but just somewhat whelming.
Wednesday night after workshop at my place was fun. It was Izzy's birthday, so happy birth day. A few poetry students and fiction writers hung out, got drunk, played games with the dictionary (so lame, but fun) then threw darts at bananas and launched potatoes off our back balconies. Setting such a good example for the undergraduates that live around us.
Here's a photo essay of our drunken dart party:
That's me in attack position, and Izzy with the scotch.
Death to the banana.
Then we eat the body.
