The Creative Writing MFA Handbook / web site

[poetastin]

For Foetry readers applying to an MFA program (or just for the curious), I've found this site extremely useful. Tom Kealey, a former Stegner fellow, has written The Creative Writing MFA Handbook, the first book of its kind.

"The Handbook [and web site] offers an overview of the graduate writing experience, profiles of fifty Creative Writing programs, advice about the application process, and insight into making the best choice of programs. There is a comprehensive list of all graduate writing programs, both in and outside the United States, a list of helpful sources on and offline, and interviews with teachers and students, including George Saunders, Aimee Bender, Geoffrey Wolff, and Tracy K. Smith. "

The site tackles hundreds of questions from those desperate for insight into the cryptic MFA process. Kealey doesn't shy away from honest opinions, either. In fact, there was a recent 'mini-controversy' when he failed to include Iowa in his list of Top 10 schools.

Also available by e-mail (in one of the weekly 'mailbags') are hundreds of sample poems by instructors of various programs.


http://creative-writing-mfa-handbook.blogspot.com/

[alan]

The site tackles hundreds of questions from those desperate for insight into the cryptic MFA process. Kealey doesn't shy away from honest opinions, either. In fact, there was a recent 'mini-controversy' when he failed to include Iowa in his list of Top 10 schools.

No Iowa!!!!  I am SHOCKED :roll:

Seriously, I'm sure Iowa used to be at the top, but is there anyone teaching there in poetry now who "got there" on their own?

And 50 programs seems like a VERY small sample considering how many there are now.  Still, I'll order this for my library.