Re: Re fiction writing schools

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: The reason UC Irvine is listed is because they have worked hard to make it a top drawer program. Ever since Derrida came to the campus they have become known as a world-class campus. Below is some info about their creative writing program (notice that they have only a dozen students in the fiction program). Talk about elite! : The Master of Fine Arts in English : Program description, degree requirements, financial assistance, admissions, applications process : The Programs in the writing of poetry and fiction lead to the Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) degree in English. In addition to the workshops and seminars taught within the Writing Program by its faculty, instruction is offered by visiting writers. The curriculum is augmented by frequent readings on the Irvine campus. : The M.F.A. centers around the Graduate Writers' Workshop, a group which meets each quarter in poetry and fiction, in which faculty and students share in criticism and discussion of student writing. There are currently ten MFA students in poetry and twelve in fiction, half in their first year and half in their second year in the Writing Program. About two-thirds of the Writing Program student's work consists of participation in the Workshop; the other third is devoted to graduate-level seminars offered by the MFA faculty and other faculty of the Department of English and Comparative Literature and other graduate programs. The aim of the Program in Writing is the training of accomplished writers who intend to make their writing their life. What we expect of our students is passionate precision, character, and stamina. What we want most for our students is that each will sooner or later write something that lasts. Successful writing, we think, is writing that succeeds itself each time it is read with interest and care by a succession of new readers. To facilitate such writing, the faculty has kept the Writing Program small in order to ensure the high quality of the students as well as to permit much teaching on a one-to-one basis. All students consult frequently with the staff for assistance with their work. : In recent years, visiting writers and lecturers have included: Ralph Angel, John Ashbery, Wilton Barnhardt, John Calvin Batchelor, Ethan Canin, Jennifer Clarvoe, Killarney Clary (Winter 2004), Gwyneth Cravens, Stuart Dybek, Robert Farnsworth, Amy Gerstler (Winter 2004), Louise Glück, Jay Gummerman, Ursula Hegi, Brenda Hillman, Rust Hills, T.R. Hummer, P.D. James, Brigit Pegeen Kelly, Margot Livesey, Thomas Lux, Lynne McMahon, Heather McHugh, Jeredith Merrin, Josephine Miles, Wright Morris, Howard Moss, Carol Muske-Dukes, Robert Olmstead, Ann Patchett, Bette Pesetsky, Martha Rhodes, Mary Robison, Thomas Sanchez, Sherod Santos, Lynn Sharon Schwartz, Alan Shapiro, Jim Shepard (Winter 2002), Mona Simpson, Ted Solotaroff, Pamela Stewart, Robert Stone, Mark Strand, Melanie Thernstrom, Lawrence Thornton, Joy Williams, and William Wiser. : Degree Requirements : The Master of Fine Arts degree is awarded after two years of residence that include six quarters of Graduate Writers' Workshop plus six academic courses (in most cases these will be graduate courses in English or Comparative Literature). During this period, the student regularly submits material for criticism in the Workshop, and in addition is in constant contact with the regular teaching staff and visiting writers through individual consultation. A single course credit, substituting for one of the academic courses above, may be granted for service as a Teaching Assistant. Students are expected to teach composition and creative writing. : A thesis consisting of a book-length manuscript of poetry or fiction of publishable quality is submitted at the end of the second year. : Admissions : Students are admitted to either the Fiction or Poetry Program, although admission to both is also possible. Admission is highly competitive. In examining applications, the Admissions committees place particular weight on the quality of the manuscripts submitted, looking not only for evidence of talent but for indications of a permanent and firm commitment to the craft of writing. The Program takes pride in an impressive achievement of publication by its graduates. : A bachelor's degree with a minimum 3.0 grade point average is a prerequisite for admission to the Program. The application for admission should specify interest in either poetry or fiction and must include complete transcripts of all academic work, three letters of recommendation, an autobiographical sketch, and samples of writing. (Two short stories or a short story and a novel chapter for Fiction; ideally, the two submissions together should not exceed 40 pages. Ten poems for Poetry.) The Admissions Committees place particular emphasis on the quality and competence of the writing submitted. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test scores are not required. The MFA Program in Fiction admits 6 students, and Poetry admits 4-6 students each year. : Application Process : Prospective applicants have the option of applying electronically or with a paper application. However, we do encourage applicants to apply electronically as to avoid delays. The easiest way to do this is to use the university's electronic application. To request an application and information packet, please complete and submit this on-line request form, and materials will be mailed to you. Please note that applicants residing abroad should apply electronically to avoid the time delays and expense of a paper application. It is essential that applicants who apply electronically also complete the department's supplementary forms which can be accessed within the checklists provided below. Except for the university-wide application, which can be filed electronically, we require that all supporting documents be submitted to the department in hardcopy form. : : Publishers Weekly says the best creative writing schools are University of Iowa, Columbia, NYU, and UC Irvine. Interesting that the California State school, UC Irvine, is listed along with those other three heavyweights. : : : : : From US News & World reports, here is a list of schools that emphasize writing throughout the curriculum. More info at: : : : http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/brief/acadprogs/acadprogs08_brief.php : : : Alverno College (WI) : : : Amherst College (MA) : : : Calvin College (MI) : : : Carleton College (MN) : : : Clemson University (SC)* : : : Cornell University (NY) : : : Dartmouth College (NH) : : : Davidson College (NC) : : : DePauw University (IN) : : : Duke University (NC) : : : George Mason University (VA)* : : : Grinnell College (IA) : : : Gustavus Adolphus College (MN) : : : Hamilton College (NY) : : : Harvard University (MA) : : : Indiana University–Bloomington * : : : Miami University–Oxford (OH)* : : : Middlebury College (VT) : : : Millsaps College (MS) : : : Oberlin College (OH) : : : Princeton University (NJ) : : : Purdue Univ.–West Lafayette (IN)* : : : Sarah Lawrence College (NY) : : : St. John's College (NM) : : : Swarthmore College (PA) : : : Univ. of California–Los Angeles * : : : University of Chicago : : : University of Iowa * : : : University of Michigan–Ann Arbor * : : : Univ. of Missouri–Columbia * : : : University of New Hampshire * : : : U. of North Carolina–Asheville * : : : U. of North Carolina–Chapel Hill * : : : University of Notre Dame (IN) : : : University of Pittsburgh * : : : Washington State University *

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