<p>newmassdad, I love Garrison, as we (English majors) all do I suppose.</p>
<p>Well, his daughter is (I believe) only 6 or 7 now.... Just give it a few years.</p>
<p>:) Right on!</p>
<p>There are those who consider writing programs a good idea for future novelists: </p>
<p>"Po Bronson, author of The Nudist on the Late Shift, Susan Choi, author of The Foreign Student, Danzy Senna, author of Caucasia, Kerri Sakamoto, author of The Electrical Field, and Aimee Bender, author of The Girl in the Flammable Skirt, are just a few examples of young recently published authors who have an MFA under their belt."</p>
<p>(from this website: <a href="http://www.stroboscope.com/mfa.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.stroboscope.com/mfa.html</a>)</p>
<p>dmd, that's a great link. I enjoyed the article and found little to argue with. You chose to quote the most pro-MFA comment in the piece though, didn't you? Yeah, I know, your kid is going in that direction and you've got to be loyal (I think we share schools, no?). It's absolutely true that schmoozing, in grad school or at Borders, is key to getting published. And of course the faculty/admins in an MFA program aren't going to tell you their life's work is pointless (nor am I).</p>
<p>Schmoozing on a much smaller scale, I've assigned articles to writers I enjoyed working with, provided of course I had confidence they'd deliver. And, to be honest, I've chosen women over men of equal talent because women are underrepresented in technical pubs (thank goodness for LJ anonymity).</p>
<p>I'm very interested in this thread as I have a lot in common with DebH's D--I have my BA in English and my MLS and have worked in publishing and as a freelance writer. I used to want to write the great American (children's) novel, but I got over that, though I have been published in several areas. Another member of Garrison's K.'s P.O.E.M. (Professional Organization of English Majors). Some thoughts for DebH and D:</p>
<p>Since you are from Michigan (also my original home state), have you considered University of Michigan? Perhaps the Residential College if D wants a smaller environment? Though the graduate programs are a major focus of the English Dept. there, I have known quite a few English majors from UM and all were satisfied with their undergrad education. You may know about the Hopwood Award program, awards for undergraduate writing. There are a lot of opportunities there for focused students. I would find it hard not to consider UM for a D with interests such as yours.</p>
<p>For graduate school, if she does choose to pursue information science (new name for library science), UM has one of the top few programs in the US, and you'll have instate tuition! My MLS is from Michigan and I loved my program there. I did not love being a librarian. It is difficult to find employment in the library field--lots of competition and the public library field is surprisingly stressful. </p>
<p>Re creative writing as an undergrad major: there are different schools of thought on this. Some think you should have a more traditional English major so you will be well-read in the classics, across many periods, well-versed in literary criticism, as well as familiar with more modern world literature. Through this wide-ranging, thorough education in the writing of others, your own writing will grow as you mature. Then you go on for an MFA and work more specificially on your own writing.</p>
<p>Others think you should just write and work on your own writing, reading widely in what interests you and forget about those old dead white poets.</p>
<p>I think I would have to be in favor of studying what has come before so you can forge ahead in fully informed fashion. But tell your D from me: I never changed my major and I am glad I have my degree in English.</p>
<p>
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I am glad I have my degree in English
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</p>
<p>Yeah, despite all my dire warnings of underemployment and living out of dumpsters, I'm glad for mine too, or maybe not for the degree, but the kinship with other POEMs.</p>
<p>Do you listen to Prarie Home Companion, celloguy? I love the segments about English majors and also Ruth the reference librarian. And by the way...DebH and D, Garrison Keillor went to his big state U, and he seems to have done OK as a writer.</p>
<p>On my first date with H, oh about 20 years ago or so, Prairie Home Companion came on the radio and I made everybody in the room hush so I could listen (it was my room, so I could). I found out later that H fell in love at that moment :) Well, that and a fondness for mycology.</p>
<p>Of course now we can catch up on Prairie Home via Internet if we miss the live broadcast.</p>
<p>DebH </p>
<p>This school here...</p>
<p>is quite nice from what I have heard. One of my former Poetry Professors, teaches there sometimes. It is in North Carolina and is really small.</p>
<p>Here is there home page
<a href="http://www.warren-wilson.edu/external_index.php%5B/url%5D">http://www.warren-wilson.edu/external_index.php</a></p>
<p>Prairie, of course, is the correct spelling. Thought I should correct my error so I don't lose my POEM membership card. I am getting my eyes checked for new glasses tomorrow--no fooling.</p>
<p>No worries, bookie; after grading a few thousand freshman comp papers, I entirely forgot how to spell for a while.</p>
<p>You people are great. Thank you so much for the advice. I know it's not easy to make a living as an english major. I also believe that it's probably even more difficult to make a living as a writer. Steering her towards science and math has proved fruitless. So all that's left is to let her follow her passion. I hope that in later years, she will also remain happy about her decision. </p>
<p>We did not look at U of M for undergrad because it's so big. She comes from a small town and H.S. and she likes it that way. I had never heard of the residential college. She may have to look into that. When the time comes for MLS, U of M will probably be a different story. </p>
<p>I think to become a more mature writer, she does have to have experiences. She would like to study abroad and do some traveling in the future. I said, "when you're married, you and your husband can travel." She said, "... and why do I need a husband to travel?" </p>
<p>She is a rising senior so we have much work to do! Thank you.</p>
<p>hi there.</p>
<p>i might be one of the better people to answer your question as i've spent the last three or four years mining this dilemma myself.</p>
<p>first of all, what's your daughter's highest priority? is the library science simply something to support her as she tries to make a living as a writer, or is it something that's more of a passion?</p>
<p>if she's really deadset on being a writer, i think you might have some more options than what you've already considered. i'm a graduate of the interlochen arts academy with a degree in creative writing (this is high school, mind you!) and they have an absolutely wonderful program. i learned so much there, i can't even tell you. the faculty is wonderful and the experience was priceless. check out their website (<a href="http://www.interlochen.org%5B/url%5D">www.interlochen.org</a>) - they have an amazing post-grad program that's pretty popular with the students there. if your daughter thinks she definitely wants to write, there is your best writing program in the country.</p>
<p>if that's not an option, narrow it down by region. princeton has the undisputed best writing program in the country, but the competition is fierce and it can be difficult (from what i've heard) to take classes with exactly the instructor you'd prefer. also, i had a bit of a cold welcome when i was knocking on doors there. middlebury, amherst, and williams all have excellent, worthwhile writing programs. i explored all of them rather fully. i go to middlebury myself and i've had nothing but absolutely top-notch instruction in small class sizes and great experience getting tutorials there. jay parini and robert cohen are two of the better poetry and fiction instructors teaching right now. as for english classes, everything i've had has been illuminating and excellent. top marks.</p>
<p>bigger schools? lorrie moore is teaching at the university of wisconsin. yale has louise gluck. don't look so much at schools with excellent grad programs -- you can't really access any of the faculty at u of iowa, and they're overrated anyway. same goes for irvine. most LACs are good schools for english. it really depends on fit.</p>
<p>as for your daughter wanting to be a novelist, ignore everyone on this board who is attempting to dissuade her. that's up to you, and ultimately, of course, your daughter.</p>
<p>good luck!</p>
<p>so, stripedscarf, that was a very encouraging post; Interlochen is, of course, a treasure. And now you're at Middlebury? Planning on continuing into Bread Loaf? And, btw, what sort of day job you figuring on?</p>
<p>celloguy - maybe bread loaf at some point? most definitely an mfa in fiction. my dream job is to open my own school but i'd 'settle' for teaching at an art high school, hopefully my alma mater. in reality i'll be cleaning floors in a preschool somewhere... i absolutely love middlebury but nothing compares to interlochen. how are you familiar with 'our country club in the north woods', as my writing teacher teased us?</p>
<p>um, Bill Gates went to Harvard, not Stanford</p>
<p>DebH - I encourage you to let your D go after her passion. I very much wanted to be a writer. My parents, who were paying for my education, said no. My second choice was teaching. My parents, who were teachers, said no. I gave up and said, "You pick." They decided I should be a nurse. I majored in nursing, with much difficulty because I didn't like it. Worked as a nurse for one year, 25 years ago - didn't even earn enough to pay off my education. Since then I have worn many hats (piano teacher, mental health advocate, secretary, substitute teacher...), but continue to pursue my freelance writing on the side. Because I don't have a degree, it is seen as a "hobby" by most people, including my family, and I am only able to pursue it occasionally. I lack credibility, and it undermines my confidence. Plus, I've had to teach myself all the businesss aspects of writing, including how to submit, how to format, etc. And I have absolutely no network for things like publishing contacts, reading groups, and agent contacts.</p>
<p>I am successful at getting little things published here and there - perhaps a couple per year. I've written a book, but haven't gotten up the courage to submit it anywhere. Since my nursing major is doing me absolutely no good at all, I always wonder what it would have hurt for me to major in what I wanted.</p>
<p>On the other hand, that is why my kids are being allowed to follow their passions (economics, music, and writing).</p>
<p>Yale has the nation's best English department by far, especially at the undergraduate level.</p>
<p>
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um, Bill Gates went to Harvard, not Stanford
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</p>
<p>oops, I knew that. Sorry.</p>
<p>edited to correct C&P</p>