Phone Interview
Expected Question:
Why this department, class, etc.?
I add new mediums to poetry writing and other creative writing workshops.
I have experience in professions where writing students can find careers.
I have an outloook on form, source, and process suited to the instutional home of [very distinguished literary review and press] and [very different but also very well known literary review and press].
I amplify the strengths / interests of the current faculty (in art movements and poetry, and in religious studies and poetry).
I will continue to bridge the literature / culture and writing workshops, as I view writing as an application of learning.
Actual question:
How will you shepherd our students to publication?
Actual answer:
I currently work with my creative writing students to take the fear and trembling out of submission of poems by focussing on mechanics and scale -- make a mail merge, buy a roll of stamps and a box of envelopes, and research the markets.
I also try to break down preconceived notions of what poetry writing "ought to be" about.
While not required in my current adjunct role, I do provide students with a "push" and advisement: my students have gone on to the PhD program in Creative Writing at USC, the MA program in Creative Writing at University of Cardiff, Wales, and the MFA program at UC Irvine. They've published reviews (alienated.net), interviews, edited poetry sections of journals (getunderground.com), poems (online, 2River View, muse apprentice guild, etc.), chapbooks, *books* (two under contract!!!).
My students have come to my classes after completing PhDs in English at Stanford, MFAs at ASU, low res MFAs, etc.
Amplification:
I advise students to not enter contests of any sort for individual poems, but urge them instead to spend similar amounts of time and attention researching (including purchasing issues and books) legitimate journals publishing poems written in a similar vein and publishers with open submissions policies publishing manuscripts by new poets.
I design courses which include participating in the larger life of poetry by writing and publishing reviews (largely online) and giving and attending readings, learning about academic conferences, book festivals, etc. (I note [institution's] students commonly attend [well known book festival].
Unasked Question:
Dream course?
I design and redesign all of the courses I offer (including the online literature and online creative writing workshops) -- so many of those courses have been dream courses.
Currently, I'd like to develop a "forms of creative nonfiction" course (types of essays, other belles lettres including letters (i.e., like Open Letter magazine)), journal excerpts, autobiography vs. memoir, flash nonfiction, poetics statements, "ars nonfiction." etc.
I'd also like to design a guerilla publishing course, where students publish and review chapbooks, zines, broadsides, newsletters, etc., and where the quests are not esteemed editors but pr, marketing, advertising, etc. professionals.
Expected Question:
Why this department, class, etc.?
I add new mediums to poetry writing and other creative writing workshops.
I have experience in professions where writing students can find careers.
I have an outloook on form, source, and process suited to the instutional home of [very distinguished literary review and press] and [very different but also very well known literary review and press].
I amplify the strengths / interests of the current faculty (in art movements and poetry, and in religious studies and poetry).
I will continue to bridge the literature / culture and writing workshops, as I view writing as an application of learning.
Actual question:
How will you shepherd our students to publication?
Actual answer:
I currently work with my creative writing students to take the fear and trembling out of submission of poems by focussing on mechanics and scale -- make a mail merge, buy a roll of stamps and a box of envelopes, and research the markets.
I also try to break down preconceived notions of what poetry writing "ought to be" about.
While not required in my current adjunct role, I do provide students with a "push" and advisement: my students have gone on to the PhD program in Creative Writing at USC, the MA program in Creative Writing at University of Cardiff, Wales, and the MFA program at UC Irvine. They've published reviews (alienated.net), interviews, edited poetry sections of journals (getunderground.com), poems (online, 2River View, muse apprentice guild, etc.), chapbooks, *books* (two under contract!!!).
My students have come to my classes after completing PhDs in English at Stanford, MFAs at ASU, low res MFAs, etc.
Amplification:
I advise students to not enter contests of any sort for individual poems, but urge them instead to spend similar amounts of time and attention researching (including purchasing issues and books) legitimate journals publishing poems written in a similar vein and publishers with open submissions policies publishing manuscripts by new poets.
I design courses which include participating in the larger life of poetry by writing and publishing reviews (largely online) and giving and attending readings, learning about academic conferences, book festivals, etc. (I note [institution's] students commonly attend [well known book festival].
Unasked Question:
Dream course?
I design and redesign all of the courses I offer (including the online literature and online creative writing workshops) -- so many of those courses have been dream courses.
Currently, I'd like to develop a "forms of creative nonfiction" course (types of essays, other belles lettres including letters (i.e., like Open Letter magazine)), journal excerpts, autobiography vs. memoir, flash nonfiction, poetics statements, "ars nonfiction." etc.
I'd also like to design a guerilla publishing course, where students publish and review chapbooks, zines, broadsides, newsletters, etc., and where the quests are not esteemed editors but pr, marketing, advertising, etc. professionals.
Comments