Friday, April 17, 2015

Friday Fridge Clean-Out: Links for Writers -- April 17, 2015 Edition

> My Bay Path MFA teaching colleague Susan Ito describes an unforgettable experience (on the heels of AWP), that involves: one of her early books, a high school class in Minnesota, an invitation, saying yes, teenage exuberance, adoption stories, drama, connection, and the powerful ways that writing and story bring people together. Read it; I promise it will make you think differently about why we write.

> The Guardian's take on the AWP Conference, or as they call it, "the Comic Con of MFAs". I especially enjoyed seeing my MFA alma mater in the spotlight: "Some MFA graduates who have gone on to teach see a larger social value in their work. Justin Tussing, the director of the low-residency Stonecoast MFA program at the University of Southern Maine, said the MFA’s popularity is a valuable counterweight to a pragmatic culture that values technology over art. “Like we need another app,” he joked."

> Just a few more AWP Conference related links: Carolyn Forche on why poetry still matters (as if we doubted it!);

> You'll find more links to AWP coverage around the web, in my post from earlier this week.

> Ah, the cranky tough love of an editor who cares enough to be disliked (which means loved), and who pushes her authors to write revise manuscripts that become bestsellers. I love her, and I love the final two paragraphs, too.

> A short and spot-on post by Lee Martin details "The Essay Within the Essay." Or: why we so often don't write what we thought we were going to write, and why that's often wonderful.

> For National Poetry Month, Drew Myron is giving away poetry books at her blog. While there, check out her Fast Five interviews with writers.
>
> Finally, here's a slide show that would, individually or as a whole, make a great writing prompt: "50 Surprising Photos From the Past that Show How Different Life Used to Be".

Have a great weekend!

Image: Flickr/Creative Commons - Jinxmcc

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