About the Publishing and Writing author(s)

Recently in the Publishing and Writing Category

For many of you, if you're like me, teaching writing to college students is a big reason for getting a MFA. Maybe you have a vision of yourself as the "artsy" one on campus, the prof who holds class on the quad in the spring, whose wardrobe is just a little bit funkier than her colleagues, who hosts poetry readings where her students share their oh, so creative work. OK, maybe that was just my obnoxious little vision, but either way, you're thinking teaching might be something rewarding to do with your degree, and your life.

The way Emerson has designed its teaching program, you really get a good taste for that beginner-professorial life in all its glory (and all the fun of grading papers all weekend, too). And it truly is a rewarding experience. At Emerson, selected grad students have the opportunity to teach the WR101 and WR121 classes. WR101 is called "Expository Writing"; the students expect something very boring when they walk in, but quickly find out how cool the class is. The course is designed to teach students to write personal opinion essays through the act of cultural criticism. WR121, which has the equally exciting title of "Research Writing," is a course that teaches writing through the lens of different genres, examining the craft, rhetorical situation, etc. of various texts. More on these courses later, but first, here's how you get the gig.

We get a lot of questions here about the possibility of a teaching component for those doing an MFA or MA in Creative Writing. I'm going to be blogging about this aspect of the program here - from how you become a teacher at Emerson, what kinds of classes we teach, how the program is designed, and hopefully, some results from my fellow classmates who graduate Emerson and head out into the world of teaching! I might throw in some funny teaching moments for the heck of it; there seem to be plenty of them in my classroom! So stay tuned for information about teaching, and ask any teaching questions you may have in the comments!

Jeffrey Seglin, an associate professor in the Writing, Literature, and Publishing department at Emerson, recently traveled to Wisconsin (my home state!) to speak at the Wisconsin School of Business about "The Right Thing: Conscience, Profit, and Personal Responsibility." Seglin's conversation with Deborah Mitchell, associate dean of Wisconsin's enterprise MBA programs, was part of the M. Keith Weikel Enterprise MBA Programs Speaker Series. You can view the video online here. In the conversation, Seglin discusses the ethical implications of the recent economic crisis (is it right to make loans you know can't be repaid?), among other topics, and asserts that your "gut feeling" is not always an ethical one.

You can keep up with Seglin's treatment of other ethical conundrums, from wind chimes to Madonna's adoption efforts, at his blog, The Right Thing. This speech and Seglin's blog are great examples of Emerson professors' extensive involvement in their professional communities outside of the classroom.

Wow. Time to graduate. I was planning on saying it was like I just started, but really it feels like it's been two years. And I still have a good month to go. So, as I prepare to graduate, I think it's only fitting that I take a little time to look back as well as forward.

When I started at Emerson, I was coming off of two years in the working world, where I had held a wide variety of jobs. Generally, they were temporary, though some were long-term temp jobs, like a six-month stint I had at Houghton Mifflin. Then, I began working at a company that shall remain nameless, but that was easily the worst working environment I've ever been in. And I've been a dishwasher. I applied to Emerson's Writing and Publishing program and the day after I received my acceptance letter I quit my job. It was awesome.

I've always been a procrastinator. At the beginning of the semester, when professors pass around sheets so students can sign up to give presentations, I always sign up for the last possible slot. Of course, I tell myself that it means I'll have more time to work on it, but I end up doing the whole thing the night before. Like I said... I'm a procrastinator.

But this semester, I decided to sign up early. And, through some stroke of luck, all my big papers and projects were due just before Thanksgiving break. So, while all my friends are freaking out about the vast amounts of work they have to do, I am sitting pretty. Now, I'm not saying this to brag (ok, I'm not saying it just to brag), but because it really comes as an epiphany: procrastination just isn't worth it.

As a student of publishing and writing, it probably goes without saying that I love reading. Possibly too much. I was talking with a graduate of the program the other day, swapping stories about how our parents actually tried to keep us from reading so much. My parents made me do my homework at the kitchen table because otherwise I would just sit in my room reading, and they routinely caught me reading late at night using the light from my alarm clock. (On a side note, I am shocked that I don't need glasses.) I would read absolutely everything: books my sister owned, catalogs that would be lying around the house, directions on shampoo bottles, etc. And, while I understood grammar, I was never too concerned with poor usage, especially in fiction. Unfortunately, that has changed. Now, I am learning how to copyedit.

Why did you choose your program?
I've known since high school that I wanted to work in publishing in some capacity. When I finished undergrad, I applied for a bunch of publishing jobs and had some limited success, but was told that I should look into grad school if I really wanted to make myself an attractive candidate. Since Emerson has such a pedigree, I figured I would apply here.

What does your program mean to you?
To me, the Publishing & Writing program means that you can immerse yourself in the field. Instead of having to be incredibly focused right away, students get to learn about books, magazines, and electronic publishing. Plus, you can take courses on everything from design, to editorial, to publicity, helping you to understand how publishing works on a macro and micro level.

I don't know about you, but personally, I am a giant dork. I like reading about anything. Once, I had a job where pretty much the entire internet was blocked, so I passed the time by methodically reading the entire entry on World War Two. Generally, knowing all of these pointless facts is... well, pointless. But one day a week, that random accumulation of world capitals and Oscar winners makes me the nerd equivalent of Tom Brady. That day is Tuesday, and the occasion is pub trivia at the Tam.