This isn’t a quote, it’s an entire speech. This is the commencement address from my graduation at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. It’s given by the brilliant and articulate, Martine Leavitt, and it captures the dedication, heart, and love it takes to write. A large portion of the address relates to going to VCFA in particular,…
It’s official. I’ve graduated from the Vermont College of Fine Arts with an MFA in writing for children and young adults! It’s been a vigorous and wonderful writing adventure and I’m proud of all that I’ve achieved. My final residency was glorious (I love this community), stressful (I had to give my own lecture and…
One of the things I love about attending the Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA) is the school’s traditions. We name our classes and have class-name “reveal” ceremonies. We decorate the portraits that hang on campus with silly kidlit references. There’s even a costume party themed in honor of the graduating class, and more. I…
I’m flying to Vermont tomorrow for my last VCFA residency! I’m excited to see my writer friends, go to lectures, give my own lecture (eeek!), and graduate. And if I’m lucky, perhaps there will also be time to throw a snowball or two. That said, I won’t be blogging for the next two weeks. But…
I just got back from my 4th VCFA residency. Woot! Woot! I can’t believe I only have one semester left and then I will have an MFA in writing for kidz! (How time flies!) As always, I’m super inspired from residency and have lots of great tid-bits to share. So without further adieu… Tid-bits and…
I just returned from my third VCFA residency, where I chilled (quite literally) in negative degree Vermont weather. Of course the true joy of VCFA residency is spending two weeks drinking up the sweet deliciousness of my brilliant VCFA friends, picking the brains of the esteemed faculty, listening to craft-boggling lectures, and overall being surrounded…
The National Book Award Nominations were just posted and I’m super excited to congratulate VCFA faculty member Franny Billingsley for her nomination of Chime. I had the privileged of having my writing workshopped by Franny at the winter VCFA residency and she was brilliant and insightful! Not to mention the fabulousness of Chime itself (which…
I’ve made it back from my second VCFA residency! I’m exhausted, inspired, in love with my class, and ready to dig in to a new semester of writing. Overflowing with insight and inspiration, I’m hoping the acclimation process (back to “normal” life) is slow and tender. In the meantime, I thought I’d share a few…
As many of you know I’ve been attending the Vermont College of Fine art this year and getting my MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. I will once again be Blog-MIA for two weeks while I am at my VCFA residency in July. But never fear because VCFA has created a whole summer’s…
The following is a little poem I didn’t know I was writing. It’s a list poem, that will illustrate just how smart and brilliant everyone at VCFA is. And maybe… I’ll be this smart someday too… INADEQUATE (a poem) A list of words people at VCFA used that I do not know: Quicksotic Agregeous Modified…