UPDATED: Interested in getting an MFA in Creative Writing?

I think the reason so many people don't apply to grad school is because it's a ton of work. I've been looking into grad schools for several months, trying to decide which ones to apply for. Truth is, I should apply for 'em all and then sift through the ones who accept me. (Assuming any do.) I'm primarily interested in programs that are low-residency and may include a trip to Europe.

Here are some of my favorite low-residency European choices:

Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky.
Requires five 10-day residencies (either in Kentucky or their overseas summer residency). Usually takes 2 and a 1/2 years.

Tuition: $540 per credit, which is about $4,300 a semester or $8,600 a year.
App fee is only $30.
For Fall sementer in Kentucky, deadline is July 1st.
For Spring and Summer semester: Prague/Berlin, deadline is Feb. 1st. Prague/Berlin dates are: July 11th - 23rd, 2014.


Pros: The residencies are within driving distance of my best friend. Except for the trip(s) to Europe.
Next summer's trip is to Prague and Berlin. HOW COOL IS THAT? My mom is half German and she would LOVE the idea of me visiting the land of our ancestors.
Plane tickets, housing costs of residency-weeks, and board can be charged to my student account, which  means they can be paid for with student loans.

Cons: Five residencies is a lot. I'd prefer 3, or at least have the residencies closer if there are going to be 5.

Carlow University in Pittsburgh, PA.
Requires four 11-day residencies; two in Pittsburgh in January and two in Ireland in June, and a fifth for graduation.

Tuition: $874 per credit, which is close to $7,000 a semester, or $14,000 a year. I can borrow up to $20,000 a year. Presumably the left over $6,000 can be used to help pay for plane tickets and such.
I don't think there's an app. fee.

Pros: Ireland!...IRELAND!

Cons: I'd have to study James Joyce's Ulysses. Not excited about that.
Plus, I'd like to visit 2 places in Europe if I'm going to have to be there anyway, not just Ireland.
Tuition is high in comparison.
Plane tickets aren't included, and I'll have to save up $1,200 for Ireland and $600 for PA each year.

Cedar Crest College in Europe (The school is in PA, but the residencies are all in Europe).
Requires three 15-day residencies in Europe; one every summer for 3 years. Residency location varies: Next summer it will be Barcelona, 2015 will be Vienna/Bratislava, and 2016 will be Ireland.

Tuition:$598 per credit and $2,500 fee per residency. This is about $9,600 a year + Residency fee...for a total of : = $12,100.
App. fee $50.
Application deadline for beginning in fall is July 29th. 

Pros: This program's Pan-European experience is the sexiest I've seen. Plus, they are only once a year. I can save up for the trip if I have a whole year to do it. Room and partial board is included.

Cons: Plane tickets aren't included, and I'll have to save up $1200-1800 for the tickets depending on where I'm going and what city I fly out of.

VCFA  in Vermont

Requires five 10-day residencies in either Vermont or (There is options to take a summer semester in Slovenia or a winter semester in Puerto Rico, though the website doesn't give a lot of information on them.)

Tuition: $9,500 per semester (this includes room and board at Vermont College, but there isn't a lot of info about the other residencies). Per year = almost $19,000.
App. fee $75.
App deadline for Dec./Jan. = September 1, 2013. 

Pros: It's ranked top 5 of the low-residency MFA - CW programs by Atlantic Monthly.

Cons: By far the most expensive program I've seen, and leaves very little for plane tickets.

Some of my favorite state-side choices:

Seattle Pacific University
Requires five 10-day residencies; one in March in Washington state and one in July/August in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Tuition: $520 per credit, or $16,900 a year. This includes room and board.
App. fee: $50
App deadline for March residency = Oct. 1st.

Pros: It's close by, so the travel expenses will be much cheaper. I can get a ticket to Seattle for less than $300. I assume Santa Fe can't be much worse.
I love that the room and board is included too.

Cons: It's on the expensive side for being state-side. =/

Goddard College in Washington
Requires five 8-day residencies in 2 1/2 years; not sure what months.

Tuition: 11,800 per year, which includes room and board for residencies. Plane tickets to WA are approx. $300. So I'd need 2 of those a year.
App fee: Can't find it. Maybe it's free.
App dealine: Can't find either.

Pros: Close by. Cheap plane tickets. Fairly inexpensive tuition. First ever low-residency program. The school is on the Pacific coastline.

Cons: No European experience.

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I don't know how I'm going to decide. It's like Sophie's Choice. I'm leaning toward Spalding, Cedar Crest, or Goddard.

What would you pick?

"Hey baby. Come here often?" "Yes. I live here. Now, put on some pants."

I've been dating...

...my husband.

Guess that was worth mentioning. hehehe.

As prescribed by a therapist and religious leader, we've been working on our relationship by going out on dates several times a month.

- We went to a comedy show, but it was sold out. So we went thrift store shopping instead. It was awesome. (And better than the last time I went to DI and overheard a man making crude noises in the dressing room adjacent to me. And they were not the sounds of a man trying on pants.)

- We got couples scalp treatments with shoulder massages.

- We went to Les Mis.

- We went to a superhero exhibit at an art museum. (Bonus: Andy Warhol's exhibit was there too.)

I've really enjoyed dating my husband again. I consider myself lucky to have this second chance to fall in love with him. We get dressed up. We flirt. We even kiss. [gasp] It's been great for our relationship and I'm very happy.

(Love you, hubs.)

On a related note, sometimes couples don't work out.
Case in point, a friend of mine is getting a divorce. Her name is Brandi.

This is her post about her divorce.
And this is her post about why.

Please take a minute to read them.

I think the truest statement she made was "Marriages are complicated."

What do you do in your marriage to keep the fire alive? 

Valentine Parody

photo credit: http://blingee.com/blingee/view/122270281-bella-y-edward-love-forever

(Had to find the cheesiest pic to go with this poem, and discovered the hard part was narrowing it down to one.)

An Ode to Edward

	Oh Cupid, thine arrow stabbed me at lunch. For, I spotted him at yonder table. There, my love's faux hawk moussed up with a crunch. A glitter peaked from his chest like a fable. My love, though your eyes be evil and red. I can overlook the fact that you're dead. Love, Bella Happy Valentine's Day!!!! Vamps + Humans = 4EVAH!

Sci-Fi/Fantasy Young Writers Camp coming to a college near you...

 I'm thrilled to announce a new writers camp hosted by BYU this April!

The camp is during the first week of April (during Nebo's Spring Break) and is for students in grades 10-12!

Interested?Here are the details:

(And yep, that is me on the left. Bucket List: Become a model. Check.) 

What the postcard doesn't tell you is that we have Robison Wells coming as our guest author. Campers will get a copy of his book, Variant.
It's going to be fantastic!
Here's a link to register and/or get more info: REGISTER 

Hope to see you there.

Writing On Location

This is the way to write.

My view at BYU, getting geared up to judge for the Scholastic writing competition a couple weeks ago.

Sacrament of Tears

(Written for my friend B, who is going through a divorce right now.)

In the yard,
The record spins;
Scratched,
Repeating a verse
That bluntly beats
The temples
Bloody.
Chanting to the tune,
Back hunched,
Shuffling shoes
In a melancholy march.

The cuffs exchanged
With love and naivety.
An ever-lasting bond
Now makes heavy hearts
And hands.

Under the heat
Of the sun
And stagnant
Silence
Is a tin cup

Poured
Empty
Through the lips of the sufferer.
No water left
To sustain two.
Succored only
by the salty sweat
Of drudgery,
And the sacrament
Of tears;
Black scars
Moisten a pale face,
The last well
In danger of drought.

Shackles loosened,
A naked finger
Reviles the dissonance
Of a static life.
A naked finger
Fortified
With freedom.

You can hang out here even though it's not the Shire.

After reviewing my "keyword analysis" on Statcounter, I realized that most of you e-peeps stopped by because you thought you were going to see something out of a Tolkien novel. I hope you're not disappointed. I'm not short or hairy. I do like rings. But not for ruling.

Here are the keywords that may have lead you to my blog:

 

fires of mordor
ice wall everest
lego zombie
alligator skin charms
cover eat pray love
funny mordor
good newspaper column names
mordor funny
mordor twitter cover
names for columns in newspapers
payless shoes zapatos
prose from eat pray love
things i love about my friend
welcome to mordor
zapatos annalisa
"never get sedation"
12 days christmas funny thank you notes
911 prose
a baby is like a tattoo on your face
a name for  column in a newspaper
appositives made fun
austin powers pointing
Buffy Birthday memes
child underpants
column names, newspapers
cry baby pictures gallery
duck on a bike duck past dog
tattoo on your face
emo kids
funny description mordor
going to mordor
good names for advice columns
greaser clothing
greaser look
haiku poems about zombies
johnny 5 robot mohawk
megara in disney world
michael myers face scary
mordor face
mordor game
my kid is cooler than yours
roland merullo ???
lunch with buddha
Sandy leather trousers
short circuit 2 mini robots
special 30 birthday cakes
spective sleep
This is Mordor
twelve days of christmas dirty thank you notes ???
world's worst injury ever
zombi lego
zombie minifig

		I totally get most of these. My faves are the zombie legos and Johnny 5. You guys know just how to find me.