December news

Some exciting news: I've been awarded a Sask Arts Board grant to write a book of poems! This manuscript will include poems about living in inner-city Regina, and ekphrastic poems that respond to paintings and artefacts. I'm very excited to work on this project in the spring and summer and grateful to the arts board for funding me. The work I've been writing lately is very different from my thesis poems of my riddlehoard project, but I don't think I could have gotten here without that foundation in form and Old English. More and more, I'm realizing how important my MA has been to my artistic development, especially in teaching me the discipline of writing daily and revising my work.

Speaking of university, there's an awesome write-up about the U of R's MA program in Creative Writing in the new issue of Inklings, the English department newsletter. I'm excited to be the third graduate of this program, and humbled at the kind words regarding my research and writing. I really encourage creative BA graduates to consider the program... You get to write a manuscript in a genre of your choice with the most helpful editing and mentorship. Having a research background and is also HUGEly helpful in writing grant proposals and articulating the ideas that go into your work.

Lastly, I'm all done applying to MFA programs for next year... I applied to way more programs than I'd like to admit. Hopefully my applications will catch a nibble somewhere. If not, I'll be sure to post about what went wrong (haha). I've been kind of silent on the subject but I think it's more out of nervousness than secrecy.

I've only got SIX more shifts of work left. My job at the library has been fun, and it's been so great to work in the community but I'll be glad to be finished and pursue these new projects!