We asked our current students and recent graduates to tell us why they chose the Solstice MFA Program, what their experience has been like thus far, and what they hope to do upon graduating. Here are some of their responses; we are so pleased to have such a diverse and engaging group of writers in our program!
Click here for Advice and Comments to applicants from our students.
Current Students
Beth Grosart — Fiction, graduating July 2012
Beth lives in New Hampton, New Hampshire
I audited a class at the winter 2010 residency and then immediately applied to the program; I started in July, 2010. I left my first residency inspired and ready to write and read up a storm, and I feel encouraged by my peers in the program and my mentor.
As a boarding school teacher, it is necessary for me to carve time for my writing out of my busy life. The Solstice MFA Program is putting me to the test of discovering whether or not I can really do this, and so far, I'm doing it!
Hannah Goodman — Writing for Young People, graduating January 2011
Hannah lives in Bristol, Rhode Island
I chose Solstice because of its small student-to-instructor-ratio coupled with philosophy of non competitiveness, community, and inclusion. My goals were to make my writing richer, my characters more diverse, and to write the things I was intimidated to write. [After two years] I am finally writing in a way that is emotionally truthful. I'm allowing myself to push boundaries, to go where I am afraid to, and to try new approaches and ideas.
Jacquelyn Brown — Poetry, graduating July 2012
Jacquelyn lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
I spent a year or so researching low-residency programs and after narrowing the list to a handful, Solstice most fit the sort of writing environment I was looking for—diverse, challenging, and intimate. From application to acceptance phone call, the staff/administrators made me feel as though my educational needs were important.
The diversity of the faculty’s work alone has sparked new interests in me, and participating in writing seminars and workshops across genres has been encouraging and thought provoking. These experiences have caused me to try new writing techniques and speak more freely about what I am trying to accomplish in my work.
Erin Lawler — Creative Nonfiction, graduating January 2011
Erin lives in Groton, Massachusetts
I chose Solstice because I liked the spirit of the Solstice program — a real community of writers working in the same creative space to further their own work but not at the expense of others. Also, the size of the program allows for a lot of access to the faculty.
I began with an idea for a memoir, and I will leave the program having turned that idea into twelve written chapters, all while working full-time and balancing the demands of life. Solstice showed that I didn’t need to lead a cabin-in-the-woods existence to be a writer; I can have a productive writing life and remain gainfully employed and still see my friends and family.
Michael Miner — Fiction, graduating January 2011
Mike lives in Tolland, Connecticut
After participating in the Solstice Summer Writers’ Conference and researching the faculty and formats of other programs, I decided that the Solstice MFA would be the best fit for me. My biggest goal is to finish my novel-in-progress — this program gives me the kick in the pants to keep working on it. I write every day now, and the reading and annotating process provides a great deal of inspiration and sort of ‘primes the pump’ for my own creative work.
Colleen Shanahan — Writing for Young People, graduating July 2012
Colleen lives in Ridge Manor, Florida
I chose the Solstice MFA in Creative Writing Program because it offers [a concentration in] Writing for Children and Young Adults, has small class sizes, and is low-cost compared to other programs. I searched extensively for programs that offered Writing for Children and Young Adults, and I only found a few — also, I didn’t want to go into a program where I would get lost in a crowd.
I left my first residency bursting with ideas that will follow me through my time in Solstice. With encouragement from my classmates, mentor, and friends and family, writing every day is not a chore…it’s something I love doing!
Jina Ortiz — Poetry, graduating January 2011
Jina lives in Worcester, Massachusetts
I chose the Solstice MFA program because it was affordable, low-residency, small, and it has a great faculty. My approach to revising has changed; I [am learning new] ways to shape the different narrative voices in the dramatic monologues I am writing.
Jim Kennedy — Creative Nonfiction, graduating July 2011
Jim lives in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts
During the summer of 2008, I sat in, by happenstance, on an evening reading by some Solstice faculty members. At the time, I was very much a sort of “hermit in the cave” writer. I was also a little bit overconfident that I had arrived as a writer — I thought I just needed to polish my work.
Now, after key conversations with faculty, the challenge of manuscript deadlines, a residency workshop, and a lot of reading, I’ve cast aside my preconceptions. I’ve opened up the scope of my writing, and I’ve begun truly to develop my craft. I’m just getting started in the program, but I hope eventually to complete some worthwhile manuscripts. I’m excited by the insight and dedication of the Solstice administrators, faculty, and fellow students.
Estela Gonzalez — Fiction, graduating July 2011
Estela lives in Middlebury, Vermont.
My main reason for choosing the Solstice MFA Program was the opportunity to work with excellent faculty members and fellow writers who are diverse and interested in issues of class, gender, ethnicity, immigration, and race. Those are the issues I write about, and I found a perfect match in this program.
My immediate plan is to finish my novel, Limonaria. I’m also doing research and taking notes for a second project, a series of short stories on the circular movement Mexican immigrants make between their country and the U.S.
Kimberly June Wisneski — Writing for Young People, graduating January 2011
Kimberly lives in Saint Louis, Missouri
I began with a search for MFA programs that offered a concentration in Young Adult Literature, and ended with far more than I could have hoped to find. I made my final decision to join Solstice after speaking with graduating and fourth-semester writers; they had so much good to say about their experiences and they were sad to see their time end.
After eight months in the program, I am not only in the process of achieving all of my previous goals, I have also redefined my dreams for what my manuscript can be. My realization and ambition not only come from the invaluable instruction that was provided at the residency and is consistently delivered from my mentor, but also the unwavering encouragement and support from fellow students.
Carol Owens Campbell — Fiction, graduating July 2011
Carol lives in Long Grove, Illinois
I chose Solstice because I wanted a low-residency program that celebrated writers of varied experiences; I wanted a non-traditional experience. While attending residencies, I've felt an exuberance of support from my peers and mentors, and this boost of confidence has made me more devoted to my writing, to meeting deadlines, and to elevating my craft. As a MFA student of creative writing, I've challenged myself to write fiction, read fiction or do research for my novel every day. Before becoming a student in the Solstice MFA Program, I did not consider my writing, reading or research a priority — now I do.
Recent Graduates
Kerry Beckford — Creative Nonfiction, graduated July 2010
Kerry lives in Bloomfield, Connecticut
The Solstice program fit everything I needed in a writing program: a diverse student body and faculty, an intimate community, and a challenging learning environment. I am learning patience, which is something that has typically been in short supply in terms of my writing life, and I’m finding that I read with more intent. I focus on things like sentence structure, word choice, white space. Sure, there were books or essays before that caused me to read more closely, but I do that now with everything!
Jennifer Morrison — Poetry, graduated July 2010
Jen lives in Norfolk, Virginia
I spent almost two years looking at MFA programs. I knew that I wanted to enroll in a low-residency program, but finding the right fit wasn't so easy. It was important to me to find a program with excellent faculty but that didn't suffer from "superstar syndrome"-- I'm a bit of an introvert, and I was concerned that if I enrolled in a program that was too big, both my writing and my confidence would suffer.
The theme of my first Solstice residency was creative risk. The Solstice Program provides a supportive environment for taking those creative leaps that can often seem so intimidating. One of the most valuable skills I've learned at Solstice is revision — that it's not just editing, it is a process that can be approached methodically, and most important, that it's not as frightening as I thought it was. Learning to approach a poem I've already written in a new way — to re-vision it, if you will —really opened up my writing in ways I hadn't ever expected.
Jasen Sousa — Writing For Young People, graduated July 2010
Jasen lives in Somerville, Massachusetts
I was born and raised in the Boston area. Since I am surrounded by a community of young writers, I hope to take everything I have learned from the Solstice MFA Program and bring it back into my community in the hopes to relaying aspects of higher education to peers who might not be as fortunate as me.
[Since I joined the MFA Program] I have become a much better editor of my own work. I told my teachers that I want to be the voice for urban young adult literature, and instead of laughing and telling me to tone it down, they have put even more pressure on me to achieve this goal because they believe in me.
Cindy Zelman — Creative Nonfiction, graduated July 2010
Cindy lives in Stoughton, Massachusetts
I first found the Solstice writing programs through the Conference held annually in June. After the Conference, I showed up at some of the MFA readings to see if the atmosphere still felt that good — supportive, inspiring, motivating — and it was. Students talked to me. Administrators talked to me. I really felt a sense of the community as caring, talented, not at all cut throat.
[Since I began the program] I’ve become much more disciplined about writing. And I write now with the expectation that I will receive tough but very caring and compassionate critique of my work.
Mike Farrell — Fiction, graduated July 2010
Mike lives in South Boston, Massachusetts
By joining the writing community of the Solstice MFA Program, I've not only absorbed countless lessons now essential to my prose, but found the critical motivation to craft fiction I'm proud of. Without these lessons and motivation, I'd likely be no more skilled or driven than a drunken barfly who continuously slurs empty plans of writing his one great novel.
My approach is now more careful and informed, which has led to leaner, crisper writing. [After graduating, I hope] to become a teacher, finish and publish my second novel, then move on to complete further works of fiction for the rest of my life. Thanks to this program, I absolutely expect all of the aforementioned to happen.
Maryann Jacob — Writing for Young People, graduated January 2009
Maryann lives in Sunnyside, New York
I [came to Solstice because I] wanted to study with An Na and Jackie Woodson. I was delighted when Laban Hill and Laura Williams McCaffrey came on as faculty in my third semester. They're all tremendously generous with their comments and unyielding in their encouragement.
Over the [course of the program], I revised, refined, and completed the manuscript I'd been writing since 2004. I'm proud of how far it's come, and how I've grown as a writer — all as a result of the program. I've become more patient. If I am having trouble and need to step away from a current project for a week or two, I know that's ok and I should work on something else. Also, I've learned that if I'm uncomfortable writing about something, that means I must do it. Solstice helped me leave my comfort zone.
As for the future, as long as I can have a job living and breathing children's and YA books, I'll be happy.
Emily Van Duyne — Poetry, graduated January 2009
Emily lives in Atlantic City, New Jersey
I’ve been writing & studying poetry since I was fifteen, but after getting my BFA in writing from Emerson College, I had gotten pretty far away from any kind of discipline as a writer. I began the program in the winter of ’07 and was immediately amazed at how it forced me, happily, to re-structure writing into my busy day-to-day life. I was thrilled at the ‘kick start’ the January residency had given me, creatively. The faculty was open, funny, caring, and above all, rigorously intellectually engaging; the students were similarly great.
In addition to forcing me to think in new ways about my creative work, I loved the program’s third semester critical essay project; it led me to reconsider a career in academia, and rekindled my passion for the work of an author I had gotten away from.
Charles Boisseau — Creative Nonfiction, graduated July 2009
Charles lives in Austin, Texas.
When considering schools, I weighed whether to attend a program that solely focused on creative nonfiction. In the end, I’m glad I choose a program with multiple disciplines; I have learned a quite a lot from other students and teachers in other genres, i.e., poetry, fiction, and literature for young adults. I resist being pigeon-holed, and in the future I hope to try my hand at other genres. Another important factor was the low student-to-professor ratio.
I have a habit of being self-critical to a fault, and this has sometimes frozen me solid, keeping me from writing stories. I have learned to do first things first — first write, then critique and edit and re-edit my work. Just as important, perhaps, I have learned that I am not alone. In large measure, the problems I face as a writer are the same ones that other students have faced, as well as my teachers.
Deborah Wood Holton — Fiction, graduated July 2009
Debbie lives in Chicago, Illinois.
I sought a place where perspectives stemming from cultural diversity are valued; where all voices are important, not just philosophically but also in day-to-day interactions. I wanted a less traditional program, one where the faculty facilitate student learning, and publishing is subordinate to craft. This program was a perfect match for me!
First and foremost, I will continue applying my learning to my own creative work. Secondly, as a teacher, I will continue to reassess my mentoring relationships with my students in both distance-learning and traditional classroom environments, and apply what I’ve discovered through my own experiences as a student to further guide them. I anticipate teaching more courses on craft and creativity, and I will continue to broaden and deepen my fellowship with other creative writers.
Richard Van Anderson — Fiction, graduated January 2009
Richard lives in Clyde Hill, Washington.
Joining the Solstice MFA Program was a phenomenal experience. As a genre writer, I expected to be treated as a second-class citizen by both faculty and students. This was not the case. My work has been treated with nothing but respect; my mentors didn’t try to change my focus or style, but instead embraced and fostered my goals as a writer.
Before coming to Solstice I was confident I could tell a rousing story. Now, I know what it means to have depth of story, character, language, and insight. I can identify these things when I read the works of others, and I am learning to incorporate them into my own writing. I am striving to find a balance between the surface story and the deep story.
Faye Snider — Creative Nonfiction, graduated January 2009
Faye lives in Newton, Massachusetts
I’m a person who works well with deadlines and interactive learning, and the Solstice Low-Residency Program fit my learning style with its small workshop classes, the opportunity for regular and close feedback from mentors, and the option of cross-genre learning during the ten-day residencies. The challenge inherent in both the critical and creative theses helped me to cement my identity as a writer. Now, I am working to expand my creative thesis into a full memoir.
Danielle DeTiberus — Poetry, graduated January 2009
Danielle lives in Asheville, North Carolina
Before I entered the program, I had reached some sort of creative “glass ceiling.” I could see that I wasn’t where I wanted to be but had no idea of how I could there. My work felt tired and predictable— I kept bumping up against whatever it was that was stopping my work from maturing. I had hoped that being a part of a community of writers and working under the guidance of accomplished poets would allow me to get to that next level. Having two years of intense study of and focus on the craft of poetry has helped me to re-see the way I approach a blank page.
Erika Sanders — Fiction, graduated July 2009
Erika lives in Whidbey Island, Washington.
I was looking for a group of good, engaged writers (both students and teachers) who would encourage me to take my writing to a new level. Many programs are so fiercely competitive, even after you’ve been accepted. I didn’t want that. I wanted a community. I wanted to work hard, but also to have fun. The Solstice MFA Program offered the right atmosphere for me.
I’m interested in helping those whose stories don’t often get heard. In my third semester I did an internship in a prison writing program at the Twin Rivers Correction Center, in Monroe, Washington — having this opportunity was also one of the main reasons I chose the Solstice program.
To read about Erika's experience teaching at Twin Rivers Correction Center, go to: http://teachingontheinside.wordpress.com.