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.
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.
Heather Christie — Fiction, graduating July 2013
Heather lives in Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania
I chose the Solstice MFA Program at Pine Manor College based on the recommendations of a couple of current students —everybody spoke so highly of the atmosphere and the sense of community among the students and faculty. I wanted a nurturing environment and liked the idea that is it small program. So far, the program has forced me to make my writing a priority. Having deadlines demands that I dedicate a certain amount of time to my writing on a consistent basis.
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.
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!
Sabra Porter — Fiction, graduating July 2013
Sabra lives in Allston, MA
After investigating several different MFA programs throughout New England, I decided that because PMC is so community-driven it would be the best place for me to meet other like-minded people. I now feel, with classmates, faculty, and staff, that I have my own little cheering squad on the sidelines. Even when they are not physically around, they are encouraging me to do my best and take advantage of every spare minute I have to write, write, write.
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.
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.
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.
The program has helped me develop a more mature view when it comes to my writing. Before I came to Solstice, I didn’t plan, I had little experience with revision, and I basically thought my first drafts were acceptable. My writing has become a lot tighter and more polished because I see what can be achieved with planning and revising my work.
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.
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!
Estela Gonzalez — Fiction, graduated January 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.
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.
Maryann Jacob — Writing for Young People, graduated January 2009
Maryann lives in Sunnyside, New York
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.
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.
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, graduated January 2011
Mike lives in Tolland, Connecticut
I was first intrigued by the fiction writing faculty, Dennis Lehane and Sterling Watson in particular. The Boston location was certainly a plus for me. Then I attended the summer conference and was blown away by the experience. My goals post-grad are to publish or perish. But perhaps I can envision some form of teaching in the future — something I wouldn't have imagined before taking this program. Also, since I’ve graduated, people are definitely more aware of me as “a writer,” which allows me to free up time to write and be taken seriously.
Sally Stanton — Writing for Young People, graduating July 2013
Sally lives in Northport, Maine
I chose the Solstice MFA Program because of its lower cost, the availability of scholarships, its emphasis on community, excellent faculty, and —coming from a very homogenous, rural area — the opportunity to mingle with a diverse population of students and faculty. By the end of my first residency, I felt like the program, the faculty, and my very inspiring fellow students were a giant safety net below me, making it possible for me to leap into new things and take greater risks with my work.
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.
Jim Kennedy — Writing for Young People, graduating July 2011
Jim lives in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts
During the summer of 2008, I sat in, by happenstance, on a Solstice evening reading. At the time, I was very much a sort of “hermit in the cave” writer, a bit overconfident, and lacking in awareness of some rough spots in my writing. A key conversation afterward with one of the readers, a visiting faculty member, convinced me that a program like Solstice could do something essential for my writing. I liked his own work too much to ignore his advice.
Now, after meeting many manuscript deadlines, after daily workshops in a winter and a summer ten-day residency, and after thorough critique from faculty, 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 excited by the insight and dedication of the Solstice administrators, faculty, and fellow students. I’m hoping to complete a full-length young adult novel and some incisive shorter creative nonfiction pieces by the time I graduate in 2011.