STUDENT PROFILES

We asked our students 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!

Faye Snider — Creative Nonfiction, graduating January 2009

Faye lives in Newton, Massachusetts

Learning to write well has been a lifelong goal; after retiring from my career as a therapist, I enrolled in the Solstice MFA Program and found the faculty refreshingly collegial and deeply interested in helping students learn and grow as writers. I’ve developed in my writing, reading, and research skills — and am much clearer about my interests, strengths, and weaknesses. I’m more able and willing to take risks and explore possible ways of approaching topics. Also, I’ve been able to complete some manuscripts, which I intend to submit for publication.

As a licensed clinical social worker, having an MFA degree will broaden my teaching and clinical possibilities; I have an interest in developing writing strategies with individuals over fifty facing lifestyle transitions, as well as veterans and their families with homecoming adjustments.

Erika Sanders — Fiction, graduating 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 will be doing 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. If I can use what I have learned here to help teach these men how to tell their stories, I feel like I will be doing the best thing I can possibly do — trying to make the world a little better.

To read about Erika's experience teaching at Twin Rivers Correction Center, go to: http://teachingontheinside.wordpress.com.

Maryann Jacob — Writing for Children and Young Adults, graduating July 2008

Maryann lives in Sunnyside, New York.

Having monthly deadlines has forced me to stick to my own weekly, even daily, deadlines, and that helped me use every spare moment to write, whereas I procrastinated more prior to the program. As a publishing professional, I was never tied to the idea of publishing a runaway bestseller, knowing all too well the often short-sightedness of the publishing industry, not to mention its fixation on marketing and the bottom line. But, I’m more committed than ever to writing a quality book for young adults, and I do hope it will be published someday and that readers will walk away from it feeling moved.

Now that I’m graduating, I would love new career opportunities that enable me to foster and share the joy of young-adult literature as a serious and vital genre — namely, to combine my two years as a student with the many years I spent bringing authors into schools to talk about books and writing with students in grades K-12.

Deborah Wood Holton — Fiction, graduating July 2009

Deborah 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 is 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, graduating January 2009

Richard lives in Clyde Hill, Washington.

Joining the Solstice MFA Program has been a phenomenal experience. As a genre writer, I expected to be treated as a second-class citizen by both faculty and students. This has not been the case. My work has been treated with nothing but respect; my mentors have not tried to change my focus or style, but instead have 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.

Anne Hurlbut — Writing for Children and Young Adults, graduating January 2010

Anne lives in Marion, Massachusetts.

With a B.A. in American Studies and an MA in English, I had always wanted to focus more on my creative writing, and I have always dreamt of writing for children. The Solstice MFA Program clearly offered an honest, supportive, encouraging environment.

I am a high school English teacher, so my first hope is to bring all of this creative energy back to the classroom and share it with my students, integrating more creative writing into our life in the classroom. Personally, I hope to continue to write as much as I can for as long as I can, whenever a story speaks to me. There are many stories I want to tell.

Estela Gonzalez — Fiction, graduating January 2010

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.

Adam Eisenson — Writing for Children and Young Adults, class of July 2008

Adam lives in Hillsborough, North Carolina.

Well, at first I looked at the price — the Solstice MFA Program was half the cost of most other programs. Next I saw Jacqueline Woodson’s name, and I’ve always been a huge admirer of her work. I was getting frustrated with my own writing, and knew that I needed help. Also, Pine Manor is in Boston, my favorite city. All of my mentors have been passionate, instructive, and honest. Each one gave me different ways to examine my own creative as well as critical writing, which helped me find my own, unique voice.

I was a teacher prior to the program, and I will be a teacher afterwards. It will be a dream to teach others about the process of writing while continuing to polish my own craft each and every day.

Charles Boisseau — Creative Nonfiction, graduating 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. I feel like I am in a smart, supportive community, a place where I can learn and grow — and still be my sometimes quirky self.

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