(Warning: Major spoilers below for the television show You). In the Netflix show “You” an obsessive serial killer boyfriend locks his procrastinating writer girlfriend in a glass cage located in the the basement of a quaint New York City bookshop. He has to keep her prisoner there because she discovered all his murderous deeds, […]
Tag: MFA in creative writing
New Year Goal: Stop Being So Lazy
When I was 28 and had just quit my job as a journalist, got married, and moved to Yemen, I wrote a blog post in which I vowed to never stop with my creative pursuits, and to always live a life of passion. Four years later is probably a good time to revisit my wide-eyed […]
Post-Paris Crunch Time
I recently returned from wonderful, romantical Paris, where I completed the fourth residency of my graduate MFA program in creative writing. (Just one more left!). This trip to Paris was especially good. Mr. Jerusal-Em came for a few days and we celebrated New Year’s Eve in the cozy home of friends, walked around Montmarte, and […]
The More You Learn, The Harder it Gets
I’m three-quarters of the way through the low-residency MFA program at New York University and I can say with some confidence that after three intensive residencies in Paris, monthly writing deadlines, and the mentorship of several accomplished authors, I am now a better writer. I can also say with confidence that because I am a […]
The Case for Books. (Okay, a Bookcase).
I’m one of those stodgy people who refuses to own a Kindle. I know e-readers are super practical and all, but “I just like the feel of an actual book,” I’m known to say. (“I know an automobile is super fast and all, but I just like the feel of an actual horse, you know?” […]
Notes from Paris
I just spent ten intense and inspiring days in Paris as part of a New York University’s MFA creative writing program. I suspect it will take me weeks to process all the thought-provoking lectures and suggestions for my own writing that I received. Until more grand thoughts and plans of action emerge, here’s a quick […]
Higher Learning. With Croissants.
Last week, I woke up to an email that stopped my coffee cup dead in its tracks to my mouth. I applied to graduate school a few weeks before and there was an email from New York University telling me “Congratulations!” I got in. My first thought was “No one applied except for me.” While […]