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The M.F.A — Worth The Money?

May 12, 2015
by Caroline Miller
A, Cecilia Capuzzi Simon, the pros and cons of success wth the M.F.A.., Why Writers Love to Hate the M.F.A.
9 Comments

A reader sent me a New York Times article about the pluses and minus of earning a Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.).  (Click)  I put the article aside for a while as  I admit,  I’m ambivalent about the subject.  Setting standards for creativity strikes me as an oxymoron.    

 Nonetheless, these factories of good taste exist and as Cecilia Capuzzi Simon observes in, “Why Writers Love to Hate the M. F. A.,” the degree is among the fasted growing graduate study tracks at Universities.  Between 3,000 and 4,000 students a year graduate from these schools, and applications keep growing — from 64 for the Iowa School of Writing in 1994 to about 20,000 for the upcoming year.

The danger of homogenized education is that it tends to reflect the values of the white, middle class students who have both the resumes and money for admission. Ellen Tremper, chairwoman of Brooklyn College’s English department, reinforces my opinion:  “We try to see if a person seems rational, and, frankly, unneurotic, because if you get someone with a screw loose, it can be disruptive to the group.”  Had  Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Plath and William Styron applied for an M.F.A. at her institution, they doubtless would have been rejected.

 What these literary “mills” do best is make money, and they do it by feeding off people’s aspirations.  They sell  illusion, a belief that a writer with an M.F.A. will be welcome at the large publishing houses, while the untutored will be relegated to small presses and die unloved and unknown.  To be fair, these schools are great places for networking and getting good recommendations from instructors, but, as Simon’s article points out, most graduates end up taking regular jobs and writing on the side.  As for the untutored who labor in the shadows, J. K. Rowling, E. L. James and Stephenie Meyer put a lie to that myth. 

 With or without an M.F.A., a writer needs something to say and a life on the streets is more likely to provide material than life in an ivory tower — which may be why most of the 3,000-4,000 students ascending from those  ivy covered walls each year can look forward to a life of literary obscurity.  With or without an M.F.A., it’s best to know how to wash dishes.

M.F.A. student

Courtesy of www.isu.edu

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9 Comments
  1. Frederick K Lang May 14, 2015 at 11:45 am Reply
    As spokesperson for Brooklyn College’s MFA program, Ellen Tremper has made a poor impression indeed. Having taken it upon herself to speak for a program in which she does no’t teach, she seems to have been left with nothing of relevance to say and so instead gave voice to what appear to be personal concerns. Unfortunately, her emphasis on mental stability and her implied comparison of a creative writing class to group therapy make the program sound inimical to free expression, evoking as they do the threat of psychological scrutiny. Reading her comment, prospective students might be fearful lest they fail her sanity test or, once certified, reveal psychological flaws through their writing. But I may be wrong. Perhaps Tremper did not ignorantly misrepresent the MFA program. Perhaps she knows it quite well, and in stressing mental health as a prerequisite, is alluding to serious internal problems. Frederick K. Lang Professor Emeritus of English Tow Professor, 1996-1997 Brooklyn College, CUNY
    • Caroline Miller May 14, 2015 at 12:31 pm Reply
      Thank you professor Lang for stopping by to comment on Ellen Tremper's article about M.F.A. programs. You certainly can slice and dice with words and your students no doubt benefited. Pity, you are retired and I am old. I might have enjoyed and no doubt would have benefitted from your instruction.
      • Cecilia Capuzzi Simon June 3, 2020 at 8:30 am Reply
        It was not "Ellen Tremper's article." Ellen Tremper was interviewed for the article I wrote, commented extensively, and was quoted accurately. Accuracy, all around, is critical
        • Caroline Miller June 3, 2020 at 9:43 am Reply
          I apologize for the error. Thank you for the correction.
  2. Bill Whitlatch May 14, 2015 at 12:46 pm Reply
    " Perhaps she knows it quite well, and in stressing mental health as a prerequisite, is alluding to serious internal problems. Frederick K. Lang Professor Emeritus of English Tow Professor, 1996-1997 Brooklyn College, CUNY" Professor Lang, enjoyed your comments, but I must say your ending comment was inappropriate and unnecessary.
    • Frederick K Lang May 15, 2015 at 1:17 pm Reply
      In my last sentence, I merely suggest that the Tremper’s insistence that applicants to Brooklyn College’s MFA program be “rational,” “unneurotic,” and have no “screw loose” may be a tacit admission that the program has previously accepted students who proved to be quite otherwise, thus causing problems for instructors and other students.
      • Caroline Miller May 15, 2015 at 3:47 pm Reply
        Thank you for your clarification, professor. As for me, whatever Temper intended, I side with the neurotics. Having made so many of us, I conclude Nature has a soft spot for us.
  3. Pamela May 19, 2015 at 1:44 pm Reply
    I have to agree with much of what Professor Lang points out about the article, as well as the function of an MFA program. Having applied to one, I know that they are very stringent in assuring that they are accepting writers who are serious about the craft, and who ostensibly have something extra that may be eventually marketable. I am of the school that craft and good writing can be honed in those that show a propensity. And I believe that the culture and trends of literature, teaching literature/writing and navigating the sphere of writing jobs is also part of the MFA column of pros. After a single denial, I decided to try to teach myself, and there are numerous courses outside of a formal program that can be very helpful, but I won't dismiss the notion out of hand.
    • Caroline Miller May 19, 2015 at 2:43 pm Reply
      As I say, I'm ambivalent about MFA programs. Life experience and reading are great preliminaries for writing. Your recent short story award is proof of that.

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Contact Caroline at

carolinemiller11@yahoo.com

Portland, Oregon author Caroline Miller had distinguished careers as an educator, union president, elected official and artist/advocate.

Her play, Woman on the Scarlet Beast, was performed at the Post5 Theatre, Portland, OR, January/February 2015

Caroline published a serialized novelette, Marie Eau-Claire, on the website, The Colored Lens.  She also published the story Gustav Pavel,  a parable about ordinary lives, choice and alternate potential, on the website Fixional.co.

Caroline has published four novels

  • Ballet Noir
  • Trompe l’Oeil
  • Gothic Spring
  • Heart Land

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