Found this recent article on Bookslut -
why do MFA programs ask students to specialize in a genre? Good question. My program emphasizes multi-genre writing, but in the end asks for a thesis in only one. Maybe we know that most people are good at basically one genre and suck in everything else? Maybe forcing students to specialize weeds out less serious candidates? My answer is that MFA programs are easier to administer when people are assigned specific literary roles, but I like to write fiction, so as usual I'm pulling that out of my ass.
The
New Pages blog wonders if many of these literary anthologies that call for submissions are legit.
Google is trying to
weasel out of responsibility for its decision to self-censor in China by arguing that censorship should be considered a barrier to trade--and therefore be part of international agreements that regulate trade. While Google's point isn't without merit--using trade structures could be one way to combat censorship--the idea of taking freedom of speech and making it a trade issue rather than a fundamental issue of civil rights seems ominous to me.
Boys do better in reading when they have female teachers?
Weird.
Off in my world, I spent the weekend up on Minnesota's North Shore. Beautiful day, and we even stopped for pie...
Above: Split Rock Lighthouse on Lake Superior, Minnesota.
Above: view of Minnesota's North Shore (Lake Superior).
