The First Cut

My first blog post in when, forever? I have a feeling that all of you will be getting more insight into a first year MFA writer's existence than you ever bargained for. Try to love me despite the banality.

Let's set some precedent here...

Today marks the second day of the Devil's Kitchen Literary Festival here at Southern Illinois University (of the Carbondale variety). Hearing Pulitzer Prize winning poet Carl Dennis read today was a treat, as was simply seeing him in real life, and despite what the hilarious cartoon above claims, he did not necessarily use his boring voice (shout out to Hubris of Apathy for the image. Don't sue me, Kempfert). Professional poets tend to be overwhelming to me as a general rule, being occasionally arrogant and essentially far more cerebral than I can comprehend. Carl Dennis was quite the exception, however. He was accessible and sweet at that podium.

A moment occurred during his reading that I must steal for use in my classrooms. An audience member's cell phone obnoxiously erupted before he began a poem. He looked in their direction with slight bemusement and then addressed us all: "You see, when I read, even machines break out into song!" Beautiful.

On another note, Halloween is basically here. Excuse me while I clear the thrift stores of all their potentially useful Han Solo costume garb…and never wear it.

We should do this again soon.