All roads lead to grad school...

I was struck, in the middle of the night, by the notion that I should apply to the Iowa Writers' Workshop, even if it's just wishful-thinking. I think I was inspired by Jordan getting into Stanford and Yale. The Iowa Writers' Workshop is my Yale. If I could get an MFA anywhere, it would be there, but I haven't ever said this out loud. So, in the middle of the night, I went to my laptop and googled. I discovered that my GPA is indeed high enough to get in and I also need to submit two manuscripts. I don't think I need any letters of recommendation. So I have until Jan. 3, 2007 to write something worthy to send to the Iowa Writers' Workshop. Which brings me to Mary Ann.

Iowa will accept 18 credits for transfer and I want very desperately to take more writing classes. I haven't taken one in almost two years. That's a long time to be on my own, writing duds like "Utter Despair," which I realized this morning totally sucks as a story. This fall, Mary Ann is teaching a class called "Composing the Self." It's a writing class that looks at identity. It's almost a surreal coincidence because I have recently been doing independent research on this notion, and it is a perfect way to connect women's studies and writing. If I could take one class each semester next school year, I would be better prepared mentally for an MFA program.

Of course, I am putting the cart before the horse—the horse being acceptance to a program at all. I do not assume I will get into Iowa. It is quite possibly the most prestigious program in the country. But even if I did, why would I expect Andy and Sachen to want to move to Iowa? What is in Iowa City outside Big Ten basketball and this writing program?