Not an MFA.....WTF

I went to a poetry conference a couple of years ago and a very very good poet named Major Jackson was asked about MFA programs. As a professor, I thought his answer was rather fascinating. Basically, his point seemed to be that an MFA does nothing more or less than teach mastery of skills and expand the exposure of the writer to other authors, styles of writing, and forms. It will not ensure publication. It will not teach the secret to writing the perfect poem or novel. All of that is within the writer, education only gives a writer more tools to find their way. Major Jackson's advice on what to do after getting an MFA was most telling. He said, "Live."