- And as for MFA programs, I've got my eye on Texas.
I've spent plenty of time in Texas. I'll take Siberia, thanks.
The way to make a living on residencies is the same as with any academic - grant-chasing. It's a drag. You're also not really participating in an open market - you're pandering to a select few that control grant money. I'd argue that the detachment of poetry and classical music from the general populace is largely due to it being produced for, consumed by and judged over by a tiny splinter of the population that holds Middle America in contempt.
FYI - the Nicholl fellowship is generally open to between six and ten people a year. Between 7500 and 10,000 apply every year. I know two Nicholl fellows personally; my career isn't that much behind theirs. And while I could write volumes on the Nicholl, I will say that six out of 7,000 is damn near a sweepstakes... and the Amtrak thing is taller.
Yeah I know. Stupid long odds. And they probably aren't as interested in poets as prose writers. But if I don't try I guarantee failure. Rejections all the time mang, I swim in dat shit.
Edit: for facts, I have submitted about 77 poems for consideration in various lit mags so far this year. One has been accepted. I'll post it, of course, when it's up.
I really like this video by the world's best vlogging robot zefrank about rejection. One of the things he tells is that you should be somewhat grateful for rejection, as it means you're aiming high and trying how far you can go. A lot of people dont get rejected at all and are playing it safe. I hope you'll try your best anyway.
Great video. I appreciate the words of support. Rejection really is just the name of the game in the poetry world. To be honest I've been lucky and mostly get really nice rejections, like, "we like your poems, they're just not right for us right now." it can be frustrating but then i write poems about it. Or they tell me "we like this it's just not right for us, send us other stuff in the future!"
The acceptance I received recently was really encouraging and I have been submitting even more. last year I submitted 110 poems total. I figure I'll double that this year. It's all per aspera ad astra here. Not everyone is going to like my stuff. I just flip this clip on and keep doing everything I can think of to learn more and get better because I figure that's my only option if I want to keep doing this, and I do.
Thanks again. I'd rather give the whole writing/publishing thing a shot and get rejected than live in a protected bubble. And I'm hoping to publish a collection later this year, though whether I do it through self-publishing or a press is TBD. I try just to not expect much. That way any return is positive.