How To Master Memoir Writing. Consider a Low-Residency MFA

IS GETTING AN MFA in Creative Writing a dream of yours? Did you know that it can more easily be fulfilled at a low-residency program, where on-campus time can be as little as a few days in each calendar year? Several of my friends have recently completed such degrees, including two of whom have full-time jobs that allowed for this brief on-campus study and allowed them to do the rest of the writing at home. Sounds pretty good, yes?

Many memoir writers resist such programs, put off by the “creative writing” term. Don’t be put off. These programs can be great, even more so when the low-residency part can be completed on an island off the coast of New England (see photo above).

I recently became aware of a fine two-year, low-residency program that includes memoir as well as those exotic residency locations.  It’s at Fairfield University in Connecticut, where recent guest faculty have included Mark Doty, Carlos Eire, Mary Karr, Wally Lamb, Rick Moody, Jayne Anne Phillips, Philip Schultz, Dani Shapiro, Anita Shreve, Charles Simic, and Sue William Silverman.

Want to know more? You can. Go see the Fairfield Low Residency MFA Program in Creative Writing.