[Cwgrad-announcements] Re: Forward

Tue Mar 13 00:05:35 PDT 2007

Gaby, dear,

I feel so bad right now after reading your letter. I know that you are doing everything and more for us.  For my part (and it's not an excuse it's just what it is...), I wish I could have gone to your guys' reading. You know my crazy busy life; I don't have to tell you.

I am working on some things for the program and once I have more concrete information, I'll share it with everyone.  It has to do with international exposure, meaning the Dominican Republic (which is a place where I might have a tiny itsy bit of say). Dr. Whitney and Ivonne and others are helping me out with the project.  It may not be for the direct benefit for any of us right now (myself included), but hopefully, it will increase the prestige and recognition of the department and indirectly benefit us, since we will be alumni of this MFA program. 

Love you lots and really appreciate everything that you are doing.

Besos,
Alba

> From: robin.russin at ucr.edu> Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2007 22:34:22 -0700> To: cwgrad-announcements at lists.ucr.edu> Subject: [Cwgrad-announcements] Re: Forward> > Hi everybody--> > Two years ago, I THOUGHT I had arranged an MFA lounge, but it was > taken over by Crate. That is something we definitely need to remedy > again.> > As for the readings, colloquia etc.:: I am meeting with Gaby this > week to discuss all this, and the colloquium is happening this > spring. I am also having it scheduled EVERY term next year, and the > following year I am going to propose that it be a requirement.> > But Gaby is correct: things happen when YOU make them happen. The > Golden Mean Players are a great example; a group of MFAs decided they > wanted more productions of their work, so they got together and made > that happen. Any of you who have plays you want to see put on their > feet are now welcome to participate in that. But you all must > communicate with each other, not just once, but continuously, because > emails and good intentions get lost, and everyone needs to be > reminded. That's just human nature, so realize it and make allowances > for it.> > For all its faults, this is now one of the best MFA programs in the > country, in large part because the students have created their own > opportunities, even without faculty guidance. That's a great thing. > But Andrew, Kerby, Chris, Susan, I and all the rest are here and > willing to help. We just need you to be persistent as well, because > it takes time to write the novels, scripts, plays and poems that keep > us at the forefront of our own professions, and make us worth your > while to study with.> > I feel very badly that I was not here fall semester, to help keep > things on track. I am here now, and will be available to anyone who > wants to work on these issues. I know that those faculty who were > here would surely have acted if they'd known your concerns. You do > need to tell us, though, or we may not realize they exist> > Robin Russin> > > >> > Dear Classmates,> > I am writing to let you know how the past faculty meeting went.> > Sadly, aside from the second brown bag lunch thing (which was poorly> > attended) and our first ever off-campus reading, I had nothing to> > report on our side--although, as the faculty meeting was happening I> > know a few of you got together to discuss many things that aren't> > working--including the lack of a colloquium this year.> > I wish you would've told me this so I could bring it up in the> > meeting. I had brought it up individually, weeks ago when the schedule> > came out, to Chris Abani, but he said that he could do nothing. And> > yet if I had brought it up as a communal concern in front of all the> > other professors, perhaps more could've been done. Now, thanks to> > Andrew Winer and Carly, it seems an ad-hoc colloquium will happen...> > but still, you guys need to tell me if you're worried about something> > cause if I don't hear from you all, all I know is that I'm worried but> > I'm always bugging people about something so the more people bug, the> > better and easier to get things done.> > I cannot do much if you don't tell me what's worrying you and since> > we're stuck without a bloody room to meet in as students, all we have> > is this email thing. So that's why I really appreciate things like> > Alexis sending out the article--it creates community where there is> > none. And believe me, it's in the interest of some "powers that be"> > that things remain this way-- the less cohesion there is amongst us,> > the better for some.> > Which brings me to my next point: No one, and I mean not ONE person> > from the program, except two former students (adolfo and Tori) and> > Carly (cause she's interested), showed up at the Skylight reading...> > but many were eager to complain about them not having a reading.> > This is how it works: I personally went and contacted the people> > there, found out what had to be done and picked out some second and> > third-years which I think represent the program well. We only had one> > hour and I could only pick so many people.> > There are many others who will also represent the program amazingly> > and I think if you consider yourself to be one of them, you should by> > all means contact some bookstore and organize something.> > I tried my best with the dumb ladies at Imagine That! but after many> > phone calls they stopped calling me back and showed no interest.> > Something with Casa Romantica is also in the works, but things are> > slow... I also managed to organize something at dA Center but for next> > year (so all of you current first years will reap the benefits of> > that!) and at some point Abbie and Heather and Brenda said they were> > contacting people but I never heard more...> > Guys, frankly, it's really hard for me to do more than I do,> > especially if I never or rarely hear back from you--I feel like I'm> > talking to the void. Everyone gets excited in the beginning, then> > enthusiasm fizzles out and I'm stuck with my invisible and proverbial> > dick in the wind.> > First years-- we agreed that readings I had figured out would only be> > for second years, but is there any reason under the sky why you guys> > shouldn't host an open mike at the coffe shop in downtown riverside or> > somewhere else? Ask Cristy, we did an amazing open mic in fucking> > Orange County last year, cause we drove our asses out there and showed> > up. There's millions of them happening as we speak. There's one on> > monday nights in the Pasadena library--two well known poets read then> > there's openings for anyone to sign up... whatever. My point is--MAKE> > it happen!!!!!!> > It's hard to make it happen but it's worth it when all your other> > friends (not counting your classmates) do come and show their supprt.> > Frankly, when you do organize something and no one shows up but then> > everyone is eager to complain about not being invited (when Kate and> > Ky-Phong both sent emails to both the listservs) then you know what?> > it makes me not want to organize anything at all... So next time, YOU> > organize it, and I'll be more than happy to come.> > As far as the meeting, the dept. Budget was forwarded to the> > chancellor, so we'll keep our fingers crossed for everything to get> > approved. The dept. voted to support the departmentalization of the> > Visual Studies program (which is great so that maybe while they don't> > have grad students yet we'll be able to cover some TA-ships on their> > side of things, so remember to apply for those).> > There was the undergrad student report and then mine (which as I said,> > was pretty much a fucking blank sheet) then there were no updates from> > Gluck program or Mosaic and Crate because both Dana and Maurya were> > absent , there was a Writer's Week Recap and a brief talk about the> > job search (for which I was kicked out).> > Good news: there was brief talk from Michael Jayme about the Squaw> > Valley Fellowship for Second Years (one in poetry and one in> > fiction--see, I told you you should've showed your faces at that> > dinner so he gets to know you!!) and it seems like it will be possible> > to make it happen this year again...> > There was also talk of the growing interest in the progarm, as the> > huge applicant pool revealed, and some offers are being made as we> > speak (most applications were in fiction and so most of the offers are> > being made in that field) I'm not sure whether the numbers are> > confidential so I'll keep those to myself.> > As far as new business, there's an idea to make the Palm Desert> > program Low-Residency so as to make it more popular...> > That's about it, and now that I've poked a new hole into your ear with> > my rant, I wish you good night and good luck.> >> > Gabriela> >> > p.s. I think we should probably start thinking of who to elect for> > grad. rep. next year--anyone who'd like to put their names up for> > consideration, please contact me individually...> > _______________________________________________> > Cwpagradstudents mailing list> > Cwpagradstudents at lists.ucr.edu> > http://lists.ucr.edu/mailman/listinfo/cwpagradstudents> >> >> > _______________________________________________> Cwgrad-announcements mailing list> Cwgrad-announcements at lists.ucr.edu> http://lists.ucr.edu/mailman/listinfo/cwgrad-announcements
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