Armed and Dangerous

A little over a week ago I received my MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. A little over two years ago, I was about to embark on that journey. I’d just gotten my first book deal and the most common reaction to me getting an MFA was: “Why? You already have a book deal!” I get what those people meant, but they didn’t get it. Why? Because I wanted to be better. I wanted to be able to help other writers be better. I wanted to be able to speak on behalf of my genre, armed with a legit degree for any haters who wouldn’t take me seriously. But, really, because I wanted to be better.



VCFA made me better. Not just a better writer: a better person.





I got lucky, choosing Vermont College of Fine Arts. It’s hard to believe there could be any finer institution to grow in one’s craft. From the format of low-residency to the excellent faculty to the talented students and wonderful location, it would be hard to find its equal. VCFA became a home away from home and the class I graduated with became my second family. We call ourselves the Allies in Wonderland and allies we are and there is no doubt we were in a wonderland. But VCFA is about so much more than writing. It’s about building a lifelong community for its students. I never knew what…