Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Make the Grade

Grad school fantasies are infiltrating all my stolen moments, the ones that used to be crammed full of tropical imaginations and media gossip. How about that?

Keep in mind how I like to hide from reality by curling up and thinking. All the time. Academia’s conducive to that. So, therefore, I must be conducive to academia. Can’t you just see me among the corn stalks of Iowa (the thought-of Harvard of MFAs—hey we’re aspiring here aren’t we?), trampling dim flatlands of low soy, and spinning my wheels forever in perpetual motion?

When I slogged through the sugarcane fields of Australia, stealing apples to eat along the way, I came upon a trampled snake, squished red through his skin. He stopped me. Everything stops me. My treads and tracks are conducive to ending too soon.


Though maybe not this time. Back to dreaming, again, so something must be right.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Go for it!

David Tellez said...

So then it's true? You never really leave school behind, because it follows you throughout life? Damn...I better cut back then...

Laura said...

Mmmm... I love school and I'm never leaving. (Hooray for professorships!)

Seriously, though, Iowa really does shine with the arts. Also, I have a friend who's a doctoral candidate in the classics department, and she says it's a lovely town.

Raineydays said...

I love this post.

Bryan said...

As someone currently adding some letters to my name, I'll tell you it's not all it's cracked up to be. I feel like everyone else is "doing something" and I'm toiling away in a library or classroom, envying anyone leaving their mark on the "real" world. Yes, it's probably worth it, but don't forget that human tendency to never quite be satisfied with what's in our plate. Bonne chance.

Julia said...

I think that toiling away in a library (or laboratory) IS "doing something" and is most certainly one avenue for leaving your mark on the world.

Cheetarah1980 said...

If you want to practice doing grad school apps, how about you do mine for me? Sound like a plan? I just realized grad school is a lot easier to think about than to actually pursue. At this moment I'm supposed to be writing my 25 page manuscript. What am I doing instead, trolling blogger trying to find good writers to write it for me. Enjoy the dream a while longer, caused reality BITES!