In case you haven’t been taking advantage of these amazing visiting writers back at Dodge 413 last Fall, take a look at the power-packed Spring Semester. Ordinarily, when you read copy like “power-packed” you probably are thinking that someone is trying to sell you something, perhaps something they don’t want that much. Well, I’ll be there even if you skip out — and I’ll be there with bells on. (Which apparently is an expression derived from bells on a fancy carriage — well, I’ll be carrying microphones and video cameras, which are almost as much things hanging off me as I can handle.)

Valentine’s Day with Jonathan Lethem wasn’t my original fantasy (at least not one I’ve admitted to myself), but surely my girlfriend will understand…. He gives good lecture.

Make sure to get there early enough to get a seat at these — last season a good many of the lectures were standing room only. I caught Ben begging for a seat himself so that he could stay in the room after introducing a writer. I’ll be there recording most of these for podcast here and at CUArts in the near future — along with the professor/event videos I will be shooting this Spring.

Below is Ben’s email — and these are open to RATS and alumni. Though heaven help us if everyone hears about George Saunders and the event is held in Dodge 413. You can kinda hear the lecture from the sidewalk outside of Dodge, but I don’t think you’d like to be forced to do so.

–Matt

Dear Students:
Welcome back. Hope you all had a restful and productive break. Below is the spring schedule for the creative writing lecture series, which we’re very excited about. We’ll keep you posted on talk titles as we learn them. Hope to see you all soon.
Ben

January:
Ander Monson: Thursday, Jan 31st @ 7pm, Dodge #413
“Essay as Hack”

February:
Philip Gourevitch: Wednesday, February 6th @ 7pm, Dodge #413
Jonathan Lethem: Thursday, February 14th @ 7pm, venue to be announced
Kurt Anderson: Thursday, February 21st @ 7pm, Dodge #413

March:
Peter Gizzi: Thursday, March 6th @ 7pm, Dodge #413
Kathryn Harrison: Wednesday, March 12th @ 7pm, Dodge #413

April:
George Saunders: Thursday, April 17th @ 7pm, venue to be announced
Joanna Scott: Thursday, April 24th @ 7pm, Dodge #413

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Here’s a topic that I’ve had several requests for: what are some access/resources we have while still Research Arts students — thus with student status that — that we might not know about, and might regret once we turn in.

Beyond the obvious “it’s nice to have access to a library, housing, photocopier, health insurance, and gym” response most frequently uttered by RATS students, there are other opportunities out there that I don’t even know about, and can’t wait to hear about. So I’m going to share a few things, and then direct you to post your own ideas via our Forum site.

I imagine that this discussion will tend (towards the beginning at least) to emphasize NY-area resources, but I really encourage folks to investigate and share with us opportunities for the large number of RATS who are not in NY and for whom “access to a library, housing, photocopier, health insurance, and gym” might not be working out for them so well.

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Soarats.org congratulates the February Writing Division MFA Graduates.

And I’d like to remind these folks that while recent alumni are no longer students, Soarats.org is still a warm place for them to rest a while on the Internet wanderings. (And starting next week it will be a great place to chat as well. Did I give that away too soon?)

The Proud List:
Mia Celeste Rosales Alvar
Samuel Charles Amadon
Molly Antopol-Johnson
Rebecca Dancer DiLiberto
David B. Gerrard
Steven Michael Hanson
Kristin Danielle Henley
Olena M. Jennings
Jason Michael Nickerson
Sharon Marie Pacuk
Matthew Scott Pennock
Ramesh Balakrishna Pillay
Kim Lan Raymonde
Barbara Gabriele Thimm
Miranda Weiss
Erica Ashley Wright

Commencement festivities will take place on Wednesday, May 16, 2007. For information regarding the commencement ceremonies, visit the SoA “Student Affairs Daily Dish” and search under “commencement.”

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