‘The Program Era’ - the way to go, at least a financially viable way to go, for most authors now seems to be in ‘teaching a creative writing program at University’!
So, apparently, many authors in the US, unable to grapple with all this flux and the recession, and still wishing to make more than ends meet, are now teaching ‘Creative Writing’ programs at various institutes, community colleges, and universities. Sort of Catch-22 like situation, there have also mushroomed overnight, several courses designed to meet this purpose. And you know what? There are several takers for such courses too!
Talk about potboilers! This seems like a cauldron.
And then to think about Sonya Hartnett’s views on Sally Warhaft’s question about her opinion on ‘Creative Writing courses’ and whether anyone can be taught to be a good writer...
She said, and I paraphrase - no these courses can’t create a brilliant writer who can produce a brilliant piece of work. These courses can create A writer. The writer will write. But will the book win an award? Unlikely.
She did take the extended analogy of Ian Thorpe and extended her swimming metaphor to conclude rather dramatically about how she could be taught to swim, and she’d probably swim - only to reach the end of the pool, puffing and probably bleeding. Will she swim like Thorpe? Unlikely.
Writers, swimmers, jugglers, god knows what else - all born, presumably...
You either have it or you don’t!
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