Hard work pays off -- for two of us

Last week was a busy week. My son, Michael (age 5), and I both graduated from our respective programs. He will be moving on from preschool and will start kindergarten in the fall. I graduated with my MA in English-Creative Writing from Missouri State University and, for the moment, plan to simply enjoy the diminished amount of stress that comes with finishing the degree -- and that pesky thesis. What will I do with all of my free time? Maybe I'll be a dad and tinker with that novel. What do you think?

Here is a photo of the two graduates. Enjoy!

A great writer....and St. Louisan!!

Eddy L. Harris has written several memoirs. His first book, Mississippi Solo, is a tremendous adventure story about a man (Eddy) who travels the entire Mississippi river alone -- in a canoe. I've posted about Eddy before, but I found this interview with him that I thought was pretty well done. In the interview, he talks about Mississippi Solo and his approach to writing. (I won't bog this blog down with videos. It's just something new I've discovered.)

Joyce Carol Oates on writing characters

Where have I been? Thanks for asking...

I received an email from a wonderful friend of mine who said she actually reads this blog. I knew that there were a few of you out there, but I didn't know that you'd miss it -- even a little bit. So, here is my excuse for not updating for nearly two months: I have been finishing up my thesis. Yes, I finished it. Yes, it's now turned in to Missouri State University's Graduate College for review. Yes, I will graduate with a Masters in English-Creative Writing on May 16! Finally. Four years of pecking at this degree will finally yield fruit. What fruit? I have no clue. But hopefully it's something tasty.

With my thesis, I tried to couple my passion for journalism with my passion for creative writing, so the final product was a collection of three creative nonfiction pieces -- stories from my life that I hope people (at least those on my thesis committee) could maybe find somewhat thought-provoking. One piece is called "Spiritual Battle," and it examines my relationship with my idol, my grandfather and his reaction to my marriage announcement. (Grandpa, a devout Catholic, my godfather and confirmation sponsor, felt I was abandoning my religion by so readily agreeing to be married in another church.) Another is called "Hope for Change" and it reflects on my experience seeing an African man hanging from a tower in downtown Springfield. That day and that image have changed me. The third is called "Goat Lady" and is the "story behind the story" of an article I wrote when I was a working journalist.

I have been neck deep in this thesis for a year. I'm glad I did it, but I had some issues with the whole creative non-fiction thing. Here is an excerpt from my Introduction that might help you understand the "issues" that I faced:

I’ve heard and read that the freedom that comes with creative nonfiction is liberating. If liberation means that I can “play tennis without the net” then I would agree. But if liberation means turning the microscope on myself and revealing my opinions and criticisms to the world, then I’ve found that to be excruciating.

Journalists have the safety of providing the facts and letting their readers make up their own minds. With creative nonfiction, the author shares his subjective thoughts. That part was a challenge. However, I discovered it is easier for me to criticize myself than to criticize others. With this collection, I try to open up – I really do. I do my best to be intimate. I present the facts. I experiment with style and structure. But when it comes to criticizing others, I often find myself fading back into the shadows of “Here are the facts. You decide.”

Anyway, the clouds are lifting and I'm am re-energizing to pick up where I left off on the novel. It's a great story. I just hope I can tell it!