July 1, 2019

Well, hell, I managed to further my education and earn my Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing with a focus on Fiction. I'm having a hard time believing that I no longer have homework or deadlines after many years of being in school. I went straight from earning my undergrad degree into the Stonecoast MFA program. I get the BIG question a lot: Now what? I'm not completely sure, but my wife recently entered her grad program so a lot of my time will be ensuring she has the same amount of undying support that I did. Perhaps in the midst of that I'll find a job, publish a novel, and travel more. 

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2018

Summer is going fast. My 3rd residency was, as usual, a blur especially since I struggled during my second semester. Somehow I managed to get things on track and finished strong. It is hard to believe I'm in my 3rd semester and that I'm diligently slugging away at the big project that's due in a few months. The highlights of my writing included begin awarded two partial scholarships that are helping me fund the remaining year of my grad program. There is nothing like the feeling of depleting your GI Bill, because its such a mixed emotion. Part of me is like fuck yeah, I got my money's worth (an undergrad degree and half of my grad program paid for by Uncle Sugar). However, the other part of me said, "Oh shit, how are we going to pay for this?" Yup, it was a strangely thrilling and terrifying experience to say the least. Well, I better get on with the countless hours of research necessary for my project. See you at the end of the semester inshallah.

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My second residency for my grad program, Stoneoast, took place in Howth Ireland (near Dublin). Wow, what a blast. A truly amazing experience that I'm lucky to have enjoyed sooner rather than later in life. I could go on for paragraphs about how grand the chance of lifetime was, but let me merely say--Chase your dreams, if not for any reason other than to see it through to the bitter or glorious end.

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In late October 2017, my wife and I were blessed with our second child, a baby girl. Our new addition is another brilliantly, bright light in our family of four. I still remain deeply concerned that I'm not young enough to raise another batch of young'uns. I'm pretty sure I'm even beyond the good old college try, but hey, what's the alternative? At any rate, the transition back to stay at home parent on the days my wife works has been challenging to say the least, but enjoyable on many levels that are hard to express in words. 

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Right before the residency to Howth, we took a much needed vacation to Guadeloupe, which was also was an awesome time. If you're paying attention we took a four-year-old, and seven week old baby to the lesser Antilles. No biggie, we took our son to Greece, Italy, and Montenegro when he was eight-months-old. Yeah, we're a bit nutty like that, well truly, that's just how the travelling cookie crumbled.

 

2017

Well, hell. I'm still trying to figure out how it's possible, but I finally managed to obtain a college education. I graduated from the University of Southern Maine on May 13, 2017 with my BA in English. I'm still thrilled to have achieved one of my lifelong dreams before the big five-oh.

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A few months before graduating I found out that I was accepted into my Alma mater's prestigious MFA program, Stonecoast. I started pursuing my Master of Fine Arts for creative writing (Fiction) immediately after graduation. If everything goes as planned, I'll have my upper level degree before the big five-oh as well. Dreams that were set on fire by the best English teacher that ever walked this Earth: Betty Beatty.

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Not too bad for a farm kid from the Midwest who never took school seriously... until I grew up somewhere around my early thirties.