• Skip to main content

Rachael Herron

(R.H. Herron)

  • Blog
  • Books
  • Bio/Faq
  • Subscribe
  • For Writers
  • Podcast
  • Patreon essays

MFA This

July 29, 2006

I have an Master of Fine Arts in English and Creative Writing from Mills College. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done, and I’m now answering 911 (but still writing). Finally, someone is going to address the after-the-MFA questions. Like, do you want fries with that? Where do we go after the MFA? Why did we get one?

After The MFA.

Posted by Rachael 8 Comments

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lee Ann says

    July 29, 2006 at 6:44 pm

    I got mine at Vermont College ten years ago. I took a break to have a crappy marriage…
    Oh, and a lovely kid and a new, fantastic marriage. I think there are still poems left in me, and maybe stories too. But damn, it’s hard to push oneself in the right direction and keep writing without the constant feedback of the team.
    “No more donuts”: what a fantastic Stephen Dobyns quote. He’s flush with needle-to-the-bone kinds of stuff like that.
    Brava for still writing!

    Reply
  2. MaryMFA says

    July 29, 2006 at 11:19 pm

    I have an MA in Secondary Education. I did use it, 2 years of subbing and 4 years of teaching in the last 9 years… now I temp as a receptionist and feel like my brain is slowly oozing out of my ears.
    Good luck with the writing.

    Reply
  3. John says

    July 30, 2006 at 4:15 am

    Thanks for that. I’ve got an MFA in , hah, fiber. It’s just the constant push to keep the work coming. Anyway, glad you keep writing.

    Reply
  4. Cara says

    July 30, 2006 at 8:57 am

    Raises hand! MFA in Fiction from NYU. Sadly, not much writing these days. But I did publish four short stories all from the slush pile. (Pats self on back.)
    I’ve taught fiction. I’ve edited some. Does it count that I think about writing every single freaking day?

    Reply
  5. KT says

    July 30, 2006 at 10:19 am

    I love Mills- used to live in the bay area (both east bay, berkeley/kensington and SF,in the richmond.) No MFA here, I had a brief but rather illustrious undergrad career at Bennington. And now I am a mom- I feel like Auntie Mame. Plus my kids are Montessori kids which really seals the mame deal.

    Reply
  6. Ilona says

    July 30, 2006 at 5:53 pm

    But that MFA looks impressive…right?
    I have a BA in anthro(pology) and a BFA in painting and drawing. I am an editor for a small newspaper and online newletter…it’s weird how plans and ideas get all mixed and twisted around in our lives isn’t it? I wanted to work in museums in exhibition planning.

    Reply
  7. becky says

    August 1, 2006 at 2:22 pm

    Lordy lord, yesiree. Me with my fancy-dancy Ivy League PhD, in experimental psychology. Worked several years as a temp (doin’ clerical work), then I caved in and went back to school. Now I’m the only student at my school with a PhD, and I feel like one o’ the weird kids.

    Reply
  8. Steph says

    August 2, 2006 at 3:54 pm

    Yikes. I’m post PhD (no FA in me) but it all sounds so familiar. We smart folks are into some weird torture eh?

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

© 2025 Rachael Herron ยท Log in