Finals week reprieve--Workshop

The creative writing workshop is a strange place.

If you are presenting you sit in silence and write down what the other people say that you think is important. I usually write it all down, which is difficult when people talk fast.

But this only works if the people do what they are supposed to do, namely read my story/poem before workshop, think about it, and write comments and ask questions.

Oftentimes that doesn't happen, they read it 5 mins before class, underline a word or two, write "That's dope" or put a star next to a line or something. I use to just shrug it off: whatever, you didn't read my poem, maybe you'll read the next one.

But when I look over the critiques I get back, where people have doodled all over my papers, I see how the vast majority of people did it 5 mins before class, or during the workshop. When I go to write a second draft useful critiques are in short supply and its very unhelpful to have so little. It bothers me, a lot. But it doesn't bother me because I am inconvenienced.

The reasons it bothers me: 1st, I take my writing seriously, and I take the writing of other seriously. 2nd, those slackers expect me to give them a thorough critique, which I do because it is required. But I think what bothers me the most is that those people get a passing grade just like I do, and they are ok with that, allowing mediocrity to flourish.

My advanced poetry workshop this quarter was awesomes. It was eight people and about 4 hours. They got into the nitty gritty and really ripped it apart. It was great.

Prose poetry on the other hand had about 15 people, 3 of which read my poem before class and wrote meaningful comments. The rest wrote down the things that the professor said. Like he said, "A prose poem has to get beyond it's subject, Brian." and 12 papers get returned to me that say, "A prose poem has to get beyond it's subject, Brian."

I guess I take objection with the mindset that that is an ok thing to do.

There is no story here.

I guess I am just whining.

Sorry.