I had the honor, the distinctive privilege, of going to Greensburg PA, as I do every six months, to teach at Seton Hill University in their Master's of Arts in Writing Popular Fiction program. Translated, that means I got to go hang out with a group of writers who are learning their craft. Horror, Sci-Fi, Romance, Fantasy…You name it, we work it. And why do we focus on such genres? Because they are the ones that speak to us. And we can.
As with any residency, we had to say good-bye to our graduating seniors. This group was special in a lot of ways, magical, if you will. We had such an amazing group of talent in this group that the ones will have a hard time living up to their promise.
Hear that, ones? I'm glaring at you.
Of the group of graduating seniors, I had the honor of working with three of them directly. While I worked with all of them in some form or another, the three I mention had me as their mentor. Stephanie Wytovich, "Pope" Joe Borelli, and Gina Greenway leave some very large shoes to fill. Know that you will be the stick by which I measure my future students.
And I must also state that, while I'm adjunct faculty and am there to teach, I also learn quite a bit when I am there. It's part of the reason I love the program, that sense of collaboration. So what did I learn this time around?
- What it feels like to be employed by a major circus.
- That peanut butter on a hamburger is not nearly as gross as it sounds.
- That if an ex buys your childhood home, it gives off a serial-killer-rapey vibe.
- That religion, ritual, and magic are tools to be used, and not ridiculed.
- That mentor meetings don't take very long, once you and your mentee have a good working relationship.
- That there is a Harley Davidson dealer in the Pittsburgh airport.
- That you never have to throw a punch to stop a fight.
- That some of the worst people (I'm looking at you, CAH people) are also some of the funniest.
But there were also things that I already knew that were confirmed for me, and I cherish those lessons revisited.
- This program is more than a "school."
- I have some of the best friends in the world.
- I can embarrass people with little more than an eyebrow twitch.
- Some people just need a hug.
- Sometimes, it's okay to not be the bad guy.
- Sometimes, it's great to be the bad guy.
So that's the roundup. It was my great pleasure to see my friends Nikki and Ward again, as well as their wonderful sons Wes and Jake, and the ever-energetic Corgis. If you'd like to see what real talent looks like, by the way, you should check out Nikki Hopeman's new release, Habeas Corpse, which just came out from Blood Bound Books. You won't regret it.
So leave a comment. Tell us (the entire cyber-universe and inter webs) what you learned at the res, if you went. And if you didn't, tell us what you'd like to learn.
Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a book to write.
Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a book to write.
