Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Like the commercial says...

...when you're #2, you try harder.

Had a lovely voicemail from the Fine Arts Work Center today to let me know I was selected as the first runner-up for the Agha Shahid Ali scholarship. (Remember when I was asking about artistic resumes a while back? That's what it was for -- they needed that, and a brief statement, and of course a manuscript.) Apparently it was pretty tough competition, with some 60 applicants for the one scholarship. Too bad they don't have more to give out, but it does feel good to know that in some way I am at least playing on the right field, that at least the judges didn't read my manuscript and say "*snerk* yeah right. Next?" This feels like an affirmation -- a welcoming. I'm pleased.

And yes, scholarship or no, I'm still going -- even if I have to fund it the good old-fashioned American way. That's why God invented credit cards, right? *grin*

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Also: Today's poem on Verse Daily caused me to make unseemly noises. Who is Alison Apothecker and where can I find some more of her work? WOW.

I really need to get around to subscribing to Crab Orchard Review (where this poem first appeared).

2 comments:

Suzanne said...

Whoohoo! Good going, A!

Emily Lloyd said...

WOW--congrats. Huge competition. I realize it doesn't feel quite as good as the money, but--wow.