I just finished the first year of my MFA program for creative writing (poetry), and I am trying to decide what to do after I graduate next year. Should I continue with my studies and pursue a Ph.D. in English/creative writing, or should I try to find a job or fellowship instead?
Sincerely,
Poet-in-progress
Ph.D.: Judgment rev, Six of Wands, The Devil
Job: Five of Wands, Ten of Wands, Nine of Cups rev
Fellowship: The Tower, King of Cups, Six of Cups rev
Dear Poet,
This question is near to my heart because I was/am in the same boat as you. I graduated with my MFA in fiction in 2018. And I’m not going to lie to you: 2020 was a fucking bleak year for writers. 98% of books published in 2020 sold less than 5,000 copies[1]. This might not sound like a big deal to the uninitiated, but it’s a death knell to a career. If you debuted and sold that few, you probably won’t get a paperback of your book, which means you likely won’t earn out your advance. And if you don’t earn out, you will probably never get that much of an advance again, even if it was only a modest sum. The Big Five in publishing and Indie Presses are acting skittish. It’s rough out there for a scribbler and doubly so for a poet.
I don’t say this to deter you; I say it because “finding a job” for a poet means either working as a poet or teaching poetry, and the cards on that front aren’t great. It’s a lot of conflict (Five of Wands) and a burden that has you scraping by (Ten of Wands) and fantasizing about something better (Nine of Cups reversed.) To me, this sums up adjuncting. Publishing may be cold, but Academia is Antarctica right now. Hiring freezes, few classes, pay cuts—it ain’t a great scene.
The Ph.D. has promise, with two major Arcana marking the way and joyous Six of Wands in the middle. With Judgment and The Devil, this could be a passionate new beginning! Or it can be you selling your soul.
It sort of depends on the program.
You’ll already have a terminal degree in writing, so a Ph.D. in that might only be worth it if it’s a fully-funded program. But as someone who would personally love a Ph.D. herself, I cannot deny someone else the siren song of study.
However, I think a fellowship/residence might be the most fruitful. We have the Tower, the big shake-up, followed by the King of Cups, the great love. This can either be a person, like a partner, or it can be your work. We round off with Six of Cups reversed, which is the memory of a child-like love. A significant change (possibly setting) can ignite your creative fires and remind you why you’re a poet in the first place.
While many writers complain about how laborious the writing process is (and it is) when writing is going well, when you are in that zone, that shit is fun. It feels like being a kid again. It feels like magic. I think a fellowship, especially one with a residency tied to it, might give you that magical feeling. Maybe it’s a big name like Provincetown or Stegner, or perhaps it’s a smaller, shorter fellowship in a remote locale. But if you can get someone to pay you to live in a cabin and write, poet-baby, take it!
That might be the best for your work and your soul. Publishing and Academia will be there when you get back.
(And to everyone else, please buy new books! Especially from your local bookstores!)
Follow @theyboracle on Instagram. DM your questions or send them to comments@cltampa.com (SUBJ: ORACLE)
Dear Oracle
During the pandemic, I started marking comedic/political videos on TikTok. Unexpectedly, I went viral and have had a few million followers since. Over the past year, I’ve used my “fame” (lol) to host fundraisers online for different progressive causes (Voices for Racial Justice in Minnesota, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, etc.), and they’ve actually been pretty successful! During my activism work, I have seen a need that I want to help address but can’t find other activist groups working on it specifically. I’ve actually been thinking of starting a non-profit specifically to address this need and using these online fundraisers to help fund it. Is that crazy? Should I start this non-profit?
-Comrade Influencer
Cards: Queen of Cups rev, Page of Wands, Knight of Pentacles rev.
Dear Comrade,
You know what? Just do it.
Why not? You’re making money, you want it to go towards this one need, you aren’t finding other people/groups already addressing this need, so do it yourself.
Granted, non-profits are legal entities, so it would do you well to consult a lawyer first. You’re also going to need a board of directors (which can’t be you or anyone working at the non-profit.)
But for the cards, we have three court members: the compassionate Queen of Cups, the sharp and money-savvy Knight of Pentacles, and the inexperienced but trying Page of Wands.
Perhaps these are your board members. Perhaps they’re all you. The Page of Wands is someone who has the creative/protective drive of all the wands cards, but not the experience, so if this feels like you, it best to learn all you can. If you’re already in the activism world, you might already know smaller non-profits that are adjacent to the issues you want to address. Talk to them. Shake your social media tree and see if any of your followers can drop an apple of Non-Profit knowledge on you. Learn what you can, file your paperwork, and keep your receipts.
But absolutely go for it. We’re crafting a new world here, our place in the sun. Follow that rabbit. Is it crazy? Maybe, but the internet is crazy. Non-Profits spend a lot of time fundraising, and if you’ve already figured out how to turn TikTok views into cash for leftist causes, you seem ahead of the game.
Best of luck, Comrade.
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This article appears in May 20-26, 2021.