Artists' careers can take many trajectories. In our conversations with working artists, we've asked: Can you point to any one decision you've made as an artist that has had the most impact on your career? Joan Leegant, writer Probably the smartest thing I did was to enroll in a master's program in writing, a low-residency MFA at Vermont College, now the Vermont College of … [Read more...]
What Do You Try to Instill in Emerging Artists?
On the blog, we've had the chance to exchange ideas with dozens of Massachusetts artists, exploring their work and the way they make it. A number of these artists, along with creating their own work, also teach. What do they try to instill in emerging artists? Here, we share some of their insights into the creative life. Melinda Lopez, playwright Break your characters. … [Read more...]
Fellows Notes – May 2011
Spring is a-bloom, allergens are omnipresent, and Massachusetts artists are being their usual awesome. Here's this month's news from past MCC fellows/finalists. This month, the Massachusetts Poetry Festival takes place in Salem, Massachusetts (you’ll see events featuring past fellows/finalists throughout this month’s notes). But we wanted to be sure to draw your … [Read more...]
Adam Schwartz and True Fiction
The 2011 Commonwealth Reading Series of events with MCC writers and poets, which began this week, continues TONIGHT, Friday, March 18, 7 PM with a reading at Grub Street, Inc. – Boston's creative writing center. Among tonight's readers is Adam Schwartz (Fiction/Creative Nonfiction Fellow '10), author of the "stunningly good" (says Don Lee) new novel A Stranger on the Planet. … [Read more...]
Fellows Notes – Mar 2011
Here's the latest installment of Fellows Notes, the current news of past fellows/finalists from our Artist Fellowships Program. March comes in like a lion with readings, exhibitions, awards, books, world premieres, and more. (I have a feeling that when it comes to artists, March will defy proverb and go out leonine, too.) MCC is honored to have two opportunities to … [Read more...]