More on Preparing for the VC Experience...

A few weeks after my acceptance to Vermont College of Fine Arts, I had to start thinking about what I wanted to do in the fall. You see, there is the regular program and there's the Picture Book Concentration / Certificate Program, which is a one-semester intensive Picture Book concentration. Students can enroll in this as a single-semester certificate program, or the MFA students can do this as one of their four semesters in the program. I was definitely interested, as I love to write this genre, but first I wanted to know who was teaching it.

Well, when I heard that Kathi Appelt was scheduled to teach it, I jumped at the opportunity! Only after waiting to hear if she indeed would be teaching it (there was some concern that she might not--apparently, writing a Newbery Honor Book puts some demands on one's schedule ;-). But she was teaching it, so I put in my request for a spot and submitted a sample ms. After a few weeks, I received news that I’d been accepted! Wow, I was--no AM-- so stoked! To study under Kathi will be amazing! I've always admired her work (she's a master of rhyming PBs and targeting the preschool audience). I can't wait to meet her and work together.

In the meantime, I've also submitted housing forms for the dorms, arranged my travel plans, and submitted two mss for the summer residency "workshop" (critique session). And there's the reading list--I'm on the first of many books we have to read for book discussions at "the rez." Speaking of which, I should be doing that now!