I spent two years in graduate school, getting an MFA in creative writing at the University of Pittsburgh, which I wrapped up last fall. I was older than most of my fellow students, about the same age as one of my professors, yet of all of them, I was the digital advocate.
It was almost silly. I’d tried to talk about literature in the online world — litjournals, blogs, access to agents, literary conversations — and was met with blank looks. I was baffled — how could so many 20-somethings not know what an RSS feed was? Didn’t they blog or have a stale livejournal account or anything? Eventually, we did manage to launch a good online literary journal that was supported by the department — although I bet some people are still asking when it’ll go into print.
What you might do with reading and the online sphere was given attention only by a few. My second year, I taught English composition, and when I got to an exercise about writing personas in the syllabus I adapted it to Facebook. The day we looked at those student projects, I was observed by my mentor. I was excited. She didn’t get it. I was reprimanded.
The resistance to new forms of writing and communication was discouraging. But there were a few people in the PhD program who were engaging with, as the academics say, texts in interesting ways. I’ve continued to follow their work.
And as I watch what’s being tweeted and blogged about the MLA conference this year, I have to say I’m excited all over again. People do get it. Smart engaged readers and academics not only have noticed that the online world is fertile and interesting, they’re trying to figure out clever ways to plug into it — as teachers, as scholars, as thinkers.
It’s inspiring. It makes me happy for academia. Long may it be plugged in.
