Ed Peaco
Antioch
University McGregor's IMA program is ideal for those writers who want
to broaden their writing while maintaining stability in other aspects
of life.
I have a B.A. in anthropology from Grinnell College (1978), where I also
took many literature and writing courses. After Grinnell, I continued
to write fiction while building a career in journalism. A flurry of fiction
publications in 1990 inspired me to take my writing to a higher level.
The Antioch program allowed me to keep working while I studied. Had I
pursued a degree at a full-time residential institution, I would have
had to quit my job and face an uncertain way of life, which is the stereotypical
writer's life but not necessarily one that fosters writing.
On this issue, historical novelist Don Coldsmith
suggests: "A would-be
writer should prepare to make a living in some other vocation.
Thus, he or she can work for sustenance and write for love. The results
of both will be better."
Studying close to home, with teachers of my choosing, allowed me to establish
relationships that continue to grow and develop. These aren't people I
once studied under; they're people I see frequently, at the hardware store,
at literary events around town, and in my monthly writing group. The circle
continues to widen.
Antioch University McGregor's program allowed me to become more sophisticated
in the writing life I already led. My purpose, now as always, is to seek
publication as skill and luck may allow, and thereby contribute to the
world of art and ideas.
