Synopses & Reviews
Writers write—but what do they do for money?
In a widely read essay entitled “MFA vs NYC,” bestselling novelist Chad Harbach (The Art of Fielding) argued that the American literary scene has split into two cultures: New York publishing versus university MFA programs. This book brings together established writers, MFA professors and students, and New York editors, publicists, and agents to talk about these overlapping worlds, and the ways writers make (or fail to make) a living within them. Should you seek an advanced degree, or will workshops smother your style? Do you need to move to New York, or will the high cost of living undo you? Whats worse—having a day job or not having health insurance? How do agents decide what to represent? Will Big Publishing survive? How has the rise of MFA programs affected American fiction? The expert contributors, including George Saunders, Elif Batuman, and Fredric Jameson, consider all these questions and more, with humor and rigor. MFA vs NYC is a must-read for aspiring writers, and for anyone interested in the present and future of American letters.
Review
Praise for
n+1 magazine
“The best goddamn literary magazine in America.” —Mary Karr, author of Lit: A Memoir
“Just when youre thinking youre intellectually alone in the world, something like n+1 falls into your hands.” —Jonathan Franzen, author of Freedom
Review
“We should first speak about how excellent this books title is, as compact and mighty in its way as ‘Godzilla vs. King Kong. It promises that someones block will be knocked off, as they used to say on the playground about toy robot bouts. If neither side is, in the end, definitively clouted, some useful blows are landed . . . ‘MFA vs NYC will appeal to many young writers, not merely for its insider perspective but also for its gossip and confessional essays . . . A serious, helpful and wily book.” —Dwight Garner,
The New York Times“A cast of literary professionals offers an entertaining bounty of experience, opinions and advice . . . Essential insights, masterfully assembled, on the precarious state of American publishing.” —
Kirkus“Remarkably provocative.” — Leslie Jamison,
The New RepublicPraise for
n+1 magazine
“The best goddamn literary magazine in America.” —Mary Karr, author of Lit: A Memoir
“Just when youre thinking youre intellectually alone in the world, something like n+1 falls into your hands.” —Jonathan Franzen, author of Freedom
About the Author
Chad Harbach grew up in Wisconsin and was educated at Harvard and the University of Virginia. He is the author of the bestselling novel The Art of Fielding (2011), as well as a founder and editor of n+1 magazine.
Table of Contents
Introduction
MFA vs NYC Chad Harbach
MFAA Mini-Manifesto George Saunders
Basket Weaving 101 Maria Adelmann
The Pyramid Scheme Eric Bennett
The Fictional Future David Foster Wallace
My Parade Alexander Chee
NYCHow To Be Popular Melissa Flashman
Into the Woods Emily Gould
The Disappointment Business Jim Rutman
People Wear Khakis Lorin Stein with Astri von Arbin Ahlander
Nine Lives Jynne Martin
Money (2006) Keith Gessen
The Teaching GameMoney (2014) Keith Gessen
Seduce the Whole World Carla Blumenkranz
Application Diana Wagman
Two Views On The Program EraThe Invisible Vocation Elif Batuman
Dirty Little Secret Fredric Jameson
The Great BeyondReality Publishing Darryl Lorenzo Wellington
A Partial List of the Books Ive Written Eli S. Evans