“The effects of MFA programs, and the rise of creative writing instruction more generally, are far more diffuse than people think. Even if you're a writer who has avoided institutions your whole life, you're still going to be reading a lot of writers who have MFAs, and are affiliated with universities.” PeopleIfsThinkingWritingStillsWholeReadingCreativeEffectsProgramInstitutionsUniversityWhole LifeInstructionCreative WritingAvoided Author:Chad Harbach
“If you're part of any kind of writerly community, some of those people will have gone through MFA programs, and their thinking leaks into yours. So whatever changes MFAs have made to the culture, it's to the culture as a whole. It can't be pinned down to individual books in a way that some people would like to do.” PeopleIfsThinkingWayKindMadeBookWholeCultureIndividualCommunityGoneProgramLeaks Author:Chad Harbach
“You don't have to even see the common man anymore if you don't want to! Only through the telescope on your yacht.” IfsMenWantCommonTelescopesCommon ManYacht Author:Chad Harbach
“Heat radiated off Henry's face. Salty snot ran down his upper lip. A majestic fart propelled him to the top of Section 12, just at the springing of the stadium's curve. He slapped the sign as if high-fiving a teammate. It gave back a game shudder. He was crusing now, darkness be damned, stripping off his sweatshirt and his long underwear top without breaking stride.” IfsLongRunningFacesGamesDarknessLipsRanHeatSectionsCurvesTeammateUnderwearStadiumsStrideFartMajesticStrippingSaltySweatshirts Author:Chad Harbach
“But baseball was different... You stood and waited and tried to still your mind. When your moment came, you had to be ready, because if you f****d up, everyone would know whose fault it was. What other sport not only kept a stat as cruel as the error, but posted it on the scoreboard for everyone to see? ... You could only try so hard not to try too hard before you were right back around to trying too hard. And trying hard, as everyone told him, was wrong, all wrong.” IfsKnowsTryingMindStillsDifferentHardMomentsSportsReadyBaseballErrorsFaultsYour MomTrying HardTrying Too HardScoreboard Author:Chad Harbach
“It was strange the way he loved her; a side long and almost casual love, as if loving her were simply a matter of course, too natural to mention.” IfsWayLoveLongMatterCoursesSidesNaturalStrangeCasual Author:Chad Harbach
