diVERSES reKINDLED: In Conversation With Ty Chapman

For the poet who doesn't find a home in traditional school, the academia route doesn't sound desirable or even possible.

In fact, the first MFA programs Ty Chapman applied to rejected him because he had never gotten a BA.

What Ty's story offers is hope built on persistence and conversations. A school that turned him down showed another option. But that's only one example. Ty was able to leverage his unique experiences into becoming the kind of student programs sought to welcome. He was already published, often on terms he dictated. He had experience with agents. He had experience in a variety of media.

The lesson here is not that an MFA is possible even if you are missing pre-requisites. The lesson is that what you offer no one else can offer; if you are willing to understand the gifts you have and put them forward, they can be seen.

The opportunities may be internal, like ability to work late nights or fresh ways to express language. The opportunities may be external, like living in a city with publishing institutions and an active poetry scene. Ty is quick to say he benefitted from both, but there are ways to make any circumstance work.

How much are you willing to put in for your poetry goals?

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Full conversation with poet Ty Chapman and poet Geoff Anderson: https://youtube.com/live/41RZhUt9BeE