Opening & Closing as a Writer
MFA writing communities tend to adopt unofficial mottos that reflect the ethos of their programs. These sayings often crystallize what it means to be a serious writer, and their special power hinges on the fact that they circulate organically, as codas to welcome addresses or reference points in workshops — or punchlines to stories told in the cafeteria. They’re not featured in the college’s brochure or website but instead weave themselves into the community of faculty and students. Like incantations or secret handshakes, they leave their indelible mark through repetition, laughter, and the mystery of interpretation.
When I attended Bennington Writing Seminars in the aughts, then program director Liam Rector would play a clip from David Mamet’s 1992 film Glengarry Glen Ross at the start of every residency. Then he’d end the assembly with his deadpan delivery of the film’s classic line: “Always be closing.” At Goddard College’s MFA in Creative Writing Program, where I taught fiction and nonfiction, our program director Paul Selig conferred on us his (non-exclusive!) mantra: “Trust the process.” Since I spent a combined total of two decades at Bennington and Goddard, these two phrases are deeply embedded in my writing life.
