In a rare burst of real news, let me share with you here that while I was selected as a finalist in the 2008–2009 Loft Mentor Series competition, I was not ultimately chosen as one of the twelve lucky winners. I suppose I could change my cards to read “Nearly Emerging Writer” but that seems unlikely to set a helpful tone.
I was surprised at how piercingly disappointed I was after I got the polite email from the program director, wishing me better luck next year. I had thought I was maintaining a very upbeat, take-it-or-leave-it view of the outcome: it would be very nice, a tremendous opportunity, but my perseverance as a writer would hardly depend on it. Indeed, the fact of my having been among the finalists was — and remains — a tremendous boost to my writerly confidence. So now I keep writing, honing, practicing my craft, and push my pen forward toward the future unseen.
