A student again...

Today, a good friend, B.J. Bales, and I became students at the University of Iowa. While we're not technically enrolled here, we're both taking a creative writing class taught by a student of the Iowa Writer's Workshop, Hilary Rand.

It was the last day of classes and I just filled out my application to take non-degree graduate courses on Saturday morning. Three visits to two offices, with two advisor signatures, and I'm in. We'll be meeting every Tuesday night from 7 to 9:30 p.m. So, after writing at the paper all day, I'll drive with B.J. to the U of I campus for our one class.

Getting permission from Rand, she even told me over the phone the class would be rudimentary for me. And that's fine. It'll be good to be in a classroom again. However, unlike my days at WSU, I'll be paying attention to fiction and poetry. We've already been to the Dey House, home of the Writer's Workshop, viewed as the best creative writing program in the country.

I applied last year. I got my rejection letter in March. Hopefully with this class this semester and possibly another in the spring semester and I'll be better prepared. Because if all else fails, it'll be a good chance to—and excuse this cliche—sharpen my pencil.

It'll get me writing, which is kind of the point. Okay, well, it's totally the point. Hopefully I'll have some interesting assignments to post when it's time. Until then, I'm waiting around with B.J. in some coffee shop as the instructor leaves our information for us at the Dey House.

We've already missed the first class last week. Now, we've got to get the first assignment done in 24 hours. Not a big deal when you only have one class.

Then again, I've got a short story I'm finishing, a novel I'm supposed to be working on, volunteering, a full-time job, a girlfriend and skating. It'll all get done. I'm sure of it.