"There’s a general belief that writing is a solitary endeavor, that writers can only weave stories while locked away in their rooms, fueled by caffeine and mad ambition alone. I believe, to some extent, it’s true—but the people I’ve met while at Lesley’s Creative Writing MFA program take off the edge. During my first semester I’ve learned not only about my writing process, but about the support and encouragement a community of writers can provide. The time spent outside of my characters’ worlds is just as important as the time spent in them. My mentors have introduced me to the strange and wonderful lands, such as those of A.S. Byatt and Michael Swanwick, while my fellow writers in the program lured me away from my desk a few afternoons a month to replenish creative wells. Each of these experiences feed what I put on the page, and I’ve found my worlds richer because of it. The MFA has offered me the opportunity to live as a storyteller, and connect with other people who find stories as magical, as powerful and as important as I do. I hope to one day use what I have and will learn in this program to create new worlds that will delight and inspire, as my favorite authors have inspired me."
- Sara Clark