The Hermit Poet

Ok, it’s about time to make this official:

I’m headed to USC this fall to pursue a PhD in English Literature & Creative Writing.

As you can imagine, I’m very excited. USC was my top choice and a bit of a long shot to be honest — I barely got my admission materials in on time. Given the highly competitive nature of the program and the sheer number of applications they receive, I wasn’t certain how I’d fare. Evidently something clicked with them.

As an international student, financing my education is always a big factor. Thankfully this won’t be a concern. They have also generously offered me assistance through a teaching fellowship, so I’ll be teaching one class a semester. I’m thrilled to be returning to California, and especially excited about working with the faculty and students in the program.

I was also accepted to the PhD programs at the University of North Texas and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln — both excellent programs. UNT was very supportive and I strongly considered their very tempting offer — in the end though, USC just seems like a better fit for my creative and research projects. I’m also quite interested in studying with David St. John, Carol Muske-Dukes, and Daniel Tiffany — all of whom have struck me as being excellent people to help me expand and deepen my understanding of poetry.

I’ll be heading down to Los Angeles this Thursday to spend 2 weeks looking into housing and apartments, attending USC’s recruitment activities, and hanging out with friends. I think it’ll be a good trip — one full of good memories and new experiences.

In other news — my father has returned to the hospital in Penticton and will remain there for the next little while. I will spend a weekend with him when I return to give him a full report of my trip.