In a message dated 7/18/1998 1:19:53 PM Pacific Daylight Time, ccline@uclink4.berkeley.edu writes: << By the way, what do you Bananafish people think about creative writing classes? I took one for about two weeks at Berkeley. It was led by a distinguished writer, but I found the class to be a waste of time. I infinitely preferred a class that I'd taken a couple years back, which was led by a less acclaimed author. Maybe I was just less inhibited then. >> I am somewhat biased here. I actually have an English major with a concentration on Creative Writing. I am considering an MFA and, hopefully, teaching some courses. I have taken only one class. It was a Poetry workshop and I have to admit it was not all I had hoped for in something of that sort. My professor was the editor of a small literary magazine, "Wind", if you have heard of it, and she was a lovely woman, but... I don't know, the class didn't flame me or anything. I found there was very little comrardie among the students, and most of the assignments were quite unoriginal and not very thought-provoking. The expectations were low and the workload was light. I have been wishing to take a Fiction course with a great writer, Gurney Norman, but I can never seem to fit it into my schedule. So I am not quite sure the difference between taking a course with a very experienced writer, or say, well-known, then one that is not. I have difficulty with the whole idea of those classes. I suppose it is because I am not one too good with direction (Angie's official downfall). Maybe if I end up at Berekley for Grad School you can let me in on a few to take... Angie