what’s on offer

“What disturbs and depresses young people is the hunt for happiness on the firm assumption that it must be met with in life. From this arises constantly deluded hope and so also dissatisfaction. Deceptive images of a vague happiness hover before us in our dreams, and we search in vain for their original. Much would have been gained if, through timely advice and instruction, young people could have had eradicated from their minds the erroneous notion that the world has a great deal to offer them.”

The Awl newsletter, 11/19

Notre Dame

I received a call earlier this afternoon informing me that I have been accepted into Notre Dame’s MFA program!

Not really sure what to say, I’m still pretty much speechless and sure that at any moment they’re going to call back and say, ‘No, sorry, we meant to call the other Ryan Smith.”

It’s incredible that they’ve responded this early, but I was told that the selections committee all made identical initial picks, so that was pretty much that.

As sentimental as it may be, I do have to mention that today marks the anniversary of Jake’s death, which is a large reason that February is often a ‘bad month’ for me (the snow certainly doesn’t help). That the call came on today of all days means a great deal to me.