Asked to teach concreteness in writing, many candidates employed clichéd food props. We spent a day smelling lemons and onions and watching the "teacher" make peanut-butter sandwiches based on our directions. One woman accidentally wiped her face after slicing an onion, so timely tears rolled during her ensuing lecture on "feeling what you write."

Some candidates arrive in pilled, frowsy sweaters and untied sneakers so we will know that they're true intellectuals. Others wear low-cut, tight dresses to keep our attention away from their presentations. One hollow-cheeked fellow wore a dark raincoat like a flasher during his entire interview. I confess I felt deflated when the climax never happened.

# posted by Gerry Canavan @ 9:40 AM  |