"The Art of the Author Interview project has given me another practical way to earn a living as a writer in conjunction with editing, writing, and teaching."

Program Requirements

Over a two-year, four-semester period, students will take 12 credits per semester, as outlined in each semester's study plan contract, and will attend a ten-day residency at the beginning of each of four six-month semesters. Following the fourth semester, graduating students will spend three days at a final residency to conclude the program. Grades for each semester will be pass/fail, accompanied by a narrative evaluation by the faculty mentor. As a final requirement for graduation, students will present a craft lecture/seminar and give a reading from their work.

Interdisciplinary

Lesley’s interdisciplinary approach constitutes a three-fold recognition:  that the borders between artistic genres have become ever more porous; that contemporary writers must be alert to new models of career preparation; and, perhaps most importantly, that along with avid reading and writing, there are always other passions that feed a writer’s imagination. In consultation with the Program Director and Assistant Director, students design individual, 3-credit interdisciplinary projects for the first three of their four distance-learning semesters.  The options for these projects are multiple—in some cases, students take Lesley or AIB courses; others develop independent studies or work as publishing interns, teachers, or teaching assistants.  The central purpose of the interdisciplinary project, however, is simple and singular:  it should feed the student’s creative writing. Interdisciplinary Studies undertaken by students include:

• Courses at Lesley: EEDUC 6001 The Teaching of Writing K-12, ASOCS 5014 Images of Hispanic Women, EEDUC 5104 Literature for Children and Young Adults, GEXTH 5046 The Uses of Writing as a Therapeutic Modality
• Independent Studies(registered under "Interdisciplinary Studies," above): The Art of the Author Interview, Children's Book Illustration, Early American Woodcuts, Fundamentals of Drawing, Meditation and Creativity, Painting, Intensive Studies of Caribbean Culture in Jamaica and Web Site Design
• Paid or unpaid internships or assistantships in editing, publishing, and teaching at Beacon Press, David R. Godine, (Publisher), Harvard Extension School, The Harvard Review, The Horn Book, and Lesley University's Academic Resource Center

Many other projects are possible and may be explored through conversations with the Program Director and Assistant Director.  Some of our students’ interdisciplinary projects have led to full-time publishing jobs, paid teaching assistantships, and publication in such journals as The AWP Writer’s Chronicle and The Harvard Review.