My MFA program inaugurated a lunchtime reading series today. Afterwards, I told the director I wanted to sign up. Apparently I have to wait until the spring. I feel like I should have priority since I have to read in the spring anyways for the graduating students’ event, but whatever. I need to do this to prove something to myself.
I think it’s absolutely bizarre that in the past three years there has been no student reading series beyond the end-of-year graduating students’ reading. It’s good practice, allows fellow MFA-ers who are not in your specific workshops to hear your work, as well as profs, other students and generally interested parties to hear your work. It takes you out of the bubble.
The really weird thing is that I hate reading my work aloud. I’ll talk a blue streak in class but reading my work aloud, even in class, makes me stutter, makes my hands quiver, and often makes me nauseated or culminates in a prayer to the porcelain god.
It doesn’t matter what I’m reading, how much I love it, how much the audience loves or hates me–I can feel the muscles in my neck begin to spasm just thinking about it.
But damn, it’s a good motivator to get writing.
The Fifth Chakra 
jadepark said,
September 28, 2006 at 9:22 pm
I think it’s so good to get used to reading your work aloud–yay for your MFA program! And the only way to learn to read your work is to do it (horrifying for those that get jitters). I still get the jitters before I read in public, but thanks to all the “practice,” it’s not devastating. 🙂