by Rachel King

The Council of Writers, the WVU MFA graduate student organization, has had, perhaps, the most fun and productive year to date.

In July, the COW officers snail-mailed Welcome Packets to the incoming MFAs. These manilla envelopes contained maps of Morgantown, brochures on what to do in West Virginia, and fancy booklets, crafted by Justin Crawford and Matt London, which highlighted second- and third-years’ loves and quirks. We officially met these new MFAists at the August Meet-and-Greet potluck on Rebecca Thomas’s back porch, where we drank beer, talked writing, and watched swooping bats. The morning before the Meet-and-Greet, on Rebecca Thomas’s front porch, COW participated in South Park’s annual yard sale. In September, COW socialized again, this time in the interior of Rebecca Thomas’s house, at an informal reading. All three events were well attended.

In October, we held our annual fall reading at ZenClay. Because it was Halloween weekend, costumes were encouraged. Our featured readers, Kelly Sundberg, Justin Anderson, and Matt London, instructed and entertained with pieces about shit, garage sales, and banks (respectively). When, as the emcee, I revealed a humorous side, Mark Brazaitis seemed relieved I could write about something besides rain and depression. Also in October, COW joined with EGO, the English Graduate Organization, for the department’s annual Book Sale/Bake Sale. A few weeks later, on one of the coldest days of this mild winter, we held another bake sale outside of the Mountainlair. These two fundraisers, as well as the Student Government Association grant money, are allowing us to bring TWO poets to campus this year: Zachary Schomburg and Matthew Zapruder.

A holiday party took place in December at Jeremiah Shelor’s apartment. I was unable to attend, but I heard many scarves and candles were exchanged.

COW’s annual “spring”reading took place in mid-February at Arts Monongahela on one of this winter’s few snowy evenings. Lisa Beans, Elissa Hoffman, and I, the featured readers, enlightened the audience on the intersection between beauty and pain, the hazards of family gambling outings, and the mind of a psychotic teenage boy (respectively); Rebecca Thomas brought down the house as the emcee; MFAists baked a delicious array of Valentine’s sweets; and a box of red wine mysteriously disappeared. The Arts Monongahela board member, who planned to unlock the venue and skedaddle, was so impressed by our quality of writing that he stayed the whole evening.

In late-February, a handful of MFAists travelled to Chicago for AWP. Rebecca Thomas and Connie Pan planned and manned the first-ever WVU MFA table. They gave out free candy, free brochures, and free lectures on the history of West Virginia. They returned brimming with ideas for a WVU MFA literary journal, which they intend to get off the ground next year.

In early March, the poet Zachary Schomburg, en-route from West to East Coast, stopped in Morgantown and performed at 123 Pleasant Street, amid much beer and darkness, an excellent introduction by Matt London, and a beautiful opening act by the poet Rebecca Farivar. More people attended this reading than most concerts at 123. Perhaps 123 should drop all bands and only feature poets. Matthew Zapruder, our second visiting poet, will read on Tuesday, April 3rd in the Robinson Reading room of the Wise library. Lisa Beans will introduce him. At the April COW meeting, we plan to elect new COW officers, and a month later we’ll celebrate the third-years’ graduation at a Cinco de Mayo party/informal reading.

Thank you to everyone in COW, especially the other COW officers—Lisa Beans (vice-president), Connie Pan (secretary), Rebecca Thomas (treasurer), Mattin Crawfdon, aka Matt London and Justin Crawford, (publicity)—and all of the MFAists who, all four times I commanded “bake!”, actually baked. I am leaving COW in such obviously capable hands that I predict next year will be even more fun and productive than this one.