So I have news.
BIG NEWS.
As you all know, I haven’t been living at my college—I’ve been living at home. I have, however, been taking one course through long-distance methods. Correspondence work is not something my school allows very often, but then again, not too many people have as masterful a Puppy Face as I do, so they were helpless to resist my onslaught of pleading and watery eyes. (It didn’t hurt that my academic advisor just so happened to be the professor of the class I wanted to take and that I’m on her good side, either, but I’d like to think it was my skill that persuaded the administration so please, just let me have this!)
At any rate, my advisor fought for me, and I’ve been writing nonfiction essays for her all term. I send them in, she sends me her comments along with comments my peers in the actual, physical class have to say about my work—it’s great. I worked on a piece last weekend and sent it in yesterday in the late afternoon. She typically doesn’t get back to me for a few days, BUT—
But when I checked my email this morning… I found an email from her, sent last night around 10 PM. After saying that there were a few issues to work out insofar as syntax goes and that she’d like to see just a hint more of myself in the piece, she wrote something along the lines of this in closing:
“This work is very nearly publishable. The language is beautiful; the piece is stunningly well-written and the arc of the story is both clear and self-contained. The description is especially marvelous. I can picture this being published in several different nonfiction and essay journals. I’ll compile a list of the ones I believe would accept your piece; we’ll work through the few issues this piece has left to consider together and discuss your options. I would very much like to help you get this piece on the market!”
OMG WTF MY PROFESSOR THINKS I’M WORTH A FUSS!
I’m giddy right now. Positively giddy. GIDDY.
KYAHAAAAAAA!
Now, I know this isn’t anything definite yet. It’s an offer of help, not a guarantee that my piece will get published. But, but, but the fact that someone of authority thinks I have a chance—that someone of authority thinks I’m worth it—that someone of authority wants to help me because they believe in the integrity of my work—
Oh my god, guys. Oh. My god.
This is my first step on the road toward realizing my dream.
