UCLA Writers Extension Courses

They have these Writer's Classes at UCLA that several of my friends and others have taken. I did try it a couple of times, but for the life of me I can't recall the first time. So much for lasting impressions, The second time was with this lady, who I really don't recall either, but we were supposed to be reading Jean Rhys and writing for critique. These were the days when it seemed a lot of people were reading skinny little books and talking profoundly about them. "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" was out at about this time.

I have nothing against Jean Rhys. But I was left with a feeling of lightness myself. I couldn't see how her writing benefited me and the lady who was teaching the class wasn't particularly well versed in the craft herself. I decided to drop out and (the reason I remember it at all) was that the teacher begged me to stay and promised me an A if I finished the next 3 or 4 weeks. It was all very flattering. 

You know, the other part of the writing education that I don't think I've addressed, is the writing itself. One does have to write to be a writer. By the 80s, I had written three books and a pile of short stories and a pile of poetry- all of which, perhaps weren't very good. but you do need to sit down and write.