July 20, 2009

Nailing the Importance of Writing Programs

To the Editor:

Thanks to Jennifer Howard for her article on creative-writing-program cheerleader Mark McGurl ("An Era of Détente for Creative-Writing Programs," The Chronicle Review, online edition, June 29).

I was particularly intrigued by Professor McGurl's assertion that he is "the only person who's come out and said that this is the most unusual feature of postwar literary history" (i.e., the rise of creative-writing programs).

Evidently he missed my