the writer
Until my final quarter at the University of Minnesota, I was a journalism major. At the time that I was registering for classes, I thought that I had another quarter to go before I could graduate. Looking over at what prerequisites I had left, I realized that if I switched majors I could graduate that quarter. I graduated with a B.A. in Speech-Communications. Granted, to most people a journalism major looks more impressive than a speech/communications major, but I was young and I wanted out. I have no regrets.
After college, it took almost five years for me to pick up a book and read for pleasure, and ten years to actually sit down and write for the pure satisfaction of writing. Like so many writers, writing is not a choice, but a necessity. It just took me a while to realize that. Fortunately, the lapse was temporary.
Since then I have taken writing classes at The Loft and other writing programs, but the most helpful experiences are the two writing groups that I belong to: the minneapolis writers workshop, and the southside writers group. And of course — to keep writing.