Back To School (Next Year)

Gearing Up + Getting All My Duckies In A Row

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LOS ANGELES

After weeks of doodling and noodling by myself, followed by weeks of cussing and discussing with my dears and nears, I’ve narrowed my search for graduate programs down to two.

Two schools. Two programs. Both local. Both in-person.

I know which one I really want to go to. But a backup plan is probably a good idea.

I started this process with a simple list of questions:

• What do I want to study?

• Where do I want to go?

• How much can I realistically afford?

• Do I want an online program or an in-person one?

• What kind of schedule can I manage?

• How long will it take?

After researching, comparing, second-guessing, and generally making myself crazy, I’ve managed to whittle it down to my top two contenders. Now comes the fun part: getting all my duckies in a row before I apply.

Applications for Fall 2027 admission open in early October. That may sound like I have plenty of time. But I’ve also discovered that “plenty of time” is not nearly as much time as I originally thought.

There are applications to complete, transcripts to request, requirements to fulfill, essays to write, recommendations to wrangle, deadlines to keep track of, and probably lots of other things I haven’t even thought of yet.

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LONG BEACH

So while I’m not planning to go back to school until this time next year, the process has officially begun. And I’m more than a little excited (and nervous) about it.

There’s something satisfying about having a direction, even when the destination is still a little ways down the road.

I’ve spent a lot of time over the past few years daydreaming about what I want the next chapter of my life to look like. Earning a Master of Social Work is the first real step toward making that vision a reality.

Fall 2027 will be here before I know it. Time to get busy, y’all!

Keep calm and carry on…
Clint 🌈✌️

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NEW + NOW PLAYING

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FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION = WRITING CLASSES

Two of my favorite people are conducting writing classes, and I wish I could be part of both of them. Unfortunately, time and money are in short supply, so I share them in hopes that some of you might be interested, available, and able to join:

• THE ULTIMATE STORY MACHINE
  ”From first spark to a fully developed world, characters, and synopsis”
  Instructor: Raphaël Dirani
  Wednesdays, 7:00–9:00 PM Pacific
  August 26–September 30, Six Weeks
  Location: In-Person + Virtual

• OUR STORIES, OUR TERMS
  ”A personal essay workshop for emerging queer writers and LGBTQ+ allies”
  Instructor: Jerry Portwood
  Tuesdays, 7:00–9:00 PM Eastern
  September 15–October 20, Six Weeks
  Location: Virtual Only

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

NSFW MONTAGES = On Substack
SFW MONTAGES = On YouTube

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BORN THIS WAY + ON THIS DAY

• 08-19 = Coco Chanel (1883-1971) = French fashion designer 🌈

• 08-19 = Jeanna Bauck (1840-1926) = Swedish-German painter 🌈

• 08-19 = Jim Kepner (1923-1997) = American writer, historian, and archivist 🌈

• 08-19 = Malcolm Forbes (1919-1990) = American magazine publisher 🌈

• 08-19 = Mark Thompson (1952-2016) = American journalist and author 🌈

• 08-19 = Renée Richards (1934- ) = American doctor and tennis player 🌈

• 1839 = The French government announces that Louis Daguerre‘s photographic process is a gift “free to the world”.

• 1848 = The New York Herald breaks the news to the East Coast of the United States about the California Gold Rush. Although it started in January.

• 2014 = The Smithsonian begins collecting major LGBTQ+ artifacts.

• World Humanitarian Day

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MAN CRUSH OF THE DAY

JOHN STAMOS

“I mean you pull the curtain away, and you see I'm just as insecure and neurotic and scared and vulnerable as anybody, you know.”
John Stamos