After the MFA

A New York Times article may quell my fears about some potential media frenzy about the dangers of creative writing: Anger of Killer Was on Exhibit in His Writings - New York Times.

An English professor at VA Tech, Lisa Norris, puts it effectively:

“It is not necessarily the work alone that raises concern, but the work plus the student’s affect and behavior.”

And the article shows that the teachers and students all did the correct thing. They saw Cho’s behavior and his writing and either tried to reach out to him or voiced their concerns to others. If there’s any eventual finger pointing or hunting of witches after this tragedy, it shouldn’t be aimed at the workshop.