Charles Baxter is the author of five novels and five books of stories, most recently Gryphon: New and Selected Stories. He is also the author of two books of literary criticism. He lives in Minneapolis and teaches at the University of Minnesota.
This year I have read hundreds of applications to the University of Minnesota graduate MFA program. I read applications every year around the time that the Christmas tree gets hauled out to the sidewalk and New Year’s Eve threatens to…