I mean: everyone else is doing it. For those unfamiliar with the hubbub: Poets & Writers magazine released, once again, its poorly conceived rankings of MFA programs in creative writing. These have made everyone angry—everyone except P&W (which is without questions selling a shitload of issues with this) and Seth Abramson, the lawyer/poet/blogger behind these rankings. Hoostown’s got a good roundup of the issues.
Who else isn’t angry about the rankings? Me. I love them. Look here (PDF file). At the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year, the University of Alabama was ranked 18th among schools for its nonfiction track. Then I got a job there teaching nonfiction. Today (another PDF), the University of Alabama is ranked 14th among schools for its nonfiction track.
That’s 4 whole points in just one year of teaching/advising excellence.
What’s it show? I think I’m something of a juggernaut!