ARCHIVE FOR Octavia Randolph

The MacDowell Colony says “Yes”

I’ve been deeply involved in an ambitious project these past three years – writing a novel about eminent Victorian John Ruskin. I couldn’t have undertaken such a venture without encouragement – that feeling of “Yes, someone else really does care about this idea.” In my case it was a the editor of a respected literary magazine who published a short story of mine – my huge first Yes – and at the same time encouraged me in my notion to write this novel.

The work is demanding and research-heavy, and I have found that my most productive periods of writing took place ...