"While a student at AULA, I traveled from San Francisco to the residencies. At first, I stayed with friends, but eventually I learned that one of the most rewarding parts of the residencies was staying at the hotels and hanging out with students and faculty. In fact, towards the end of my time there, even local students started to stay at the hotels so they could get to know the community better and talk writing and literature into the wee hours... The best part about this MFA program is really its community. I graduated several years ago, and I still...email with all the people I graduated with."