I know that these are VERY competitive, and I'm planning my summer as if I weren't accepted, the same thing I did when I was applying for Fulbrights. :)

The Clarion workshop does say on its prefatory pages that you shouldn't bother if you are a novelist, because of its short story orientation, and I took them at their word.

That said, I've heard excellent things about it. ecmyers also recommends it highly, and I'd love to make those connections. I doubt that my job would feel good about letting me go for six weeks to either Clarion or Odyssey, were I to be accepted, at least at this point. But I shall ponder and see what I do.

Thank you for the excellent advice.

Catherine