A few days ago, James Franco set the literary world on fire! Not really, he just published a short story in Esquire Magazine. It’s a piece called “Just Before the Black” and it’s about some dudes named Joe and Fatass and Michael, and okay, I only skimmed it, I didn’t read it. If you’d like to read it, Esquire has the whole piece online. Anyway, I didn’t think Franco’s short story was that noteworthy because he seems to take writing very seriously, and getting a short story published must have been nice, although not that noteworthy. He’s also rumored to have a book deal, for what it’s worth. Anyway, Franco is currently completing an MFA (Masters of Fine Arts) program at Columbia – in between the soap opera gigs and Saturday Night Live cameos. And now I’ve just learned that Franco plans on continuing his higher education beyond his Masters – The Yale Herald is pretty sure that Franco is coming to Yale for his PhD!

The Bullblog has learned from two very reputable sources within the English department that James Franco, star of Milk, Pineapple Express and the Spider-Man movies, is coming to Yale for PhD in English after getting his MFA at Columbia. Our sources tell us he’ll be here starting in September, though lucky Yalies may see him around campus in the coming weeks for admitted students events. Franco was on campus earlier this academic year for a Berkeley College Master’s Tea, causing a huge commotion among the ladies, the gays and the soap-opera fans. Something tells me he won’t be on campus all that much, but if he does decide to do the typical grad student thing, GPSCY is bound to get a lot more popular.

Reached by phone, neither the English department nor the Graduate Admissions office could give comment. Dorie Baker from the Office of Public Affairs said in an e-mail, “I honestly never heard such a thing but if I had professional confidentiality would prevent me from telling you anyway.”

UPDATE: CrossCampus got Franco’s manager, Miles Levy, to go on the record about his attendance at Yale. Levy wouldn’t commit to Franco coming, but said Yale is his first choice.

[From The Yale Herald]

I think this is incredibly cool. While so many (too many) actors seem to disregard higher education, it’s really neat to see a young star who takes his education seriously. Granted, Franco doesn’t take this stuff seriously enough to stay awake for every class – but neither did I when I got my B.A.

So, in a few years will we be calling him Dr. Franco? That sounds good, doesn’t it?