By Megan Shaffer, Contributing writer
Susquehanna alumna Melissa Goodrich read in conjunction with the launch of the 2018 edition of “RiverCraft,” titled “Where the Earth Felt Warmer,” on April 16.
Goodrich read three short stories from her collection, “Of Daughters and Monsters,” which were “The Girl Who Turns to Rabbits,” “She Wants She Gets” and “Sapphires.”
These stories included themes dealing with anxiety, love and depression. Goodrich also used literalizing metaphors in her work.
“I like to take a thought or a feeling and make it as concrete as possible in my fiction,” Goodrich said.
“Like, how hard is it to fall in love when sometimes you wake up as a mop or a dove or a crumpled ball of paper,” Goodrich explained. “The answer is: really hard.”
First-year Vicki DiMartino, who attended the event, noted Goodrich’s innovation in her stories.
“Her work was beautiful and she took the ordinary things, like rabbits and Cinderella and made them into entirely new stories that were unexpected,” DiMartino said.
At the end of the event, Goodrich announced the finalists of each award involved in the magazine and presented the Juliet Gibson Memorial Award for Outstanding Student Writer.
The recipient was senior Nikki Einsig for their fiction piece “Shelled Out.”
At the event, Goodrich called Einsig’s work “grounded and mesmerizing.”
The prose finalist was senior Victoria Chatley for her piece “Constellations.”
“The prose was spellbinding,” Goodrich said. “These sentences haunt me in the best way.”
The poetry finalist was junior Shannon Grasser for her piece “Butterface in South Cali.”
“[Grasser’s piece] was a demand to be listened to, so I listened,” Goodrich said.
Prior to the launch, Goodrich held an Q&A where she talked about her time at Susquehanna and her life after graduating from both Susquehanna and Arizona where she got her master’s degree.
“The [master’s degree] actually didn’t make it easier to write in my real life,” Goodrich said. “I didn’t write my first year of being a real adult.”
Goodrich only had one idea of what she wanted to do when she was older, which was writing, despite it being something that often is not seen as a realistic career goal.
“I really want to be happy and I really want to be a writer,” Goodrich said. “And whatever can support that I want into my life and whatever doesn’t support that I don’t want in my life.”
At Susquehanna, Goodrich said she gained a lot of information during her senior year, especially working closely with associate professor of creative writing Karla Kelsey.
“I just kind of sat in on the workshop classes because I just wanted to be there,” Goodrich said. “It was really creative writing heavy and the previous years it was like I had one workshop and had other course works that distracted me.”
Goodrich also put a lot of emphasis on working collaboratively with other authors.
“I can only think of pros [when working with others], especially when you’re writing,” Goodrich said.
“When you’re writing alone and hit a wall you stop, but when collaborating and you hit a wall, you pass it to your partner until they hit a wall and go back and forth,” Goodrich added. “It’s really fun.”
Some students featured in “RiverCraft” read, including Chatley, seniors Jessica Ram, Melissa Ballow and Valeri Lohrman, juniors Alison Cerri, Jared Ijams, PJ Lombardo and Aiyona Hayman, sophomore Steven McKnight and firstyear Amy Jarvis.
“RiverCraft” is a studentrun literary magazine that started in 1964 and underwent many different titles. The magazine includes photography, fiction and poetry and encourages and promotes the craft of creative writing of all Susquehanna students.
Goodrich’s visit was the last reading of this year’s Seavey Reading Series, which this year hosted Joseph Scapellato, Claire Vaye Watkins, Derek Palacio, Ishion Hutchinson, Karla Kelsey, Silas Zobal, Jennifer Weis, Aminatta Forna, Gary Fincke and Sayed Kashua.
Students also added that the readings are beneficial for creative writing students.
“I love the reading events here at [Susquehanna] because I get exposed to new writers,” DiMartino said.
“A lot of the readings have Q&As before and it allows me, as a creative writing major, to not only hear the work of the visiting writers, but to get the chance to ask them about their craft and improve my own,” DiMartino added.
Goodrich graduated from Susquehanna in 2011 and proceeded to get her master’s degree from the University of Arizona. In addition to “Of Daughters and Monsters,” Goodrich is also the author of the chapbook “IF YOU WANT.”