By Lily Papendick
On Tuesday, April 1, the Creative Writing Department presented the second senior reading of the semester in the Lore Degenstein Gallery.
The event honored five graduating creative writing students, providing them with a welcoming space to share various pieces they have created throughout their time in the program.
The gallery buzzed with excitement as family, friends and professors alike gathered to support the seniors. The event kicked off at 7 p.m. with welcoming remarks from Professor Monica Prince, followed by Professors Catherine Dent and Silas Zobal taking turns introducing each student.
The first reading of the night was performed by Celia Lansing, whose non-fiction was described as “vivid and lyrical” by Professor Glen Retief. A dual major in creative writing and publishing & editing with a minor in environmental studies, Lansing began the night with an excerpt from her memoir being published later this year. The selected excerpt focused on Lansing’s past struggles with delusional parasitosis, using detailed descriptions to center around a moment where the bugs in Lansing’s life became real—and how terrifying that was to experience. Although a more serious piece, there were still humorous tidbits sprinkled throughout that sparked laughter in the audience.
Her second piece, a flash fiction story titled “Silly String as Substitute,” dealt with the narrator’s failed relationship and their subsequent chosen method of coping, emphasizing how difficult it can be to move on from someone valuable to you. Her advice for future writers: “Don’t be afraid to experiment with the things you don’t believe you can write yet.”
Abigail Hooftallen, a dual major in creative writing and communication arts, continued the night with readings from all three genres. Her poem, “I claim to be an atheist, but I know that God is real,” was especially powerful, with the narrator describing all the various ways in which they find God in ordinary occurrences, such as in the “dinosaur lunch box of a third grader,” or in the “brief passing scent” of their grandmother who passed away. Hooftallen suggested to “stop comparing yourself to the other writers around you…they can’t take away from your own skill set.”
The third reading of the night came from Blandin Conklin, who Professor Karla Kelsey described as an “exceptional writer of the environment.” A creative writing major with a minor in earth and environmental sciences, Conklin read five poems from his senior chapbook, each full of pop culture references and comical moments that evoked many laughs from the audience, such as in his first poem “Weenie.” The repetitive nature of his poems helped to emphasize their underlying messages, and Conklin’s delivery brought each poem to life, reminding the audience just how significant performance poetry can be. His advice: “Don’t hesitate to confront the uncomfortable…beyond it lies the keystone to discovering your creative potential.”
Gabby Feliciano furthered the night’s theme of powerful self-expression with her evocative performance poetry, asking the audience “when does decency become audacity?” and leaving them completely transfixed. Professor Monica Prince described Feliciano, a creative writing major with a film studies minor, as having taken to poetry the way a match takes to an oil rig–explosive. Feliciano concluded her reading with her non-fiction piece “Days Before Departure,” which discussed the narrator’s preparation and inner thoughts before studying abroad and dealt with the complicated themes of family dynamics and new beginnings as the narrator struggles to feel excited while feeling guilty for leaving others behind. Feliciano’s advice for future writers left the audience laughing, as she recommended to “write with blood, sweat, and tears, and any other bodily fluids you can muster.”
Avery Atkins, a dual major in creative writing and advertising & public relations, performed the final reading of the night, continuing the thread of studying abroad with excerpts from her non-fiction piece “Postcards from 20,” centering around her time spent learning in Liverpool. From one of her first notions that a week in England had already made her forget the sun, to her conjecture that she “[doesn’t] think [she’d] ever feel done here,” at the conclusion of her trip, Atkins’ characterization paired with her vivid descriptions of scene enabled the audience to feel as though they were in Europe themselves. Atkins said, “Focus on yourself, your own writing, and your strengths. It’s important to learn how to write like you.”
The night concluded with the announcement of this year’s winner of the Finke Senior Portfolio Prize, delivered by Gary Finke himself, who founded the Writer’s Institute over thirty years ago. Congratulations to recipient Grey Weatherford Brown!
The final senior reading of the semester will take place on April 7th in the Lore Degenstein Gallery.