By Lily Papendick, Assistant Editor of Arts & Entertainment
The Creative Writing Department kicked off the first of its highly anticipated senior readings this semester on Mar. 24 in the Lore Degenstein Gallery.
This event featured seven graduating creative writing students, providing each of them with the opportunity to share some of the work they have produced over the time they’ve spent in the program. Seven students also meant the gallery was filled nearly to the brim, with friends, family, and other students there to show their support.
Professor Monica Prince began the evening with her usual acknowledgements towards the countless individuals that make each senior reading possible, especially the arts and gallery interns, before handing the evening over to Professors Glen Retief and Sean Ironman, who both specialize in creative non-fiction.
Nic Hannaford, a Creative Writing major with a minor in Psychology, started off the readings on a high note. Described by Dr. Karla Kelsey as “stunningly imaginative,” Hannaford’s most notable piece of the evening was a short story titled “When the World Ended,” which was written in a journal entry format. Toying with ideas about Frankenstein’s monster and a painful virus that deteriorates the human body “from the inside out,” each of Hannaford’s words hung in the air, especially with questions like “Can one be called crazy when the world is already beyond abnormal?” Hannaford advised young writers not to give up, and your stories are worth telling.
The second reading came from Kathryn Douglas, a double major in Creative Writing and Publishing & Editing with a minor in Women and Gender Studies. “Insightful, dedicated, and imaginative,” as told by Dr. Zobal, Douglas spread comedic relief throughout the audience with her pieces, especially an excerpt from her short story “Bitchin’ Kitchen,” which mimicked the hilarity of absurdist plays in the creation of a scenario where Satan hosted a cooking show in hell.
The night continued with Creative Writing and Publishing & Editing double major Avery Farrell. A writer who possesses “vivid physicality” as described by Dr. Dent, Farrell read excerpts from two short stories. Though each story varied greatly in its subject matter, with one centering on a wife finding out her husband is having an affair through a phone call and the other painting a scene of a teenage girl rummaging through her grandmother’s belongings and finding out a secret, both stories were incredibly visceral with their imagery, and Farrell’s expressivity kept the audience engaged the entire time. Her advice: never stop creating.
The fourth reading came from Tyler Turner, a former Computer Science major turned Creative Writing major with a minor in Publishing & Editing, a switch that elicited many positive reactions from the audience. Turner read “What Comes After”, a flash-fiction piece he wrote three years ago recounting a teenage boy’s memories about baseball and the people he played with. Turner advised young writers not to compare themselves to others.
Sydnie Howard performed the fifth reading of the night. A Creative Writing major with minors in English and Women and Gender Studies, Howard read two poems and her memorable essay “August is Over,” which won the Erik Kirkland Memorial Prize in the 2025 issue of Essay magazine. A combination of lyrical poetry and creative non-fiction, the essay dealt with conflicting emotions and bittersweet nostalgia as the narrator turned 20 and reflected on her new life as an adult. Howard’s advice: never forget that your peers are your greatest allies.
Ella Baker, a Creative Writing and Publishing & Editing double major with a minor in Religious Studies, was the sixth reader of the night, and also the recipient of the annual Gary and Elizabeth Fincke Portfolio Prize. Baker read aloud from both fiction and non-fiction pieces, using the second-person perspective to her advantage. With such fluid descriptions of physical movement and concrete details about place and setting, Baker hooked the audience from the moment she took to the podium. Baker also read most of her pieces without reading directly off her papers, a reflection of her performance experience as the President of Shakespeare Club.
The final reading of the night came from Lorraine Durbin, a Creative Writing major whose writing Dr. Ironman described as “oxygenating.” Durbin is currently working on a novel featuring stories from 11 childhood actors, a passion project of hers. Durbin’s reading was perhaps the most eventful of the night, with her concluding piece being an excerpt from her choreopoem about the struggles siblings Bethany and Jessie face in the foster system, sharing the podium with student Tyler Strange as they read each characters’ lines aloud.
In case you missed this event, check out the remaining senior readings of the semester in the Lore Degenstein Gallery and support the graduating creative writing students as they embark on this next aspect of their journey.