Nguyễn Thủy Tiên
Photo by Jeff Irwin
The Creative Writing department welcomed Spring with an incredible night! On March 17th, the Spring Reading was held on the Barbara Ingram dance floor, where the room chimed with laughter and applause. With students entering the new semester, they left the audience awestruck by their fresh pieces of poetry and nonfiction.
A number of the performers were freshman Idiana McNeal, sophomore Reanya Jackson, junior Sophie Lucas, and senior Kidney Shilling.
Indiana McNeal’s “A Short History of Milk and Curiosity” had the room delighted and, too, curious by his lifelong interactions with milk. He shares his (sometimes unfortunate) experience of experimenting with milk in a way that seamlessly ties into his identity as a person and a writer. Reanya Jackson’s untitled poem, blossoming with fire imagery, did not only capture the relationship between two damaged individuals with a tragically beautiful downfall. Jackson’s poem was as human as words can be. She sets the scene with her in a burning house, one swarming with flames that seemingly hurt her, only to acknowledge that the house may not be the sole source of her pain — it could also be her.
“Love Bug” by Sophie Lucas had hearts fluttering. From her relationship with her father to her ever so gorgeous connection with love, this poem defines hopeless romantic. We follow Lucas through her life, strung by how she laces childhood fascination with bugs to her trial and error with crushes. Drawing to the end of the night, Kidney Shilling made a statement that writers are not confined to pen and paper, that writers can have stage presence. “Destined to Scream” had hearts weighing heavy as Shilling confronts their personal story of sexual assault. Their movements gave the poem a breath — a body in every grip in the air and every swipe of their fingers. Shilling is the epitome of taking back what’s yours.
If you missed this Reading, don’t worry! There are more to come! The senior Creative Writers have their first ever performance of their Neo-Futurist Plays (inspired by Greg Allen’s “Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind”) on April 27th. It will be held at the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts in the Atrium from 6:30PM to 8:00PM. Their Senior Reading is on May 26th, and the End-of-Year Reading is on June 2nd. Both of which are located on the Barbara Ingram dance floor and run from 6:30PM to 8:00PM.
Don’t forget to congratulate all of the wonderful performers!
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