Three people other than Mom told me this week that they’re reading this blog and I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. I probably took for granted an audience during my reporting days but, believe me, I recognize just how valuable readers are.
That’s why I love the fact Stephens has an English/Creative Writing department. Not English and Creative Writing, not English with a side of creative writing, but English *slash* Creative Writing.
As Professor Judith Clark told me, the slash is intentional. The two are equal partners. Writers need readers. Readers need writers.
The English/Creative Writing program here is amazing. Our student literary journal, Harbinger, has won the Outstanding Literary Arts Journal Award from Sigma Tau Delta for three years in a row (the 2013 edition comes out next month—so excited!).
And our students from the English/Creative Writing department are going on to do amazing things. Take Emily Davis-Fletcher. She graduated with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Stephens in 2006 and went on to earn a Master’s in Women’s Studies from the National University of Ireland.
This month, she became a co-organizer of Cork Feminsta, which I had to look up, but apparently it’s an uber-awesome group working on behalf of women’s rights in Cork. Here’s the website, where you can read more about Emily and her fellow Feminista organizers.
As an English major with a women’s studies minor, I’m super excited for Emily and can’t wait to read more about her in the future.
At Truman, I could only get an emphasis in creative writing, which probably turned out for the best anyway, since I’m really not that creative. I actually do have a collection of poetry, but I had to pay six cents a page for it.
Thankfully I had journalism to fall back on but now I have zero imagination. If I want to write a poem about a tree, I literally have to see a tree and describe it.
Which brings me to my headline.
Yesterday really did have a man in it.
But that’s also the title of an actual poetry collection by another amazing alumna from our English/Creative Writing Department, Leslie Adrienne Miller. “Yesterday Had A Man In It” was her third book—because she’s obviously super creative and brilliant, she actually has six collections. Her latest, Y, was published this past fall.
Miller is like a poetry rock star, if there were such a thing—but as she told the MinnPost in Minneapolis, it’s better to keep poetry free of fame and fortune.
Unless you’re like me and would need a fortune to keep publishing poetry. Thankfully I have this blog—and, of course, you, if you’re still reading.
Thank you, Janese. I feel quite privileged to be mentioned as a notable Stephens College graduate alongside the marvelous Leslie Adrienne Miller. You can count me as number four as I will be reading your blog with great affection and admiration for all the teachers and staff who made Stephens a stellar place to learn.
If you are interested, I can send you a link to a poetry reading I did on the radio in Cork City, Ireland, where I live; maybe you can use it for future posts about the English/Creative Writing Dept.
Also, do you mind if I ask, what dark corner of the internet did you acquire that info about me? It’s all 100% true, but I am just curious.
Thank you!!
Sincerely,
Emily Davis-Fletcher
Hi Emily! Thank you so much for reading. Yes, I would love a link to your poetry reading. My email address is [email protected] .
So every morning, I do a quick Google search of all news and blogs seeking any mention of Stephens College. It’s amazing how many notable, newsworthy women out there are associated with Stephens (actually, you went here so you’re probably not amazed, but I’m still learning how awesome Stephens is!). So that’s how I found the post on Cork Feminista.
Thanks again for reading and I look forward to listening to your reading!
Janese