"I resisted taking poetry classes because the idea of living off creativity was daunting," fourth-year College student Abigail Lee said.
This is an issue many college students face when looking to branch out at their universities. University English Prof. Lisa Spaar informally began the Undergraduate Reading Series in 1993 to try to solve this problem. The program, now in its 17th year, meets monthly in Jefferson Hall, offering writers an outlet to create their own work, rather than just analyzing the work of others. In this way, URS separates itself from the University's English department, providing a forum for creative writing without bringing it into the academic realm.
"My favorite thing about this program is that it features students, and I'm always impressed by their aesthetic range, the diversity and courage of students and their talents," Spaar said.
She added that writers "learn something new about their work when they read it aloud ... and so in many ways the series is part of the education of our emerging poets and fiction writers."
Program coordinators Jesse Saldana and Allison Geller, both fourth-year College students, are responsible for selecting students to participate in the program. They draw students primarily from the University writing community and through recommendations from the Creative Writing faculty. They then select two poetry presenters and two short fiction readers for each monthly session. Often students write during class, but many presenters create work in their own time.
This month's meeting featured readings from fourth-year College students Lee, Tatiana Matthews, Anna Caritj and fourth-year Architecture student Ben Meguira.
For Lee, the writing community's support brings her back again and again to Jefferson Hall to share her work.
"I love the atmosphere," Lee said. "I love how open everyone is with their work."
Matthews, who presented her creative non-fiction piece "The Foxfield Races are Decadent and Deprived," said she worked with the energy shown by her audience to fuel her own reading.
"Reading aloud is fun, especially a piece that will invoke a specific emotion," she said. "The audience's reactions are different with every piece, but reading aloud becomes a kind of performance."
The program has expanded to include Poets Reading Poets, a monthly gathering at Jefferson Hall to read selected poets. Students bring their favorite poems or choose ones to read from poems provided, reading aloud and listening together from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. In the past, the poetry has ranged from Sappho and Pablo Neruda to Allen Ginsberg and Emily Dickenson.
The Undergraduate Reading Series and Poets Reading Poets both drive creativity and artistic expression, whether through original works or the celebration of accomplished poets, Saldana said.
"Writing is about interconnectivity and speaking to other people - communicating human nature and human emotions - so for many people it's a very emotional kind of thing," Saldana said. "Writing to be heard equals another level of connection with people and another level of understanding. Most people write with the belief that they will influence people"
Read More
Corn pudding — the easiest Thanksgiving side dish
By Kate Johnson | YesterdayLook no further than this recipe if you need a last-minute accompaniment to your turkey next week.
Students practice art of persuasion at Karsh Institute of Democracy Oratory Competition
By Grace Roddy | 3 days agoThe finalists — four undergraduate students and four graduate students — answered the prompt “Tell the story of a hero of our American democracy” for the chance to win $1,000.
A look into expanding Native American resources on Grounds
By Mia Tan | 4 days agoStudent organizations, activist groups and academic programs have focused on highlighting individual differences among Indigenous students and bridging the gap between the University and Virginia tribes.
