In early December, students often find ourselves endlessly pressed for time. For the scarce moments not spent cramming in the library, warm beds and comfort shows beckon. Despite this, a sizable crowd elected to spend the chilly evening of Dec. 4 celebrating writers on campus.
About two dozen students and faculty read aloud their creative works. Many approached the microphone nervously, acutely aware of the many eyes and ears focused on them. But more often than not, readers left the podium with wide-brimming smiles, met with applause and the commendations of both friends and strangers.
“[It’s about] building student confidence,” Justin Madu, a Literature, Languages, and Performing Arts (LLPA) professor, told the Omega. Madu started the reading events several years ago, and with the help of fellow LLPA professor, Thom Vernon, they have since tripled the number of reading events per semester. As an instructor, Madu emphasized the value of students reading their work for an audience.
“[It can be] really anxiety-provoking when you’re not used to it, and I say eventually you need to just learn to love the feeling, the same way people teach themselves to love roller coasters.”
“I think it’s a good opportunity to get out of your comfort zone,” Kathleen Loughton, one of the student readers, said. “It can be really intimidating at the beginning, but it’s good to just get it off your chest.”
The excerpts varied greatly in medium, from poetry and prose to research insights and theatrical performances. Despite this, common themes emerged from otherwise disparate works. The complexity of human relationships, particularly as it relates to friendship and sense of belonging, was explored by several readers. Rotting and grotesque imagery also featured in many pieces.
But lest you picture an overly-serious, candle-lit room of Keats and Kaur imitation, know that the evening was also filled with moments of levity, humility, and humour. One such highlight was a collaborative poem read by English student Zoë Fulton. Fulton and Loughton, along with friend and fellow writer Clo Giroux, explained their creative process.
“We were sitting on the seats near Common Grounds,” Giroux said. “Kathleen started it, and then we just kept saying random stuff. We couldn’t think of something to rhyme with ‘intersectional’. And the only thing that could come into my head was ‘erectional.’”
A sort of “We Didn’t Start the Fire” for the chronically online crowd, their œuvre rhymed “minutes” with “pivots,” asked “Why can’t I look my mother in the eye?”, and featured hard-hitting couplets like “What is it like to be a dog? Furry art, hedgehog.”
In addition to helping students face their fears and providing the audience with much-appreciated comedic relief, the event also served to promote the newly formed TRUSU Writers Club.
Gentry Davidson, the club’s president and one of the event’s readers, spoke to the Omega about the club’s formation.
“[For] the past few years, I’ve been trying to find other writers to talk to, but there hasn’t ever really been any spaces for that on campus,” Davidson shared, adding that it wasn’t until recently that he felt like he even had the time, resources, and confidence to start a club. “But now I do,” he said. “I started on planning preparations last semester … We want to create an inclusive, positive space for writers here on campus.”
The LLPA’s reading events, held three times per semester and advertised via poster, are open to all students and faculty. Readers interested in getting involved with TRU’s creative writing community are encouraged to connect with the Writers Club on Instagram @trusuwritersclub.