This is the first in an editorial series about GW’s creative writing program.
Last month, I walked into the Lenthall House on 21st Street for an open-mic poetry reading organized by both students and faculty of the English department. I expected most of the attendees would be people I already knew, simply from taking poetry courses and being active in the creative writing program since my freshman year.
But when I arrived, the Lenthall House – the home of the 2014 Jenny McKean Moore Writer-in-Washington for GW’s English department, Brando Skyhorse – was packed, with people sitting on the floor, leaning on door frames or standing in the hallway and craning their necks to watch undergraduates read their poetry.
The whole room sizzled with energy. Waves of laughter, snapping or pensive nods washed over the crowd at particularly well-delivered lines.
I was blown away.
Given the creative writing culture at GW, one might not expect the reading, part of the English department’s “Open Space” series, to have been such a success. As a creative writing minor, I’m used to seeing a somewhat lackluster level of student involvement – by which I mean little to no engagement with the topic outside of the classroom.
Only a few years ago, there were four active literary arts journals on campus. Since then, nearly all of them have folded or faded away, with the exception of Wooden Teeth Magazine. That’s disappointing, given our location in a city home to such institutions as the Folger Shakespeare Library and the Beltway Poetry Quarterly, an award-winning online literary journal.
But the potential for a revitalization of GW’s stagnant literary arts community, of which I caught a glimpse during that reading, presents an opportunity to us: Students should be more willing to write and share their work, exploring how creative writing – poetry, short stories, screenplays or spoken word – can inform and engage their other passions.
We’re all aware of the type-A, career-oriented stereotype that makes up the GW campus culture, and it seems like people don’t think writing fits into the fast-paced D.C. lifestyle. But I’d wager that nearly everyone has written a poem at some point in their lives – even if it was back in high school, even if you’re not willing to admit it – and this is something to embrace.
Focusing on your future – whether you’re studying business, chemistry or international affairs – and being creative do not have to be mutually exclusive.
I came to GW knowing I wanted to study both political science and poetry. I thought they would never intersect, but over time, I realized that staying involved in creative writing was an asset.
Besides providing an escape when other classes become overwhelming, my poetry and screenwriting have been informed by my other studies. And if I can grapple with concepts like love, mortality and self-doubt in a poem, I’m willing to bet I can explain the intricacies of U.S. electoral politics to a future employer.
You don’t have to be a creative writing major or minor to get involved in GW’s literary scene. Even if your schedule doesn’t let you take a workshop course in the English department, there are exciting new avenues of written expression on campus.
The next Open Space reading is tomorrow, Nov. 4. If you’ve ever written for fun or would just like to hear some great student artists, I highly recommend attending. You’d be doing your part to boost this undervalued aspect of GW life.
David Meni, a senior majoring in political science, is a Hatchet opinions writer.
