When we think of writers, we often fall back on stereotypes—I picture an asthmatic writer with poor posture wearing a beret (why a beret? who knows!) working alone in an attic, who drinks heavily while chewing on his pencil while talking to a rat, his only friend. And while that might occasionally be true (especially about the rat), part of the impetus to write is to reach out into the world—to understand it better, to know what it’s like to have a particular experience, to change it, or to give something back. While many creative writing classes focus, as they should, on the Word and how to make the Word cause heart palpitations in the reader, I want to draw attention to some of the opportunities available for creative writing majors to interact with the world. Some of our classes culminate in public readings, writers edit and publish in Perceptions, SU’s literary magazine, and students can volunteer to go out into the community and share their love of stories or poems with younger people. No matter what, every week there’s a lively group that meets to discuss writing and the writing life called Write Out, and if you’re interested please email scharwel@syr.edu for more information!

"A Little Revolution"

View the full gallery, including "A Little Revolution" by Hayley Navenma and Amanda Rodriguez!

Recently, ENG 215 poetry students were able to work with a non-profit organization called Art for the Isolated. The students wrote poems in response to photos from VPA photography students in order to create postcards for people in COVID-isolation units.