Creative writing students share poetry, fiction works

Going to a fiction and poetry reading can help students escape the reality of the daily grind, and IU's creative writing program offers exactly that. The program fills the need with its year-long series of readings by visiting lecturers and students in the Master of Fine Arts in creative writing. Tonight marks the first of the readings.\nEach night, a portion of the program's 13 students will have about 10 minutes each to read a selection of his or her work. The program, which is planned to last about an hour and a half each night, marks the students' first opportunity to showcase their fiction or poetry and make their presence heard in the department.\n"The first-year reading series opens the year-long M.F.A. reading series and gives the Creative Writing Department and Indiana University community a chance to welcome the first-year M.F.A.s," said Susan Finch, third-year M.F.A. fiction student.\nThis year's students will offer a variety of poetry and fiction. Poetry student Mary Speaker, who reads tonight, plans on performing sonnets and a Middle Eastern form of poetry called ghazal.\nSpeaker said she feels that attending a reading such as this can benefit anyone, not just English majors.\n"Going to a poetry reading is always a good way to pause and be a little more reflective than you are in your daily life," she said.\nFiction students have the choice of reading an excerpt from a long work of fiction or a shorter, complete piece. Grady Jaynes is choosing the latter. Jaynes, who will be reading Friday night, said he is excited about the diversity of the readings. \n"You're going to hear a lot of styles," he said. "It's work that's being done right here. IU has a fabulous writing program, so there's always the off-chance that you're hearing somebody in the early days before they become successful." \nAs well as being a chance to see literary stars in the making, the event offers undergraduates an opportunity to see their instructors in a new light -- performing their own compositions as opposed to assigning them. Hearing the work of their instructors may make students see what they can do with their own writing skills. Poetry student Micah Ling, who will be reading Friday night, said she is pleased to have this opportunity to teach by example. \n"I'm really excited about poetry, and I try and convey that to students, so this is a good opportunity for them to see their teachers really write," she said. "It would be cool if some of the students would come out and see poetry in action."\nFor writers, this event will be an opportunity to absorb new ideas and styles of writing. \n"I find I always leave the M.F.A. readings feeling inspired," Finch said, "and eager to return to my own writing."\n-- Contact staff writer Jennifer Jackson at jeejacks@indiana.edu.