Creative Writing A test of character by Marc Speir

arly last year, New York Times book review editor Johnson Photo: Cindy Lee SamE Tanenhaus sent out a short letter to a couple of hundred

Denis Johnson prominent writers, critics, editors and other literary It’s not a question of teaching creativity, stalwarts, politely asking them it’s helping people to identify “the single best work remember that they are naturally of American fiction published creative and allowing in the last 25 years.” them to be. Twenty-two works were selected by the experts, and results were published in the Times. Two of the 22 were written by Texas State’s Roy F. and Joann Cole ­— Denis Johnson Mitte Endowed Chair holders in the Creative Writing program—Denis Johnson, for Jesus’ Son, and Tim O’Brien, for The Things They Carried—a fact that no doubt further elevated the national reputation of the Texas State program. The same publication had already hailed the program housed in Flowers Hall as “a program that might rival the famed Iowa Writers Workshop.” Johnson holds the Mitte Chair in Creative Writing this academic year. O’Brien has held it in past years and teaches writing workshops for the program in other years. Both were drawn to the Texas State program’s focus on student and faculty support of one another that has been fostered by director Tom Grimes. Grimes, former business executive turned author, has tried to nurture a support system for what is often a tumultuous journey for writers. “You’ll get rejected over and over and over,” he says. “Writing is a test of character, not just talent.” He believes that the ultimate benefit a writing Tim O’Brien program can give its students is a few friends who will be the best readers, editors and companions they will have for the rest of their writing career.

56 hillviews Spring 2007 Therefore, much emphasis is placed on student interaction with one another Writing faculty and with creative writing faculty. Almost Denis Johnson and Tim O’Brien are only two of the outstanding faculty teaching in the Creative Writing Program. Take a look at some of the others: every week after a writing workshop, students gather on the deck of the Cyrus Cassells Poems in various journals, including River Pub and Grill overlooking the The Mud Actor Texas Review, Poet Lore, Southern Poetry Review and Hawaii Review newly remodeled play waves on the San National Poetry Series Prize Soul Make a Path Through Shouting Debra Monroe Marcos River. One night in October, I One of Publisher’s Weekly’s Best Books of joined them. Here in this tranquil place, The Source of Trouble 1994, William Carlos Williams Award Flannery O’Connor Award for Short I saw young writers relax with Johnson Beautiful Signor Fiction 1990 and Grimes and listened to them Lambda Literary Award Newfangled discuss their ambitions, their stresses Peter I.B. Lavan Younger Poet Award Borders Bookstores’ New Frontiers selec- from American Academy of Poets and fears, their self doubts. Johnson tion 1998 A Wild, Cold State told stories about his experiences Dagoberto Gilb Gritos Best 10 Books selection in Elle 1995 teaching at Iowa and Columbia. National Book Critics Circle Award Shambles I asked Johnson if a writing program nominee Kathleen Peirce Best American Essays 1997, 1999 can really teach people how to be Mercy creative. “Believe it or not, I think you The Last Known Residence of Mickey Associated Writing Programs Award in can teach creativity,” he said. “You give Acuña Poetry New York Times Notable Book students permission to take more risks The Oval Hour The Magic of Blood Iowa Poetry Prize 1998, Finalist for 1999 and make more mistakes. A child can Texas Institute of Letters’ Jesse Jones Los Angeles Times Book Prize, Williams make a story up on the spot, then as we Award for best book of fiction 1994 Carlos Williams Award get older we’re just as creative, but more Tom Grimes The Ardors reserved inside. It’s not a question of A Stone of the Heart Divided Touch, Divided Color teaching creativity, it’s helping people New York Times Notable Book Steve Wilson Barnes & Noble Discover Award 1999 remember that they are naturally The Singapore Express or Faith in the City of God Knowing Hand of the Scientist creative and allowing them to be.” [email protected] BookSense Works in American Diaspora: Poetry “Pick” for July 2003 A good program must also teach of Displacement, Like Thunder: Poets discipline and craft, but in the end Roger Jones Respond to Violence in America and success depends on the individual. Academy of American Poets Prize 1984 Sierra Songs and Descants “To succeed as a writer requires Are We There Yet? Fulbright Fellowship 1994, 2002 discipline, tenacity, love of language, Strata love of story, attention to writerly Holders of Mitte Chair in Creative Writing issues such as pace and rhythm and Denis Johnson (2006-07) Ray drama,” O’Brien says. “Some of this we Jesus’ Son Geronimo Rex William Faulker Prize soak up as we live our lives. Some of Train Dreams The Name of the World it we soak up through our reading. Ai (2002-03) Fiskadoro “In a writing program, we address Vice Already Dead: A California Gothic National Book Award for Poetry these things very specifically, raising Soul of a Whore Sin them above the intuitive, raising them The Incognito Lounge American Book Award, Before Columbus to the level of formal consciousness. Tim O’Brien (every other year since 1999) Foundation In other words, we endeavor to talk The Things They Carried Killing Floor Pulitzer Prize finalist Lamont Poetry Award of the Academy of about matters that would probably American Poets not get addressed if a student were Going After Cacciato National Book Award Dread working alone. I can say from experience In the Lake of the Woods Greed that I would’ve saved myself a great Best Novel, Time magazine 1994 Leslie Marmon Silko (2000-01) deal of grief, and countless rewrites, If I Die in a Combat Zone Ceremony if I’d gone through a program like Tomcat in Love In the Garden of the Dunes ours early on in my life.” Barry Hannah (2004-05) The Man To Send Rain Clouds Almanac of the Dead Marc Speir is a graduate assistant High Lonesome Pulitzer Prize nominee Laguna Woman: Poems in the University News Service. www.txstate.edu hillviews 57