APPROVED! Inwriting—2 Playwright Randy Wyatt Delights Said and Meant Collection

InWriting Winter 2012 - Vol 6.1 - Grand Valley Writing Department In This Issue Proposed WRT Curriculum Visiting Writers 2-3 Writing Scholarship 4 Becomes Reality SRS’s Play Festival 4 year can serve as course substitutions. Writer’s Club 5 Mieke Stoub “We’ll have to show some flexibility in Publishing Night 6-7 the transition in order to help students fter almost five years of planning match existing coursework with our new Magazine Writing 9 by faculty since Fall 2007, the re- course offerings,” said Writing Depart- AWP Conference 10 vised writing curriculum has been ment Chair Dan Royer. “Since we didn’t approved by the University Curriculum remove any writing courses, it will still be My Life Story 11 A Committee. The Writing Department’s possible to use the old curriculum.” Alum Advice 12 new program will begin full implementa- Associate Professor Ellen Schendel, tion in Fall 2012. Writing majors and their who aided in the curriculum’s revision, professors will be able to achieve more envisions the program will better prepare specific goals with the new and improved students for the many careers in writing. program. Instead of having to choose between the The new curriculum affords students the professional or creative emphasis, the flexibility to choose the direction in which new program will allow students to tailor Contributors they want their career and future to go. their college experience with a modular While the major is still 42 credits, there is approach that allows a mixing and no longer a need to declare a professional matching of both. Lauren Allen or creative emphasis. Instead, the major “We’ve developed many new courses Marissa Bell now includes nine modules that offer a to more fully flesh out different aspects Karah Bradshaw variety of courses (see diagram on page 8). of workplace and professional writing Writing majors will pick three modules Michelle Coppens and that marry concepts in creative and depending on their interests and career professional writing,” she said. Brian Hudson goals, allowing a tailored program for each Schendel is currently teaching the Karla Lamb student. new course WRT 307 Consulting with Lauren Longo Students starting at GVSU in Fall 2012 Writers, which focuses on the way writing Hannah Matro will be required to follow this curriculum. consultations happen in academic contexts Morgan Miller Students who started prior to Fall 2012 (such as writing centers) and how techni- will have the choice to follow the new Elizabeth Morse cal communicators work with software curriculum or stick with the old. Allie Oosta To make the transition smooth from the Therese Stastny old curriculum to the new, current students See MAJOR on Page 9 Mieke Stoub have the option to substitute many of the updated courses with those in the old curriculum. Most of the WRT 380 courses offered this past APPROVED! InWriting—2 Playwright Randy Wyatt Delights Said and Meant collection. Kira Michelle Coppens Butland-Smith enjoyed participat- ing in the performance. “Well, he said a lot of his writing comes from n Monday, February 13, GVSU rage,” Butland-Smith said, “and welcomed renowned playwright when he’s angry, he becomes funny; Randy Wyatt for a craft talk that’s what stood out most to me.” and performance. Wyatt is an Assistant During the performance of O “Not Judgmental,” students read Professor and the Theatre Program Direc- tor at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, lines that held profound meaning. MI. He is the author of many impressive “Just think, if only we would works ranging from children’s theater to communicate all our thoughts, short plays challenging social norms. clearly and with no prejudice, world During the craft talk, Wyatt answered peace could actually be achievable,” questions about his background and a student read. This short play in style. He said, “My style is acidic comedy, Tiny Catastrophes tells of a man not realistic melodrama.” Wyatt began who speaks his mind to the people playwriting while he had roots in the he encounters, which embarrasses evangelical church; this led him to write the woman he was taking out for short plays that asked questions, explored coffee. Wyatt challenged the serious topics, and examined complex audience during this performance; social problems. He referred to his works he questioned their ethics and as “economic and elegant.” His writing responded to the racism seen every also helped him realize his homosexuality, day. “Thank you, my friend of a a process which fueled his short plays. different race which I acknowledge In the transition between the craft talk and respect. I, in no way, consider you Wyatt’s “economic and elegant” plays and the performance, Wyatt gathered servile for performing this transaction,” the were around ten minutes long and were six student volunteers to be spontaneous student read in a loud voice, responding to well constructed. “The Strange Case is a actors and actresses. He talked with them the African American coffee guy. While play for total Hasbro nerds,” Wyatt said about their parts, giving them directions the outbursts of the man were comical, as he introduced this play. It was a witty and suggestions. Wyatt leaves the lingering thought in our and satirical look at the Hasbro games Assistant Professor Austin Bunn minds: what if people spoke this way? of childhoods past such as GI Joe, The introduced Randy Wyatt and narrated the Each performance had a comical, dark Inhumanoids, Transformers, and Jem. stage directions during the performances humor element mixed with an undertone “The Essential Components of Marriage” of two shorts from Wyatt’s collection of seriousness. As the audience watched titled Tiny Catastrophes, two monologue the performances, Wyatt stood, casually plays from Ghost Moments, a ten minute leaning against the wall, watching his work See WYATT on Page 10 play called The Strange Case of Hector come to life, chuckling along with his Ramirez, and a short play from his audience. Klatt: Fluidity of Thought Pulling the audience through a tumble “A compelling poem rarely proceeds in Marissa Bell of words, compelling and often mysterious, a straight line,” Klatt told his audience Klatt demonstrated the hypnotic power during his craft talk. oetry is a form of music; the of poetic melody, which can enchant the His follow-up performance was the rhythm of the words often makes senses even when the full meaning of the evidence behind his argument. Listeners sense to us before the meaning words is not clear. stumbled along eagerly with his readings, does. This was one of many thought- Each line of Klatt’s poetry settled intrigued by the rhythm and visual P dream-like on the minds of the listeners, impressions found in the language, which provoking ideas discussed by poet L.S. Klatt during the craft talk preceding his as a dust composed of half-tangible was presented by Klatt with humble performance at the Pew Campus Univer- secrets and “electric connections” (Klatt’s sity Club on February 20, as a part of the description of the raw emotions words can See KLATT on Page 3 GVSU Writers Series. provoke). InWriting—3 Wilkins Invokes Insight on Writing chapbook, Ragged Point Road. His sane during the editing process, while eclectic repertoire includes poetry, being a father, teaching, homebrewing, fiction, narrative nonfiction, essay, whitewater rafting, and balancing it all. and creative journalism. Growing up in the lone-country During the event, audience farmlands of Montana, Wilkins brings to members listened attentively the page revelatory and exciting moments to Wilkins’ publication advice, of loss and gain, fleeting pleasures, and career tips, and crafting ideas. the rural flavors of the everyday life of the Wilkins encouraged students to American interior. His lines coax beauty “just keep at it and be patient.” out of chaos, coming alive with the buzz He emphasized that “practice and sting of highway and railroad. His does make perfect” and that all poems ooze with the white noise of dirt you need to succeed in the writing and barbed wire while staying faithful world is “persistence, time, and to the fragmented nature of truth and a little bit of luck.” He admitted memory. Wilkins’ wide oeuvre defies to being an impulsive writer that typical literary conventions by combining gets easily bored with one genre, compassion, humor, and wisdom with hence his wide array of subject themes concerning social justice, nostalgia, matter, interests, and activism. and history. His progressive style is the Wilkins discussed the importance rugged intersection between the politi- of being a critical thinker along cal and the profoundly personal, fused with an informed citizen to together to form a delicate wreckage of acquire the core skills it takes to innovative images. become a proactive writer. He also What Wilkins loves most about writing expounded on the fact that to be are the quiet, hushed moments when he a good writer, one must also be an avid is forced inside a place and time, free to Karla Lamb reader, loving the technique as much as the navigate and experiment through his own product. understandings of stories, characters, and VSU was honored to host writer During the question and answer portion the worlds they inhabit. Wilkins obviously Joe Wilkins on March 13 to close of the lecture, he alluded to his creative pays meticulous attention to sentence out the GVSU Writers Series process, explaining that it consists of hours structure, line breaks, and formatting. He for the year. Joe Wilkins’ work has won of “playing around” with sounds, cutting expertly builds lyrical and heightened G and pasting forms, and testing out differ- prose out of the constituent parts. His numerous awards, including appearances in Best American Magazine Writing ent literary devices until he gets his finger distinctive works demand attention.

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