Danny Schonning
MFA Creative Writing: Poetry and Creative Nonfiction
Assistant Director of the Creative Writing Reading Series

 

What are you working on, doing in Eddy Hall today? Today in Eddy Hall, I’m printing materials for Devin Murphy’s reading, taking place at the Gregory Allicar Museum of Art. I’m lucky enough to work as the Assistant Director of the Creative Writing Reading Series, and so spend lots of time arranging and doing logistics for events.

How do you spend most of your time in Eddy Hall? I spend most of my time in Eddy hall scurrying to and from the grad lab for last-minute printing, meeting with advisors, or participating in our weekly poetry workshop.

Favorite moment in Eddy Hall? Camille Dungy taught an exceptional section of “Form and Technique in Poetry,” during which (among other things) she gave a series of enlightening lectures—those are likely my favorite moments in Eddy.

Favorite English class or teacher? It’s tough to settle on one teacher or class as a favorite—at the moment, I’m very grateful to have a seat in Del Harrow and Dan Beachy-Quick’s “The Thinking Hand: Phenomenal Explorations in Poetry and Pottery.”

Who is your favorite author? If choosing a favorite teacher is difficult, settling on a favorite writer is impossible. I’ve spent the most time lately reading and re-reading George Oppen—his piece, “Five Poems about Poetry,” especially.

If you were to give advice to incoming CSU English majors, what would it be? My advice for incoming CSU English Majors is to enroll in classes utterly unfamiliar to you, with writers/eras/genres about which you know little or nothing. Also: consider the Creative Writing minor!

What’s your biggest goal, priority right now? My biggest priority at the moment is to write—even in a degree for which writing is the end goal, it’s hard to find time for producing new work in the midst of everything else. Looking forward to summer!