Tag Archives: Humans of Eddy

Humans of Eddy: Geneva McCarthy

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~from intern Haley Huffman

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What’s your name? Your major? When do you expect to graduate?
Geneva McCarthy.  I’m an English Major concentrating in Literature and Creative Writing with a Minor in Linguistics and Culture.  I’ll be graduating next Spring.  Finally.  It’s taken me – I can’t believe I’m going to say this – 30 years!

How do you spend most of your time in Eddy Hall?
At the moment, most of my time in Eddy is spent in the Writing Center, but I’ve often been found in the computer lab, meeting with professors, or taking classes here – Eddy is a bit like the bat cave for English majors, it seems to me.

Favorite English class or teacher?
I planned this semester well, so pretty much all my classes are my favorite.  That is, Native American Cultural Expressions, Development of the English Language (I’m learning how to read and speak Old and Middle English), Shakespeare, and British Romanticism.

What’s your favorite book, poem, quote, lyric, genre? Who is your favorite author?
Poem:  “Ode to Autumn” by John Keats – a most constant companion.  I’m immensely fond of Emerson, too.  (Yes, I split infinitives and estrange auxiliaries.) There are scores more worth mention, of course, but these are essential wellsprings.

If you were to give advice to incoming CSU English majors, what would it be?
Be bold in exploring your passion, be open to new vision, and be generous to others and to yourself.

What’s your biggest goal, priority right now?
In practical terms, keeping up with daily demands and applying to Graduate programs; in a more ephemeral realm, broadening my command of voice and register.

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Humans of Eddy: Allyson Berry

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allysonberry02

Allyson Berry
English major (Writing Concentration) with a minor in Business Administration

What brought you to CSU?
I transferred from Texas Tech after my freshman year. My mom lives here and I decided that CSU would be a good fit for me. I had always heard about how spectacular the English program was and once I visited I was sure that I wanted to go here. After being in Lubbock, TX (which is flat, arid, and BROWN) for a year it was nice to finally be in a place with trees! The trees sealed the deal!

What classes are you taking this semester?
I’m currently taking BUS205, E305 [Principles of Writing and Rhetoric], E320 [Introduction to the Study of Language], E341 [Literary Criticism and Theory], and SPCM100.

Favorite English class? Favorite English teacher? Favorite assignment or project?
So far my favorite English class would have to be either CO300 [Writing Arguments] or E305 [Principles of Writing and Rhetoric]. It is so incredibly hard to pick my favorite teachers but the top three have to be Christina Sutton, Paul Trembath, and Doug Cloud. They’re probably the best professors I’ve had throughout my collegiate year thus far. My favorite assignment is something I have in E320 [Introduction to the Study of Language]. I’m researching how Google has been using artificial intelligence and causal voicing to linguistically improve Google Voice Search.

Why is it important to study English, the Humanities?

I believe studying English is the key to being an effective communicator and being able to think/read/write critically. Although many people question what exactly there is to do with an English degree, I can say from experience that it has given me the clear advantage over the rest of those I’m competing with for internships and will compete with for jobs in the future.

You are the current president of the PRSSA. Tell us more about that.
Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) is a network of more than 11,000 college students that seeks to advance the public relations profession by nurturing generations of future professionals. It not only enhances member education through speakers and real-world experience but it is pivotal in broadening your network and getting internship and job offers post-graduation. I oversee the CSU Chapter and run meetings along with traveling to International conferences to hear from the greatest public relations and marketing professionals in the world. I work on inclusion, as you do not have to major in Journalism or Public Relations to be apart of PRSSA. Here I am an English Major running the whole thing! Being President has given me the opportunity to work on leadership skills, advocate for a group of people, and enhance my communication and writing skills. I cannot say enough about the organization. It has propelled me into numerous opportunities that I would not have without becoming a member.

You interned recently at the Federal Reserve in Denver doing speech writing, social media, and internal and external communications. How did that happen, and what was that like?
That’s correct. I was interning in the Public Affairs Department at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Denver Branch. I met my boss at a PRSA/PRSSA International Conference last October in Atlanta, GA. She gave me her card and although I’m not a Public Relations major, she gave me a shot at the internship. I interviewed and by some miracle they gave the me job as a Sophomore going into my Junior year. (This is atypical as they try to have Junior-Senior interns to hire upon graduation in the coming year). The PA department in Denver is really a part of the Regional, Community, and Public Affairs department. As the only intern in this area, I got to try my hand at all three. I used knowledge from my business minor to understand the economics and data analysis in the Regional Affairs area. This is where the speechwriting came in. I learned about low-moderate income housing and how to integrate these people with resources that the Bank offers. And finally in PA, I was able to write stories for the quarterly publication, work on social media campaigns, educational outreach, and create a marketing and distribution plan for financial education materials to teachers in the 12th District of the Federal Reserve.

Allyson's last day of work at the Fed

Allyson’s last day of work at the Federal Reserve

Next summer you have an internship with the Pentagon. How did that happen? What will you be doing there? What are you looking forward to most about it?
I do not HAVE the internship there — yet. It is one of my options. I’ve been working to apply to multiple governmental agencies like NASA, The Department of the State, the United Nations Organization etc. Truly, in order to get these internships you have to know when to apply. That’s all there is to it. If I am to get any one of these positions in Public Affairs positions I will be most excited to see how internationally recognized organizations operate their communications. It in a sense is a whole different ball game when you have to communicate with nations around the globe.

How has your English major given you an advantage? How has it prepared you for the work, the life you hope to have?
I have the clear advantage. When comparing my work to that of let’s say a Journalism or Communications major, my work has a clear motive and is most effective in accomplishing its goal. I owe that largely to the study of rhetoric and audience analysis. We are required to take Literature classes like Intro to Poetry and British Literature— which help I’m sure, somehow, but I haven’t found out exactly how yet. However, those upper division level Lit classes require a serious competence when it comes to reading difficult texts, understanding those texts, and regurgitating and then analyzing that text. That skill alone can be applied to EVERYTHING in the business world. The world has a need for effective communicators and English majors are most likely at the top of their game when it comes to communication in any form. I can now write and give eloquent speeches, be direct in communications of any style (email, editorials, social media, blogs, etc.), I can read just about anything, and I can communicate with just about anyone. Being in the English department with such a variety of people with different personalities and interests has sculpted me to be have the skill set to work with anyone.

allysonberry

Do you have any advice for English majors?
Think outside the box. Sell yourself. When I tell people I’m an English Major they immediately ask me what grade I want to teach. It is an uphill battle to prove the worth of the English Major but the proof is in the paper. Be confident in explaining why you are the best communicator they could find and how multi-faceted your skill set. Although many are apprehensive to hire “outside of the box” I am proof that it can and will happen. Don’t think you must be an independent novelist/poet if you’re into creative writing, don’t think you have to be an editor if you’re a writing concentration, and don’t think you have to review books for the rest of your life if you’re in love with literature. You most certainly can, but that is not the ONLY option. The possibilities are endless, you just have to go out and find them.

What advice do you have for students about internships?
Research, research, research. I go on Google about twice a week and just browse internships. Also, apply for everything you may even have a SLIGHT interest in. Unlike graduate school, this application process doesn’t cost you a dime. So why not utilize that and get recognized. You might not make it past the interview but you have built your network in the process.

What’s your biggest priority right now?
At the moment — the 5 papers I have to write before finals week. (Don’t we all!) Apart from that, making sure I study effectively and am healthy by the end of this semester is taking top priority.

Where will we find you in five years?
Hopefully you will all find me as a Public Affairs Specialist for either a government agency or Fortune 500 company, living in a downtown loft, still binge-watching television but hopefully living on more than scrambled eggs and oatmeal! College, right?

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Humans of Eddy: Emily Seto

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emilyseto

Emily Seto
English Major, Creative Writing Concentration
Business Minor

If you asked me what my favorite book was before declaring English (Creative Writing) as my major, I would have told you that I had only read two books of fiction. That was the truth. The most common question I get is, “why are you an English major?” It’s a bit of a complicated answer but here’s what I can tell you — I wanted to learn to write stories but the English major has also guided me to becoming a successful Entrepreneur.

What brought you to CSU?
I ran my own business in high school so I wanted to pursue a degree from CSU because it had (and still has) a competitive business school. I had to take two years off of school because life happened. When I picked back up at Front Range Community College, I became a Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician. I worked in the medical field as I continued to run my own business. I decided to resume my business degree but I was bored out of my mind with the courses. Maybe this is why never before seen movies would begin playing out of my head right in front of me. I could see the screen, hear the characters, music and sound effects. I promise, I passed these classes with flying colors. I tried writing the stories but I had no clue how to actually write fiction. I came back to CSU in Fall of 2015 and declared English with a concentration in Creative Writing and a Business minor. I will be graduating this upcoming Spring.

Favorite English class? Favorite English teacher? Favorite assignment or project?
I am taking Intermediate Creative Writing, African American Literature, Early Women Writers, Entrepreneurship, and Management. One of the best things about being an English major at CSU are the teachers. I have learned so much from Dana Masden, Camille Dungy, and Aparna Gollapudi but the best thing about them is I feel like I can go to them for anything. They all go beyond the scope of an average class because they teach in a way that leaves you feeling connected to the world.

Why is it important to study English, the Humanities?
Declaring English as my major has been the best life decision I have ever made. It’s important to study the Humanities because it teaches you to think! Being allowed to be creative, open minded, and learning that it’s ok to value individual thoughts and feelings has given me both personal and career growth. I love being free from the confinement of someone else’s answers. We are taught to make certain decisions because they fit conventional standards and the English major is anything but. With my experience, my English major has strengthened my intuition and has given me the perception and confidence in making business decisions that made me more successful than ever.

You are currently running your own business (while taking classes full-time and working in the Writing Center). Tell us more about that.
I think I am able juggle all of the above because I don’t see any of these things as work. Running my own business is a hobby. I love my classes and working in the Writing Center reminds me of being on my old basketball team. So these are all just activities that I consider to be play instead of work.

Tell us more about what it’s like working in the Writing Center.
I love working at the Writing Center because it’s such a relaxed environment. Even as writers, we can relate to the struggles of having to write papers and projects. Everyone is very willing to help in a way that is free from judgment.

Do you have any advice for English majors?
I feel like I’m the one taking advice from other English majors. I work with them and go to their readings. I see how passionate they are about their studies and I’m reminded to do what makes me happy because everything else will fall into place.

What’s your biggest priority right now?
Surviving finals is my biggest priority right now. Within five years, I look forward to applying my degree and experience to wherever my career path takes me but I would love to return to CSU to work towards a master’s in English and Business.

 

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Humans of Eddy: Chelsea Hansen

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Chelsea Hansen
MFA Creative Writing: Fiction, 2nd year
Expected Graduation Spring 2018

Chelsea Hansen, in the computer lab working on her thesis.

Chelsea Hansen, in the computer lab working on her thesis.

What brought you to CSU?
I transferred to CSU in 2012 to finish my Bachelor’s Degree and returned in 2015 for my MFA. I was drawn to Colorado because it had similarities to my home state of Wyoming, while also being wholly different and giving me new experiences and nature to interact with. Coming back to CSU for my MFA was an easy choice: I liked the vast writing community and CSU’s ability to make me feel both at home and able to constantly find new things to interact with and discover.

Are you working on a thesis yet? If so, how’s that going?
I have started working on my thesis by giving chapters of it to my workshop. It’s a novel about two twin brothers, one living and one dead. As far as how it’s going, it mostly exists in colorful index cards that I reshuffle and spend way too much time looking at. But it is starting to exist in a physical place and not just as images in my head, so that’s something.

What classes are you taking this semester?
I have my fiction workshop, fiction form and technique, and teaching creative writing. All of them are different, yet focused on the process of writing, which I’ve loved this semester.

Favorite English class? Favorite English teacher? Favorite assignment or project?
I think my favorite English class will always be workshop. I like being able to see what fictional work is being imagined and created right now and by the people around me. I will always be partial to Leslee Becker, who’s been my advisor since I started my undergraduate degree in 2012. Her dedication to helping my work succeed and grow has always been unfathomably amazing to me. Roze Hentschell is also an admired professor of mine. In my undergrad, she let me write a paper about demonology for a Renaissance Literature class. In grad school, she allowed me to write a paper about Harry Potter for her Space and Place class. Both papers have easily been two of my favorite assignments during my academic career since they were a mix of both academia but also allowed me to write papers about really nerdy things I loved.

Why is it important to study English, the Humanities?
It’s important because life should be about much more than just getting a degree so you can get a job so you can make money to pay bills. The word “human” is in humanities, so there must be something profoundly “human” about studying and engaging with them. I feel most alive and grounded when I get to talk to others about a book, performance, or art. The work that comes out of English and Humanities are what tap into human emotion; they are why books make us cry or films can make us laugh, or how a theater show can make us feel connected to strangers.

Describe your work as Computer Lab manager. What is your favorite thing about it? What’s the most difficult thing about it?
I spend more time managing the computer lab employees than I do managing the computers. Sometimes I call IT in a mild panic. Other times I watch computers as they seem to obtain their own intelligences and do very, very odd things. I advise my employees that yes, they should definitely go see a doctor about that illness. My favorite thing about it is managing my employees. I’ve had most of them for almost a year and a half now, so even though I am their manager I care about them and their lives and schoolwork. I get to watch them succeed. They are all individual people from different colleges all across campus and they always tell me really good stories. I suppose the most difficult thing about it is how many strange crises can occur in a computer lab, usually when I’m not here. I had no idea that so many apocalyptic-level events could happen in a computer lab, but I suppose I’m now more equipped to deal with the strangeness that comes with living.

What has been your favorite moment at CSU?
Although I have many excellent moments from my MFA time so far, I think my favorite one would have to be when my older sister got her Master’s Degree from CSU the same day I received my Bachelor’s. It was very special for us to graduate from the same place together.

Chelsea and her sister at graduation

Chelsea and her sister at graduation

Describe Eddy in one word.
All-consuming. (I guess that’s two words. But given that I work here as well as all of my classes are here, I never see the rest of campus. What’s out there in the CSU world?)

Do you have a favorite book or author?
As with most writers, I have a lot of favorite authors and books. So I try to offer a different favorite book every time I come across this question. So this time I will say my favorite book is Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. It’s a gorgeous mix of science fiction and dystopia. If you don’t like science fiction, this book will make you like science fiction after you read it.

Do you have any advice for English majors? For writers?

The best advice for English majors that I have is to get yourself as embedded in the English and literary world as possible. Look around for people who have careers in English that you may want. Remember that your degree does and will have value; no matter what anyone else says, the world definitely is not wholly made of business and engineering degrees. There are lots of things you can do, you just have to put in the effort of getting out there and finding them.

I have a magnet in the middle of my fridge that says, “Even if it’s crap, just get it on the page.” I put it on the middle of my fridge so I have to read it every time I’m scouring around for food during my writing time. It’s okay to produce some really bad writing; that’s what first drafts are for. And until you have that first draft, you can’t really mold it into the space you want it to be. Read things that inspire you to keep hitting the keyboard. Writing is a process, but it’s a process that can’t start until you fill up that blank page with something.

What’s your biggest priority right now?
My larger priority right now is to write my elusive thesis. Which sounds pretty typical, but it consumes so much of my writing thoughts it’s getting hard to separate the rest of my life from it. My immediate priority is to not get lost in an airport over the winter break. I’m traveling for the entire month and have four one-way plane tickets that will take me to seven different airports. But I’m sure I will encounter some interesting characters in them.

Where will we find you in five years?
Most likely on the west coast somewhere, hopefully doing something in the publishing world. I look forward to finding out whatever that is.

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Humans of Eddy: Mike Hedemark and Tiffany Lingo

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You might recognize Mike and Tiffany. They are work studies in the English department’s main office.

Mike Hedemark

Mike Hedemark

Mike Hedemark
Business Major, expected graduation 2019

What brought you to CSU?
I came to CSU to learn and grow on a beautiful campus with a community that is lively and sincerely nice. The CSU community is a good one and I’m glad to be a part of it.

What classes are you taking this semester?
I am taking a good number of electives this semester to prepare me for my major and next semester I plan to roll into my business classes. My classes this semester are a variety of Psychology classes with a math class and an economics class.

What is required of your position as a work study?
My position as a work study is very important as I do many things to help around the office. I generally get all of the surveys ready for the staff, I order desk copies for all the professors, and I also troubleshoot computers and the copy machines. There is also the little things that I do, that include making sure the paper is stocked, and grabbing the mail for the English department, while also running errands for the office.

What has been your favorite moment at CSU?
My favorite moment at CSU was last year for homecoming when the fireworks went off and I was able to watch them from my dorm. It was pretty cool.

Describe Eddy in one word.
Modernized.

Do you have a favorite book or author?
I don’t read as much as I should and I should read more, but If I had to pick a favorite book, I would choose the Hunger Games series. That series was a fun and entertaining read.

Do you have any advice for incoming freshmen?
My only advice to freshman is to enjoy the little things and go to class. I enjoyed living in the dorms last year and I have gained many friendships that I have with many cool people. I would suggest that you meet all of your hall mates as we had a strong bond as a group when I was a freshman. Also, go to class, it isn’t that much of a struggle especially because you choose your schedule, so go to class.

What’s your biggest priority right now?
My biggest priority right now is to get into the college of business which requires me to get a B or better in my math class. Once that is done, then I can take my business classes.

Where will we find you in five years?
In 5 years, you will find me running my own business or working my up a corporate ladder to own a business.

Tiffany Lingo

Tiffany Lingo

Tiffany Lingo
English/Communication Education Major, expected graduation Spring 2017

What brought you to CSU?
I walked onto campus and saw hundreds of smiles and hugs, even though it was a cloudy, drab day. I was excited to be a part of this happy campus!

What classes are you taking this semester?
Early Women Writers, Shakespeare I, Composition 301D, Advanced Public Speaking, Communications and Popular Culture, and Interpersonal Communications.

Favorite English class? Favorite English teacher? Favorite assignment or project?
I think my favorite English class would have to be the introduction to Poetry, the readings were fulfilling and I learned something amazing and new every day.

A favorite English Teacher is a difficult choice, but I admire Theresa Sandelin a lot and would have to choose her. She made the American Literature class I took with her very informative and clear and showed so much passion during lecture. That class was difficult for me, but I learned and enjoyed the classes so much that I loved it.

My favorite assignment is from this semester in Early Women Writers with Aparna Gollapudi, Just an Ordinary Day is a fictional, historically accurate narrative about a woman in the 18th century. Gollapudi has this assignment be about a woman of your choosing in the 1700s, and the accurate representation of a day in her life. I am really enjoying this project as I learn more and more about the 18th century, and create characters and narrate a story as if I am actually in the small London town in the 1700s.

Why is it important to study English, the Humanities?
I love to study people, and that is why I love being in the Humanities. I think it’s important to be able to connect and relate to another time or story, be able to connect to a character, or connect to an idea. When we study the inner workings of novels and poems and stories, we gain a perspective that we didn’t have before. We can understand a little bit of the life of the character and a little bit of the history of the time. In all Humanities, we study people and their thoughts, beliefs, and actions, and this is vital to understanding and helping our humanity.

What is required of your position as a work study?
In the English Department Office, I am there right up front so I can assist anyone that has a question or concern for us. I mostly help with organizing and filing documents into the appropriate place and making sure that files get to the right person at the right time.

What has been your favorite moment at CSU?
My favorite moments at CSU are during finals, students everywhere are supportive and loving, and so many were giving food and supplies that assist students.

Describe Eddy in one word.
Welcoming.

Do you have a favorite book or author?
A favorite book of mine would be To Kill a Mockingbird, and my favorite author is Edgar Allan Poe.

Do you have any advice for English majors?
Read for fun! It’s hard to be able read your personal books with the hundreds of readings that we have but keeping reading a part of your life as luxury is important.

What’s your biggest priority right now?
My biggest priority right now is to focus on grades and final projects for classes ending, and to prepare for my classes next semester.

Where will we find you in five years?
I hope you’ll find me in a high school, teaching English and Speech classes, and I also hope to be working on my Masters as well.

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Humans of Eddy: Ben Schrader

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~from intern Courtney Satchell

benschraderBen Schrader
Adjunct instructor for Ethnic Studies Department and Political Studies

What are you working on?
For scholarly purposes? Right now I’m working on this idea building off of Carol Paton’s Sexual Contract and Charles Mills’s Racial Contract into something called the “Soldier Contract.” Cause it’s Soldiers who uphold this idea of sovereignty which these social contracts are embedded in.

Favorite Book?
Travels With Charley in Search for America by John Steinbeck because it talks about this need to travel and it takes a deep look at different identities and what it means to be American and how vastly different it can be no matter where you are and yet the same.

Advice to CSU Students?
Take this seriously. Do the Readings. We’re not assigning things to make you bored. These things will impact you for the rest of your life.

What is your biggest goal?
To be infectious with my thought in order to make positive change.

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Humans of Eddy: David Mucklow

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~from intern Courtney Satchell

davidmucklow

David Mucklow
MFA Poetry
Instructor of E210: Beginning Creative Writing

What are you working on?
I’m working on a lesson plan for this afternoon.

How do you spend most of your time in the Eddy?
Using the computers for lesson planning and my own homework. I also have two classes here, Matthew Cooperman’s Crossing Boundaries and Sasha Steensen’s Graduate Poetry Workshop.

Describe the Eddy in One Word:
Fluid.

What is your favorite poem?
Degrees of Gray in Philipsburg By Richard Hugo because of was the first poem I read that really inspired me to write about places, and the rural places I grew up. It is a wonderfully sad poem.

What is your advice to CSU English majors?
Read and write a lot and equally. Have lots of discussions with classmates and friends on what you’re reading. That discourse is important to building community.

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Humans of Eddy: Marrisa Mullen

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~from intern Courtney Satchell

Marissa Mullen doing homework in the Eddy Computer Lab

Marissa Mullen doing homework in the Eddy Computer Lab

Marrisa Mullen
Double major in Anthropology and Ethnic Studies

What are you working on today: Thought memo for Dr.Souza’s ETST 405 [Ethnicity, Class, and Gender in the U.S.].

What do you normally work on in the Eddy?: Writing papers. I also hangout in the Ethnic Studies Department.

Favorite Literature class/teacher: I’ve never actually had to take an English Class, so I’d say my favorite professor is a tie between Dr.Souza and Dr. Tom Cavana.

What is your favorite book/lyric/quote?:  My favorite book would be 1984, because I think it represents an out of world experience but the contents of it apply to our daily lives.

What is your biggest goal?: To get into grad school.

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Humans of Eddy: Thomas M. Swenson

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~from intern Courtney Satchell

thomasswensen

Thomas M. Swensen
Assistant Professor, Department of Ethnic Studies

What are you currently working on?: I’m currently reading The Reorder of Things: The University and Its Pedagogies of Minority Difference by Roderick Ferguson for my grad seminar called “Race in the City.” This seminar I teach is focused on looking at the University as a city and how the University uses diversity not simply to challenge power structures but rather reinforce them.

Describe the Eddy in one word: Panoptic

Favorite book/poem: My favorite book would be Dogeaters by Jessica Hagedorn, which is a post colonial novel about the Philippines. My favorite poem is “Persimmons” by Li Young Lee.

Any advice for CSU English students?: Read everything. Especially if you’re a non-English major taking a literature class because you might not get the chance to read as much later on.

Biggest Goal?: Finish writing my book, The Great Land: The Environment and Belonging in Native Alaska, for my research.

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Humans of Eddy: Kelly Weber

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~ from intern Joyce Bohling

kelly-weber

Kelly Weber is a first-year graduate student in the MFA Poetry program and graduate teaching assistant (GTA) for CO150.

What projects are you working on currently?

(In my poetry,) I’ve been trying to explore different methods of form and also going back and forth between things that are more autobiographical and things that are totally fictional, using a lot of personas. I try to swerve back and forth between the two. That way every project I do is really different. I just finished up a collage work for one course, for example. I’ve never done a collage work before, and I’ve never done political work before, too; it turned out strangely political, which was very new for me.

How do you spend most of your time in Eddy Hall?

When I’m in Eddy, it tends to be for the classes that I’m taking, or printing. A lot of printing goes on in Eddy Hall.

Do you have a favorite English class or instructor?

I haven’t had a chance to take a class with every instructor, and it’s hard to pick favorites. It’s pretty tough to beat (fiction) workshop, obviously, for various reasons, but I also really love this Crossing Boundaries class that I’m taking. I’ve always been really interested in a lot of the themes that we talk about for this class. The thesis work that I did for my previous master’s was in that topic, and so now I get to take a whole class in, which makes my heart happy.

Could you describe Eddy Hall in one word?

Home. At my previous university, I also had to go up three or four flights of stairs, so it feels very familiar.

What’s your favorite book or poem?

It would be really hard to narrow that down to just one, and it always depends on what I’m reading currently. I think I’m always going to enjoy the poem “Howl.” It was the first poem (I encountered) that was not Robert Frost, so it was the first poem that I really liked. A book that I also really enjoy is Sarah Kay’s No Matter the Wreckage. Love that book. It’s a collection of her spoken word pieces. That really interests me in terms of what spoken word works on the page and what doesn’t. I highly recommend it for a book to read!

If you were to give advice to incoming CSU English grad students, what would it be?

I would say just finding a good work-life balance in terms of what’s manageable and what’s kind to you as you go through this process. Probably, too, just remembering: what were your incoming goals with a program in English in graduate school? What are you really hoping to get out of graduate school? And making sure that you don’t lose sight of that. Dan Beachy-Quick has used the phrase, “You can start to feel a little like a bee drowning in honey.” You have so many wonderful opportunities. And so I would say just to keep some kind of balance in your life, be kind to yourself, and keep in mind your goals and your priorities as you go through grad school.

That leads right into my next question, which is: What is your biggest goal or priority right now?

I think probably doing just that: finding a manageable amount. But really, my biggest goal in grad school and in general is just to get better at writing and take this time for three years to have a kind of focused laboratory, in a way. To have a group of people who are forced to read and respond to my work, which is nice. *laughs It’s really nice to have this time to take all kinds of work to them. A lot of that work will probably be a failure, but I think it’s beautiful in so many ways that we have this time to do that.

Is there anything else you wanted to add?

I love being around trees again! After living in Nebraska for ten years and watching the leaves get ripped from the trees, it’s really nice to see the beautiful autumn here. I really love this community and this campus, and it’s been extremely welcoming.

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