Creative Writing
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On the Way Out Part 1 – The Beginning.
I remember the title of Jenny Boully’s oeuvre The Book of Beginnings and Endings. I was her student for a few classes during my MFA at C..
Wanting to go but not being able to leave.
Abandoned Pool in Lebanon
I’ve been away for a while now. It’s been more than a month, but I’m back. I went to Lebanon: my native coun..
Interdisciplinary MFA Salon: Blending Words and Images
The MFA program in Creative Writing has recently welcomed a new Director of Graduate Studies: Lisa Fishman. Lisa has claimed her posit..
Solitude: The Writer’s Hidden Resource
Hello, I’m Karl, I just arrived here. I was wondering if you would be interested in hearing out a little story. I just want to clarify a q..
‘Till Next Time
I have to admit, there is a mixture of emotions traveling through my body—there are moments were I feel happy as I just finished my thesis..
Writing Life During the Pandemic
This post was originally going to be a spotlight, highlighting and celebrating the works of two Columbia College Chicago instructors, renowned poets Tony Trigilio and David Trinidad. Both were going to part take in a reading with another phenomenal poet, Aaron Smith, whose work has been assigned by both Tony and David in various class—Aaron’s poetry collection has been well welcomed, well received, and has even become a general fan favorite of many Columbia students in the MFA program (especially in my cohort!).
New Year, Last Semester
January 28th, 2020 was my officially my last “first day of day school” as it was the first class of my last semester in the poetry program. Leading up to the day, I felt a bit of excitement—I felt a moment of pride knowing that my work and dedication to my poetic craft was not too far from cultivating an accomplishment that appeared unattainable during my undergrad years: walking across the stage with a Master’s degree!
Interview with Poetry MFA Ju’Juan Day
For this blog post, I thought I would try something a bit different. Sure, you’ve seen me discuss plenty of topics: how to prepare for a reading, places I explored during the summer, and even how to get out of an uninspired writing rut. But I thought it would be nice to see someone other than myself provide their own insight on these topics…
Tips on How to Prepare for a Reading
Roughly a week ago, I did a reading at the Poetry Foundation as part of their Open-Door Series alongside poets Lani T. Montreal, Shina Davis, and Columbia College Chicago’s very own Tony Trigilio. While the experience was incredible—and a bit surreal as I look back on it—there was plenty of preparation I needed to do beforehand.
Places to Check Out This Summer: the Poetry Foundation
Last month, I wrote about how I had slacked a bit when it came to writing. While I took strides to get myself out of this rut through Virgil Abloh’s art, I realized that was not enough. I read some more poems and penned a few things, but I was not quite there yet—whenever I raised my pen and opened my journal, I could still feel that I was a bit out of my element. I knew I should probably venture out and find somewhere to build off the momentum I had started. That’s when the light bulb in my head turned on—I knew I needed to go to the Poetry Foundation.