Big crowd at ArtsFest faculty reading
By: Ashton Simmons
Issue date: 11/2/07 Section: News
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Tuesday's audience in Peeler Auditorium experienced what Engligh professor Greg Schwipps called "the best ArtsFest faculty reading we've ever had."
Students and other faculty members spilled onto the floor to listen to 10 members of the English writing faculty read their own works. The faculty reading is a annual event during ArtsFest, this year's theme being "Art in the Environment."
The evening began with an introduction from English professor Peter Graham, who quoted Pablo Picasso: "Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life," setting the tone for an evening of works as varied as the professors reading them.
English professor Metta Samá opened her first faculty reading at DePauw with poetry, reading two works.
Eugene Gloria and Joseph Heithaus, both English professors, also read poetry for the event. Heithaus said he hoped the reading would inspire students to make time for writing.
"My contribution was to say that no matter how busy you are, you can still find the time to read and write," he said.
English professor Chris White read a few pages from a screenplay adapted from her play, THAW. White said via e-mail that the screenplay recently made the first cut at the Sundance Screenwriters Lab.
"I haven't seen anyone read from a screenplay here before," she said. "It's an unusual format to hear read aloud - one shot juxtaposed quickly against the next."
The only essay of the evening was read by English professor Ronald Dye, titled "A Working Class Guitar is Something to Be." For his reading, Dye placed the guitar which inspired the essay on the stage.
English professor Lili Wright and Graham read excerpts from their respective non-fiction books. Each are in the process of publication. Wright read three excerpts from her book, tentatively titled Mother at Sea. Graham read from "Cruising in Jerusalem," a chapter in his book Wandering Home, which he called a "memoir structured as a travel book." He mentioned at the reading that the book is "a lot about finding my sexual identity."
Schwipps and English professors Barbara Bean and Emily Doak read fictional pieces. Schwipps read "Here Come the Barn Cats," a non-fiction piece about the role of cats on his family's farm during his childhood.
"I wanted to write about animals, but with a different perspective and a different side of nature," Schwipps said. "It is messy, and there aren't always easy solutions."
The professors seemed very impressed with the reading, citing the importance of such events on campus.
"There was a high level of energy and enthusiasm [at the reading]," Dye said.
Schwipps said the reading was a success because of the large number of accomplished writers at DePauw.
"These are real writers, right here," he said.
Students and other faculty members spilled onto the floor to listen to 10 members of the English writing faculty read their own works. The faculty reading is a annual event during ArtsFest, this year's theme being "Art in the Environment."
The evening began with an introduction from English professor Peter Graham, who quoted Pablo Picasso: "Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life," setting the tone for an evening of works as varied as the professors reading them.
English professor Metta Samá opened her first faculty reading at DePauw with poetry, reading two works.
Eugene Gloria and Joseph Heithaus, both English professors, also read poetry for the event. Heithaus said he hoped the reading would inspire students to make time for writing.
"My contribution was to say that no matter how busy you are, you can still find the time to read and write," he said.
English professor Chris White read a few pages from a screenplay adapted from her play, THAW. White said via e-mail that the screenplay recently made the first cut at the Sundance Screenwriters Lab.
"I haven't seen anyone read from a screenplay here before," she said. "It's an unusual format to hear read aloud - one shot juxtaposed quickly against the next."
The only essay of the evening was read by English professor Ronald Dye, titled "A Working Class Guitar is Something to Be." For his reading, Dye placed the guitar which inspired the essay on the stage.
English professor Lili Wright and Graham read excerpts from their respective non-fiction books. Each are in the process of publication. Wright read three excerpts from her book, tentatively titled Mother at Sea. Graham read from "Cruising in Jerusalem," a chapter in his book Wandering Home, which he called a "memoir structured as a travel book." He mentioned at the reading that the book is "a lot about finding my sexual identity."
Schwipps and English professors Barbara Bean and Emily Doak read fictional pieces. Schwipps read "Here Come the Barn Cats," a non-fiction piece about the role of cats on his family's farm during his childhood.
"I wanted to write about animals, but with a different perspective and a different side of nature," Schwipps said. "It is messy, and there aren't always easy solutions."
The professors seemed very impressed with the reading, citing the importance of such events on campus.
"There was a high level of energy and enthusiasm [at the reading]," Dye said.
Schwipps said the reading was a success because of the large number of accomplished writers at DePauw.
"These are real writers, right here," he said.
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