Students at St. John Fisher University are learning the importance behind hearing creative writing perspectives from other than their professors.
Kazim Ali, a writer, poet, novelist, and translator, is currently a professor of literature at the University of California, San Diego was invited to be this semester’s speaker.
On Nov. 6, two events were hosted during Kazim’s visit: a writing workshop in Golisano Gateway Midlevel and a reading and lecture, in the Black Box Theater at the Arts Center in Murphy Hall. Both events were open to the public and free for anyone who wished to join.
After his reading, students were given the opportunity to ask questions. Students were able to ask Ali about his writing methods, and how he came up with the work he had read.
Dr. Anastasia Nikolis, a professor in the English department, plans and hosts the Cavanaugh Speaker every fall semester with the hope of giving students the opportunity to learn about different perspectives from various creative writers.
The expected number of attendees was 50-100, but the Black Box Theater had almost every chair filled, Dr. Nikolis stated.
While Ali read, students were attentive and engaged. Some took notes as he answered questions during the Q & A. “I hope to be an author one day and having more diverse perspectives can be very useful,” said Jacquie Williams, a sophomore majoring in business management.
Williams shared that the seminar was more geared towards authors, but she still found it informative for understanding the different areas of writing.
“I liked the event a lot, it was so cool that we were able to listen to unpublished work instead of listening to work I have already read,” Aimei Hall, a sophomore PR major said.
Ali read unpublished poems that he wrote from his time in Alaska a few years back. Some of Ali’s published books were for sale outside the theater for those in attendance.
