Jenna Bacon, Campus Carrier arts and living editor
The Evans School of Humanities hosted a reading Tuesday where three Berry alumni read excerpts, short stories and poetry from their published works. Once the initial reading was over, Berry alumni David James Poissant, Nathanael Williams and Charis Morgan answered any questions the audience presented.
Poissant is the author of a short story collection titled “The Heaven of Animals,” a novel titled “Lake Life,” and many other literary works. “The Heaven of Animals” received many accolades, including the Great Lakes College Association (GLCA) New Writers Award for Fiction and the Florida Book Awards Silver Medal for Fiction. Lake Life was published by Simon and Schuster on July 7, 2020. Poissant graduated from Berry in 2001 with an English degree; then he taught high school for four years before entering the University of Arizona’s Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program for creative writing. Upon receiving his MFA, Poissant went on to get his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in English and Creative Writing from the University of Cincinatti. Currently, Poissant teaches in the MFA program at the University of Central Florida, where he has worked for the past 14 years.
Anytime art is created, whether it be a painting, a song or a story, the artist goes through some kind of creative process to get their final product. Poissant shared what his creative process looks like now and how it has changed over the years. According to Poissant, he previously would make sure to carve out a few consecutive hours in his day to get his writing done. Now, as someone with a busier lifestyle, he takes advantage of any bits of free time he has to work on his writing.
“Now, it’s less about searching for some kind of idea or harnessing some kind of external creativity as much as it is just having the discipline to sit down and do it,” Poissant said. “And hoping, in the act of doing it, that I’m able to channel a creative moment.”
Nathanael Williams is in his third year of graduate school at Georgia College and State University, where he is pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing. Williams teaches English Composition and Creative Writing as part of his graduate program. Possessing expertise in a subject doesn’t always guarantee the ability to teach that subject to others. However, the passion an individual has for their craft can inspire a newfound desire to teach others about it. According to Williams, it was through a class with Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing Clinton Peters that he discovered his love for teaching. During his time at Berry, Williams got the opportunity to teach kids at the Rome Youth Detention Center about creative writing. This experience allowed him to learn classroom management skills and how to keep students engaged with the curriculum.
“I think a number of the classes that I took either with Dr. Peters or with Dr. Donnelly, helped me appreciate more and more of what it meant to become an English teacher, a creative writing teacher, and that’s where I am now as an as an adjunct at Georgia College,” Williams said.
As professionals at different stages in their careers, Berry alumni are some of the best sources of guidance. Their diverse experiences can offer insight into the various opportunities available for recent college graduates. Charis Morgan graduated from Berry in 2022 and took a gap year before pursuing an MFA at the University of Alabama. Currently, she works as the Assistant Poetry Editor for the Black Warrior Review, the University of Alabama’s literary magazine run by graduate students. Morgan’s poetry has appeared and is forthcoming in various literary magazines, such as the Florida Review, Grain and Cincinnati Review miCRo series.
Morgan said she has had a great experience with her MFA program.
“I think it’s really beneficial to have a community and mentorship,” Morgan said. “Yes, you can develop as a writer on your own, but it’s much more difficult.”
Morgan also shared valuable advice on getting work published.
“You must realize that a lot of it is a numbers game,” Morgan said. “You just have to submit a lot and not be discouraged by getting rejected 10 times with the same piece. You just have to keep sending it out, and eventually, if it’s good, someone will pick it up.”
The Berry Alumni Reading highlighted the published works of Berry alumni and allowed students valuable insight into the realities of a career in the field of creative writing. Through their experiences, Poissant, Williams, and Morgan were able to provide students with inspiration and guidance for the road ahead. It will be exciting to see what amazing work these individuals do next.