The Kratz Center for Creative Writing at Goucher College chose 13 students for its annual Summer Writing Fellowship program. The fellowships give funds to students who will travel or do research to support the creation of a work of creative writing. Students are chosen on the basis of their writing samples, as well as their plan for an artistic project. The fellowship offers amounts between $1,000 and $3,000.
Rae Walker ’17 received $3,000 to travel from New Jersey to Atlanta, writing poems about migration inspired by Jacob Lawrence’s paintings. “Sometimes there is a moment: ‘I have to write about this!’ And as I watched Jacob Lawrence’s migration painting series, the message was clear. It’s interesting for me to trace down where and whom I’m a descendant from. My family migrated from the South to the North to escape from slavery. My great-great-grandparents lived in Georgia and my great-grandparents lived in New Jersey. So I named my project Long Journey Home. I want to give voice through my work for those who migrated in search of freedom and a home.”
India Lamb ’17 is attempting to distill the true essence of Baltimore, where she was born and grew up. The representation of Baltimore to people outside the city seems unfair to her. “I want to lead people to have other perspectives, especially teenagers. They grow up too fast without noticing the beauty of Baltimore. There are aspects of Baltimore people disregard, and it should be changed. I will incorporate the small things other cities wouldn’t have. And a lot of people from Baltimore have special slang and the way they explain things and the way they see the world are not the same anywhere else. As I conduct research and write about them, I will eventually write stories so teenagers can be proud of where they are from.”
Adam Geller ’17 is performing on the Powwow circuit. “I believe we can always reach out and touch beautiful things, and we can always find something wondrous, regardless how different we are. Creation is learning how to communicate with them.”
Lamb is looking forward to the impact the fellowship will have on her work. “I want to be an author someday, and it is a great opportunity to discipline myself.” And she encourages trying. “The application process isn’t hard at all. Non-English majors also can apply but it can be a little bit time-consuming.” The application required Lamb to write 15-20 pages stating how much money she would need for her project, while showing thoroughly how she would use those funds.
Rika Hoffman ’17 is excited to be back in the countries that are close to her heart. She visited Japan growing up to visit relatives in Yokohama, and in high school she went to Taiwan as an exchange student. “One of my subjects is the idea of reconnection. It’s been four years since I’ve been to both countries, and my perspective now as a 21-year-old is much different. I’d like to explore my family’s history and connect to my mother’s side, in a way I wasn’t able to as a kid.
“Another subject I plan to explore is Japan and Taiwan’s distinct, but related, personalities. I first became familiar with Buddhism last summer when I spent two weeks at a Buddhist temple, and I’m keen to discover more. So, I will be visiting Buddhist and Shinto temples and participating in tea ceremonies in order to learn more about Eastern philosophy.”
That is part of what the fellowships are all about—giving students the chance to learn by doing. As Geller noted, “Writing can’t be taught by others. It is trial and error on your own.”
For more information, visit https://blogs.goucher.edu/kratz/