It's rare at Hopkins to get more than twenty people in any room on campus outside a classroom, no matter how well publicized the free food is. But every Thursday since Oct. 28, a steady stream of students has filled Gilman 323 to listen in on the work of featured undergraduate writers, participate in open mic. reading, and enjoy the occasional Oreo platter or apple spiral.
William Camponovo, a sophomore Writing Seminars major who read at the first reading remarked, "I think that what we have here is unique, it's something that they don't have at other universities where there are good writing programs. I mean, here at Hopkins, we've got one of the best writing programs in the country, right, so it's amazing that a bunch of us can get together and read out stuff so it doesn't just go to waste." It's a sentiment that seems to be shared by many in the Writing Seminars department.
Amy Hellman, another formerly featured reader, added, "I think it's a really great forum for a positive sharing of work outside the workshop environment. Being able to share your work with a group of your peers and celebrate it, not criticize it, is really great."
The readings consist of ten to twenty minute slots of fiction or poetry by two to three featured readers, followed by as many open-mic performers as can fit into the remaining portion of the hour. Antonia Dixon, the organizer of the event, described the work as, "sometimes mystical and poignant, often lyrical and experimental, and always infallible in its maturity and acuity," and in this writer's opinion, nothing short of Hopkins' standards. That is, the writing is damn good.
Asked whether Hopkins' writers are fighting a losing battle, Dixon replied, "Certainly not. For me personally, the writing community at Hopkins is the most appealing aspect of this school, because the students are incredibly talented, incredibly dedicated and ambitious, and perhaps most importantly, extremely supportive of each other."
The strength of the Writing Seminars program at Hopkins isn't summed up by the circulation of student publications Zeniada and J. Mag. It thrives on the highly academic, and highly worked over poetry and fiction that isn't necessarily created for publication; so whether or not the Hopkins community cares to read it shouldn't be seen as a litmus test for success.
Although Dixon will not be attending Hopkins next semester, she plans to pass the torch onto a group of her Writing Seminars peers who have volunteered for the job, and is positive that the readings will continue and thrive through the commitment of the department. "That these readings were relatively simple to put together and so well received by the student body, is a testament to how creativity, and writing especially, is largely embraced at this school."
The work of Antonia Dixon, Josh Chaffee and James Zwerneman, along with a special open mic slam poetry event, will conclude the undergraduate readings for this semester on Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. For more information contact Antonia Dixon at antonia_282@yahoo.com, or Doug Basford at dbasford@jhu.edu.
