Derrick Parker


     When Dr. Haugen invited me to Literature fest 2013 I gratefully accepted. I have always enjoyed reading and even dabbling with my own writing, but I have found myself in three of Dr. Haugen's classes this semester. One of those classes I am lucky enough to be taking with her is the creative writing of poetry class. Before this class I have appreciated poetry, but had a certain distaste in my mouth when it came to the discipline. She has shown me the light, and not only how to appreciate certain poems but their is much more written out there more than just the classics. Not only that, but i enjoy writing it now, no longer is looking at poetry a chore.
     Thus, when I left for Athens not only did I pack some notebooks, pencils, and extra clothes, but also a new found appreciation. I have been to Athens before, so the campus did not amaze or surprise me. However, I do thoroughly enjoy each visit, as the town seems so inviting. For example, during our down time we explored a local music shop. Outside of this shop were a couple of musicians sitting on a bench with guitars next to them. As the rest of our group walked in, Jessica Conley approached them asking them to play. With smiles on their faces, they quickly started up a song.
    To be honest, I did have my apprehensions about attending the trip. I had never heard of many of the speakers (perhaps that damages my intellectual image), and I really only knew Corey Zornes. I was nervous that I would be out of place, perhaps the lectures would all be dry and boring, and I would be the odd man out on the trip. The actual events were much to the contrary, though, as the first speaker was my favorite of the entire festival.
   Dean young and his poetry, which was described as a lightning rod were hilarious. One poem in particular managed to place the author inside the poem with a series of self references, almost Vonnegut-esc (yes I recently read my first Vonnegut novel, and Im stuck relating everything to the master satirist). The next speaker, Bonnie Jo Campbell was a realist to the heart. In order to dig up creative material she would follow real people around, observing and asking them questions, interviewing them and their family in order to get to the bottom of their person and what irks them. This brand of investigative creative writing allows her to give an incredibly fresh insight to her readers via her writing. Sure, she has her little obsessions (Mathmatics, meth addiction, Y2k) but more than any other author their she was authentic. More than that, she was incredibly approachable. The day of her lecture she approached Corey and I saying "Awesome dudes! We are all wearing plaid" This small observation illustrates just how attuned to the everyman this author has become. She seemed elated at the fact that our group of students were from a small town in whatever its name is, Ohio. She even seemed truly flattered when Jessica announced her "girl crush" for her.
     The headliner, Robert Olen Butler, was an excellent writer. His reading was truly insightful. The creativity of this man is astounding. All that being said, he came off as slightly pompous, a bit condescending, and what some would call a jerk. Perhaps his Pulitzer prize has puffed his chest out (it would mine), but him being rude to Dean Young during his lecture was unfitting of a man of his abilities. To his credit, he gave a very vivid lecture about how art comes from the unconscious mind. "Life is chaos" according to Butler, and no matter how chaotic your art seems, there is always an order underneath of it that readers and onlookers wish and must find as we all want to find order in our own chaotic world. He also asserted that the actual aesthetic reading is of main importance, and that analysis is secondary and can in fact be damaging to the art. I disagree with this, as analysis can help us not only understand the work and the viewpoint of the author, but the chaos of our own worlds.
     Sarah Lindsay and Diana Ackerman were both good writers, however, their works were not my cup of tea. They both had a very naturalist feel to their works, Lindsay dealing mostly with the animal world and Ackerman dealing with both animals and her husband's illness. Diana's voice was soothing, though, her short story about the whales took me to a groggy part of my mind between dreaming and awareness.
     Besides the readings and lectures, getting to know new friends was great. I feel as though I drove home now knowing people that I will be close to for some time. Over various meals, board games, tours of both campus and the old insane asylum, and drinks, we struck new bonds. Isnt that what college is all about? So I can only thank Dr. Haugen for inviting me once again, I truly enjoyed my time with all of you who went, and I cant wait for Haley to assemble next year's trip which I am more than ready to attend!