Philip Metres thinks of being an author as embarking on a journey. Metres “We need to reflect on this process that we’re engaging in,” said Metres, a poet and professor of English at John Carroll
Charlotte Matthews doesn’t believe Chautauqua is made up only of Bestor Plaza, the Amphitheater or the Hall of Philosophy — in Matthews’ view, Chautauqua is a place for people who are searching for the sacred,
What’s the point of writing? Eidus When faced with questions like that, Janice Eidus quotes Sylvia Plath: “I write only because / There is a voice within me / That will not be still.” “I
For Tim Maughan, choosing to be a writer wasn’t really a choice at all. Maughan Infinite Detail “It was the only thing I was any good at at school, to be quite honest,” said Maughan,
Routine is important to Nicholas Thompson. Thompson At 6 a.m., even in the midst of a global pandemic, he wakes before anyone else in his family to go on a run. By 7 a.m. he’s
Janice Eidus’ short fiction tends to operate on many different levels. Eidus In particular, her short story “Davida’s Own,” part of the collection Vito Loves Geraldine, is about “the ocean as a symbol of family,
There’s an argument in American literary circles about who gets to write about whom — an argument that, in the last few years, has been reanimated again and again. Henderson Its most recent resurfacing was
How will the conflicts of our time be reflected in history books 10 years from now? What about 30? Bryant What signs, symbols, texts or objects will tell our stories? Who gets to decide that?
Hoppenthaler, Morrison, The Source of Self-Regard The catering business might not seem like a likely literary catalyst for a writer’s career, but in John Hoppenthaler’s case, it absolutely was. Hoppenthaler, in addition to being a
There’s the rosewood scroll, the strings, the bridge, the tailpiece and the bow. It all comes together to form a cello, a vehicle through which a person can create music and harmony. Friesen But for
Calvocoressi Gabrielle Calvocoressi is fascinated by a deeply human concept called the “beautiful terrible” — those little moments of bliss in a person’s life otherwise marred by depression, sadness and loss. “How is it that
Smith Anna Deavere Smith believes in not casting people aside, especially when it comes to students in the nation’s public schools. “A lot of things that a (Black, brown or Native American) kid might do
From the time she was little, Eleanor Henderson said she always wanted to write stories. “I would tell stories, and mostly I would plagiarize them from books that I read or shows on Nickelodeon,” said
Sony Ton-Aime’s dream is for the new online iteration of Chautauqua’s Poetry Makerspace to be a place where people can simply sit for a moment in peace and interact with poetry. The new microsite, which
White There’s no limit to your imagination? Jacob White disagrees. “The idea that our imagination is infinite is a kind of optical illusion, like one of those endless swimming pools you see on the oceanfront
Sok Monica Sok thinks poet Gwendolyn Brooks said it best: “We are each other's harvest; we are each other's business; we are each other's magnitude and bond.” That quote resonates with Sok in part because