The creative writing program brought together current students and alumni fiction writers to share their work via Zoom during the second Fall/Winter Fiction Series event last Friday via Zoom.
Alumna Aimee Campos, class of 2019, and junior creative writing major Jasmine Venegas, read their works before a virtual audience of 16.
Campos’ piece featured a woman who lived in an old fashioned town in Virginia, who was in an unhappy marriage and had a series of affairs. When one of her lovers took her to a racing track, she met a horse who gave her bad advice and led her to plan her husband’s murder.
Campos said she came up with this idea through a prompt in one of her graduate school creative writing classes.
Venegas read two of her short stories titled “Sugar” and “To Be a Butterfly.”
“Sugar” was dream-like, also about a broken marriage between a man on the moon and a woman in need of sugar. This metaphorical story is carried out between space and time.
“To Be a Butterfly” was about a little girl who is obsessed with butterflies and follows her dream of becoming one.
Venegas said the Zoom format was reassuring while she read her work.
“I really enjoyed seeing things pop up in the chat as I was reading,” she said.
Among the students and faculty attending the online event was junior creative writing major Sienna Ruiz, whose work will be featured in next month’s Fall Fiction event.
“The readings were well set up and had those interactive elements like the Q and A, … which allows the audience to be involved while the reader reads their story,” Ruiz said.
The event’s coordinator, Professor of Creative Writing Sean Bernard, said these events let him see his current and former students’ growth.
“I get to hear new stories from students who have gone through the program, and see how their work is developing and maturing, while also showcasing current students’ work,” Bernard said.
The next Fall Fiction event will be at noon, Dec. 4, also via Zoom.
– Cheyenne Vargas
