Ramon Morales
Staff Writer
A group of about 30 students and faculty members gathered at the Ludwick Center’s Sacred Space last week to hear a reading delivered by three creative writing students.
Mia Aguilera, a junior creative writing major, Mia Alvarez, also a junior creative writing major, and Adonis Borer, sophomore psychology major, read works as various as the authors and their unique personalities and experiences.
The event started with Aguilera reading her piece titled “The Transition.” The short story used different creative elements including Aguilera’s imagination that described an experience in hell.
Wondering what hell is like, she incorporated unique elements like a headless cat and endless staircases. And she concluded that in the end, hell is full of tricks. All of these things were explained throughout her story.
“There was a set of paintings that we were not given any context to, so it was left up to my perspective and imagination,” said Aguilera when asked what had inspired her story. “Building off my imagination – it was a really fun project.”
Next Alvarez delivered a reading of her untitled piece. It described a situation of a pregnant girl, and different elements and circumstances that she dealt with. The story used irony, imagination and even a different language – Spanish – to help keep the audience engaged.
“I personally prefer when bilingual writers don’t translate,” Alvarez said, “I feel if you’re a bilingual writer then that’s what you are. I also felt that there was enough context that even if you don’t speak Spanish you were able to tell she had said something.”
The third and final speaker was Borer. They delivered three smaller pieces that all tied together into one creative reading. Borer used lived experiences to give these impactful stories that they worked on. The stories talked about living with the devil, describing the experience that they went through.
“As much as it sounded like it, I usually don’t write really depressing stuff,” said Borer when describing what had inspired them to write these stories.
The writers all explained how in this case, they shared stories that they are not usually accustomed to writing. They all went outside of their comfort zones in order to share with the audience something memorable.
The writers also described how it was different for them to be so vulnerable and how it was a new experience for them to share it with others.
All of the students shared a commonality, they all love writing creatively but they are not accustomed to reading their stories out loud. Even less to a live audience, but it seemed effortless.
Despite it being a new experience for all of them, it was not obvious in their delivery. There was nothing but creativity expressed, and the audience remained engaged all throughout the readings.
“This was only the first of two readings, we’re having another one in four weeks,” Sean Bernard, professor of creative writing said.
The next reading will take place on Dec. 7, in the Ludwick Center’s Sacred Space.
Ramon Morales can be reached at ramon.morales@laverne.edu
Ramon Morales, a senior communications major with an concentration in public affairs, is a staff writer for the Campus Times.
Camille C.Nan is a senior photography major and art history minor who specializes in portraiture. She is a staff photographer for Campus Times and La Verne Magazine.
