Authors bring 'new voice' to aspiring writers

For poet Dennis Etzel Jr. and fiction writer Tasha Haas, performing their works in front of a student audience was a new experience.

“Being able to now see them in person is a great gift for us all,” said Kevin Rabas, assistant English professor.

The event was sponsored by the performing arts board, the creative writing Program and the department of English and was held in the Veterans Hall of Honor in the Memorial Union on March 27 as part of the New Voice Authors event.

Both of the authors have recently been published in the Flint Hills Review, Emporia State’s literary magazine. Etzel has a Master’s degree in Literature and Creative Writing from Kansas State, and his works have been published in Black Bear Review, Poetry Midwest and RATTLE. He read several poems that explored subjects ranging from dream interpretation to fast food.

“Potatoes, cows, fish and chicken, the list of the condemned will soon include you,” Etzel read from his poem, Burning in the Lake of Fryer. “How you are cut down and frozen while at work…The manager brings down fryer baskets, shaped like iron fists, and ends illusions of meals named Happy.”

Haas, who has a Bachelor of Arts in English and French and a Master’s of Fine Arts in Fiction from Bowling Green State, read selections from her story “The Woman in the Wings.” The story focuses on the differences between men and women and is told from the perspective of the girlfriend of an up-and-coming novelist. While visiting the home of a famous artist and his wife, the woman notices the constant criticism to which the wife subjects her husband.

“Those with mediocre talents always envy those with extraordinary ones,” Haas read. “Who knows, maybe Grete Grausen was sick of being the woman in the wings too and that’s what made her so mean, maybe after forty years in her husband’s shadow she had had enough. Grausen, a fitting name, it means ‘shivers’ or ‘horrors’ in German. She gave me the shivers all right. When we see what we most detest or fear in ourselves taken to grotesque proportions in someone else it really puts us on edge.”

Students and faculty enjoyed the style of the readings and took advantage of the opportunity to engage in a dialogue with the authors directly.

“It’s definitely a good opportunity to have authors and artists come and see them read their own work,” said Trenton Schroter, senior psychology major. “It’s a little less dis-attached from reading it on paper and hearing some one read their own work.”

Those who attended the reading considered the event successful in several aspects, especially in terms of anticipating the works of future authors.

“The room seemed filled and folks asked great questions so it seems like everyone had a great time and was able to reflect on what they heard and seemed inspired,” Rabas said. “I thought it was a great reading and it’s wonderful just to hear new voice writers because you can see who will be the next person you will see in more small press literary magazines and books and maybe one day in the Norton Anthology. So I think it’s great to have this kind of history happening here at ESU.”

Before the reading on Thursday, Etzel and Haas used class time to visit with English students about their writing. After the readings, the audience members were allowed to ask questions. Rabas also said that he feels there are several benefits of having authors visit and share their works with students on a personal level.

“I think the best thing is you can ask them questions and you can find out more about the process as well as the art itself,” Rabas said. “The intricacies can be mined more easily when you have the person right there in front of you and you can get into the language and the rhythm through hearing it instead of just reading it.”

Some students were required to attend the event for a class, including the Flint Hills Review literary magazine seminar.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard an author read her own short story,” Schroter said. “All the readings I’ve ever attended have been poetry. It was nice to hear a fiction piece.”

When asked about their own inspirations, the authors reflected on the initiation of the writing process as well as the finished product.

“Usually, I just start out with a word or I pull and image,” Etzel said. “I start writing with that and kind of see what happens. That’s why my environmentalist ideas, social concerns end up coming to the surface. But I never set out to write those kinds of poems.”

The visiting authors also hoped to inspire students to continue to pursue writing in their own lives and careers.

“That’s one of my purposes--always to encourage other writers,” Haas said

Haas is currently working on her first book and is close to completing it. Through her own experience as a writer, Haas has developed some advice for aspiring writers facing obstacles.

“To writers, my advice is to write and don’t let anything stop you from writing,” Haas said. “Whether it’s inside of you or outside of you- time or the world or critics or your own personal stuff, don’t let it stop you.”