By Hannah Cole, Literature Columnist
Author Scott Russell Sanders opened the first event of Lee's 2016 Writer's Festival, Feb. 24, with wise words. “You don’t become a writer only by studying writing. You do it by engaging in anything that interests you. It’s not just a subject; it’s a way of being in the world.” Sanders said. Sanders shared some of his most recent stories with students that are paired with photographs taken by Peter Forbes. He wrote each of the 8 stories he read based on one photograph in Forbes’ collection, and the combination of one image with a corresponding creative essay is a powerful pairing. Sanders looked through the collection of photos and wrote stories on the ones he kept coming back to because “something about the image struck me, provoked me.” The idea of writing based on a photograph intrigued me, and the way he incorporated the image into each piece as well as the words themselves mirrors his concern for the preservation of the world we inhabit. He found inspiration in seemingly unrelated photos and gave them a voice. I liked how we could see the image as he was reading, and it was a more poignant connection. I’m glad I had the opportunity to hear him speak and read his work because all writers think differently; their worldviews and experiences are unique to them, and they write out of interest for a particular story or subject. Sanders statement that writing is not merely a subject we enjoy or a major we may have in college—that “it’s a way of being in the world”—is thought-provoking, and it calls into question why we write. I don’t write or read because I’m an English major. I do it because it’s connected to something deeper, and my desire to write and to read definitely is related to what I am passionate about. It is freeing to think this way and to realize that it is true. Hopefully, when we create a work of art, a piece of writing, anything, we do so because we are drawn to something that strikes us about it, that provokes us. The stories he read Wednesday reflected his statement on writing as well as his passion for conservation and his deep concern for the world we live in. My writing reflects other things perhaps than Sanders’ writing, but it reflects who I am and what is important to me. Lee will host two more Writer’s Festival events which will be held in March and April. For more info on upcoming events, contact Dr. William Woolfitt, [email protected] *originally posted on leeclarion.com as part of my weekly literature column and in conjunction with the 2016 Writers' Festival hosted by Lee University's Department of Language and Literature.
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