Artist Book Showcase highlights the works of creative writing students
An Artist Book Showcase featuring colorful works from the Creative Writing class was held on March 27 inside the Jason Technology Center at Delaware Technical Community College.
The event was held by English Instructor Jennifer Morley.
Lester Fair, a communications student, was presenting his artist book, a visual representation of the nano-fictions written by the students in Morley’s creative writing class. The nano-fictions were five related stories each consisting of three sentences.
“I wrote about a beast within a boy,” said Fair, describing his artist book. “It’s about the internal conflict that some people have with rage or anxiety or just bipolar symptoms.”
Fair’s artist book was a video he produced featuring a voice over of the nano-fictions spoken by Fair. Fair said he hoped to get inspiration at the event from his classmates’ artist books in addition to displaying his own artwork.
“I like interpreting other people’s work and I love expressing my own,” said Fair. “I like having deep talks with my peers and [the class] is a free environment.”
Also exhibiting her artist book at the event was Alison Russo, a Delmar High School student who’s in the creative writing course.
“I think it’s actually really interesting to see what other people come up with...I think it can bring a new perspective into different things...how people see different ideas that maybe they didn’t think about before,” said Russo.
“It’s a theme of just kind of taking a look at things you wouldn’t typically notice in life,” said Russo. “I enjoy the idea of something small that can be gone in the blink of an eye, but you’ll never notice it.”
The event wasn’t just for students, as Delaware Tech employees and staff members also attended the event.
English Instructor and Department Chair Lacey Weller, who came to support the creative writing showcase and her colleague Morley.
Weller said she appreciated seeing the artist books because she was so accustomed to seeing stories written on paper in her department, she explained that seeing stories as a visual medium was refreshing and interesting.
“I liked all of them,” said Weller. “Some of them dealt with love, I feel like a lot of them dealt with feelings whether that was negative or positive, or sentiments towards family, so everyone I kind of connect with in a different way.”
The Creative Writing Class will continue this semester working on projects and some students are signed up to read poetry and short stories they have written in this year’s Multimedia Showcase on April 30 at the Milton Theatre.
Creative writing students (left to right) Olivia Tennefoss and Cassidy Clark, demonstrate their artist books to people passing by. Photo by L.Williams.
Laura Glaros, Seth Kwiecien, Lauren Moon, and Jana Ruark (left to right) sitting and conversing with one another. Photo by L.Williams.
Creative writing students sit at their tables awaiting people to stop by, ask questions,and examine their work. Photo by L.Williams.