On Nov. 1 at 7 p.m., students filed into the lecture room of CH 217. These students were not there for a class, however. They were there for the English Club reading.
The students themselves wrote the bits of literature read at the reading. Some students recited their poetry, some read short stories, and others read sections from novels in progress. Each reader had to stand up in front of the group and read from behind a podium.
The words from the students’ stories were wonderful. Some were sad, some had happy endings, but all were written with talent.
Dan Kilkelly read his short story entitled “Fall of Troy,” and Justin Craigmile read his short story “Wind’s Sad Song.” The boys discussed what inspired them to write their pieces.
“I had this brilliant idea for a story of a man so caught up in his old relationship that he wouldn’t repeat any of the gestures or he’d feel like he was cheating his dead wife. Then the class that work-shopped it I thought it was a serial killer…so I went with that vibe,” Kilkelly explained.
From the listener’s point of view, his story had a good feel of how a date would go despite the whole serial killer vibe.
“My intention was to make it like a Native American folktale,” Craigmile said. Sherman Alexie stories were also a good inspiration for his story. “I wasn’t going for the ‘wind is alive’ theme. The wind sounds sad to me, so I tried to make like how a Greek myth would go.”
Justin’s story did accomplish the Greek myth vibe. His story told the tale of the wind’s lost lover and how she eventually returns to the wind.
This English Club reading was successful. Hopefully, there will be even more students and stories at the next English Club reading.