The Althea Ward Clark W’21 Reading Series, presented by the Lewis Center for the Arts’ Program in Creative Writing at Princeton University, continues the 2022-23 season with a reading of recent work by students in the program on Tuesday, December 13 at 5:00 p.m. in the Chancellor Green Rotunda on the Princeton University campus. The event is free and open to the public; no tickets are required. The Rotunda is an accessible venue. Guests in need of access accommodations are invited to contact the Lewis Center at LewisCenter@princeton.edu at least one week prior to the event date.
At the event, students will read from new works of fiction, poetry, screenwriting, and literary translation written during the past semester as part of fall creative writing workshops.
“This event is a long-treasured tradition of the program where we celebrate our students and their love of words,” said Yiyun Li, acclaimed fiction writer and Director of the Program in Creative Writing.
Students reading from their work include Melody Choi, Samiksha Gaherwar, Amy Liu, Ethan Luk, Mutemwa Masheke, Jahir Morris, Ethan Wang, and Daniel Yu from introductory poetry courses, along with Maya Avida, Pia Bhatia, Paige Cromley, Tejas Gupta, Sydney Hwang, Helena Richardson, Daniel Viorica, and Tess Weinreich from introductory fiction sections. Isabella Pu will read from her recent literary translations. Students from advanced courses in poetry and fiction who will read from their work include Juliette Carbonnier, Liv Ragan along with Thia Bian, Claire Schultz, and Sierra Stern. Rosemary Dietz, Clayton Ferguson, and Tyler Wilson will share their work in screenwriting, and Charles Nuermberger will read from his writing for the special topics course “Writing Political Fiction.”
Through the program, students can earn a certificate in creative writing in addition to their degree in a major. They have the opportunity to pursue original work in fiction, poetry, screenwriting and translation under the guidance of practicing, award-winning authors including faculty members Aleksandar Hemon, Ilya Kaminsky, Yiyun Li, Paul Muldoon, Patricia Smith, Kirstin Valdez Quade, Susan Wheeler, and a number of distinguished lecturers.
The small workshop courses offered by the program are limited in enrollment to ensure the benefits of working closely with faculty. Workshops meet for up to three hours weekly and are devoted primarily to discussion of student work. Each year, 15 to 20 seniors also work individually with a member of the faculty on a creative thesis, such as a novel, a screenplay, or a collection of short stories, poems, or translations.
The program annually presents the Althea Ward Clark W’21 Reading Series, which provides an opportunity for students, as well as all in the greater Princeton region, to hear and meet the best contemporary writers. The series is organized by Lecturer in Creative Writing and award-winning poet Michael Dickman. Writers reading in the coming months include poet/activist Rodrigo Toscano and novelist Tommy Orange on February 21, followed by poet A. Van Jordan and fiction writer Emma Cline on March 28. All readings are free and open to the public.
All guests must either be fully vaccinated, or have recently tested negative (via PCR within 72 hours or via rapid antigen test within 8 hours of the scheduled visit) and be prepared to show proof if asked, or wear a face covering when indoors and around others.
Visit the Lewis Center website to learn more about this event, the Program in Creative Writing, and the more than 100 other performances, exhibitions, readings, screenings, concerts, and lectures presented each year by the Lewis Center, most of them free.
