My (sort of) First Publication

Last year at this time I was enrolled in Creative Writing, and we began the semester with a unit on poetry. I was fairly unfamiliar with poetry - the closest I had come to poetry in a long time was Shel Silverstein.

At that time the Braithwaite Art Gallery was hosting an exhibit called "Zion: A Creative Response." Students and faculty from from the Art and English departments at SUU traveled to Zion to express their feelings, thoughts, and experiences of Zion.

My professor took our Intro to Creative Writing class down to the exhibit for class one day. Most of the students who had their poetry on display in the exhibit were there that day to read their poetry. I was in awe of what they had done. Especially because Zion is something I'm so familiar with. I remember thinking, "I would love to have my poetry on that wall!" Little did I know...

Last semester a group of SUU students and faculty once again collaborated with the Braithwaite Art Gallery to put together an exhibit for this semester entitled "Parowan Gap - God's Own House." To fill one of the requirements for my Intermediate Poetry course, I had the option of visiting the Parowan Gap and writing an additional poem about my experiences there. I knew I wanted to work toward getting my poetry on that wall, and so I chose to write an additional poem about the Gap.

I worked like a maniac at that poem. It went through several drafts, several conferences, and several moments of insanity. Although the moments of insanity might not have much to do with the poem, but more to do with genetic inheritance. Either way, it was a crazy time.

Tonight was the opening reception for the exhibit, which will run now through January 30. I'm proud to say my poem is hanging there among amazing poems written by some fantastic poets, who just happen to be my fellow classmates!

It's truly such a surreal thing to have worked on something like that. I've known for a year that I wanted to have a poem with my name to it hanging on the wall. And it was just fantastic to see it there, and to watch people quietly, respectfully, milling around, reading and enjoying art and poetry.

Because my poem is hanging in the exhibit it also qualifies to be in the Kolob Canyon Review. KCR is a peer reviewed journal that showcases art, photography, poetry, prose, etc. from SUU students, faculty, and alumni. I'm proud to say come Aprilish, the newest edition of the KCR will be out and my poem will be in there!

So go check it out! Here's the link for the info on the Braithwaite Art Gallery.