Alas, we knew this day would come. After what seemed like only a handful of readings, the VOICE Reading Series closes its semester run tomorrow when fiction readers Baron Haber, Eric Tanyavutti and Jessica Thom take the stage at Krannert Art Museum at 7:30 p.m.
[Note: If this is not enough exposure ot the literary arts for you, swing on by the MFA Thesis Reading. Details at the end of this article.]
That pretty much sums up the who, what, where and when. To answer the why on the other hand (that is, other than the obvious: you’ll get to listen as people read their stories to you), you’ll have to keep reading.
J
essica Thom
Where are you from?
Philly. Therefore, I’m all about the brotherly love, until you make fun of me because I say “wooder” instead of “water.” In that case, no love for you.
Anything you really love or really hate about Champaign?
It’s completely different from anywhere I’ve lived before, and I’ve been having a lot of misadventures, which can be sort of fun. Like the time I got really, really lost driving outside of Bloomington all by myself late at night and got to experience what it’s like to drive on some serious country roads. Although I guess that wasn’t so fun at the time.
If you could have dinner/drinks with any three writers, who’d they be?
Virgina Woolf, Jeanette Winterson, Zadie Smith. The chance to hang out with a bunch of drunk, crazy, and unbelievably fabulous and talented English ladies would be ridiculously awesome.
What’s the most unflattering comparison your work has ever drawn?
One time in workshop someone told me that my story was too much like an episode of Sex and the City. I was nineteen, and I liked fashion, New York City, and going out dancing. Obviously, this combination of interests did not translate well into my writing. But now I’m older and wiser, and I try to stay away from writing about those things. Well, sort of.
How do you answer folks who ask you what you write about?
This question is so hard. Don’t so many people write about a little bit of everything? I do like to write about teenagers and ridiculously dysfunctional families, and lately I’ve been going through this phase where I keep writing about reality TV and trains…so yeah, I guess for now I’ll just stick with a little bit of everything as my answer.
What should we be on the lookout for when you read for VOICE?
Someone trying really hard not to read too fast as result of their nervousness. I get freaked out when I’m on display in front of a crowd. And by crowd, I mean a group bigger than three people. I’m definitely excited, though! Don’t be fooled by the trembling hands.
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Baron Haber
Where are you from?
I grew up in Colorado and Arizona, but I’ve lived in Washington state for the past five years.
Anything you really love or really hate about Champaign?
I miss the mountains a lot…I’ve never lived in a place where I couldn’t see mountains outside my window. I miss backpacking, snowboarding, and mountain biking a lot. Fortunately, I just got to go visit Kentucky last week and do some camping, which was encouraging. I look forward to discovering more of the outdoor opportunities the Midwest has to offer.
If you could have dinner/drinks with any three writers, who’d they be?
First off, I’d like to have drinks. Virginia Woolf would certainly be one of the three — she changed the way that we think about characterization and the self, and did so in an era when women weren’t encouraged to take their art seriously. Gabriel Garcia Marquez would also have to be there, because I bet he has some amazing stories to tell and no one could tell them quite like he does. Finally, I’d want Kazuo Ishiguro to come…he’s a recent discovery for me, but he’s quickly become one of my favorite authors. I feel like we have the same dark sense of humor and also a common sense of the tragic.
What’s the most unflattering comparison your work has ever drawn?
People once told me that a play that I wrote reminded them of Dawson’s Creek, which didn’t bother me so much at the time because I liked Dawson’s Creek, but now with the wisdom of hindsight, I’m not as proud as I once was. I promise I’ve improved as a writer since then (I hope).
How do you answer folks who ask you what you write about?
I tell them I’m interested in experimental writing, and that I like playing around with the language from advertisements when I write.
What should we be on the lookout for when you read for VOICE?
I’d say just sit back and enjoy the story…hopefully it will speak to you or at least make you laugh a bit.
And one more question, just for fun:
As you get ready to finish your first of three years as an MFA student can you reflect on how life has changed for you since moving to C-U?
My first year here has been quite the ride. Driving out here last August, I was heading across Nebraska when a deer ran out in front of my car on the freeway. I didn’t hit the deer, but in swerving to avoid it I flipped my car and ended up with a broken neck. I spent two months in a spinal halo and another month in a neck brace as part of my recovery — not the brightest days of my life. The most daunting experience was teaching my first college class while in a halo — 9am on Monday, so for most of my students it was their first class of college, and their instructor walks in with this absurd contraption on. I’m not sure if their reaction was mainly one of shock or pity…probably a little of both.
So that was a big adjustment. Once I was fully recovered, the main change was basically having a lot more time to work on my writing, which for me was the main reason for going to an MFA program. That’s the real gift of a program like this — giving you time for your art.
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Eric Tanyavutti
Where are you from?
I’m from Chicago, mostly. I spent some of my youth in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago as well.
Anything you really love or really hate about Champaign?
I don’t think I can really say that I hate or love anything about Champaign, except for maybe the fact that I miss Chicago terribly.
If you could have dinner/drinks with any three writers, who’d they be?
Cormac McCarthy, JD Salinger, and Jhumpa Lahiri
What’s the most unflattering comparison your work has ever drawn?
I can’t readily recall the last time anyone’s ever compared my work to anything (unflattering or not). That’s probably a good thing, I think.
How do you answer folks who ask you what you write about?
Because it’s mostly family and friends who ask me this question, I often give them the nice, super-duper general answer, like, “I write stories about regular people.” I wish I could be more snarky in my answers, but folks who I’m not fond of usually don’t ask me this question.
What should we be on the lookout for when you read for VOICE?
For me to be very nervous!
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MFA Thesis Reading | Saturday April 3, 2010 | 1 p.m. | Illini Union Bookstore
From the UIUC Creative Writing Program Website:
MFA students completing their final semester of the Graduate Creative Writing Program will read from their thesis works. Readers include fiction writers Caroline Duda, Brian Kornell, Paul Pedroza, and Micah Riecker; and poets Dana Burchfield, Matthew Minicucci, and Heather Salus.