One of my favorite hobbies growing up has always been writing. Though I was able to practice journalistic writing in high school, I wasn’t able to practice creative writing in school as there weren’t any clubs or creative writing programs and courses offered at my high school. However, when I arrived at Amherst College, I discovered an entire community of creative writers at this school.
Many of these writers take creative writing courses offered in our English department. Though there isn’t a specific major for creative writing, every semester, the Creative Writing Center creates a list of courses that are related to this subject. A few creative writing courses offered in the Spring 2023 semester include Writing Poetry, Creative Nonfiction, and Playwriting. The variety of courses offered allows students to explore creative writing across different genres outside of fiction writing, which is what most people often think of when first hearing about creative writing. Outside of compiling these courses, the Creative Writing Center is a great resource as it often hosts free events that are open to the public, such as its Visiting Writers Series in which published writers are invited to speak about their work.
Amherst creative writers are also involved in student groups that focus on writing. Though The Student is a mainly journalistic organization, it sometimes posts creative writing pieces through its collaborations with The Indicator, Amherst’s student-run literary magazine that features fiction, poetry, art, and essays. Even though I’m often swarmed with schoolwork and sports practice, I have found the time to participate in The Indicator as a fiction editor. I highly recommend checking out The Indicator as it showcases the phenomenal artistic work of Amherst students.
Another student organization that encourages creative writing is the Amherst Poetry Club, which holds events to discuss poetry by published writers or poetry written by students. The Poetry Club also publishes a literary magazine called The Lilac that specifically features poetry and artwork. The Poetry Club also highlights poetry-related events across the Five-College Consortium. Most recently, the Poetry Club attended a promotional event at Mount Holyoke College for Franny Choi’s new book in which she was in conversation with the renowned local poet Ocean Vuong. The Poetry Club has recently launched the Words Together program, which I volunteer with. The Words Together program is hosted at the Jones Library, a local library in downtown Amherst, on Saturdays. It aims to encourage young writers to pursue their passion for writing.
Asian American Writers’ Group is also a fantastic student organization. The group specifically focuses on Asian American literature, often hosting discussions about specific Asian American works or workshops to help writers in the group work on their writing pieces. They also sometimes hold writing contests – most recently, they held a writing contest about the Mid-Autumn festival and announced the results with food from Formosa, a local Chinese restaurant.
By being involved with The Indicator, Asian American Writers’ Group, and Words Together, I can engage in conversations about creative writing that help me consider how I approach my own creative writing.