The Department of English and Foreign Languages recently hosted Writing Across Cultures, a special literary event with Cuban-American writer Vanessa Garcia. The event centered on Garcia’s novel “White Light”and multiculturalism in writing.
The novel was listed on NPR’s best books of 2015, and Garcia was named among the Top Ten “New” Latino Authors to Watch (and Read) in 2016. “White Light,” which received praise from Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka for its “lyrical pace and texture,” depicts a young artist path through life encountering loss, love, disappointment, as well as unexpected artistic success.
The literary event also included a workshop on Multicultural Approaches to the Novel. Barry students were invited to think and write with an understanding that our experiences stretch across borders.
Here is what our students said about the event:
−Paris Razor, Barry student (English major)
“As someone who loves literature and writing, this event was valuable to me because it was heartfelt, engaging, and mindful about teaching people the myriad of ways cultures are intertwined in our personal narratives. Our stories define who we are, and it's priceless having the privilege to listen to someone else's.
The most appealing aspect was the workshop where we were supposed to write something as simple as about a place, and with Vanessa Garcia's guidance, have the ability to construe that place sitting in the palm of our hands or it shooting across the universe. I think having the skill to write and look at something mundane and being able to change its meaning to be a beautiful thing.”
−Liana Rodriguez, Barry student (English major)
“Listening to Dr. Garcia's insight on the value and nuances of setting in storytelling was an incredible experience. There is truly nothing quite like the author's perspective, especially for aspiring writers.”
