Northwestern University English professor, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and two-time U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey talks about her book, “Memorial Drive: A Daughter’s Memoir” in the Clarke Central High School Media Center on April 21. Along with giving her audience tips for writing and sharing her own writing process, Trethewey told the audience about her personal experiences and how her parents influenced her. “I learned from both of my parents something about the struggle for social justice. My parents got married in 1965 when interracial marriage was still illegal in Mississippi and as many as 20 other states in the nation,” Trethewey said. “I learned from them the need to push back against the laws and customs that would reduce my humanity.” Photo by Lucas Donnelly
The first chapter
Journalism I student Riley Ramsey shares what most strongly impacted her from Northwestern University English professor, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and two-time U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey’s talk at CCHS on April 21.
On April 21, students from all grades and classes came together in Clarke Central High School’s Media Center, united by one thing: a love for literature.
19th United States Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and University of Georgia alumna, came to share her experience, wisdom and story with CCHS students at an event hosted by the iliad Literary-art Magazine.
Award-winning author Natasha Trethewey does an interview with PBS months after being appointed United States Poet Laureate in 2012. In the interview, Trethewey spoke about how powerful the language of poetry can be. “(Poetry) is way more diplomatic than we ever are in our everyday lives,” Trethewey said in the interview. “It helps us not only to grieve our losses but to celebrate our joys and triumphs. It is open to all of us, it’s the best thing we’ve got. It’s the most humane repository for our feelings and our thoughts.” Video by PBS
In response to questions from members of the iliad, Trethewey spoke about her book, “Memorial Drive: A Daughter’s Memoir,” and how she felt she owed it to her mother –who was killed when Trethewey was nineteen — to share her story. During the writing process, Trethewey explained how found it hard to get past the first chapter, since she had to shift from writing about her happy childhood and into a more traumatic chapter of her life.
Trethewey also shared how she was impacted by growing up with a filtered history, where “Gone With the Wind” was taught in school as an accurate portrayal of history and textbooks only told partial truths. Now, as an author, she tries to create a lasting impression by conveying her own version of history through writing.
Trethewey stressed the importance of revising one’s own writing, something I’ve struggled with in the past. While the initial writing process is important for conveying raw emotion, writing tools such as form, metaphors, language and other things can shape it into something better.
To me, one of the most important messages the author left the audience was the importance of diving deeper into their writing, history and personal experiences in order to better themself, their writing and the world.
A writer can’t leave out the parts that are hard to write about and sometimes making it past the first chapter is what makes the book what it is.
Entering poetry’s third dimension
Journalism I Student Wyatt Meyer recounts attending award-winning poet Natasha Trethewey’s visit to CCHS and how it has affected him.
When former U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey came to visit Clarke Central High School on April 21, several CCHS students, including myself, had the opportunity to learn about poetry and Trethewey’s life.
Trethewey openly discussed her journey as a poet, growing visibly passionate and emotional when speaking about her mother’s early death and how that shaped her writing. The intersection between emotion and writing was a major talking point during Trethewey’s visit, with the University of Georgia Class of 1989 alumna speaking at length about the many dimensions authors incorporate into their work.
Northwestern University English Professor Natasha Trethewey explains how she applies the revision process to her first, emotional draft in poetry. Trethewey told a story about when she discussed improving her poems with a group of psychologists, who were baffled by how she combined emotion with literary form. “It’s as if (one of the psychologists) thought that all I did was just emote and regurgitate what I felt on the page. That does not make literature,” Trethewey said. “You definitely have to tell the truth, but you have to tell the truth with the scaffolding of form, and that’s what carries the emotion.” Video by Lucas Donnelly
Trethewey also walked us through one of the poems from her book “Native Guard”, which won her the 2007 Pulitzer Prize in poetry. Entitled “Genus Narcissus,” the poem told the story of Trethewey giving daffodils — whose scientific name is genus narcissus — to her mother as a young girl.
I didn’t understand the numerous dimensions that poetry could address until Trethewey broke down her poem for her fascinated audience.
While the poem initially touched my heart as a beautiful story, I listened as Trethewey distilled the poem from a written composition to its raw components: Trethewey’s memory of picking daffodils for her mom, but also the story of Narcissus and Echo, a daffodil’s life cycle, the tale of Persephone and Hades and the death of Trethewey’s mother.
The way Trethewey managed to invoke elements of all these stories in a simple poem opened my eyes. I didn’t understand the numerous dimensions that poetry could address until Trethewey broke down her poem for her fascinated audience.
Before Trethewey came to CCHS, I viewed poetry through a lens that rendered the writing two-dimensional, like a portrait in a museum.
After Trethewey’s visit, when I read poetry, I’m no longer viewing it. Instead, I’m inside the writing, seeing all its parts. I’m no longer staring at a portrait, but I’m within it, immersed in a three-dimensional story.
The scaffolding of form
Journalism I student Maya Shrivastav discusses their experiences at an author visit with former U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey.
On April 21, Clarke Central High School students attended an author visit with former U.S. Poet Laureate and University of Georgia 1988 graduate Natasha Trethewey.
Throughout the discussion, Trethewey explained how she uses literary form as “scaffolding” to support emotions in writing and referred to a “pit of despair” that pure negative emotion without form can become.
Trethewey also discussed how she escaped into characters and stories when real life was difficult.
As a writer, I related to what she was saying. When something goes wrong in my life, I often pick up a notebook and pencil and direct the strong emotions into words.
I often go back to those poems and stories I wrote in difficult situations and rewrite them later. I now realize that I revise these pieces because they are, at their core, unfiltered negative emotions without the “scaffolding” that Trethewey mentioned.
I know how to complement the emotions I channel into words with form, rhythm and flow that supports it and holds it together.
But now I know how to fix this. I know how to complement the emotions I channel into words with form, rhythm and flow that supports it and holds it together.
Now, whenever I write, I’ll think of my conversation with Trethewey and will use her suggestions to improve my work.
During the discussion, I asked Trethewey about becoming more confident in sharing my writing, and her thoughts on doing so. She understood my personal nervousness about sharing my work, saying that it felt like “putting (your emotions) on display.”
However, she also discussed feeling more comfortable with sharing her writing by thinking about how others aren’t criticizing an author’s feelings but their form.
Throughout this discussion, I was riveted by her experiences and her thoughts on emotional writing and form, and I will be sure to incorporate what I learned from her into my own writing. Trethewey will always be a huge inspiration to me and both my poetry and prose.
