I was afraid to write this essay. I have never written a personal essay. I write poetry, in which content is delivered through an experience...
Archive for tag: fear

Voices of Bettering American Poetry 2015 — Melissa Studdard
What’s the earliest experience, or a stand-out experience, you can remember that made you realize that you can be yourself, write as yourself, and write...

Against Our Own Best Time: Competition Among Writers in the Margins
In the small town where I grew up, I was strange and lonely. Books were my solution. The page was the easiest place to name...

Some Questions About Empathy and Reading
First Questions: The Limits of Empathy I taught two creative writing courses as a graduate student. My undergraduates wanted answers and rules, and instead I...