English grad students share creative writing at Graduate Reading Series

Brittney Christy and Robin Du Pont, both graduate students in the English department, presented “The Graduate Reading Series” on Nov. 17, 2016 at the Memorial Union in the medora room.

Christy and Du Pont presented creative pieces of their work, both soon to be critical works as well. Christy has an emphasis in rhetorical composition with an overlap in creative writing; Du Pont has an emphasis in creative writing with an emphasis in poetry.

The series started out with Christy presenting her short story titled “Chuck and Jim.” The story centered around two brothers and their relationship between their father and soon-to-be step mother.

“A lot of families are weird. Every family is messed up,” Christy stated before starting her piece. “Don’t write about an idea.”

Christy’s story had underlining themes of family, feminism and the troubles in between. With the main characters being twins, they face a father who impregnates his son’s ex-girlfriend, resulting in an awkward family golf game.

Du Pont presented her series after Christy. She presented a collection of six poems to the audience.

“Du Pont’s work has grown and matured, it is more complex. You can feel the power of Robin’s work when you listen to it.” Cody Dietz, moderator and fellow English graduate student, said.

Du Pont presented her poems that related to situations and experiences that she dealt with from her childhood.

Poems ranging from comparing her past to highway 405 in California to dark Germanic themed poetry, Du Pont’s poetry is centered around being sexually molested by someone she was close to.

“How can I blame you for a darkness you can’t control,” Du Pont wrote in her poem. “I write my poems so that others who experience moments of shame can find ways to transcend and make meaning from those moments.

“Sharing my work is extremely important, in and outside my department because I want others to know they aren’t alone,” Du Pont said. “Inside the department it is important to join the greater discourse of my fellow peers and professors.”

“Even though Grand Forks is a small community it is important to cultivate an appreciation for the arts and for writing,” Du Pont said. “I hope the English department continues to make strides in encouraging and fostering this creative community.”

“We have no more creative support,” Christy stated. “Our creative writing department is dead.”

With both creative writing professors gone, the English department has an opening for one position.

This is the third semester that the graduate students put on the poetry and short story presentation. They aim to host between one or two a semester.

Both Christy and Du Pont plan on finishing their work within the next few years. Christy, by the year 2020; Du Pont will finish her coursework this year, then must take her comp exams and finish her manuscript.

Haley Olson is a staff writer for The Dakota Student. She can be reached at [email protected]