Normally, sitting in a crowded place and eavesdropping on people’s conversations would not only be rude, it would also be downright creepy. However, for participants in the Writing Marathon, it was just one of many prompts designed to inspire creativity.
Students, faculty, and local townspeople gathered in Alumni House last Sunday to participate in “Writing up a Storm,” a fundraiser to benefit homeless children who have recently been affected by the hurricanes along the Gulf Coast. Over $700 was raised, according to Faye Gage, director of the Connecticut Writing Project and one of the event’s organizers.
“We decided to try to help in a small way in a situation where we felt very helpless,” she said. “We are delighted as many people came and shared [their writing].”
Gage estimated approximately 35 people attended at least some portion of the four-hour event, with participants ranging from kindergarten-aged to senior citizens.
Other writing prompts invited participants to write about the untold story of artwork hanging around campus, act as a fashion critic in a crowded place and try to dissect people’s lives based on their outfits, and even seek inspiration for poetry in the words contained on flyers hanging around campus.
Armed with these prompts and maps of both the campus and town, participants then embarked on their writing, following the prompts and allowing the words to flow onto the page.
Two hours later, participants reconvened at Alumni House for pizza and an open mic reading to share their experiences.
Participant Zach Miners ’06 described the open mic portion of the event as the best part.
“Watching people present their writing was both theraputic and hilarious,” he said.
Miners decided to participate to support writing in general and also get a little homework done. Of course, the free pizza also lured him in.
“I’m a writer, and I thought it’d be a fun way to spend my afternoon,” he said. “I had an assignment to write anyway, so I thought it would be a surefire way to get it done well ahead of time. Plus, there was pizza.”
Theresa Bruzese ’06 wanted to support the hurricane relief efforts and also to represent the Writing Center, a facility located in Donnarumma 130 where students tutor others in writing. Like Miners, Bruzese described the event as therapeutic.
“I came to support writing in general and the Writing Center,” she said. “I also came because this is therapeutic, being able to clear your head, allow yourself to be inspired, concentrate on writing for two hours, and then share it with others. It was like a therapy session.”
Although the turnout satisfied event organizers, Miners was disappointed in the lack of student representation at the event.
“I thought it was a very good cause, I just wish more students had attended,” he said. Out of approximately 35 participates, Miners estimated only five were students.
The event was co-sponsored by the Fairfield University Writing Center and the Connecticut Writing Project. The idea for the Writing Marathon was originally inspired by Ernest Hemingway and Natalie Goldberg and was first introduced to the National Writing Project in southeast Louisiana, where a Writing Marathon successfully took place in 2003.
Organizers are still accepting donations and hope to reach their goal of $1,000. All donations should be made out to the Louisiana Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth and could be mailed to the Connecticut Writing Project at Fairfield University c/o Chris Lawton, 1073 North Benson Road, Fairfield, CT 06824.
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