Intro to Creative Writing
He strolls into his classroom wearing his uniform—faded black jeans that sag in the rear and a worn fleece pullover. He slings his bag onto the table up front and checks his watch—he’s five minutes late, as usual. The students are already seated, and he surveys the assembly. In the back row a girl scribbles furiously in a fancy journal. Against the far wall a young man in sweat pants and a Minnesota Twins hat snores quietly—his desk empty, except for his head. In the front row Stevens spots Dana, the notorious overachiever, pretending to read Finnegans Wake.
Dani Johannesen’s “Intro to Creative Writing” depicts a cast of characters common in almost every creative writing course I’ve attended – the eager, the disinterested, the newly awakened. And, there’s Professor Stevens – seemingly weary and disinterested himself with the whole idea of a class dedicated to creative writing. It’s his disdain for pseudo-writers more interested in impressing him or keeping up some facade of seriousness that’s fascinating. I wonder how many of our professors felt the same in regards to the fresh faces each year who were still incapable of finding their own voice, of being able to write what they actually know instead of following in the footsteps of someone else.