This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Conn Coll chapter.
Meet Andrea, a senior at Conn whose poetry is receiving award winning attention. An English and Psychology double major, Andrea has been working on a Senior Thesis that highlights her own collections of writing that she finds important. Andrea was part of the Connecticut Poetry Circuit Tour, in which outstanding students presented their own work and inspiration.
Major: English (Creative Writing concentration) and Psychology
Hometown: Utica, NY
Dorm: Harkness
1. What inspired you to start writing creatively?
I’m not really sure what exactly inspired me to take creative writing seriously (I’m actually not sure if I can even say that I take it seriously now), but I think that being a non-native speaker of English has been extremely influential in my relationship with language and my interest in the way words work.
2. What poets or writers do you admire and did they influence your writing style at all?
Some of my favorite poets include John Berryman, Frank O’Hara, James Merrill, and e. e. cummings. Their work has influenced me in the sense that I have learned that poetry does not have to operate within the boundaries of convention, and that the limits of language can and should be stretched by writers.
3. How have your experiences abroad shaped your writing style and topics you like to write about?
I studied in Milan, Italy during the fall of my junior year, and I interned in Zagreb, Croatia this past summer. Living abroad and being surrounded by languages other than English has definitely shaped my approach to writing because I have become more appreciative of the English language and have been able to distance myself objectively from the words that I write, if that makes sense at all. In terms of subject matter, much of my writing works with themes of travel, location, and dislocation, all of which are related to my abroad experiences. My thesis, which is a collection of poems, is primarily influenced by the time I spent in Croatia, as well as my Yugoslavian heritage, and explores the construction of personal and cultural identity in post-transitional Yugoslavia.
4. What is the best class you have taken at Conn?
Obviously, my poetry writing classes have been really amazing, but I have enjoyed so many of my classes at Conn for different reasons, so it’s hard to choose just one favorite.
5. How has your experience with the Connecticut Poetry Circuit Tour been?
I’ve had a great time so far with the Poetry Circuit; I like having the opportunity to get off campus and visit other schools, and it’s been really nice to meet students from other schools with similar interests in writing.
6. How else are you involved on Campus?
I am in CISLA, I write for the College Voice, I am on the English Student Advisory Board, I play club soccer, and I’m in this year’s production of The Vagina Monologues.