I had never heard of the Chautauqua Institute before I came to Cornell College. I am grateful to have been able to learn about it through the English department and various students who were lucky enough to go in past years. Every year, two lucky students are selected to work at Chautauqua’s Literary Arts department, where they are exposed to many different writers, as well as other figureheads and activities outside of the literary arts (such as music, dance, science, religion, and studio art to name a few). These two students then spend 4-5 weeks working during Chautauqua’s summer. With their entire season being 9 weeks long, one student takes the first four weeks and the second student takes the last four weeks. I was lucky enough to be accepted this year for the first half of the season. The students are given housing, a meal plan, and other basic needs within the institute’s grounds. And after all the praise I heard from past interns, I was excited for my chance to experience this opportunity.
A week has already gone by, and I honestly can’t believe it. So much was happening, it seemed I could barely keep up at times. After a seven-hour flight to Buffalo, New York, on Saturday, June 15th, I was picked up by a Chautauqua shuttle and arrived at the Chautauqua Institute, where I settled into my dorm room in Bellinger Hall. This is when I met my amazing Chautauqua advisor, Stephine Hunt. She helped with any and everything I needed and would need in the foreseeable future.
After a very hot night’s sleep, I was quickly thrown into the thick of it when I was tasked to prepare for Kwame Alexander’s Writing Conference the very next day, Sunday, June 16th. This writer’s conference officially kicked off with a keynote event led by Kwame on Wednesday, night, June 19th. The next day was when things really kicked into high gear. Not only did I work, but I also actively participated in every activity they had to offer. This event was nonstop. It was filled to the brim with writing workshops, lectures, panels, and events, all about the ins and outs of writing and publishing one’s memoir, poem, or children’s fiction, all of which were led by many renowned writers of varying specialities. I even got to pitch a book I am in the process of writing and get feedback on my pitch!
Writer’s panel on children’s and young Adult fictionThe event wrapped up on Friday, June 21st with an amazing closing keynote event led by Kate Bowler, followed by a book fair on the main plaza where authors from the event sold and signed their books to everyone who desired it. Because of this signing event, I was able to utilize the networking skills Cornell helped me develop to talk to and connect with many of the writers there.
End of Writer’s Conference book fair and signingI am learning so much about what it means to be an author as well as the importance of being a writer. Writers have to be brave enough to be vulnerable and honest with their audience, not judge themselves throughout their writing processes, and use literature as a means of connections and growth.
While I’m still unsure of what my career will look like after graduation, I am learning how important writing, literature, and storytelling are to me. Literature can have such a profound impact on anything and everything, from instilling the spark of creativity and imagination in children to touching the life of someone you don’t even know who desperately needs to be told they’re not alone. And I feel Cornell has done a great deal to prepare me in this way. By demonstrating and teaching me how boundless and limitless literature is for me, I can now take this understanding and apply it to my work. I look forward to the experience and opportunities that have yet to come.