2011 Recipients

I originally moved to Los Angeles to study film at USC. I would be the greatest storyteller in all of Hollywood! (So I said.) But after about three weeks, I found myself pulled in a different direction. Arriving from a small town in the northern suburbs of California, Los Angeles was like nothing I’d seen. The streets were pulsing. The people were diverse. The traffic was always heavy. I loved it. I never felt uncomfortable or out of place. Instead, I explored. I watched. I listened. I wrote things down. I met students from various cultures and places who shared their stories and experiences with me. We came from different places, we looked different, we were all brought up in very different ways, but we connected despite those things. Their stories inspired me, and so, I began to write my own. I would carry around a notebook and jot down words with beautiful cadence. I fell in love with language—the voices, the gestures, the simple music of private speech. I decided that writing was something I wanted to pursue seriously.

Since then I have participated in workshops lead by writers: Dana Johnson, Marianne Wiggins, Percival Everett, Molly Bendall, Carol Muske-Dukes, and T.C. Boyle. I was also given the opportunity to teach fiction writing to a group of incredibly creative fifth graders at the 32nd Street School through The Writer in the Community, a course taught by Aimee Bender. Each of these experiences has further validated my passion for the arts. My peers and professors have really pushed me in terms of my own writing. They’ve taught me a great deal, and for that, I am most grateful.

This coming fall I’m headed off to New York where I’ll be pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing at The New School. My goal is to explore all areas of literature. The beautiful thing about reading is discovering that you are never alone, that other people share your experiences, emotions, and even your private thoughts. I truly believe the arts are one medium that allow people to connect with one another, sometimes in the most unexpected ways. They have had a tremendous impact on my own character. For now, I hope to continue learning and one day teach so I may inspire students in the same manner that I have been inspired. I am honored to have been a recipient of an award that represents this.

2011 Jimmys:  L to R Paige Cohen, Colin Dwyer, Kendra Walters, Laura Brun and Lauren Perez

{ 0 comments }