As Gregory Ellison (29C) took the stage on the Fourth Floor Gallery of the Decatur Library, audience members collectively inhaled and hushed, ready to dive headfirst into a day dedicated to reading, writing and storytelling. With the confidence of an experienced writer, Ellison kicked off one of the first events of the Decatur Book Festival, reading his poem titled “The Cup.”
In the heart of downtown Decatur, Ga., Emory University students and professors, along with other community members, shared their work on Oct. 4. For 20 years, literary enthusiasts have gathered to support books and authors at the Decatur Book Festival. This premier independent book festival attracts thousands of attendees from across the United States. With 103 booths and 68 events, the festival featured professional authors, student writers, local businesses and several musical acts.
The Emory Creative Writing Department faculty selected four students and one alum to read their written work onstage at the Decatur Library on Saturday morning to a crowd of about 60 listeners. Later in the afternoon, Assistant Professor of Dramatic Writing Kimberly Belflower also read from her Tony Award-nominated play, “John Proctor is the Villain,” and participated in a moderated Q&A.
Along with Ellison, Nasneen Abdalim (25C), Abigail Charak (26C), Amelia Ali (27G) and Aaron Rachel Selby (25C) each read excerpts of their fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Professor of English and Creative Writing Tiphanie Yanique opened the event, encouraging the audience to read and purchase books to support the authors.
Along with the readers in attendance, many Emory community members came to this event to engage with the literary arts. Amelia Hardy (28C) attended to support her peers and gain more exposure to the Atlanta arts community.
“I felt so moved by everything that they were reading,” Hardy said. “It opened this whole new world of writing and poetry to me, of what the possibilities are.”
Yanique introduced the readers in reverse seniority order, beginning with Ellison, who reiterated his excitement for the opportunity. While the newly arrived first-year has yet to declare his major, he expressed his gratitude for the chance to read at the event.
“I wanted to challenge myself this year,” Ellison said. “I’ve been trying to push myself to do new things, to try new things, just because I don’t necessarily know what I want to do yet.”
Following Ellison, Charak read aloud a portion of her nonfiction paper written for Emory Creative Writing Program Professor of Practice Hank Klibanoff’s “GA Civil Rights Cold Cases” course. Charak wrote her paper on the killing of Clarence Pickett and acts of violence in the Jim Crow South.
Abdalim read next, sharing an excerpt from a fiction story about a young girl dealing with the death of her little sister. Selby read several poems, including three from their honors thesis portfolio.
Selby, who Yanique dubbed a “rising star,” commented that the Decatur Book Festival was the largest event at which they had ever read their poetry. They emphasized the importance of sharing creative writing and believe that poetry can create community and connections.
“One of the primary purposes of poetry is to share what moves us,” Selby said.
Across downtown Decatur, in the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel, Belflower ascended the stage to share her playwriting experiences in a discussion moderated by former Emory Vice President and University Secretary Rosemary Magee (82G) and watched by about 100 audience members.
Magee, who also served as director of the Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives and Rare Book Library, began the conversation by asking Belflower about her inspirations for writing. Belflower, to the audience’s delight, showed off her literary heroine-inspired tattoo collection, featuring characters like Matilda from Roald Dahl’s “Matilda” (1988) and Ramona Quimby from Beverly Cleary’s “Ramona” (1955-1999) series.
“Most of the books that have shaped me the most deeply are by women,” Belflower said. “Reading about these young girls who were living very different lives than me, but who I felt so much in common with, helped me see that there were other ways of living that were possible.”
Belflower’s play ran on Broadway for about five months before closing on Sept. 7 and earned seven Tony nominations in June. The playwright returned to Emory in August and is happy to teach students again while anticipating the movie adaptation of her play.
“When I teach playwriting, my own writing is better, because it keeps me honest,” Belflower said. “If I’m teaching my students things that I’m not doing, then either I’m lying to them or to myself or It really makes me think very deliberately about the craft of what I do.”
During her Q&A, Belflower opened up about the inspiration and difficult themes at the center of her play, which she started writing in 2018 during U.S. President Donald Trump’s first term. According to Belflower, realizing the resounding relatability of her narrative almost a decade later has been “sobering” yet empowering.
“The play ends with these two teenage girls performing this very brave act of rebellion against this institution that is not protecting them,” Belflower said. “Their school isn’t protecting them, their parents aren’t protecting them, but they’re protecting each other.”
Yanique captured the spirit of the event, praising the Emory student writers while also emphasizing the importance of events like the Decatur Book Festival.
“There is definitely a segment of our national community that thinks empathy is weakness,” Yanique said. “Reading is a radical way to say that empathy is the most important tool we have if we want to go forward as a humanity.”
Ellie Fivas
Ellie Fivas (she/her) (26C) is from Cleveland, Tenn., and is majoring in political science and history on the pre-law track. When she is not working for the Wheel, she works in prison education, leads a human rights club and works at the Emory Writing Center. In her free time, you can find her reading trashy romances and The New York Times, basking on the Quadrangle and doing crossword puzzles.