The inspiration of a writer

Writer-in-Residence: Judson Mitcham, September 10th

The image of a middle-aged man dancing to Bob Marley’s “Exodus” or the graphic description of a disfigured marine in his wedding photo was only the beginning to a very entertaining evening of poetry read aloud by Writer-in-Residence, Judson Mitcham. This marked the second event in the fall Reading Series presented by The Department of English and The Creative Writing Program and was held on Sept. 10 at 7:30 in the A&S Auditorium.

What separates Mitcham from many authors is the surprising fact that Mitcham was never formally trained in writing. Mitcham studied and taught psychology before turning to writing in his later years.

“I really think it’s about finding what brings you alive,” Mitcham said.

It is evident that Mitcham found this in writing because his poetry evokes the same feelings of passion that he feels for the stories and subjects that he has written about.

Mitcham began the reading with a humorous poem called, “Halloween in a Nursing Home.” Making the point that it was probably not the brightest idea to decorate for Halloween in a nursing home, Mitcham created a light-hearted atmosphere making it easier to transition into his more heavy-hearted material.

By capturing the audience’s attention with relatable situations and moments for every age group, it was not difficult to stay attuned or interested in his work. Centering most his work around his hometown of Monroe, Georgia, it was easy to understand how Mitcham’s works appeal to so many people in the South.

“His reading already resonates with me. We both have similar cultural backgrounds,” faculty member John Sirmans said.
“I really liked him and thought he was funny, interesting, and insightful,” student Kristi Bozeman said.

His poetry and novels have been widely published and earned him countless awards and recognition. Mitcham has been named Georgia Author of the Year twice, once for his first poetry collection published in 1991, “Somewhere in Ecclesiastes,” and then again for his 1996 novel, “The Sweet Everlasting.” Both of Mitcham’s novels, “The Sweet Everlasting” and “Sabbath Creek,” earned him the Townsend Prize, which is the first time an author has won the award twice.

Making for an even more interesting evening, the poems read aloud went from one extremity to another. One passerby might hear the audience’s laughter echoing into the hallways in response to Mitcham’s “Multitude,” but the heartfelt “Introduction,” left a heavy silence among listeners. It was nice to hear an author with a talent for diversity so as not to feel like you’re listening to the same words repeatedly all night.

“I felt close to them at the time I was preparing the reading,” Mitcham said, “There are certain poems I always read.”

He expressed how hard it is to not share all the poems he’s ever written and that there is always temptation to read his newer pieces.

“Don’t write your poems because you think they’ll work good in a reading,” Mitcham said.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Sep 19 2008. Filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry