Students find inspiration at the Contemporary Writers Series

By Ona Mather, Aquinas Reporter

Students attending a presentation by author Jeff Zenter who spoke on the craft and art of writing- Photo by Anastasia Benstead

Young Adult author Jeff Zenter, the first of the Contemporary Writers Series (CWS) authors, gave a craft talk on Thursday, Sept. 25 in the Loudit room. The CWS craft talks are open to all students and are an opportunity to learn about the various authors and their writing process.

Zenter’s presentation was very open about his failures and how he learned perseverance from them. Takeaways from students varied but common themes seemed to come out of their experiences: persistence matters, creativity can take unexpected forms and storytelling can begin in the smallest space.

Zentner started in music touring with his band and recording music with artists like Iggy Pop, Nick Cave and Debbie Harry but after age 30 being successful in music becomes significantly more difficult. He stated that he originally believed authors were “people in ivory towers with Harvard degrees working behind mahogany desks,” until one of his friends published a book. As his band started to dissolve, his friend inspired him to start writing, allowing him to find success in a new art.

Zenter shared his experiences of writing his first few novels on his bus commute to work in downtown Nashville. “I wrote 507 words the very first time I started typing on my phone.” Zentner said. He admitted to spending his commute mostly on his phone anyways, so he figured he might as well use that dedicated time towards something more productive. He wrote his first novel, “The Serpent King,” in only 25 days. He stopped writing novels on his phone once the pandemic forced him to write from home.

While many students admitted that they attended the event for their First Year seminar class, several shared that they left feeling unexpectedly inspired. The CWS craft talk pushed students to expand their perspectives on literature and creativity and many expressed interest in attending the next event.

“I attended Jeff Zenter’s talk as part of a class requirement, but also for personal interest,” freshman Benjamin Baur said. “I enjoy hearing from authors about what inspired them to write. I would happily attend further author presentations, not just for a class but for the chance to learn.”

Some students were already familiar with Jeff Zenter’s work. Freshman Elizabeth Bruso read his book “In the Wild Light” and found that listening to his talk gave her a new perspective.

“Hearing an author actually talk about their work makes it feel as if they are truly pouring their life into their passions,” Bruso said. “You are getting a perspective of the book that might not have been available before.”

Other students admitted they might not pick up Zenter’s novels but still found inspiration in his story. Freshman Andrew Alexander said what stood out most was Zenter’s reminder that careers and creative outlets can be manageable and do not need to overlap.

“My biggest takeaway from the presentation was that you can change careers at any time, and you can have a hobby separate from your working life,” Alexander said.

Alexander added that Zenter’s transition from music to writing showed that “all forms of art are different, but you can learn and master any art just by trying.”

What started as just a class requirement turned into an engaging event and experience that left students inspired and wanting to attend more.