Ali Morrison ~ Assistant News Editor
Last Wednesday, at the University of Lynchburg Thornton Reading, Kathryn Ormsbee inspired future writers and current readers at the University of Lynchburg. Ormsbee read from her more well-known young adult book, The House on Poplar Wood and had a quick Q&A afterwards.
Kathryn Ormsbee is a renowned young adult writer from Kentucky. She has been recognized by organizations such as NPR, Amazon, Buzzfeed and the New York Public Library. Not only has Ormsbee written mid-grade genre books, but she has recently come out with her own graphic novel turned memoir.
Students had the opportunity to work with Ormsbee with their own writing. Brandon Bates and Stevie Rosser both worked with Ormsbee over her two day stay in Lynchburg. Rosser said, “It was so great to work with her. She really analyzed my work and put the time in and she was so excited. It was honestly so fun.”
English Professor, Dr. Aubrey Plourde and Ormsbee are friends and former roommates. Plourde’s Children’s Literature students read some of her work and had a deeper insight into her graphic novel, Growing Pangs.
On top of attending Dr. Kelly Jacobson’s Intro to Creative Writing class to talk to students, Ormsbee had an open opportunity for questions at the reading. Some students asked about the writing process and Ormsbee’s literary skills that she uses. Others had questions about Ormsbee’s publishing and how an aspiring writer might go about getting published.
Kathryn Ormsbee’s visit, like most of the Thornton readings, gave students the ability and pleasure of talking with a successful author. Some students, like Bates and Rosser, got the privilege of having a published author look at their work.
Others in attendance might not be writers, but artists themselves. Abigail Lankford, said, “As an art major, I could see a different type of art form that Ormsbee had put into her books. It was an eye opening experience for me that not only is art about the creation of paintings, sculptures, etc but it is about the creation of words and how we articulate them out onto the world.”
Ormsbee’s books are still available for purchase at the Campus Bookstore.
For more information on the author visit https://kathrynormsbee.com/
