By Alyssa Jackson ~ Assistant Editor
Photo of Emma Bolden in the Memorial Ballroom. Photo taken by Alyssa Jackson.
Several times a semester, the University of Lynchburg invites a writer to visit campus and share their expertise with students, faculty and staff through an endowment known as the Thornton Endowment.
On Monday, Feb. 19, Bolden held a Thornton Reading in the memorial ballroom to discuss her concepts on writing and the story behind her memoir.
Photo of Robin Bates in the Memorial Ballroom ~ Photo taken by Alyssa Jackson
Professor of English, Robin Bates, spoke at the reading commemorating Bolden and their friendship.
Those that attended were especially captivated by her powerful story.
“The Tiger and the Cage: A Memoir of a Body in Crisis” by Emma Bolden is a memoir about Bolden’s life and what happens to a woman, and the rift between the body and the mind.
Bolden is a author of many novels including House Is an Enigma, medi(t)ations, The Tiger and the Cage: A Memoir of a Body and Maleficae. Her works have appeared in multiple different publishers and she also is a associate editor for Tupelo Quarterly.
She talks about the struggles she faced as a woman who is infertile, and how she has overcome this through the art of writing. She also talks about the story of her surgery and how complications left her in a staggering consciousness.
Junior, Dell Newton states “Emma Bolden is a very eloquent speaker, she shows how to properly present writing to an audience. Her voice was very powerful and in her writing there is an excellent use of imagery and dialogue. For a lot of people, myself included, I found her talk about persistence despite rejection very inspiring. Bolden stands strongly by what she creates and has mastered presenting her works.”
This book uses her experience as the beginning of a journey facing the institutional misogyny of doctors and medicines. From the labeling of women as “hysterical” to telling the lack of consideration on cures for women with endometriosis. Her story is both moving and empowering for any of the readers or audience members.
Junior, Destini Baccus states, “I found her general attitude and positivity significant, it contracted against her writing.”
To learn more about the Thornton Readings visit here and visit here to see and learn more about Bolden’s works.
