By: Lorraine Upton
Crystal Wilkinson, a former Kentucky Poet Laureate and award-winning writer, spoke at the University of Lynchburg’s Thornton Reading event, held open to all students, faculty, and the public on Wednesday night.
The Thornton Reading, created in honor of Dr. John Turner, a former English professor, is an event of bringing notable authors to the University’s campus.
Wilkinson during her talk discussed her writing process along with the connection she has to her works.
Dr. Kelly Jacobson, the coordinator for the event and University of Lynchburg professor, shared, “a student came up to meet after the reading and said, ‘I see a lot of myself in [Crystal].’ The most meaningful part of this event for students is for the idea of an “author” to become a person they can not just listen to, but see as a real, accessible person with a writing process and the same struggles with writing.”
After the talk, the audience participated in a Q&A session as well as a book signing opportunity. Wilkinson also visited Dr. Jacobson’s Advanced Creative Writing class to have deeper conversations with students.
Dr. Jacobson shared her experience of having Wilkinson join the classroom, “she spent the entire fifty minutes doing Q&A centered around her writing process…even I took notes as she spoke!”
When asked how she had enjoyed her visit to campus, Wilkinson shared that “I was not kidding when I said I felt like I didn’t know anybody but at the same time felt like I knew them all. I think that speaks volumes for the University that people are so personable, kind, and smart.”
