Writers from different genre visited Cosumnes River College students and faculty, sharing their works. Whether poetry or a novel, it is read in the Literary Series.
One of the purposes of the series is to expose the faculty and student body to Sacramento’s diversity of culture and art that most people would not have any access to and develop the cultural competence and promote equality to the students at CRC.
“Bringing poets of this caliber to CRC enriches our cultural environment by exposing students, staff and faculty to the richness of language, creative writing and performance,” Hutcheson said.
This introduces the students to several concepts; the Literary Series opens an avenue to both the students and faculty to a world outside their own. It allows people to see other views other than their own and it takes the reader into other cultures that they might not ordinarily be exposed to.
“We have been doing these readings, two or three per semester for the past five years,” English professor Heather Hutcheson said via email.
“The series is the English department’s way to expose students to live writers and reading of contemporary work,” Hutcheson said.
The event started with the faculty reading, and it was then that the English department sought funding to bring writers from off campus and beyond the outskirts of Sacramento.
“I hope that everyone who attends the Literary Series will benefit from the diversity and talent of the writers who come to CRC,” Ginny McReynolds said, dean of humanities and social science. “This is a great opportunity for everyone to enjoy the work of some of the best writers in the area.”
The Literary Series originated at Borders and is now located in the Hawks Nest bookstore on campus.
“We have begun to hold the readings in the bookstore and find that it is more convenient for students and others,” Hutcheson said.
“They [the authors] represent a diversity in terms of rural and urban settings, age, gender and educational backgrounds,” Hutcheson said. Its about the diversity, the impact of cross-cultural reactions to the inclusion, equality and justice that are happening in the world.
“By offering these events at lunch and in the evening, we are welcoming students to participate in activities that build community on campus and enhance their academic success at the college,” Hutcheson said. She wants everyone involved to learn more about the creative writing process and to give the participants an opportunity to increase their aware same time.
These types of activities permit CRC’s students to learn about the literary world outside of the traditional classrooms, develop and realize that they are “welcomed by an enthusiastic community to enjoy writing and exploring culture.”
The average turnout for the series is approximately 60 people, but they have had over 80 people attending these readings at one time and for the future school semesters the English department wants to ask for further funding for the series. The department wants funding for four to six readings for the 2012-13 school terms.
“Poetry and storytelling are arts that are valued by many cultures. I am proud that at CRC we have venues to showcase this form of passing on traditions and tales of celebrating the multicultural world around us,” Hutcheson said.