In a fast-paced weekend full of bustling crowds and musical performances, some of the quiet and cozy corners of Treefort Music Fest offered gentle escapes from the whirlwind of the celebrations taking place outside.
One of these hideaways was the Idaho State Museum, where Storyfort held a collection of author readings and discussions about the world of writing and storytelling.
On Saturday, March 29, Storyfort shared the stage with creative writing students from Boise State University. Several undergraduate students and Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) candidates read their original works to the audience.
Lily Kent, a junior studying Creative Writing with a minor in Art History, shared an excerpt from her speculative historical fiction story “Feel My Heart”.
Kent’s vivid imagery and detailed storytelling took the audience to 18th century New Orleans and left them eager to hear the rest of the story. With such strong storytelling abilities, it’s easy to imagine Kent’s novels finding a place on bookshelves around the world.
“I’ve always loved reading, and I never knew that writing was something you could actually do for a job,” Kent said. “When I started thinking about what colleges I wanted to go to, I literally just looked up ‘writing’. I genuinely didn’t know creative writing programs existed until five years ago, and I realized I can actually do this. I’ve always enjoyed reading and coming up with stories, and when I realized you can actually study it, I was like, ‘Okay, well, now I have to’.”
Storyfort events offered students the ability to share their work with others — a powerful opportunity to connect and grow as young writers.
“This was my first time coming to Storyfort,” Kent said. “This is the first time I’ve read my stuff in front of people, so it was terrifying, but it was a lot of fun.”
Some students shared writings inspired by personal experiences. Adrianna Monsivais, a Storyfort intern and junior studying Creative Writing with a minor in film, shared a reading inspired by her older sister and an experience from her youth called “Socks”.
The short story was emotional and powerful, and the entire audience was captivated from start to finish. Her story and ability to evoke powerful emotion received a long round of applause from the audience.
“As a child, I didn’t know how to address emotions in a healthy way,” Monsivais said. “I was very quiet and kept them very much hidden. I started writing, maybe not to escape, but just because I thought it was very entertaining to do. I think it took my mind away from a lot of what was happening at home.”
As both a participant in the undergraduate reading event and an intern for Storyfort, Monsivais was able to see firsthand the power of writers coming together to share what they do.
“I think Storyfort has put ‘fun’ back into writing for me,” Monsivais said. “When you go to school for writing and have to write strictly for deadlines and assignments and professors, it can feel like you’re writing for the ‘A’ rather than from a place that is more authentic and more you … Now when I approach writing, I approach it specifically from this place of ‘What is it that I’m trying to say, and what do I want to write?’.”
Some students had the opportunity to share original poetry. Elanor Spring, a senior double majoring in Creative Writing and French, shared four original poems that explored deep emotional themes.
Spring uses descriptive imagery, stunning detail and elements of nature to explore her inner dialogue, and the result is beautiful, captivating poetry. Her poem “Panorama” was touching, raw and completely transportive for listeners.
“A big part of my inspiration comes from living in Boise,” Spring said. “Getting to work in such beautiful nature and be inspired by what’s around you — It’s a combination of being in a community with other people and other writers and also having a really beautiful space to work in.”
Spring dedicated each of her poems to friends and loved ones, and said that the support she felt from her loved ones gave her the courage and passion to share her work publicly.
“It was a great experience,” Spring said. “I love reading to the public, and it’s always fun to hear from others and to share how important writing is. It’s so great to be able to talk about things that are really beautiful and difficult to talk about without an artistic medium.”
“I think it’s very cool to see the spectrum of people we get at Storyfort,” Tessie Ward, assistant director of Storyfort, said. “With the Boise State undergraduate reading, having Boise State interns and having the MFA reading, we have a whole community of writers that bring so many different perspectives. I think Storyfort gives a space for any writer at any stage to come in and be amazed.”
From fictional stories to emotional poetry, the readings shared at Storyfort highlighted some of the best and brightest writing students at Boise State University. After a jam-packed festival weekend, it was a breath of fresh air to experience the talent of these young writers.
