A Voice Finds Its Place

Guest blogger Jenifer Hamilton Hernandez

Over the course of a semester teaching English 1301, I try to help students find their voices, to become confident in both their own abilities and in the writing process. I want them to develop dexterity and resilience as writers, so that after leaving my class, they feel comfortable entering a world that will ask them to write anything from a cover letter for a job application to a research paper for an anthropology class. 

From one essay assignment to the next, my comments on their papers evolve from “You have done a great job with organization and supporting details; however, lack of proofreading is holding you back” to “This was a pleasure to read.” 

In some instances, I see raw talent from the first essay to the last, and in those cases, I point that out as well: “You appear to have innate writing talent. That is a gift and it can be powerful too. I hope you will continue writing and practicing different types of writing (if that interests you, of course) with whatever kind of guidance works best for you. There are so many ways to go about it: podcasts, for credit college classes (like creative writing or journalism), joining a writing group, or keeping a journal, to name a few. If writing is something you enjoy, then make time for it and keep writing–you never know where you’ll end up as a result.”

After receiving that particular comment on an essay assignment, one student from a Summer 2019 class asked for more guidance. I recommended specific creative writing and journalism classes at ACC, sent him a list of some of my tried and true books on writing, a link to a website with weekly writing prompts, and a list of area organizations providing community and instruction for writers. I encouraged him to meet with fellow writers regularly, to submit his work for publication, and to not take rejection as a “sign” that he shouldn’t be writing–because editorial preferences are always subjective.

Three months later, he emailed to say his work had been published for the first time, a poem in an online literary ‘zine. He said he jumped for joy when he got a note from the editor saying his work had been chosen, that it was a feeling he hadn’t experienced in a long time. Also that he’s now enrolled in a creative writing class, and that he’ll continue sending his work out to publications.

He also said this: “I received so many rejection letters before this. If there’s one thing to pass along to your other students, it’s that you have to keep going. It can take a long time to find a place for your voice.”

I am so glad that Sean’s first published poem has found its place. You can read that poem, “Refugee/fugitive” here.