by Morgan O’Grady

The WVU MFA program has struck up a partnership with Keisha Kibler’s 7th grade classes at West Preston County Middle School to start a Creative Writing Club. We have had two visits so far, where we wrote poems from different perspectives and also worked on Sijo poems (three line poems that have about 14-16 syllables per line). We all had a great time, and we can’t wait to continue this partnership.

I asked a few MFA participants a some questions about their experience:

What were you expecting before arriving at West Preston County Middle School?

Feagin Jones: I figured some kids would think poetry was lame and other kids would be really into it.

Travis Mersing: I anticipated working with students with a wide range of experiences and expectations when it comes to poetry.

Shaun Turner: I came into this experience with a pretty open mind. I did expect that the students would have a little trouble trying to describe the world around them.

Morgan O’Grady: Well I had hopes for it to go well, but I also had a bad dream where the lesson just flopped. I wanted all of the students to know we care about being there and we care about their writing.

Why did you volunteer?

Feagin Jones: I really started writing when I was in 7th grade. When I was 12, if some people from an MFA program came in and helped me with poetry, I would have thought it was the coolest thing ever.

Travis Mersing: Being from Preston County, I saw it as a chance to go back and work with students with a similar background as I have. Also, I thought it would be both fun and rewarding to help students create, explore, and interact with poetry.

Shaun Turner: I volunteered because I believe in creative writing—more specifically, I wanted to help the students understand how important writing is, and how writing can help define the world around them.

Morgan O’Grady: I volunteered because I, along with Jessica Guzman, wanted to keep the connection with West Preston County Middle School workshop we formed during the spring. It is important to be involved in our community.

What part was the most fun for you?

Feagin Jones: I really enjoyed how excited some of them were about the whole thing—how their little eyes lit up when they asked me if they could do this or that, and I responded that they could do anything.

Travis Mersing: Hearing some of the odd, funny, and profound ideas that some of the students came up with for their poems.

Shaun Turner: Interacting with the students was really great. I loved helping them with descriptions by asking them questions. “What does a dragon do?” “What does a sunrise look like?”

Morgan O’Grady: What I look forward to most is seeing how proud many of the students are after they write a poem. Typically, some students feel that they are not good writers. What a myth. We are all writers, and good ones. I have to confess I do enjoy the energy the students bring. We can talk about unicorns, life, death, narwhals, or just the weather. It’s magical.

How were your expectations met or exceeded?

Feagin Jones: Some of them did think it was lame and some of them got really excited. When I looked at them, I felt like I understood them. I remembered myself and my friends when I was their age.

Travis Mersing: It was nice to see that all the students that I had a chance to work with were very open to the idea of writing poetry. They were creative, funny, and thoughtful. It was a nice experience.

Shaun Turner: My expectations were exceeded! These students did a great job showing their unique, interesting voices.

Morgan O’Grady: These students have so many great ideas. They are funny. They are serious. They are silly. I was excited to see how receptive they were to writing and how much many of them enjoyed it.

What are your hopes for this in the future?

Feagin Jones: I hope we can go once a week forever, and really make this into a thing. I think it’s great for the kids to do this.

Travis Mersing: I think that the continued partnership between WVU and WPMS can be one that will benefit everyone involved. I’d like to see it continue as a way to let middle school students be expressive and creative in the classroom as well as letting them know that there are ways to pursue poetry and the arts beyond the extracurricular status that these pursuits often have.

Shaun Turner: I hope that our WVU MFA community can continue working with the students at West Preston, and I’d love to see more interaction with local schools.

Morgan O’Grady: My hopes are about to bust my ribs. I want to be able to expand into other classes in the school. I would like to go every other week. I would love to work with other schools: elementary and high school. We have the time, we have the people, and we can find some funding. Our program can offer a lot more than an opportunity to enhance our own writing skill by being a part of the public educational community. I might be thinking too large, but I would like to see this expand upwards and outwards.

Below are a few photographs from both days of volunteering:

Travis Mersing, Jessica Guzman, Barrett Lipkin, and Morgan O’Grady pause for a group photo at West Preston County Middle School

Hannah McPherson, professional and stylish, at West Preston County Middle School

Feagin Jones, Jessica Guzman, and Travis Mersing after a day of 7th grade poetry at West Preston County Middle School