The late, legendary Professor Fred Busch inspired both Karen Bloch Morse ’95 and Dan Slater ’00 (among many others) to pursue writing careers. He also started Colgate’s Living Writers course, which brings notable authors to campus. Here are snippets from a few of this year’s visiting authors:
“I’m interested in the function of the ways in which we tell other people’s stories to bolster our own.”
— Jenny Zhang, Sour Heart author
“We know that truth is not just understood in the words we hear or that we are seeing, but there is also truth in action and in body language. That was my first language. I learned to read people.”
— Poet Layli Long Soldier
“What you take away will depend very much on what you came in with.”
— Kamila Shamsie, Home Fire author
“Catharsis is never going to come for me. I don’t want it to. The idea that you exorcise what is painful or difficult or your past has to do with denying who you are.”
— Justin Torres, We the Animals author