By: Loren Perry, Nonfiction Editor and Social Media Coordinator

Each year at Penn State, the creative writing program hosts visits from writers across the country. Due to the pandemic, nearly all of the projected visits were canceled in PSU’s annual reading series. Students and faculty were disappointed by the loss, but pleased that one writer would visit virtually: Penn State alum and prolific fiction writer Cary Holladay, who spent the week of March 22 going above and beyond for our Penn State writing students. As Fisher Family Writer-in-Residence, Holladay did more than just give the public reading held Thursday night in which she read her story, “Heaven”, originally published in The Kenyon Review and collected in her book The Quick Change Artist.

Holladay visited several fiction writing classes as well as our literary journal practicum course and met with BA/MA students in one-on-one conferences to discuss their manuscripts. As a student and aspiring writer, I found it refreshing to see someone so successful and of her caliber give a great deal of her time to talk with us, share stories, and ultimately provide wisdom. Holladay undoubtedly has a passion for giving back to her community and helping others. 

In Charlotte Holmes’ ENGL 412: Advanced Fiction Writing class, Holladay spoke on writer’s craft, followed by an enriching question and answer session. The talk centered on what she calls her “CAYCE for fiction,” an acronym for the essential components of a good story: conflict, agency, yearning, ticking clock, and ethical or moral dilemma.

On conflict, she says, “The heart of fiction is character development, and the best way to show that is by putting characters in situations of opposition and hardship. An old Gaelic proverb says, “If you want an audience, start a fight.” Ask yourself: What’s the fight in my story? What’s at stake?”” When considering what agency means, Holladay describes this as the initiative of the character and overall ability to do things. As for what a character might yearn for, “Your main character must want something enough to fight for, obsess over and go to great lengths to obtain it, making mistakes along the way.” The ticking clock aspect of Holladay’s craft entails creating a feeling of exigency which in turn produces fantastic drama and suspense in one’s story. Finishing the CAYCE concept, Holladay conveyed the idea of an ethical or moral dilemma to be, “Ultimately, your protagonist needs to make a hard and irreversible choice. Show your character’s struggle with the issue and its consequences”.

Holladay’s visit to my particular class, ENGL 209: Literary Journal Practicum, was just delightful. She began the class by telling us a bit about herself and her own experiences at Penn State where she earned her master’s degree in creative writing. I was surprised to learn that Holladay had actually been published in Penn State’s literary journal, Kalliope, during her time at PSU. This was such a full-circle moment for me and for several of my peers. Holladay is someone we look up to, and it seems we are on the very same path that she took in college.

As Holladay relayed, writing was not always the direction she was going to take in life. After receiving her Bachelor’s degree from William & Mary, Holladay had applied and been accepted into law school. However, she felt deep down this was not what she wanted to do and claims that “If it hadn’t been for Penn State, I wouldn’t be a writer.” Holladay spoke to us about literary magazines, offering advice from her own experiences publishing her fiction in journals, as well as her time working on the staff at, The Maryland Review. She focused on submissions greatly and the way in which we can all learn from them. Not to mention, Holladay emphasized the number of submissions they received and how it truly illuminated how many talented writers there are out there. 

To prepare for Holladay’s visit to our class, we read several stories available in literary journals online and examined their online presentation. “Brides in the Sky” was published in The Hudson Review, and there is something so special about this particular piece. Its focus on historical moments and female characters illuminates the hardships women faced in the 1850s. The women, who were sisters, are journeying westward across the country, toward free land in Oregon and gold in California. The stress and exhaustion these women felt was incredible. 

“Kate felt overwhelmed with anxiety. She tried to talk to Olivia, but she was silent and withdrawn, exhausted, Kate figured. She was glad when they set out again.” 

The addition of their “coming of age” moments such as parental absence, responsibility, marriage, intimacy, childbirth, and hardship were captivating and relatable. There were several moments of strong narrative writing within this piece which made for an entertaining read. 

“The land soared as they entered the Laramie Range. Dust caked their mouths, eyes, and noses. The horned skulls of cattle and buffalo littered the cracked earth.”

The quote above intrigued me as Holladay has extreme attention to detail which is displayed clearly through her great particularity and rich verbs such as “caked” and “littered”. Holladay’s long passages of introspection within the story aid the reader in their ability to truly feel what her characters are experiencing.

Holladay was sure to answer any and every question we had regarding the story, as well as a few others we had had the opportunity to read prior to class including, “Interview with Etta Place, Sweetheart of the Sundance Kid”, which was featured in Freight Stories No. 8.

I believe I can speak for everyone in the creative writing realm of Penn State when I say that we are so grateful for Cary Holladay’s visits to us and her dedication to our students. If one day I am half as talented of a writer that she is, I will have accomplished more than I could have ever asked for as a writer.

Cary Holladay’s publications include eight volumes of fiction, most recently Brides in the Sky: Stories and a Novella (Swallow/Ohio UP 2019), and more than 100 short stories or essays in journals and anthologies. Her work has been short-listed in Best American Short Stories. One of her flash fictions was nominated by Four Way Review for Best of the Net 2020. She has received fellowships from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the Tennessee Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts. She won an O. Henry Prize for “Merry-Go-Sorry,” a story about the West Memphis Three. A native of Virginia, she earned her undergraduate degree from William & Mary and a master’s from the Pennsylvania State University. She served for many years as director of the Creative Writing program at the University of Memphis, where she was named a First Tennessee Professor. She is also a core faculty member of the low-residency MFA program at Converse College.

Loren Perry serves as Klio’s nonfiction editor and social media chair. She is a sophomore at Penn State University majoring in Secondary English Education with a minor in English. Loren grew up about twenty minutes outside of Pittsburgh, PA, and is a member of Alpha Phi sorority. Writing has always been a passion of hers and remains her favorite way to express herself. One day, Loren hopes to be an educator that not only teaches content but also is a strong advocate for students everywhere. In her spare time, she enjoys watching Tiktok and YouTube, as well as singing and dancing. Loren also loves getting herself out of her comfort zone and meeting new people!

published 4-15-21