Photo by The New Yorker
By Erin Campbell~
Looking to discover a new favorite writer? On November 8th at 7:30 p.m., Penn State will be welcoming Ariel Levy to read as part of the Mary E. Rolling series hosted by the English Department. The event will take place in 102 Paterno Library, Foster Auditorium.
Photo from Amazon.com
Who is she? What does she do?
Ariel Levy has been a staff writer for The New Yorker magazine since 2008. She is also a New York Times bestselling author for her memoir, The Rules Do Not Apply, and won the National Magazine Award for Essays and Criticism for a piece she wrote in The New Yorker called “Thanksgiving in Mongolia.”
Thanksgiving in Mongolia? I’m hooked.
Ariel’s piece “Thanksgiving in Mongolia” is a detailed story describing her miscarriage when she was five months pregnant. During this difficult time, she happened to be reporting in Mongolia just before Thanksgiving.
Beyond her time in Mongolia, the story delves into Ariel Levy’s same-sex marriage failing and the struggles behind that. She then goes on to share how she ends up engaged to the doctor who took care of her in Mongolia on that tragic night. This piece rightfully won a prestigious award for its genuine and raw presence. It is likely that Levy will share some of her story and how it influenced her piece at the reading.
How can Ariel Levy’s work help influence my writing?
Based on her written work, I think there are many takeaways creative writing students can get from Levy. As a writer and reporter, she seems to take the idea of risk and run with it. This is an important challenge for all creative writers and also a crucial one that will play a big part in your writing piece itself. This will help your writing to keep that genuine and raw presence.
In addition to her other successes, Ariel Levy was the editor for the 2015 version of The Best American Essays. Writing an essay, she says, “is like catching a wave. To catch a wave, you need skill and nerve, not just moving water.” This is such a vivid quote that really homes in on the idea that writers need other things than just words to write something worthwhile. Finding different voices for your writing is something that will set your literary piece apart from others.
What can writers and editors take away from this event?
I hope to go to Ariel Levy’s reading and absorb the helpful information she gives to us young writers, journalists and editors. After reading “Thanksgiving in Mongolia,” I had such a detailed image in my mind which is what I would like to have after reading every piece we choose for Klio. Especially as the Nonfiction editor, I will be using her story, “Thanksgiving in Mongolia” as a good example to strive for.
Now what?
I encourage everyone to read Levy’s “Thanksgiving in Mongolia” and visit her site. For more information on this event and other upcoming events in the Mary E. Rolling series, visit the Penn State creative writing page.