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The Block’s recently-printed chapbooks display this variety perfectly. The chapbooks are produced by our own students and capture the diverse voices, talents, and perspectives of our students. Featuring poetry, short stories, essays, and more, the chapbooks offer a glimpse into the minds of our writers and also explore their identities, interests, and experiences.

A chapbook, according to dictionary.com, is “a small book or pamphlet of popular tales, ballads, etc., formerly hawked about by chapmen” or in modern usage, “a small book or pamphlet, often of poetry.”

Each piece shows the power of storytelling and the value of fostering a community that encourages creative expression. You can get a copy from Dr. Brian Whalen or Dr. Elizabeth Mason, both professors and leaders of Writer’s Block in the Liberal Arts department.

I got the chance to talk with both professors to discuss their inspiration for leading Writer’s Block. Both talked about the passion the students have, as students,  many with different majors and minors, come together and work with each other to write.

 I agree with Whalen when he said, “It’s such a unique class and a wonderful way to stay in touch with student writers from all majors, even if they’re not creative writing minors.”

Mason informed us that “Writer's Block was initiated by my retired colleague, Jeff Hillard, an inspiring professor who specialized in creative writing: fiction. Jeff had this way of making all of his students truly believe in themselves.  He made me believe in myself too.  I remember once telling him about an idea I was working on for an essay and he stared at me and said so passionately, ‘That's a book, Liz.’  I felt like I knew what it must've felt like to be his student.  When Jeff was on medical leave, Buffy Barkley filled in teaching Writer's Block for him.  I was jealous.  I knew that if I was ever given the opportunity to teach Writer's Block, I would jump at the opportunity.  Before we hired Brian Whalen, I had that opportunity.  Then, when Writer's Block started to grow exponentially and the numbers were too big for one professor, it didn't take much arm twisting to get me to offer a section too.”

We also talked about the Mount’s community and how it plays in Writer’s Block. According to Whalen, “Writer’s Block is a testament to the smallness of this place, and it’s one of the best examples of what this place could be moving forward. Writer’s Block is a close-knit, caring, inclusive, friendly community where everyone can be themselves—and express themselves—without judgment. You get to rub elbows with Liz Mason and me in a stress-free environment while making friends with classmates who share your creative interests. Everyone knows your name and we celebrate your work for all of campus to see. When people say the Mount cares, they’re talking about programs like Writer’s Block and all that the Renaissance groups have to offer students who are looking to find a welcoming place to call home—a family, really—on campus.”

Mason echoed this sense of community, adding, “My favorite thing about working at MSJ is how tight-knit we are as a community.  We don't stay in our silos.  We make friends across campus.  I'm friends with colleagues in nursing and behavioral sciences, music and education, math and chemistry and art, physical therapy and speech and language.  I tell my students that once they enroll in one of my classes, they remain my students forever.”

”In Writer's Block” she continued, “I work with students I've taught in other courses and I meet students who might decide to take a writing or a literature or a Core capstone with me later.  I love that. But, what I treasure most is the opportunity to work closely with students in a playful way.  In Writer's Block, a grade doesn't have to get in the way.  We work hard, but it's pass/fail and that means that we get to relax into the work in a different way.  Then, we get to share it with the wider MSJ community through the chapbooks and the Writer's Block Showcase and when students submit their work for publication in Lions-on-Line, the literary magazine for which I serve as faculty advisor.  I also love the small ways we celebrate writing and writers throughout the year, by connecting small holidays like Halloween and Valentine's Day to writing or when we celebrate Banned Books Week in the fall and National Poetry Month in April.”

I was also curious about the initial reactions each professor had upon seeing the completed chapbooks for the first time. I, for one, was thrilled to once again see my name in something on campus. Both professors echoed my thoughts.

Whalen stated, “Absolutely thrilled. Because our students deserve seeing their work in print—and because our designer/publisher, Cereal Box Studios (downtown), put such loving-care into the layout, the color-scheme, the materials. Nothing makes me happier than knowing people on and off campus will have the opportunity to read our students' beautiful, funny, sad, compelling, heart-breaking, inventive, down-right-awesome work. Give me a roof and I’ll shout each story, essay, and poem from atop it, because the work is that great—and our students’ voices are so important and deserve to be heard.”

His quote reminded me to point out Cereal Box Studios, located Downtown. They do great work down there, and without them, our chapbooks would likely have never been made.       Mason continued, “I think it's so important for writers to be able to hold their work in their hands, to show their work off by pointing to it, to keep it tucked away and safe as a memory.”

I also asked both professors to highlight a memorable moment during the making of the books.

Whalen pointed out “Getting to work intensively, one-on-one, with students on line edits was really great. I love that they trust me to make suggestions, and the secret truth about good writing is that it’s rarely, if ever, a solo act. Which is why sharing work in Writer’s Block, and getting feedback from peers, is so helpful—and the suggestions/edits I give to students later in the writing process is so easy, really, because they already worked together to make the work sing.”

Mason remembers, “Last spring, the first time we did chapbooks, a couple of students read several of their pieces aloud for the whole group and asked for votes to select which one to include and one student wrote something brand new for the chapbook on the spot. I loved that. I love when my students marvel over their own work, when they look at what they've worked on and find themselves surprised by their own talent.  The most memorable moments are the moments right after the chapbooks are delivered and students see them for the first time and start thumbing through them.  If we could bottle that kind of pride!”

Writer’s Block has a lot to look forward to, even if you’re not a part of it. As Whalen put it, “Get ready, campus, because we’ve got great stuff in the works.”

We’ll have more chapbooks coming in the foreseeable future, some fun social media stuff, some holiday themed events, and even some campus-wide writing challenges in the spring. Be sure to follow @msj_writersblock on Instagram to keep updated.