Author Fest 2019: a turning point of the reclusive concentration
Metea took on a fandom frenzy during the annual Author Fest last Friday and Saturday. Students were able to meet authors such as Elizabeth Eulberg, Annie Sullivan, Amber Smith, and five other authors in the auditorium. Each class period had one to two new writers to meet with the classes that register. Students were able to discuss the hidden gems and struggles of writing.
“Our district has a very good partnership with them [Anderson’s Bookshop]. What we do is the high schools in District 204, we get a list of the authors that are willing to come. Then, we barter for who we want to come,” Library and Media Center Director Amy Madzinski said.
Author Fest is an opportunity for students to connect with published authors. Each author had an important message and shared the common traps they encounter about creative writing.
“I only had one author come to my school as a kid. I remember that moment and I remember how exciting it was and how much I loved getting to hear from someone who had written a book that I read. I think giving back to schools and coming to talk to students can inspire them so much,” ‘Tiger Queen’ author Annie Sullivan said.
The authors had their flair while they were in the spotlight. Some authors used their creativity to play a Spotify playlist. Others charmed the audience by cracking jokes about their dysfunctional writing process.
“I think there are two main things I love about coming to conferences and events. The first thing is getting to connect with teen readers. [The second thing is] connecting with other authors because writing can be such as solitary thing. When you come out to the conference with 30 other writers, you feel like you are all in this together,” ‘All Eyes on Us’ author Kit Frick said.
Students often feel a lack of confidence and courage to express their ideas and writing. Their ideas further disintegrate due to the unknown support from currently published authors. They continue to change the stigmas around the profession. One of the first steps is to create an outlet for young writers to have a collaborative environment.
“I want to inspire the next generation, and that is why I love coming to these events,” Sullivan said.
Leland is the Editor-in-Chief of Metea Media. She was a sports Reporter her sophomore year and the sports Editor in her junior year. After spending two...
Claire Baffes is a senior, this is her first year on staff, and she’s very excited to be here. She’s an avid member of Book Club, English Honors Society,...
Olivia is a senior and the social media editor-in-chief for her third and final year on staff. You can find her working, paddle boarding, bike riding,...
darkstripe • Oct 22, 2019 at 7:39 am
i love that judging by the authors we see here, metea thinks that the only kind of authors who exist are like. women writing chick lit. that’s it. “other genres”? “other authors”? never heard of em!