EMU student Alessa Pointer reviews the faculty BathHouse Reading from earlier this semester:
On September 8, 2011, I attended my first BathHouse Reading with Laura Wetherington, Jill Darling and Sara Williams and I must say that I enjoyed it. All three women were wonderful, but Laura Wetherington absolutely magnificent. Her style is so quirky and funny, and everything she read was wonderful. My favorite line would have to be “an orgasm is just your body clapping for itself.” The collaborative work between Jill and Laura was also something I very much enjoyed. We have been discussing collaborative works in one of my creative writing classes and to actually see it done was beautiful. It was obvious that these two women were close and knew much about one another and the piece executed that very well. Sara’s work was interesting, but what I found most interesting was her students work. Her students are young and innocent and it reminded me a lot of my own work as a child. It also made me think of how much my work has grown and matured and I hope theirs does as well. My second BathHouse Reading wasn’t as memorable as my first, but Taylor Brady’s writing was exceptional. I cannot remember entire phrases but I do remember being moved by his work. Hopefully one day I will be able to move someone the way Taylor, Sara, Jill and Laura moved me.
After seeing these performances I realized that is what I want to do with my life. Before I wanted to edit, critique someone else’s work because I passionately dislike the criticism of my work. I don’t take criticism very well, and I accept this. But now I think I would like to change someone’s life the way literature has changed mine. The way all of their work made me feel has opened up a completely new realm of possibilities for me. It has allowed me to finally go on with my true passion which is and has almost always been writing.