Our very own second-year MA Creative Writing student Patrick Flores-Scott sat down with us for a short reflection on his time at Eastern Michigan University.
Originally published in October 2024 Graduate Studies & Research Newsletter. This is the complete version of Patrick’s interview.
Q: What’s something that you enjoy about EMU?
A: As someone who is coming back to school after a decades-long break, I enjoy interacting with younger folks in the creative writing program and in the writing center, where I’m a graduate assistant. I’m really impressed and inspired by their positivity, generosity, and creativity.
Q: Any current academic projects that you’re working on?
A: I’m currently starting the work of putting together ideas for my creative thesis project. It’s springing from the work done in a couple of my classes last year. The project is an examination of a fictional midwestern suburban neighborhood, the relationships, and perception of relationships, and how in these times we manage to connect and fail to connect with our neighbors.
Q: What are your research interests?
A: Less research than creative interests. I’ve been writing young adult novels for some time. I’m happy with the books I’ve written, but they’re stylistically fairly typical YA. I needed an artistic disruption. All of the professors in the Graduate Program in Creative Writing have had such success with diverse experimental approaches. So for me, this program is less about researching something specific than it is about being exposed to as much as possible, and seeing what will grow out of that.
Q: What are your plans for after graduation?
A: I’m hoping to teach creative writing at the undergrad level, while pursuing my own creative projects.
Q: What helps you maintain a work/life/school balance?
A: I think having a family is surprisingly helpful here. My spouse and I have two middle school-aged sons and two dogs, so there are some immediate needs that come before school. It’s hard but also gives shape to the days and puts school in perspective.
Q: What do you do for fun?
A: I take pictures, listen to music, tinker with manual typewriters, and enjoy the life of being a spouse to Emma and dad to Diego and Carlos.
Patrick is currently a student in the Graduate Program in creative writing at Eastern Michigan University, where he also works in the University Writing Center and is the current editor of EMU’s literary magazine, the BathHouse Journal. He previously spent his time writing three young adult novels, and as a public school teacher in Los Angeles and Seattle. He is the lucky husband of Emma, and dad of musical tweens, Carlos and Diego. The family dogs are Luna (who does not like Patrick) and Bruno (who loves Patrick).
You can find all of Patrick Flores Scott’s published works at a bookstore near you, including his newest book No Going Back.
Patrick Flores Scott’s website: https://patrickfloresscott.com/index.html#/