Jerome Stern Reading Series creates vibrant space for authors

By Ellie Johnson, Senior Writer

Every Tuesday night at 8 during the Fall 2025 semester, the Department of English’s Creative Writing Program welcomes a different author to The Bark for a Jerome Stern Reading Series event. The series begins Sept. 9 with Amina Gautier, who has published four award-winning short story collections.

English graduate students Camille Goering and Ryan Hunke are co-hosts for the series and have been working this past summer to establish the lineup. The series is an opportunity for the authors to share their work with the local community.

We’ve created a vibrant, inclusive community that transcends traditional academic and professional divisions.

— Camille Goering

“We bring in diverse writers from all disciplines to read from their work, offering students an invaluable opportunity to engage with working writers,” Goering says, explaining that she and Hunke find and schedule readers, promote the events, and facilitate their execution.

Goering is a third-year Master of Fine Arts-Nonfiction student, teaching two sections of ENC1101 this fall. She adds that the series is unique partially because graduate students are invited to participate in readings.

“As a result, we’ve created a vibrant, inclusive community that transcends traditional academic and professional divisions,” she says, describing the series as an “FSU gem.”

Hunke currently serves as the graduate assistant to Associate Professor and Director of the Creative Writing Program Skip Horack. Hunke agrees with Goering’s description of the series’ welcoming environment and vibe.

“I recruit graduate students that are currently studying at FSU and are working on various writing creative writing projects,” he says. Hunke is pursuing his Ph.D. in fiction. “From there, we produce flyers and advertisements to keep our community up to date on all of the talent that is coming through each semester.”

The Jerome Stern Reading Series was created to honor Jerome Stern, a professor in the English department who also served as the director of the Creative Writing Program. He began his academic career at FSU in 1966 and he passed away in 1996.

As director of the Creative Writing Program, Horack oversees the series and its organization.

“My hope is to just be a steward of it,” Horack said in an Aug. 31 Tallahassee magazine article about the series. “This existed before I was director, and when I stop being director, it will live long past me. It’s good for the soul.”

Goering and Hunke work diligently leading up to each reading. On the day of the event, they maintain the focus on the writers sharing their work.

“We stick to the three Bs—Be Brief, Be Brilliant, and Be Gone,” Hunke shares.

We stick to the three Bs—Be Brief, Be Brilliant, and Be Gone.

— Ryan Hunke

The two follow this motto to keep the focus where they want it to be: on the readers. Goering and Hunke speak enthusiastically about the series, and they want to ensure its success.

“I believe in creating and supporting strong writing communities, and events like the Jerome Stern Reading Series is one of the most significant factors that goes into maintaining communities,” Hunke says. “It's a lightning rod that brings together writers across our community just to meet, catch up, and talk about their work.”

The co-hosts are looking forward to various aspects of the semester. Hunke says he is interested in hearing innovative and creative work.

“Inevitably, when you gather so many motivated and talented writers in a room, new ideas, projects, and connections emerge,” he says.

Goering echoes Hunke’s appreciation for variety, and she is interested to hear Florida native Craig Pittman read in November.

“I've been dipping my toes in investigative journalism,” she says. “I've been writing about Florida's correctional re-entry programs, and Pittman's environmental reporting has been an inspiration to me.”

Throughout the fall semester, people are encouraged to join the English department for a night of sharing original work in a lively and supportive environment.

“For guests attending for the first time, The Bark is a super low-key venue with tables and boots, a bar for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, and an open kitchen,” Hunke says. “All people need to do is grab a seat and enjoy the show.”

Ellie Johnson is a double major in English-Editing, Writing, and Media and in psychology.

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