Department's Jerome Stern Reading Series hosts in the spotlight: Anthony Borruso, Olivia Sokolowski manage weekly gatherings
By Lilliana Solovay
Anthony Borruso and Olivia Sokolowski are doctoral candidates in Florida State University’s Creative Writing Program, and both students are hosts of the English department’s Jerome Stern Reading Series.
They began their hosting responsibilities at the beginning of the Fall 2022 semester, and they are excited to welcome this year's readers.
“It's been a lot to get used to this semester. But it's been a lot of fun,” says Sokolowski, who is in her third year of her studies.
She has attended the series events for the past couple of years, she says, and hosting is a great way to continue to experience her peers’ and English faculty members’ creative outlets.
“Even though there have been some challenges, it's been a pretty cool experience so far,” she adds.
Borruso is also in his third year at FSU.
“It is really important for the community to have this creativity fostered through events like this,” he says.
The series, held weekly at The Bark in Tallahassee, includes readings by FSU graduate students and faculty members as well as authors outside of the FSU community. The gatherings are a great way for writers and listeners to bond, to make connections, to learn about FSU’s Creative Writing Program, and to express themselves through poetry and other writing genres in a public setting.
Borruso and Sokolowski found their connection to FSU through the work of Barbara Hamby, senior lecturer, Distinguished University Scholar, and the English department’s thesis director. Both students heard her discussions on poetry at an Association of Writers and Writing Programs conference.
Sokolowski earned her bachelor’s degree from Berry College, a small private school in Georgia, and her master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Borruso obtained his bachelor’s degree from the College of Staten Island and his master’s degree from Butler University in Indianapolis.
Borruso and Sokolowski say they are overjoyed to be a part of the program this year and are excited to see what the future brings for the series.
To find readers for the series, usually two for each event, Borruso and Sokolowski prioritize graduate students with published or soon-to-be published literary work so those students get publicity for their work. Besides this criterion, they consider seniority, focusing on students who will graduate soon to give them priority spots on the reader list.
“If you got into the M.F.A., or the Ph.D. program at FSU, we can pretty much trust that you're a decent writer and that you have some interesting stuff to say,” Borruso says.
Each participant has 20 minutes to read, and the reader can request someone to do their introduction. In some cases, Borruso and Sokolowski find someone to introduce the reader.
It is really important for the community to have this creativity fostered through events like this.
— Anthony Borruso
After that, “they pretty much have open rein to read what they want and do what they want,” Borruso says.
Borruso and Sokolowski also make an effort to have inclusive readings to everyone in the community by including physical access copies for deaf individuals. They collect these copies from the readers beforehand and have them located and advertised before the readings begin.
During the events, Borruso and Sokolowski experience the readers’ work the same as anyone else who attends the event. They say they enjoy hearing many different perspectives and styles from those in the Creative Writing Program, along with the tone switch that occurs from reader to reader. Some readers express trauma or have a serious tone, for example, while others may have a comedic approach.
“There's definitely a wide range of readers, and that makes the reading experience unpredictable and fun,” Borruso says.
For undergraduate students, getting to experience “an intimate moment between the reader and the audience, where their hard work is really paying off and you can see them showing off their strengths and their best work,” makes a night at The Bark worth it, according to Sokolowski. They may also have book signings by students and individuals outside of the FSU community at the events.
“It is a place where the Creative Writing community is fostered to suit meeting new people in the department with similar interests,” she adds.
It is a place where the Creative Writing community is fostered to suit meeting new people in the department with similar interests.
— Olivia Sokolowski
Attendees for the readings hear heartfelt and accessible poems, the co-hosts say, along with other types of writing pieces that are read.
“Poets can give you insight that you wouldn't normally have on the page, when you're at a reading,” Borruso says. They can tell you their “flicker of inspiration, and hearing that as an undergraduate student helps show that poems are not as mysterious and esoteric as they seem to be.”
Although series readings are just an hour long, Borruso and Sokolowski encourage people to get a bite to eat at The Bark, hear some peers read their work, and ask any questions you might have for a student at FSU in the master’s or doctoral programs.
“Get your week off to a good start,” Sokolowski says.
Lilliana Solovay is a junior majoring in English, on the editing, writing, and media track, with a second major in political science.
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