Cropper Writer Series recap
Photo courtesy of Carla Petticrew
The Lindsay J. Cropper Memorial Writer Series is back with author Alexander Chee
Shelby Todd / Asst. A&C Editor / The USD Vista
This month’s Lindsay J. Cropper Memorial Writer Series event brought another opportunity for Toreros to hear from inspiring authors with a reading by novelist Alexander Chee. An esteemed writer whose popular works include the novels “Edinburgh” and “The Queen of the Night,” and the essay collection “How To Write An Autobiographical Novel,” Chee makes it clear that his background as a Korean American has shaped his career. He shared with the audience that 20 years ago, getting his first novel about a gay Korean American contending with the trauma of sexual assault published was not an easy task. However, Chee’s belief in his work and persistence to push past rejection got that novel published and allowed him to grow as an author. Chee has been a prominent part of the breakout of Asian-American authors in the literary landscape and continues to advocate for further inclusion of diverse voices in mainstream literature.
Today, Chee is not only a successful novelist, but he is a contributing editor at The New Republic, and an editor at large at VQR. His essays and short stories have appeared in The New York Times Book Review, T Magazine, Tin House, Slate, Guernica, and others. His list of accolades include winning a 2003 Whiting Award, a 2004 NEA Fellowship in prose and a 2010 MCCA Fellowship, and residency fellowships from the MacDowell Colony, the VCCA, Civitella Ranieri and Amtrak. He has also taught writing at many universities, and is currently an associate professor of English and creative writing at Dartmouth College.
During the Cropper event, Chee read excerpts from two upcoming novels, currently titled “Children of Atlantis” and “The Prince.” Chee’s first excerpt demonstrated his skill as a writer, creating vivid imagery for audience members of the real-life events of Jaques Cousteau’s underwater colonies in the 1960s. His ability to captivate the audience with a personal perspective on a lesser-known historical event was remarkable. His second reading was a scene from his novel that depicted realistic relationships and explored themes of diversity and sexuality. Both of these projects have yet to be released, but the excerpts read provided anticipation for the final pieces.
Many classes in the English department have been able to embrace the Cropper series and align class material with visiting authors. Nena McGrade, a senior English major, had the chance to read Chee’s work in her advanced creative nonfiction writing class before attending the Thursday night reading.
“I enjoyed reading his novel because he has a unique and personal voice throughout his narrative,” McGrade said. “Through telling his life stories, he reveals larger truths of the human experience and as a nonfiction writer myself, I really connected with that. It was cool to get to hear his writing in his actual voice at the event.”
After the reading, Chee answered audience questions and gave students advice on finding motivation and creating original content that is based on personal experiences. Like all of the Cropper Series events, students, faculty, and the public were once again given a great opportunity to expand their knowledge and get inspired by an extraordinary author.
The Lindsay J. Cropper Memorial Writer Series was created to inspire budding creative writers by exposing them to published authors. This series and the Lindsay J. Cropper Center for Creative Writing were established in memory of Lindsay, a University of San Diego alumna and English major, by her parents Barrie and Dorothy Cropper. The series has served as a way for students and faculty to meet with and learn from the authors they have read in class or on their own.
The Lindsay J. Cropper Memorial Writer Series will be finishing its 2019-2020 series with a showcase of the students in the English Department’s Creative Writing emphasis. Students completing the program will get the chance to demonstrate a culmination of their learning by reading an excerpt from their own works. The event will take place on April 30 in Mother Rosalie Hill Hall Room 102 with a dessert reception to follow.
