On Thursday, Feb. 27, Union University hosted a creative writing workshop and competition with special guest, author Niles Reddick.
That morning, high school students from the Jackson area visited Union University’s campus for a creative writing workshop with table groups led by current Union students. The workshop was followed by awards for the creative writing contest and a book reading and signing by Reddick. A college level workshop was held in the afternoon.
“I don’t think being bright or smart has a lot to do with writing,” said Reddick. “I think it’s passion. It’s dedication. It’s hard work. It’s determination. It’s all of those things combined.”
As Reddick began the reading, he pulled out his magnifying glass. He mused that reading glasses aren’t always enough, and he proceeded to use it on and off throughout the reading.
One of his own works that Reddick mentioned speaks to his passion for the homeless population in Jackson, illustrating the importance of helping others meet their basic human needs.
Reddick continued speaking and began praising the wonders of modern technology, attributing much of his success to the ubiquity of different publishing sources and encouraging students to pursue publishing their own work.
“I probably would not have published this much had all of these avenues not been available to me,” said Reddick.
Reddick’s reading was followed by a book signing outside Harvey Auditorium. Sophomore technical theatre major and English minor, Molly McGavin, attended the college workshop in the afternoon after leading a table group in the morning.
“When you’re reading someone’s writing, you’re hearing who they are and where they’ve been and what they’ve done,” said McGavin.
The day concluded with the writing workshop for college students. Reddick, originally from Georgia, currently lives in Jackson and is a professor at University of Memphis Lambuth. He has authored books such as “Road Kill Art and Other Oddities,” “Lead Me Home” and “Drifting too far from the Shore.”
Graphic by Maggie Exum
