Holly Walrath
Holly Lyn Walrath’s poetry and short fiction has appeared in Strange Horizons, Fireside Fiction, Luna Station Quarterly, Liminality, and elsewhere. Her chapbook of words and images, Glimmerglass Girl, will be published by Finishing Line Press in 2018. She holds a B.A. in English from The University of Texas and a Master’s in Creative Writing from the University of Denver. She is a freelance editor and host of The Weird Circular, an e-newsletter for writers containing submission calls and writing prompts. She lives in Houston, Texas. Find her on line at hlwalrath.com.
Excerpt from Holly's piece “Defining Art”:
Artists are people who live entirely in an interior world as well as without. Able to retreat to their own universes, they often inhabit a myopic space, a kind of room within their minds. As a writer, I don’t choose to write. The art within me forces itself out, often in surprising ways that don’t fit with a traditional standard. Some have even suggested that a person who has creative thought, even without a tangible exhibition of that thought, is an artist. So even if my work never reaches success, it is still art. The gardener, architect, website designer, graphic designer, animator, mechanic, cosplayer, and video game designer are all artists because of what drives their thoughts. Creativity is the mania of the new millennium, lamented because each person can become a creator through the power of technology. But creativity is also vital to survival, allowing for adaptability, mutation, and innovation. As we create, we define our legacy, even if it is only one which lives in our minds.
Artists are people who live entirely in an interior world as well as without. Able to retreat to their own universes, they often inhabit a myopic space, a kind of room within their minds. As a writer, I don’t choose to write. The art within me forces itself out, often in surprising ways that don’t fit with a traditional standard. Some have even suggested that a person who has creative thought, even without a tangible exhibition of that thought, is an artist. So even if my work never reaches success, it is still art. The gardener, architect, website designer, graphic designer, animator, mechanic, cosplayer, and video game designer are all artists because of what drives their thoughts. Creativity is the mania of the new millennium, lamented because each person can become a creator through the power of technology. But creativity is also vital to survival, allowing for adaptability, mutation, and innovation. As we create, we define our legacy, even if it is only one which lives in our minds.
Recommended Books for Aspiring Writers
- What If? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers by Ann Bernays & Pamela Painter
- How to Read a Poem and Fall in Love with Poetry by Edward Hirsch
- Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
- Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
- The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Teaching Philosophy
I believe that writing begins with a spark – an idea that, when put to paper, begins to emit heat, breaks apart, and sets the reader on fire. My favorite moment in working with writers is when they realize, “I am a writer.” I want to help new writers get to this point, and then give them the tools to persist beyond. I strive to keep the flame going by encouraging an environment of community, mentorship, and friendship.
I believe that writing begins with a spark – an idea that, when put to paper, begins to emit heat, breaks apart, and sets the reader on fire. My favorite moment in working with writers is when they realize, “I am a writer.” I want to help new writers get to this point, and then give them the tools to persist beyond. I strive to keep the flame going by encouraging an environment of community, mentorship, and friendship.