Camp Creative
~ Ava Bauer
Amidst one of New York City’s bitterest winters in recent memory, a Creative Writing Capstone class hosted a cozy gathering called Camp Creative. This summer-camp-in-winter themed event brought the Fordham community together to bond, relax, and enjoy the homey pleasures of literature and storytelling. Students learned how to craft personalized journals, won prizes in a literary trivia game and sat on blankets and pillows around a handcrafted campfire. An acoustic guitar soundtrack and a collection of fireside stories completed the summer-camp atmosphere. As they enjoyed a dinner reception and each other's company, students were also invited to contribute to two community Exquisite Corpse poems.
Students share fireside stories
Participants give their all at literary trivia
The open mic invited performers to share original poems, stories, and guitar-accompanied song covers, and a creative abundance filled the room with a mesmerizing energy. When the scheduled performances ended, the impression they left inspired a wave of spontaneous new volunteers to take the stage and share poetry and music of their own.
An open mic performer plays a song with the help of a fellow student
The evening closed with the reading of both Exquisite Corpses, their contents by turns unexpected, funny, and sublime. The warmth and joy between students was palpable throughout the evening, and the success of the event illuminated the value of in-person gatherings in the Fordham English community, even in a time when merely trekking outside one’s home can feel like a kind of hero’s journey in and of itself.
Groups of students participate in personalized journalmaking
