The Ropewalk Visiting Writers Reading Series continued on Oct. 6 with a reading from Nicole Reid’s newest publication, “So There!”
Reid is an associate professor of English at USI as well as editor of Ropewalk Press, director of the Ropewalk Reading Series, faculty advisor of Fishhook and fiction editor for the Southern Indiana Review. She holds a master’s of fine arts in creative writing at George Mason University. Her fiction has won several awards including awards from Pirate’s Alley William Faulkner Short Story Competition, the F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Society and Glimmer Train.
She began writing fiction seriously after a creative writing class she took as a senior in college.
“At the end of it, my professor returned my portfolio to me with a note on it encouraging me to submit one of my poems for publication in literary journals,” Reid said.
“So There!” is a collection of short stories, all featuring female protagonists. The stories within it were written over the last 10 or so years, Reid said.
“I didn’t write any of these stories with a book in mind,” Reid said. “But when it came time to prepare a book manuscript, I found I had all these stories with a similar or complimentary, narrative perspective.”
The Ropewalk reading began with an introduction from former USI student Adrienne Rivera and current USI senior English and creative writing major Nathan Watson, both of whom have had Reid as a professor.
“Her stories are moving, breathing things,” Rivera said in her portion of the introduction.
After the introduction, Reid gave a short speech thanking everyone for attending and showing her appreciation for the support of her fiction. She then began reading the title story from her new book.
Not so much as a murmur came from the audience as those attendance listened intently to Reid’s words.
The story, told from the perspective of a young girl, follows the events of her parents relationship and her “aloof” mother. After the reading, a few in attendance asked Reid questions about the book and story itself.
Kevin Allton, who works in the English department with Reid as a creative writing and composition instructor, said Reid is good at capturing realistic moments in life. Allton introduced Reid at Reid’s last Ropewalk reading for her chapbook “Girls.”
“She’s a real talent a ferocious kind of talent,” Allton said.
“For me, I think she has an eloquent way of describing the more gruesomely explicit experiences in life, especially with women,” senior English education major Kimberly McConnell said. McConnel has had Reid for a class.
“She’s brutally honest,” McConnell said “But in a helpful way, which is what you want in creative writing.”
Reid was delighted by the turnout at the Ropewalk reading Thursday.
“It’s always a pleasure to read to a full room,” Reid said. “To have that many listeners engaged with my story is any writer’s dream.”