In correlation with Earth Week, the last reading of this season’s Kelly Writers Series was given by GLCA’s non-fiction winner, Angela Pelster. A Canadian native, Pelster won the Great Lakes College Association New Writers award for her collection of essays titled “Limber.” She read a variety of her creative non-fiction essays to a group of DePauw faculty and students in Peeler this past Wednesday, April 20.
In his introduction of Pelster, Joe Haithaus, who will be ending his time as director of the Kelly Writers Series this year, described Pelster’s work as “flexible and agile.” He also talked about how Pelster’s essays show that “all writing can grow across gaps.” Pelster’s essays all have a connection to environmentalism, starting off with an observation she makes in her surroundings, revealing intriguing research she has made about that observation, and finally, drawing connections to her personal life and the world around her.
Claudia Mills, a Professor of English at DePauw, who attended Pelster’s reading said, “She wove a spell with essays that begin with some seemingly random, isolated observations about the natural world, and then lead the audience into a web of interconnections that illuminate startling truths about our place as humans in that world, and our hidden doubts and fears about ourselves.”
Pelster explained her deep connection to nature; she said she “grew up in the outdoors.” But her writing not only deals with the environment, but also with love, loss, youth, fate and death. Her essays are all unique, but are all connected through their tendency to convey the many aspects of the human spirit.
"Pelster exceeded all my expectations," said Mary Satterthwaite, a sophomore who attended the reading. “She used powerful imagery in her storytelling that made the audience cringe, laugh, and reflect on their own lives. As an environmental fellow, the reading helped me to have fuller understanding of the power and importance of storytelling as a means to move people and enable them to see the gravity of environmental issues and any other social issues that we may face.”
In the words of Haithaus, “we are really lucky” to bring in such talented and inspiring writers to DePauw. “We have learned so much from these people,” said Haithaus. He also mentioned that the new director of the Kelly Writers Series, David Crouse, has a brilliant line up prepared for the Kelly Writer Series next year.