Eder Creative Writing Endowed Scholarship recipient Moses Fisher read a collection of originally written short stories covering a variety of genres from flash-fiction to comedy, and showcased long-form pieces alongside shorter selections.
Fisher, a senior who is dual majoring in English and secondary education, said he comes from a family of self-proclaimed “English nerds,” with a long family history of writers backing him up. Fisher’s reading was held on Tuesday, November 12 in the Mason Library.
“I grew up surrounded by books and writing. My grandfather on my dad’s side and his father were writers for television and movies. My parents were both journalists. Writing and storytelling has been a part of my family for as long as I can remember, and that definitely translated into me,” said Fisher.
Fisher said his time at KSC helped him develop his craft as a writer and overcome mental barriers such as perfectionism and “writer’s block.”
“For a good portion of my life, I had terrible writer’s block. I was absolutely terrified of not being perfect, and that really hindered my motivation for a long time,” said Fisher.
“My professors at Keene State taught me to be kinder to myself and realize you aren’t supposed to be perfect on your first draft. That really helped me build confidence, and now I can call myself a writer,” added Fisher.
According to Fisher, nurturing an active habit of reading is critical for aspiring writers.
“Read everything you can, and be aware of what people are writing,” said Fisher.
“As humans, we learn by imitation. You have to immerse yourself in the world of writers and read as broadly as you can in order to familiarize yourself with different styles and genres, and also find inspiration,” added Fisher.
The Eder Creative Writing Endowed Scholarship is awarded to KSC students who display talent and passion for creative writing. The scholarship was created in 2006 through the charitable efforts of Doris L. and Donald Grey Eder. According to Fisher, the scholarship has weakened financial pressures on his educational pursuits, while affirming his confidence as a writer.
“It’s been helpful in paying for tuition, but it’s also been such a confidence booster. It’s an outsider marker that told me that my work has worth and value, and that other people recognize that. I felt on top of the world for days afterward,” said Fisher.
“I hope that student writers who come after me put their best foot forward, and silence that inner critic that tells you that you aren’t good enough,” added Fisher.
Professor of English Brinda Charry is one of Fisher’s professors and introduced him to the audience during Tuesday’s reading. Charry said she is proud of Fisher for his achievements as a writer and student.
“We know the work that student recipients of the scholarship put in. It’s more than just homework for people like [Fisher], who write because they truly want to and put the heart and work into their writing,” said Charry.
“[Fisher] is one of our best, and I’m proud to see him have the opportunity to showcase his work, and hopefully have an experience worth remembering,” added Charry.
Classmates from Fisher’s Educational Theories and Trends class attended the reading to support their classmate.
Senior Sarah Geradi and junior Tess Brown said they were impressed by Fisher’s writing.
“We made it a class trip to come out and see him speak, and it was really nice as a class of secondary education majors to see him in this different domain that we don’t often get to see from our perspective. We’re really proud of him, and we think he’s going to be a great teacher and writer,” said Geradi.
“It was cool to see this whole other side of him and see his talents as a writer. I really was blown away by everything I heard,” said Brown.
Ryan Pacheco can be contacted at
rpacheco@kscequinox.com
