by Gianna Hayes
Students huddled into Boo Bears last Tuesday, Jan. 30, to share poetry and prose. The space was small, requiring chairs and benches to be moved, but that didn’t stop the sizable gathering that arrived to hear the different works read by 12 students.
Some students read their own work, while others shared work by their favorite writers. The artistry shared ranged from poets like Ada Limón, former poet laureate of the United States, to Phil Kaye, a Japanese-American poet and filmmaker, and of course, Wooster’s very own student body. Jack Cheney ’26 was among those who spoke at the Moth and was one of the few prose readers. His short story, “Sunday,” was a good way for him to get out of his comfort zone. “I could see others were sharing vulnerable sides of themselves through their work, and figured I’d give it a try,” Cheney said.
Echoing these sentiments, Felipe Jarrín ’24, an attendee, said that “everything about it, from the location to the way that it’s organized, makes it an environment where it’s easy to share art, to be vulnerable and to have others listen to what you have to say.” They continued their praise, saying that “I feel like the Moth lets me see into the experience of people that I don’t normally get to interact with otherwise. I feel like I get to know a little bit about them from what they choose to read — I think it’s very good for community building within the campus.
Emma Anderson ’26, secretary for the Goliard, shared that “it’s a good opportunity to be able to share art and be able to connect with people. I think that’s a really important part of humanity and art.” The Moth will be returning once again Thursday, Feb. 15 with a focus on “love” for Valentine’s Day. The Goliard has a sign-up sheet accessible through their Instagram account, @goliard.lit.mag.
The Moth is an event that was recently revived, having been dormant until last semester. While you may know them from hosting Covers, the Goliard also puts out a literary magazine each academic year, to which they encourage students to submit creative works like poetry, prose, photography, original artwork and compositions. If you’d like to submit to this zine, you’re in luck; their submissions are currently open. To submit work, simply email your work to goliard@wooster.edu with the subject line “Issue 2024.” Their deadline is March 8.