On Thursday, Oct. 3, the University of Connecticut’s creative writing program hosted a “Visiting Authors Series” event focusing on Chris Knapp, whose work has appeared in numerous magazines. Students gathered in Barnes and Noble in Downtown Storrs to hear Knapp introduce his new “States of Emergency” book release.
The event began with creative writing director Sean Forbes introducing the event and the featured author. Knapp officially starts the event by presenting his book, which he describes as a “story within a story” as it contains themes of marriage and love. The book starts with a wedding in Brooklyn but turns into the main character, Marco, telling a story about his days back in college while in Boston. During this time, he plans a “prank” and creates a MySpace account under the name Sarah Hope. I will stop here so as not to spoil the entire book.
Knapp begins to read some of his books to give a further idea of what they are about and the style in which they were written. Since it is focused on events back in college, it can easily relate to and interest a young audience such as UConn students. However, Knapp’s book has the audience constantly laughing, especially the adults, with its humor and precise details, making it a versatile fit for any audience. With how attentive the audience was, they were prepared for the next part of the event: the question-and-answer portion.
Forbes asked the first question about the book’s genesis. In response, Knapp revealed that he had originally written a short story, and then another story, and realized that all he needed was a middle and he had himself a book. As the audience asked away, Knapp answered the questions so well that the audience began to ask follow-up questions.
Another question asked was about who his inspirations were growing up. Something to know about Knapp is that his mother, Kathy Knapp, works in the English department at UConn. He credits her as one of his main inspirations, claiming that she used to read him stories when he was younger and got him initially interested in writing.
Students got the opportunity to ask Knapp questions that don’t relate specifically to the book but even just about being a writer. “I, myself, aspire to be a fiction writer, so I believe the best way to learn how to be one is to gain experience from people who have succeeded in publishing their books and work,” said Julian Rodriguez, a first-semester computer science major, when asked why he chose to attend this event. This shows the event is beneficial and very thoughtfully planned out for those who may be interested in a similar field.
When asked how these events benefit students and the community, Ava Giorno, a third-semester undecided major, said, “if anybody is interested in English or creative writing, it’s just an opportunity to learn a little bit more about it.”
“It gives interested people a glimpse of what an actual job in that field could be like,” said Jack Larosa, a third-semester economics major. So, if any readers are interested in learning more about this field or simply find events such as this interesting, make sure that you attend one of the creative writing program’s events.
The event concluded with a book signing after questions, where students could purchase “States of Emergency” and have it signed by Knapp. The event left a lasting impression on the students, who lined up to have their book signed.