Set Your Table

~ Amelia Silvestro

Scheduling calls and meeting times as a group of five to meet with our multiple underclassmen and alums has been a learning process. Trying to find an optimal time for the most people, figuring out how best to share information and knowledge that we each gained from our interactions, and ensuring we all had our questions represented felt like a real display of community and care for one another.

I am so grateful I got the chance to have insightful and inspiring conversations with two Fordham Creative Writing Alumni, Annika and Daejah. The openness of both alumni, sharing how they continue to prioritize their art, navigate post-graduate life, and carve out paths for themselves in this world, was nourishing and felt exciting. Sharing my dreams and goals with them and hearing about how each of them has done this in their own lives helps me imagine and see more tangible possibilities.

Annika shared how her writing practice has changed as she moved into full-time work. Along with this, she shared advice about holding onto and building community and protecting her weekly writing times. Something else Annika talked about that I found really instructive was how her full-time work is able to inspire her writing and art instead of depleting her energy. I have also been thinking about this as I am searching for opportunities and potential paths, so it was helpful to hear about how this has been tangible in her life. I am also grateful I got to see the current show at the gallery where Annika works and continue our conversation about screenwriting, nonfiction books, and movie recommendations.

I feel so grateful for Daejah’s care and warmth, which I could feel even through the virtual Zoom call. Daejah shared advice about not fearing a life without writing because that desire is inside you; the want to create is a part of you. Seeing how true this feels to her and feeling how it resonated with me, that advice is something that I know I will be holding onto and reminding myself of. Their advice about healing and caring for oneself as being synonymous with caring for one’s art helps me think of art, self, and care in a deeply interconnected way. It was really exciting to hear about how Daejah has been following her own path and truly creating a life that sustains and nurtures her. Their insight about community was also very powerful, sharing how if they can’t find the table they want to be at, then they will have to set a table.
Hearing about some of the challenges both alumni have faced, what helped them during the transition from senior year to post-grad, and their openness to share about their journeys is something I will be returning to as a highlight of my last semester at Fordham. I’m also grateful to our capstone class for dreaming up this idea of Seeds of Success and bringing it into being.