Bringing community to a seemingly solitary endeavor | College of Arts & Science News [Video]

Posted by Mary-Lou Watkinson on Wednesday, October 30, 2024 in News Story, Profiles.

The image of a writer often conjures up visions of an author sequestered away crafting the perfect poem or buried under stacks of paper finishing their next novel. However, award-winning poet and Gertrude Conaway Professor of English Major Jackson believes it is a deeply collaborative process that relies heavily on community.

“I think the conception is that writing is a solitary act,” said Jackson. “And yes, it’s true, but once a book hits the marketplace, there’s so many people who have helped usher into the world that single vision.”

Jackson began teaching at Vanderbilt in 2021 and has since made it his mission to help nurture emerging authors, hoping to quicken their learning curve and support their dream of writing their first book.

“I love teaching students here at Vanderbilt,” Jackson said. “Many of them come from backgrounds far different from my own, and yet …