Ask the Author with Caeley Harsch
TT: How long have you been writing? What interested you about it?
CH: I'd say I've been writing for as long as I've been reading...so quite a while! I was the kid who was always creating stories and making my own literary fantasy world. As I've gotten older, I've found much enjoyment writing about the meaningful things in my life--family, friends, music. Words have such power, and to have the opportunity to express such beauty and emotion onto paper is a true blessing. Writing withstands time, truly, and to think that the words of my favorite authors live on beyond their lifetimes and for countless generations to come blows my mind. I hope that one day, someone will be able to look back at a couple of the things I've written and experience what is meaningful to me in these moments, right now; that's truly a gift.
TT: What inspired you to write this piece(s)?
CH: I've always been really interested with unusual forms and structures in writing and I had discovered a poem in high school that was able to be read top to bottom and bottom to top with 2 completely different meanings depending on what way you read it. That really fascinated me and proved the depth that poetry can have not only in it's message, but also in its literal form. Writing this proved to be a significant challenge, and it took a great deal of intentional planning and ordering to create the finished product (but I always love a challenge!) My main inspiration for this piece was the idea of "art" as a concept rather than a tangible object. As a music major, I've gained a new appreciation for the idea of art as a wide umbrella in which the definition is decided by the individual and not the work itself. One may be tempted to ask the question "What truly is art?" however, the answer to that question is purely subjective to the tastes of the observer/audience. Therefore, the question is left open-ended and unanswered, just as it is in my poem.
TT: Is this similar or different to other things you’ve written? How so?
CH: This piece is actually very different from other things I've written. I tend to gravitate toward writing short stories rather than poetry, but I figured I would give it a shot because I wanted to experiment with a new form. I really enjoyed taking on the challenge of writing something that is readable both top to bottom and bottom to top, and I appreciate the fact that (as in almost all art), there are so many interpretations that can be had and personal meaning that can be added to the words on the page.
TT: Who is your favorite author or writer? What do you like about their work?
CH: My favorite author is undoubtedly Stephen Chbosky, as I've fallen in love with his writing style and most popular book, "The Perks of Being a Wallflower." He writes in such a way that makes you believe you are intimate friends with the characters and allows you to feel emotions alongside them. I've found a lot of my own personal writing voice from his work and I could only dream to impact future writers in a way close to how Chbosky has influenced mine.
TT: How long have you been writing? What interested you about it?
CH: I'd say I've been writing for as long as I've been reading...so quite a while! I was the kid who was always creating stories and making my own literary fantasy world. As I've gotten older, I've found much enjoyment writing about the meaningful things in my life--family, friends, music. Words have such power, and to have the opportunity to express such beauty and emotion onto paper is a true blessing. Writing withstands time, truly, and to think that the words of my favorite authors live on beyond their lifetimes and for countless generations to come blows my mind. I hope that one day, someone will be able to look back at a couple of the things I've written and experience what is meaningful to me in these moments, right now; that's truly a gift.
TT: What inspired you to write this piece(s)?
CH: I've always been really interested with unusual forms and structures in writing and I had discovered a poem in high school that was able to be read top to bottom and bottom to top with 2 completely different meanings depending on what way you read it. That really fascinated me and proved the depth that poetry can have not only in it's message, but also in its literal form. Writing this proved to be a significant challenge, and it took a great deal of intentional planning and ordering to create the finished product (but I always love a challenge!) My main inspiration for this piece was the idea of "art" as a concept rather than a tangible object. As a music major, I've gained a new appreciation for the idea of art as a wide umbrella in which the definition is decided by the individual and not the work itself. One may be tempted to ask the question "What truly is art?" however, the answer to that question is purely subjective to the tastes of the observer/audience. Therefore, the question is left open-ended and unanswered, just as it is in my poem.
TT: Is this similar or different to other things you’ve written? How so?
CH: This piece is actually very different from other things I've written. I tend to gravitate toward writing short stories rather than poetry, but I figured I would give it a shot because I wanted to experiment with a new form. I really enjoyed taking on the challenge of writing something that is readable both top to bottom and bottom to top, and I appreciate the fact that (as in almost all art), there are so many interpretations that can be had and personal meaning that can be added to the words on the page.
TT: Who is your favorite author or writer? What do you like about their work?
CH: My favorite author is undoubtedly Stephen Chbosky, as I've fallen in love with his writing style and most popular book, "The Perks of Being a Wallflower." He writes in such a way that makes you believe you are intimate friends with the characters and allows you to feel emotions alongside them. I've found a lot of my own personal writing voice from his work and I could only dream to impact future writers in a way close to how Chbosky has influenced mine.