APSU graduate students gain inspiration, experience at national AWP conference

By: Dr. Andrea Spofford April 28, 2025

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – For APSU graduate students interested in creative writing, the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) annual conference offers an opportunity to engage with writers from across the world. This year, four APSU graduate students attended the conference, along with creative writing co-coordinator Dr. Raymond Deeren and Zone 3 Press managing editor Calie Benke. Beth Chisenhall, Paige Redmond, Kaela Cundiff, and Allison Harris were chosen from a competitive applicant pool, with funding from the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts.

Held in Los Angeles, the AWP conference attracts more than 12,000 attendees annually. Students attended panels like Camille Dungy’s “Rewriting the West,” focused on creating landscape in creative writing, and “Birthing Books & Babies: Navigating the Double Bind of Caregiving & Writing,” moderated by Kaitlin Solimine. Writer Roxane Gay gave the keynote address, an experience Beth Chisenhall describes as a “highlight of the trip.”

“Our group arrived very early so that we could sit front and center,” Chisenhall said. “The way she came in, sat and quietly commanded the room was like nothing I’ve seen. She was so real; I hung on her every �ɴǰ��.”

Paige Redmond added, “I don’t know what else to say other than hearing Roxane Gay speak was incredible. It’s hard for me to put into words what it was like to be there and then to get to chat with her for a few minutes afterward while she signed our books. It’s an experience I won’t forget any time ��Ǵǲ�.”

Professional development opportunities are key for creative arts and humanities students. The Creative Writing program emphasizes these experiences, from attending conferences like AWP to internships at Zone 3 Press to organizing the Zone 3 Writers Festival. Unique hands-on opportunities define the student experience at APSU and in the College of Arts and Letters, where the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts is housed.

“It’s a thrilling experience to spend three days immersed in sessions on craft, hearing inspiring works, and in the company of so many people who love what we love,” Chisenhall said. “That alone is an affirming and motivating adventure, and I feel fortunate to have been included. The trip also allowed me to get to know members of my cohort and form friendships that I know will enrich my college experience and hopefully beyond.”

For more information about the Creative Writing program at APSU, Zone 3 Press, the Zone 3 Writers’ Festival, or other Creative Writing opportunities, contact Deeren at deerenr@apsu.edu.

About the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts

Since 1985, the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts (CECA, or "seek-ah") has been providing students, the Clarksville community, and the middle Tennessee region with engaging experiences through the Art + Design, Creative Writing, Music, and Theatre & Dance programs at APSU. CECA brings as many as 85 guest artists to Clarksville each year and presents up to 100 public arts and culture events annually, including concerts, exhibitions, artist lectures, master classes, artist residencies, and more. In addition, CECA provides the arts faculty at APSU with research opportunities to enhance their professional growth as well as numerous student scholarships each year to support APSU's own emerging artists. To learn more about CECA, contact Dr. Andrea Spofford at spofforda@apsu.edu .

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