Gianna Cilluffo ‘22
Throughout the school year, the Creative Writing Club (CWC) has worked to intertwine creative writing with social commentary, giving students an opportunity to express themselves and their opinions. Club member Ava Hendrickson ‘22 explains, “We’ve spent time exploring various current topics through writing, such as COVID-19, politics, and social justice. By looking at these things through a creative lens, we’ve been able to explore our own thoughts more deeply.” On Wednesday, March 3, Jackson Bird spoke to both the CWC and Queer-Straight Alliance Clubs, talking about his journey as a transgender author. Bird was connected to Christopher McCreary, Upper School English teacher, and Howard E. Morgan Chair of Creative Writing, through Lambda Literary, an organization that helps introduce students to LGBTQ+ writers and works of literature.
Photo Courtesy of Mary Cipperman
Bird originally worked for a non-profit organization that helped fandoms, notably that of the Harry Potter series, mobilize towards social justice reforms. His memoir, Sorted, details his struggle of growing up confused about his gender but eventually “sorting it out”, and includes many allusions to the Harry Potter novels. The title itself is a reference to the Sorting Hat, a Hogwarts tradition that divides students into their houses. In the context of his transgender identity, however, Bird features a quote from Dumbledore in his memoir: “Sometimes I think we sort too soon.”
Being a transgender person and a Harry Potter fan has become difficult over the past few years. J.K. Rowling, the series’ author, has made controversial statements about trans people, leading to division within the fandom. “It’s tough because I built my career off of Harry Potter,” says Bird, adding, “I think it’s also symptomatic of growing transphobia in the UK.” The situation has sparked debates concerning the “death of the author,” or whether a piece of literature should be viewed separately from the biases of the author. Bird believes that “you can still love Harry Potter, but must interrogate your own biases, and understand how to be better ally to transpeople.”
The blend of writing and activism demonstrated by Bird is what the CWC has been striving to achieve in their pieces this year. “I really enjoyed getting to hear from someone who has written a memoir at a rather young age. I found his story incredibly compelling and loved all the advice he gave about writing as a career,” says club member Fiona Riley ‘22.
CWC has been working on a year-long project based in activism through the “EMERGE” project, which was also featured in the Crawford Campus Center Gallery in the fall. “EMERGE” was created by Mural Arts Philadelphia, encompassing all artistic disciplines and encouraging artists and writers to examine the impacts of COVID-19 in communities without access to the necessary resources. In the context of CWC, McCreary explains that “most of our writing around ‘EMERGE’ has turned into a broader political commentary.” Riley adds, “We were encouraged to tie everything back to the theme of ‘EMERGE’, which generally fostered a more hopeful tone. The experience writing with this theme helped to develop the idea that for real change, one must acknowledge the situation and work to rise above.” By providing real-world examples of activism, CWC has supported students in expanding both their literary and social justice prowess, allowing them to form opinions and subsequently express them. “When talking about issues of injustice and reform, it is important to fully reflect on your own interpretation of everything,” continues Riley.
In order to understand voices from different perspectives, McCreary explains that “the only way we can really do that is by having a diverse group of people come to the meetings and present their thoughts.” Speakers like Bird and those brought in through the “EMERGE” project help to celebrate unique voices in literature, but as a whole, CWC encourages students to have their own voices heard. As put by Hendrickson, “I love going to Creative Writing Club because it’s so nice to take a small break from the typical day and to push ourselves creatively.”
Creative Writing Club typically meets Wednesdays in the Upper School. If you are interested in participating, reach out to Mary Cipperman ‘21 or Mr. McCreary.