Writers share their craft
Four talented writers visited campus on Friday, January 16, to share their experiences and their craft with Marksmen at the 16th annual Literary Festival. This year’s guests included:
- Rebecca Makkai, Pulitzer Prize-finalist novelist (2023 Brent P. Johnson ’89 Guest Writer)
- Josephine Decker, screenwriter and filmmaker
- Martín Espada, National Book Award-winning poet
- Ben Mercer ’03, senior editor at The Criterion Collection
The Festival kicked off on Thursday evening with a Writers’ Forum. English instructor and Literary Festival faculty sponsor David Brown hosted a lively discussion with the four writers that was open to the public. The next day, students in English, journalism and film classes had the chance to meet with the writers and learn more about their experiences and creative processes.
The entire Upper School also attended a special panel discussion moderated by Lit Fest student director Grayson Redmond ’24 and co-chairs Sid Bidare ’24 and John Ma ’24.
Near the end of the discussion, Redmond asked what challenges the writers had faced in their careers that made them better, to which Rebecca Makkai offered a surprising answer.
“I am really grateful for every rejection that I ever got,” Makkai said. “Every rejection made me go back to what I'd written and think about it more deeply. Without that, if you go through the path of least resistance, you don't get much better.”
During their stay, the visitors also judged the annual Writing Contest and named the following winners:
- Fiction: Myles Lowenberg ’23
- Nonfiction: Ishaan Devalla ’23
- Poetry: Bijaan Noormohamed ’23
Parents, faculty and students can watch a recording of the Lit Fest panel discussion on the Resource Board.
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Upper School Panel Discussion
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St. Mark’s School of Texas
10600 Preston Road
Dallas, Texas 75230
214-346-8000
Dallas, Texas 75230
214-346-8000
About Us
St. Mark’s School of Texas is a private, nonsectarian college-preparatory boys’ day school for students in grades 1 through 12, located in Dallas, Texas. St. Mark’s aims to prepare young men to assume leadership and responsibility in a competitive and changing world.
St. Mark’s does not discriminate in the administration of its admission and education policies on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin.
St. Mark’s does not discriminate in the administration of its admission and education policies on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin.
