Dressed up as famous gothic writers of the past and surrounded by Halloween decorations, students gathered at the NW Campus to celebrate its annual Dead Writers Night.
On Oct. 22, students had the opportunity to read aloud poems from well-known writers, participate in trivia and enjoy food provided by faculty, all while being dressed as their favorite writers at a Halloween-themed poetry night. The English Department organized the event to celebrate famous gothic writers of the past and honor their contributions to literature, as students dressed as celebrated writers like Edgar Allen Poe, William Shakespeare and Mary Shelley read and discussed their favorite works.
NW English instructor Madison Gillespie said she hosted the event to encourage people to continue engaging with literature, giving students with all kinds of favorite poets a place to connect with each other.
“We just wanted something to get students excited about literature but also get them out of their comfort zones and do something they’ve never really done before in a safe, comfortable environment,” she said. “It’s amazing to see how many get involved and just do it.”
The Halloween theme gave students a creative way of exploring early gothic poems outside of the classroom, combining the spooky atmosphere of the holiday and poems into interactive ways of learning. Many NW students said that while the event celebrated poetry of the past, it also emphasized the impact of these works on readers in the modern day.
“I believe that stories today still influence us in ways such as inspiration because they inspire us to make a change,” NW student Kyndall Nicholson said. “When we can look back at these other stories, we can gain more experience and knowledge.”
A lot of poets have left behind works that are especially fitting to read during the Halloween season, diving deeper into many of humanity’s darkest fears at the time while also relating to readers from all backgrounds throughout generations. They remind readers that no matter the era, some ideas are simply timeless.
“The things writers were writing about back then I feel like still apply to what could be happening in today’s society,” NW student Chloe Parker said. “Even though we’ve gotten better about accepting others that are different than us, I think some people don’t always do that.”
NW student Luisiana Del Toro attended the event dressed as poet Emily Dickinson, expressing her appreciation for the author and many other classic poets.
“I always thought that [these authors] must be so boring because they’re old and from so long ago, but after coming to this event, I thought it was actually quite interesting,” she said. “I get to have so much more knowledge and also be more aware of these figures and why they’re important.”
Through countless hours of reading, learning fun trivia about their lives outside of their works or seeing their words performed live, students can find a connection with these writers’ legacy long after their lifetimes.
“We can go back to Shakespeare and still find something relevant today in our lives,” Gillespie said. “If authors can write about something that matters and it’s thorough, it really makes students interested and excited about having something to connect with.”
