Creative Writing

The Writing Life at Carolina Beach State Park

David Gessner and the students in his graduate class “The Writing Life” took a field trip to Carolina Beach State Park to discuss Mary Oliver’s Winter Hours, along with their own writing processes. Poet and MFA coordinator Melissa Crowe joined them for the rousing walk and talk, and the outing concluded with a gorgeous sunset over the water. Overall consensus? This is a pretty great place to live and write.

 

 

I Go Down to the Shore

I go down to the shore in the morning
and depending on the hour the waves
are rolling in or moving out
and I say, oh, I am miserable,
what shall–
what should I do? And the sea says
in its lovely voice:
Excuse me, I have work to do.

—Mary Oliver 

 

 

Photos by McKenzie Teter