Diane Glancy, a Native American author, poet and playwright, speaks to a WRA 125, American Ethnic and Racial Experience class on Tuesday morning in Hubbard Hall.
A passion for writing that began in a college English class has taken Diane Glancy, a novelist, poet and most recently filmmaker, on a decades long journey that brought her to MSU this week.
“Language is the foundation upon which I stand,” said Glancy, who visited WRA 125, The American Ethnic and Racial Experience, on Tuesday.
She also spoke at a public event at the Main Library about her ongoing filmmaking project. Glancy’s visit was part of the library’s Michigan Writers Series and was co-sponsored by the American Indian Studies Program, or AISP.
Glancy is half-Cherokee and most of her writing focuses on a Native American perspective, such as “Pushing the Bear: A Novel of the Trail of Tears,” she said.
“I write a lot of Native history, giving voice to those who did not have a chance,” Glancy said.
The American Indian point of view is something that Kimberly Lee, professor in writing, rhetoric and American cultures, said is the basis of her WRA 125 class.
“The students had a chance to ask her questions, and she could answer them from the native point of view on these issues,” Lee said.
Glancy also gave advice about general writing skills.
Susan Applegate Krouse, AISP’s director, wanted to bring a diverse voice to MSU.
“She’s not saying anything our faculty doesn’t say, but it’s nice to have somebody come in from the outside to reinforce what you teach,” she said.
Glancy has written dozens of published works in various genres ranging from essays to poetry.
She has received many national awards and was a professor at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn.
Glancy also advised students to maintain their drive to do what they love.
“Don’t give up,” she said. “Have the courage to keep going, and have the persistence it takes to do the impossible, which is making a living writing.”
One of the points that stuck out most to Denzel McCampbell, a political science and business freshman, was what Glancy said about the omnipresence of rhythm.
“She told the students that ‘when you write and talk, your voice and language has a natural beat to it,’” he said.
He said he learned that reading his or her work out loud helps writers hear what needs to be changed and said he will apply Glancy’s advice to his schoolwork.
McCampbell also said that he enjoyed having a guest speaker in his class.
“Instead of hearing lecture, some people are wanting to hear and see people that it actually applies to,” he said.
Glancy warned the students that writing is not always easy and takes hard work, but she gave advice to combat the struggles of writing.
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“When you have a paper to write, listen to your inner thoughts,” she said. “Part of your originality is to find out what you want to write. It’s your being on the page.”
