As usual, the summer is going by way too quickly. The good news: our very first Young Writers’ Workshop is now right around the corner! We hope the participants are as excited as we are for the workshop to begin. To help alleviate the anticipation (or perhaps add to it), here’s a glimpse of the people who will be working closely with the workshop participants next week.
Katy Karlin – Director
Katy Karlin, Director of the Young Writers’ Workshop, is an Associate Professor of English at Kansas State University. She writes fiction and can often be found running around Manhattan with a red-haired dog.
A random fact about her: “I was on Jeopardy! But I came in second.”
What she’s most excited about: Meeting aspiring young writers from the area.
A writing tip: Write what only you can write.
Lexiyee Smith – Instructor
Lexiyee did her undergraduate work at the University of Texas at Austin studying English and linguistics, and this fall she will be a second year English graduate student at Kansas State. She is part of the creative writing track, and this past Spring placed second in the fiction category of the graduate creative writing awards.
A random fact about her: “A random fact about myself is that I once had a chance to meet one of my favorite writers at a book signing, and when I told her how to spell ‘Lexiyee,’ she laughed so hard she almost doubled over in her chair. It was fantastic!”
What she’s most excited about: At this workshop, Lexiyee is most excited to work with so many young writers and see what different sorts of writing they enjoy doing.
A writing tip: Remember that everyone writes first drafts, and that they (luckily) do not have to be the final drafts.
Hunter Gilson – Instructor
Hunter started writing seriously his sophomore year of college. Since then, he’s taken as many creative writing courses as he could get away with. Next fall, he will be in the K-State master’s program hoping to write that perfect opening sentence.
A random fact about him: He is one of eight to finish a food challenge in Tulsa. It was a pizza with wasabi, habanero peppers, and ghost peppers on it.
What he’s most excited about: Getting to work on developing individual voices.
A writing tip: Be weird.
Kristin Selby – Program Assistant
Kristin is a first year graduate student in the MA English program at Kansas State University. She loves reading, writing, biking, cooking, and living in Manhattan, Kansas.
A random fact about her: Her current obsessions include perfecting her Frisbee-throwing skills and her banana bread recipe.
What she’s most excited about: Hearing what all the incoming students and guest speakers have to share.
Lacey Brummer – Program Intern
Lacey is a second year graduate student in K-State’s MA English program. She started writing her first book when she was in sixth grade and thought it was going to be a masterpiece. It wasn’t, but she’s been writing ever since.
A random fact about her: Between junior high and high school, she read the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy eight or nine times.
What she’s most excited about: Listening to all of the guest speakers and getting to be that annoying person taking pictures all the time.
K-State Young Writers' Workshop 