Drew Welborn was able to virtually (and safely) interview Abigail Fitzpatrick, our new Woodfin Fellow in Poetry, and get to know more about her writing journey and experience. When Abigail isn’t writing or studying, she enjoys hiking, camping, painting, crafting and drinking (chewing?) bubble tea.

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Where are you from, and where did you earn your undergraduate degree?

I am from a small town in Pennsylvania! I went to West Virginia University, where I earned my BA in philosophy with minors in sociology, political science and creative writing.

What made you want to pursue an MFA? What drew you to Charleston?

Pursuing an MFA was a last-minute decision for me, actually. I took the LSAT and began to start my applications to law schools when I thought an MFA program might be fun. So on a whim, I took my GRE and applied to a few programs. The College of Charleston was my dream graduate school location and I was lucky enough to get in (and get this scholarship)! I’m extremely grateful and thankful to have ended up here.

When did you get your start in poetry, and how did that come about?

I started loving poetry when I was very young, maybe six or seven, and I began to write poetry around the age of fourteen. I thoroughly enjoyed how it seemed to be the only way in formal-ish writing you could indulge in wordplay, manipulation of sounds and visuals. Additionally, I was always a bit of a creature growing up and never quite fit in, so exploration of writing and art helped me find the positives of my eccentricity and embrace that a little more. I think it takes character to write, and then writing continues to build that character and exploit parts of it you didn’t know were there. Some huge inspirations that drove me to write poetry were Charles Bukowski’s “a smile to remember,” Lewis Carroll’s “The Walrus and the Carpenter” and, don’t laugh, Dr. Seuss’s ability to incorporate valuable life and world lessons in playful rhythm and rhyme. I wanted to speak for the trees as a child (even still as an adult) much like the Lorax.

What do you find yourself writing about?

I like to write about the ugly in the world, and in myself, and try to flesh it out, maybe even turn it around. It’s not entirely impossible considering how wonderfully fun and positive language can be. I write about bugs, my mother (hi mom) and nature as well. You know, all the clichés. I also try to make some things humorous, but as it turns out I tend to be the only one laughing at my own jokes. Such is life.

If you could meet one author, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

David Sedaris, hands down. Not poetry, I know, but his ability to write encapsulating, funny and attention-keeping creative nonfiction essays is astounding. It takes talent to turn everyday life into published humor. If he couldn’t spare the time, I wish I could speak to David Foster Wallace, specifically to thank him for his posthumously published commencement speech, “This is Water” that I continue to read and love and cherish.

Any plans for after the program?

I’ll resume my initial plans to go to law school. Maybe pursue a career in politics. I’m sure I’ll continue to write in my spare time, whenever that may be, and certainly continue to read and study poetry—I’m sure it’ll be a necessary step away from US fiscal policy studies and searches for contract loopholes—or whatever you do in law school.