Award-Winning Poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil Speaks to Lawrentians

Ryan Jahn ‘22.

Lawrenceville’s English Department recently hosted a webinar with award-winning writer Aimee Nezhukumatathil, selected as the School’s 2021 Thorton Wilder Writer in Residence. Nezhukumatathil spoke with the Third and Fourth Form students about how she utilizes her background, love for science, and personal experiences to inspire her writings.

Nezhukumatathil is a professor of English and creative writing in the University of Mississippi’s MFA program. Her honors include a poetry fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Pushcart Prize, a Mississippi Arts Council grant, and being named a Guggenheim Fellow in poetry. Her work titled, “World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, & Other Astonishments” has been recognized as both a Kirkus Prize Finalist and a Barnes and Noble Book of the Year. She has been widely published, including in the Best American Poetry Series, The New York Times Magazine, ESPN, Ploughshares, American Poetry Review, and Tin House.

During the webinar, Nezhukumatathil shared several of her poems and stories, including the descriptive and colorful personal memories that influenced her essay titled, “This Landshark Is Your Landshark.” For this story, Nezhukumatathil described how she overcame her insecurities by becoming the first female mascot at her high school. As a new student, she felt lost and nervous, sometimes hiding herself in the school elevator to eat lunch. She had a passion for science and compared herself to a vampire squid. She stated that while at school, she would “sink away into the deep sea” by hiding herself from others. However, her opportunity to find the confidence she sought had finally arrived when she landed the role of the school mascot. In this role, she built inner strength and self-assurance, which led to involvement in other school activities, such as student council. Just as she does in her writings, Nezhukumatathil used visual imagery during the discussion to connect, making students feel as if they were in her shoes.

Nezhukumatathil’s stories taught Lawrentians one key lesson: “wonder is a practice.” She advised that instead of hiding in the shadows, students should follow their passions and wonders.

For additional information, please contact Lisa M. Gillard Hanson, director of Public Relations, at lgillard@lawrenceville.org.