Event Coverage: Q&A with Dr. Harrison Scott Key
Above: FINDING HUMOR: Author Dr. Harrison Scott Key, Executive Dean of Savannah College of Art and Design, speaks in the Clarke Central High School Media Center during a moderated Q&A hosted by the iliad Literary-Art Magazine on Oct. 17. Key talked to students about how he developed his humorous writing style. “I didn't think that I was supposed to be a funny writer. I thought I was supposed to be a serious (author),” Key said. “(If) I'm funny, then what I write has to be funny because that's who I am.” Photo by Kye Streetman
Award-winning author and Executive Dean of the Savannah College of Art and Design Dr. Harrison Scott Key visited the CCHS Media Center for a moderated Q&A hosted by the iliad Literary-Art Magazine on Oct. 17.
The iliad Literary-Art Magazine hosted Dr. Harrison Scott Key, award-winning author and Executive Dean of the Savannah College of Art and Design, for a curated reading and moderated Q&A session on Oct. 17 in the Clarke Central High School Media Center.
iliad Editor-in-Chief Margo McDaniel and Outreach Director Jay Braswell moderated the session, as well as coordinated and planned the event along with adviser David Ragsdale.
“Honestly, (the event) was a bit stressful to put together, but I was really proud of how it turned out,” McDaniel said. “I think the payoff was definitely worth it, and it was a really good opportunity for students to get a different perspective on (their futures).”
Above: A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE: Clarke Central High School students listen to the iliad Literary-Art Magazine moderated Q&A and curated reading with Author Dr. Harrison Scott Key, Executive Dean of Savannah College of Art and Design, in the CCHS Media Center on Oct. 17. For CCHS junior Kate Hinger, author visits provide guidance and opportunities for CCHS students. “(Author visits) give people an opportunity to understand the experience of being an author, which is something a lot of people don't know about,” Hinger said. “It's interesting, and it's really helpful to be able to see that if that's what you want to do.” Photo by Kye Streetman
Key discussed many personal aspects of his career during the Q&A session, including his journey to becoming a writer as featured in his second memoir, “Congratulations, Who Are You Again?”.
“I was voted Most Likely to Succeed back in high school. Other people had high hopes for me, but I was 40 before my first book went out. Why did it take me so long? I had great standardized test scores. I was the salutatorian,” Key said. “But it took me forever to realize and admit to myself what I actually liked to do. In my family, saying you wanted to be an artist and a writer meant people would immediately try to get you therapy.”
CCHS junior Kate Hinger attended the event and enjoyed Key’s honesty about his career that he spoke about at the event.
“I appreciated being able to hear how (his career) wasn't perfect in the beginning, but he made it (eventually),” Hinger said. “It was really inspiring to understand that the way that you get to authorhood isn't always a typical path.”
Above: REAL TALK: iliad Outreach Director Jay Braswell (left) and iliad Editor-in-Chief Margo McDaniel (right) interview author Dr. Harrison Scott Key, Executive Dean of Savannah College of Art and Design, in the CCHS Media Center during a moderated Q&A hosted by the iliad Literary-Art Magazine on Oct. 17. CCHS English department teacher Molly Dorkey, who brought her Introduction to Women’s Literature class to the visit, enjoyed how Key engaged with the audience. “I appreciated the fact that he talked to students like they were (his) peers,” Dorkey said. “He had a way of speaking and being honest in his storytelling. He embedded a lot of humor into everything he shared.” Photo by Kye Streetman
Key, who grew up in Mississippi, provided an opportunity for students to see a literary role model from the South. For McDaniel, she related to Key through her familial connections to Mississippi.
“For me, it was really exciting to get to meet someone from (Mississippi) that's not my family,” McDaniel said. “Mississippi gets looked down upon a lot, so getting to see someone from Mississippi who has made a successful career out of being from the South was really inspiring for me.”
CCHS English department teacher Molly Dorkey brought her Introduction to Women’s Literature class to the visit because of the similarities between his writing to the book they are currently reading, “Kindred” by Octavia Butler.
“I think (my students) connected to this idea (from him) about how you take the things that you want from your upbringing, and then you figure out a way to let go of the things that weren't good for you,” Dorkey said.
Story by Scarlett Alston
Scarlett Alston is a sophomore at Clarke Central High School in Athens, Georgia, and is the Social Media Coordinator for the iliad Literary-Art Magazine. She hopes that she can bring in new members to the iliad through social media and create a safe space for all artists. Outside of school, Scarlett enjoys playing soccer, painting, drawing, and performing on trapeze.
Story by Margo McDaniel
Margo McDaniel is a senior and the Editor-in-Chief for the iliad Literary-Art Magazine at Clarke Central High School in Athens, Georgia. This year, she hopes to help creativity flourish at CCHS by giving student artists and writers a space to create, grow, and express themselves. In her free time, she enjoys dancing, listening to music, and spending time with friends and family.