Two members of the Union community are learning from a host of literary luminaries at this year’s New York State Summer Writers Institute.
Ashley Dell’Oso ’24 and Mahir Mohammad Tazwar ’26 were awarded scholarships to attend the prestigious program, based at Skidmore College. The program is an offshoot of the New York State Writers Institute created by Pulitzer Prize-winning author William Kennedy, and features creative writing workshops, public readings, panel discussions, and student readings and gatherings.
Ashley Dell’Oso '24
In addition to Kennedy, the award-winning faculty includes fiction writers Elizabeth Benedict, Mary Gaitskill, Paul Harding, Rick Moody and Joyce Carol Oates; poets Richard Blanco and Chase Twichell; and non-fiction writers Phillip Lopate, Honor Moore and John McWhorter.
“Being accepted into the program is extremely special. This opportunity not only grants me the amazing opportunity to interact and study with world renowned writers and poets, it exemplifies the role writing has played in shaping me as a person,” said Dell'Oso.
The newly minted graduate, of Burlington, Conn, majored in English and sociology and was a member of Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honor Society. At Skidmore, she is taking classes in the advanced poetry section with Henri Cole.
“Writing for me isn’t necessarily an escape; it’s more so about verbalizing how I see the world,” she said. “Writing and poetry in particular, have always allowed me to be myself. Most of the time, the writing pieces I produce teeter between either abstract sentiments and a dreamlike scape or a combination of mythology and contemporary issues.”
Dell’Oso said the aspects of the program she finds most rewarding “are the female voices that are central to the art form and the history of written expression.” She pointed to Oates and Gaitskill, in particular.
“Their taboo themes of femininity, sexuality and the role of women in violent societies throughout various eras not only invoked thought but showcased the unbearable sides of human behavior. These writers aren’t afraid to disturb; they are merely enlightening their audience and showcasing the multifaceted strength that comes with being a woman.”
Tazwar, of Dhaka, Bangladesh, is an interdepartmental major in psychology and English.
“Two things that fascinate me and have consistently derived my admiration are teaching and writing,” he said.
“Given my respect for writers, I have always paid close attention to how different authors engage their audiences and tried to incorporate the takeaways into my own work. My writing most often speaks to my family life in a collectivist culture, travel experiences and relationships in a new country.”
Tazwar is studying with poets Blanco (who spoke at Union in 2013), Megan Fernandes and Peg Boyers. He is enjoying having his work reviewed by fresh eyes as well as meeting others who share his passion for creative pursuits.
“The program is great,” he said. “The environment fosters a deep dive into our unique writing styles and areas for improvement while in communion with others who are similarly eager to grow as writers.”
Dell’Oso and Tazwar are among many other Union students accepted into the NYSSWI over the years, including Jamaluddin Aram '17, who recently won Canada’s 2024 Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writer Prize for Literary Fiction for his first novel, “Nothing Good Happens in Wazirabad on Wednesday.”
The Summer Writers Institute was created in 1987 and is directed by Robert Boyers and Adam Braver. This year’s program runs through July 20.