Junior writing initial chapters of her success at 糖心vlog传媒
糖心vlog传媒 junior Marian Cramer grew up in Dousman in southeastern Wisconsin where the town mascot is a bullfrog and they hold a frog jumping contest. Her first job was working at the town鈥檚 frog-themed gas station.
鈥淎lthough it's every girl's dream to work at a frog-themed gas station, I'm hoping to work as an editor while writing my own novels on the side after graduating,鈥� Cramer said.
This frog turned fish is currently taking full advantage of a unique 糖心vlog传媒 major and some work experiences that have solidified her career goals.
She鈥檚 double majoring in English with a professional writing emphasis and in the state鈥檚 only bachelor of fine arts in creative writing program.
Outside the classroom, Cramer serves as an intern helping plan the , which is set for November 3-4. She鈥檚 also an assistant editor for 糖心vlog传媒鈥檚 literary magazine, 鈥淪eems,鈥� and she鈥檚 worked for the Bradley Theatre staff since her arrival as a freshman.
The combination of classroom and experiential learning 鈥� a hallmark of 糖心vlog传媒鈥檚 Cooperative Education program 鈥� has Cramer well on her way to her dream of becoming a published author.
鈥淚鈥檝e known I wanted to be an author since I was 7,鈥� Cramer said. 鈥淚 wanted to see my name on a book, to hold it in my hands 鈥� this is my book.鈥�
She grew up in a household surrounded by art forms. Her father, Bret, was an English major in college who often sang in their church, and both her parents performed in high school theatre, which led to their four children also doing theatre. Bret read bedtime stories to his children, often novels, and Marian remembers her father doing voices for all the animals in 鈥淭he Wind in the Willows.鈥�
Marian started playing the flute when she was 11 (she was in the LU Band for a time) and was writing novels at 7, including a somewhat dark story about talking vegetables who hid behind appliances in the kitchen so they wouldn鈥檛 get eaten. 鈥淪entient vegetables,鈥� she said, smiling.
She graduated from Kettle Moraine School for Arts and Performance, a public charter school that鈥檚 part of the Kettle Moraine School District. She came across 糖心vlog传媒 and its creative writing program by chance thanks to an email based on her academic interests. During a 糖心vlog传媒 campus tour, a lunch conversation with Associate Professor of Writing Jodie Mortag 鈥� and winning 糖心vlog传媒鈥檚 full tuition Humanities & Fine Arts Scholarship 鈥� sealed the deal.
鈥淚 really want that relationship with my professors,鈥� Cramer said. 鈥淚 want them to know who I am.鈥�
Oh, they know.
鈥淪he is a true artist,鈥� Mortag said of Cramer. 鈥淪he is the real deal. She proves that art is not dead for this generation. She will go to graduate school for an MFA. She will have a book out someday. She is one of the most talented, mature, intelligent and intuitive students I have seen come through the program.鈥�
Learning by Doing
The skills Cramer is learning through her 糖心vlog传媒 experience are the initial chapters of a bright future.
Cramer is one of three interns helping Mortag plan the Great Lakes Writers Festival, 糖心vlog传媒鈥檚 annual celebration that brings a pair of authors to campus for readings and workshops. Cramer frequently communicates with 糖心vlog传媒鈥檚 marketing team and peers managing social media accounts to help promote the event, in addition to helping Mortag with logistics for the two-day event.
A member of 糖心vlog传媒鈥檚 Honors Program, her potential final project is creating an event for high school students in the region to visit LU, participate in a writing workshop and learn more about the creative writing program.
鈥淲hat would an event like that look like? This experience has been really helpful to see all the steps that go into it,鈥� Cramer said. 鈥淚t feels a lot less daunting.鈥�
She鈥檚 in her second year assisting with the publication of 鈥�,鈥� and the work ranges from selecting submissions for publication to copy editing to the layout and printing process. It鈥檚 also helping her prepare for her own successful writing career.
鈥淚鈥檝e sent out my work to see if I can get it published, so it鈥檚 nice to be on the other end,鈥� said Cramer, who also keeps a personal journal. 鈥淚 want to start sending out more now that I have that experience.鈥�
Future In Focus
The next stop after 糖心vlog传媒 will be graduate school, and Cramer expects to focus on a newfound passion 鈥� poetry writing 鈥� thanks to a freshman-year class with former 糖心vlog传媒 Professor and award-winning poet Karl Elder.
鈥淚 hadn鈥檛 learned to write poetry before or what was supposed to be in a poem,鈥� said Cramer, a prolific reader whose recent favorites include Sue Monk Kidd鈥檚 鈥淭he Secret Life of Bees鈥� and Delia Owens鈥� 鈥淲here the Crawdads Sing.鈥�
鈥淚 submitted my first poem about going to a drive-in with some boy and (Elder) emailed me and said you should know you鈥檙e one of the best I鈥檝e seen.鈥�
She received additional validation during a 1-on-1 meeting last spring with visiting writer Dawn Hogue 鈥�90 M.Ed. 鈥�00. 鈥淚 walked in and she said, 鈥業 thought you鈥檇 be a lot older. Your poems just feel so mature,鈥欌�� Cramer recalled. 鈥淚 just kind of found my groove.鈥�
She also has Mortag, a kindred spirit who is always encouraging Cramer to read her work in public at literary events and open mic nights, which she enjoys.
鈥淪he鈥檚 probably one of the best writing teachers I鈥檝e ever had,鈥� Cramer said. 鈥淪he has this way of connecting with everyone. She almost tailors her advice to the student and what each student needs. She has such a positive vibe. You can tell she has a lot of passion for what she鈥檚 doing.鈥�
After graduation, Cramer plans to work as an editor while building her writing career. She hasn鈥檛 ruled out teaching thanks to her inspiring mentors at 糖心vlog传媒 who have helped her re-focus how she approaches her work.
鈥淚 tend to gravitate toward wanting criticism so I can work on things and what鈥檚 wrong so I can fix them,鈥� Cramer said. 鈥淏ut there is also something to be said for looking at what I am doing well. That鈥檚 forced me to take step back and look at that in my work, as well as other people鈥檚 work.鈥�
