The first time Elizabeth Martin read her fiction in front of a Rogue Festival audience, she was more than a little nervous.
“I was terrified,â€Â said the graduate student, who is pursuing an master of fine arts in creative writing. “Some people are natural performers, but I am not one of them.â€Â
This will be Martin̢۪s third year performing at Rogue, and as secretary of the San Joaquin Literary Association (SJLA), Fresno State̢۪s literary awareness club, she̢۪s starting to enjoy the experience.
“Now that I’ve read a couple of times, I think I’m getting the hang of it,â€Â Martin said. “The atmosphere is so relaxed and jovial, and audiences are really receptive.â€Â
Not stereotypical poetry
“Poetry and Prose at Fresno Stateâ€Â has been a part of Rogue’s events’ roster for four years now, and the SJLA’s Carol Claassen is anxious to dispel any poetic stereotypes that may linger in the public’s mind.
“People who aren’t familiar with poetry usually think it’s boring or elitist,â€Â Claassen said, “but the poetry at Rogue is anything but stuck-up.
“It’s accessible to the public and usually highly entertaining. People laugh out loud seriously or gasp.â€Â
But it’s not just poetry being served up. “We have three readings spread out over three days,â€Â Martin said, “and we try to mix it up; there will be fiction and nonfiction, as well as poetry, each night.â€Â
The SJLA was founded in 2003 as a way to spread literary awareness on campus.“Our goal is to bring well-known and up-and-coming writers to campus for public readings,â€Â Claassen said.“We also provide an outlet for Fresno State writers who wish to share their work with the community.â€Â
Past years have seen authors such as Jonathan Franzen and Joyce Carol Oates come to Fresno State to read.
Martin is quick to point out that the SJLA’s contribution to Rogue is open to everyone, not just the university set. “Writers in general want to be heard by everybody, not just students, or people from school,â€Â she said. “We want to get people to come who wouldn’t normally go to poetry readings.
“This is a community event, not just a university one.â€Â
And Claassen is excited about this year’s offerings. “There will be a total of 12 readers, four per show,â€Â she said. “This is the SJLA fulfilling its literary mission.
“We want to affect our audience. We are here to entertain, not to hear ourselves speak.â€Â
To hear these poets at Rogue visit the Spectrum Gallery in the Tower District Wednesday, March 4 at 8:45 p.m. or Saturday, March 7 at 5 p.m. Tickets are $4.