Creative Writing Class Fosters Self-Discovery

Out of the four English classes available to M-A seniors, none offer quite the same experience as Maria Angelone’s Creative Writing course. This unique class gives students a chance to explore and develop their creative voices while encouraging self-discovery and forming deeper connections with their classmates. 

Angelone has been a teacher for 32 years, including 26 at M-A and 24 teaching Creative Writing.

When Angelone began teaching Creative Writing, she built the program into what it is today, despite feeling inexperienced. “It fell on to me, and she didn’t leave any materials or anything. So, I created the whole course from the ground up,” Angelone said. “I always say creative writing is my first baby because I love it. I feel so lucky that I got to teach this course.” 

“It’s fun. We have a lot of different assignments, and you don’t have to necessarily be a good writer to take the class,” senior Citlali Mendoza-Perez said.

Some of the books Angelone teaches are The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien and Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg, but she also enriches the course with poetry. “Something I started doing about 10 to 15 years ago is called ‘Poem of the Day.’ I start every single class period off with a mood check and then a poem of the day. It’s not just about exposure to poetry, it’s about reading aloud, discussing enjoying or not, and then moving on. At the end of each poem of the day, we all turn to each other and say, ‘Congratulations, you’re one poem smarter.’”

“She always says there’s no wrong way to interpret a poem. She’s super supportive,” Mendoza-Perez said.

“I give them all a poetry reader of 180 poems at the beginning of the year,” Angelone said. “But I change that. I spend at least two weeks out of every summer revamping my poetry reader, keeping some poems, getting rid of a bunch, and because I’m always coming across new poems that I want to trade in and trade out.”

Mendoza-Perez talked about one of her favorite parts of the class. “There’s one part of the day called writing exercises, or writing practice, in which we write whatever we want. She says we can follow a prompt that she gives us or you can do whatever you want. You get credit for simply moving your pen and just have to continue writing, and she doesn’t read them unless you want to give them to her.”

“If Creative Writing could be an elective, I would teach it so differently. Sometimes, because a large segment of my population is just taking this because they need to take an English course to graduate,” Angelone said. “Whether they want to be here or not, whether they like writing or not, when you let someone have ownership over what it is they’re they’re writing, I think there’s an excitement there that I hope kids tap into.” 

“The homework is not that bad, especially compared to an AP class,” senior Rose Klingsporn said. “I do really enjoy the class. Ms. Angelone’s enthusiasm is a big part of making that class enjoyable. It would not be very fun if the teacher was really dry and lecturing.”

Angelone follows her daily objective: love and celebrate language. “I really have so much enthusiasm for all of the poems I teach, all of the stories I teach, all of the concepts I teach,” Angelone said. 

The Creative Writing class is a special opportunity for seniors to explore language and creativity, and Angelone’s passion for giving students a supportive and dynamic environment is a large part of what makes the class so special. Whether students enroll out of an interest in writing or simply to fulfill a graduation requirement, they leave with a new appreciation for language and storytelling. 

Angelone’s message to students curious about taking Creative Writing: “If you are interested in exploring your own voice and getting out some of those things you know, getting back in touch with your inner child, the creator, that loves to create, take this class.”