This year, the Moravian Writers’ Conference, held from March 21 to March 23, differed from past conferences.
With the HUB under renovation, the events of the conference were held in PPHAC, the HILL, and Foy Auditorium. And while the conference, which has now been held annually at Moravian for ten years, typically focuses on a particular theme – last year’s was focused on literature about war or written by veterans – the theme in 2024 was far broader.
Titled “Write to Explore,” this year’s conference consisted of panels on storytelling and journalism, workshops on journaling and sharing stories, and performances by No River Twice and headliner Dr. Javier Ávila.
Associate professor of creative writing and conference co-director Liz Gray says this broader theme is part of an effort to make the conference more accessible for all students and community members.
“We wanted to break out of the confines of what people think of, to make the point that writing is essential to the human existence,” she said.
One of the conference events that highlighted how essential writing can be was the Shining Light Craft Talk, a panel of performances held over Zoom that was moderated by emerita professor of English and conference founder Dr. Joyce Hinnefeld.
Shining Light, for which Hinnefeld works as a program facilitator, provides re-entry programming for incarcerated individuals throughout the United States. Its mission, she said, is to “help unlock the potential in America’s prisons; to equip incarcerated people for success in educational, vocational, and relational opportunities, preparing them for their return to society.”
Hinnefeld went on to introduce Nina Law, another program facilitator at Shining Light, and the students of her spoken word class, who are individuals incarcerated at North Dakota State Penitentiary (NDSP).
Law referred to the inmates as “star students,” and it quickly became apparent why. Each student delivered raw and powerful performances.
The subjects and inspiration of each piece varied.
One student presented an insightful piece discussing the author’s addiction to crystal meth and its impact on his life. Two students gave a joint performance discussing their respective hardships: being in the military after 9/11 and growing up on the streets.
Another student shared how his outlook had changed after becoming a father to two daughters. His piece, “Black Superhero,” was a moving poem about breaking out of the cycle of generational trauma and becoming the father figure he never had. Other students gave performances about religion, childhood trauma, and family issues.
After the performances, the Shining Light students discussed the positive effects the program had on them. They spoke about the way the Shining Light Academy provided a place to openly and honestly express themselves, the healing and therapeutic effects of writing, and the sense of community created among the students despite their differences in race, ethnicity, age, and background. This is an impressive feat, given that prisons are widely known as places full of “tough-guy” posturing and practical segregation.
Audience members praised the performances. “I felt inspired,” said Ms. Latrice Young, a graduate student in Moravian’s MFA program in performance creation. “I hope they feel renewed and proud of themselves. That takes bravery and courage; you’re baring your souls and being vulnerable. It was beautiful; I would love to see it again.”
Dominique Shelby, a local community member who attended the event, said the performance was “really insightful. I didn’t know what to expect. Their pieces were very creative. I’m just glad they expressed themselves honestly and took a chance, not knowing how their messages would be received.”
Logan Palau, ’25, a communications major, agreed. “I really enjoyed it,” she said, especially one of the poems about drug use. “I know a lot of people who really struggle with addiction.”
The Shining Light Craft Talk showed just how powerful and transformative writing can be as a creative outlet, giving inmates in a state penitentiary new outlooks on life and a sense of belonging.
