Honors student Griffin Light published an original poem in The Cypress Review, a well-renowned undergraduate literary journal that showcases a variety of innovative and contemporary works.
GRIFFIN LIGHT
Griffin Light is a senior completing an undergraduate degree in psychology. He plans to continue his education by pursuing a Master’s degree and PhD. Currently, he is researching memory and its effect on people’s use of filler words.
However, beyond his formal education, Griffin has always had a passion for writing and creating original works. From a young age, he was surrounded by family members with a drive to tell stories. One of these prominent individuals is his mother, who has always been a pillar of support and inspiration for him. Throughout his childhood, he would visit the local theater and participate in creating the set backgrounds for the plays his mother would produce.
“It was a really fun experience being able to be a part of my mom’s passions at a young age, and now I have a hobby I can share with her,” said Griffin.
Griffin also connects his hobby of writing to his late grandmother, who was a published author. “Sometimes I think about what her thoughts would be on my writing, and it is a nice way to feel connected to her,” Griffin reflected.
POEMS & STORIES
As Griffin grew older, he continued writing and expressing voice from personal experiences to experimental works. His favorite stories to write are inspired from playing the popular game Dungeons and Dragons, where he is able to build a world of limitless possibilities. These stories are typically written in the form of short and experimental poems with bits of both humor and serious tones.
“I like poetry because poems are short, and you can do really interesting things with it,” remarked Griffin.
Despite enjoying the playfulness that poems can create, Griffin also processes his emotions through his writing to help build a strong sense of self-reflection. Two years ago, Griffin wrote a poem about his experience about a wildfire in his hometown when he was young. He expressed the emotional effect that it had on him while he had to be reassured that everything was “just in case” of needing to escape to a safer location. This traditional poem showcased the essence of an adult reflecting on the complex emotions and experiences that a child would be feeling.
“I wanted the tone to be a dispassionate reflection of a grown person reflecting on a child… I would like the readers to understand what is going on but not feel it,” said Griffin.
THE CYPRESS REVIEW
Griffin was able to publish this poem in The Cypress Review with encouragement from his professor, Professor Phillip Bimstein, and hopes in the future to create and publish more original work. Currently, Griffin is writing a novel and plans on publishing it in the near future.
If you are interested in any type of creative writing, Griffin suggests, “If you have an idea, write it down… Many people give out this advice, but it is for good reason. You just need to start.”
Aspen Delis | Journalism Intern, University of Utah Honors College