The following article was previously published on The Flat Hat’s website during the week of Oct. 23. However, due to an unforeseen technological glitch, it was removed from the website for a period of time and was re-uploaded today, Nov. 6.
Thursday, Oct. 19, College of William and Mary student Shawna Alston ’25 presented her writing project “Gone Away Somewhere (Be Back Soon)” in the Tucker Hall Theater. Alston’s project was funded by the College English department’s Concord Traveling Scholarship for Creative Writers, which provided $3,000 for her to travel and write about her experiences. The Concord Scholarship is named after a quote from “Walden” by Henry David Thoreau.
“I have traveled a good deal in Concord; and everywhere, in shops, offices, and fields,” Thoreau wrote.
Alston spent the summer of 2023 traveling from Virginia to Tennessee to talk to her extended family members about their experiences living in the South as Black Americans. Inspired by their words and her own observations, Alston crafted both poetry and prose to convey her experience, as well as several pictures of the people and places she had seen.
Alston’s presentation was in part inspired by the work of previous Concord Scholarship winners, who often used the money to travel abroad and trace back to their roots, something that felt more difficult for her to do.
“They kind of reconnected with a country that meant a lot to them and their identity, and I realized as a Black American and an American descendant of the enslaved, it’s hard for me to kind of trace my own heritage back any farther than Jamestown,” Alston said. “So I was like, ‘Where could I go that means a lot to my work and means a lot to my identity and my personhood?’ And that was the South.”
“What I wanted you guys to know about me is that not only is my home, yes, in the Black American South, but it is also in all the people who have supported me, and my home is in myself,” Alston said. “So I think the biggest takeaway of my presentation is that you can be at home anywhere.”
Alston’s trip ended up being far more than a way for her to create a written work — it was also a family reunion. Alston admits that one of her biggest struggles during this process was finding the time to write while being constantly surrounded by family, but that she was grateful for all of the inspiration that her trip afforded her. It also allowed Alston to reconnect with her past and learn the true meaning of home.
“What I wanted you guys to know about me is that not only is my home, yes, in the Black American South, but it is also in all the people who have supported me, and my home is in myself,” Alston said. “So I think the biggest takeaway of my presentation is that you can be at home anywhere.”
Several students, including Ashlynn Prentice ’26, attended the event, excited to celebrate the hard work of their peer and impressed by her powerful writing style.
“Sometimes when you think about modern poetry, it’s really surface level, even when it’s about deep topics and it’s about personal experience and relationships and everything,” Prentice said. “I didn’t feel that way at all about hers, especially on the opening poem. I thought that was amazing.”
Students were not only impressed with Alston’s writing skills, but also her hard work and dedication towards achieving her dreams. During the presentation, the audience saw the cover of the book of poetry that Alston hopes to get published soon. Angel Bradley ’27 discussed how inspiring this achievement was.
“I also want to do that,” Bradley said. “So the fact is, she’s still only in college, and she already has basically a published work, which I think is really cool.”
Bradley also shared how this event perfectly showcases the culture at the College.
“I think it really ties into the culture of hard work, because you can feel she put a lot of effort into the poetry, and I think this type of thing would take repeated effort and trial and error,” Bradley said. “So it really speaks to William and Mary’s value of hard work that will lead to achievement and success.”
The number of students who came to listen to Alston’s presentation also showcases the supportive learning environment that the College boasts. Several students emphasized how common it is to find events relating to every passion on campus.
“I think it’s pretty easy to find events like this going on, which I really appreciate,” Prentice said. “Professors, especially in the English department, for presentations that involve English, obviously they will tell all their classes about it, and I really appreciate that because I do enjoy going and hearing people talk about what they’re passionate about.”