A Live Poets Society

Chris Heuer is an instructor in the English Department at Gallaudet University and Paul Conant is a junior majoring in English there. Heuer and Conant are both deaf and writers of short stories.

WAY: Why do you write short stories or poetry? Heuer: Our society is becoming a beehive. We buzz off to work. We buzz on home. We eat, we sleep—barely—and then buzz off to work again. We lose the ability to appreciate the important things in life, like looking at beautiful things. Conant: I write poems to relax and to get challenged. Writing poetry unravels the secrets of the mind and heart. Once I unravel the secrets, I sit back, smile, and feel rewarded. WAY: Did your English classes help you to become a creative writer? How? Heuer: In high school, I did well in English. But I
was shocked when I submitted my first poem in college and my professor told me that I could do better. She challenged me to write one thing that was personal to me, not a mass-produced greeting card from Hallmark. WAY: What ad-vice
can you give to students who want to become writers? Heuer: Ask why. Ask how. Ask what. Ask who. Ask who else. Ask again and again. After you drive them nuts, ask why one more time. Link and analyze things. Come up with your own answers. You’re an intelligent person. Do your own work. Conant: Write about your experiences. Students experience so many things—love, jealousy, and sadness. Write about them! WAY: What books, short stories, or po-ems
would you recommend? Heuer: All the poetry of Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton. Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning, Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game…The list is endless. Conant: Beowulf.It presents rich descriptions of ac-t ion, color, and mind-boggling mysteries. WAY: What is the process you go through when you write a poem or short story? Heuer: I think of how I want my readers to see my way. I try to come up with something raw and shocking, yet
heartfelt and truthful. I want the reader to snap to attention! Conant: I go through several different processes. I’ve been through so many things in my life…I’ve written poems to parallel my experiences, from death to relationships. WAY:
Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers? Heuer: Don’t give up. Don’t stop…don’t turn yourself off. Conant: Look beyond many things when writing. Look beyond the word love. What does lovesay to you? Release
the power of your words.

Copyright © 2003 Gallaudet University Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center
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