Hannah Larrabee
Part Time BFAMFA - University of New Hampshire
BA - University of New Hampshire
Contact
hannahlarrabee@nhia.edu
Teaching Philosophy
Teaching writing can be a frustrating beast. Just when you think you can leave mechanics behind and indulge in content, you find mistakes. Just when you think you should leave content aside and focus on mechanics, you find empty shells. Most of us embrace the theory that good writing takes work (see: practice), and it does. What is harder to come by is inspiration. Harder still: value. In a world of text-speak, the artistry of language is often abandoned in pursuit of brute efficiency. Sadly, there also seems to be a stigma attached to writing essays. A student often resents an assignment the moment it is assigned. They anticipate the blank computer screen before they even find themselves in front of it. We have all been there. But, like anything worth doing well, hard work must be involved. The beauty is when you start to see the results of your efforts, when the sentiments you might be able to express verbally (or silently) manifest easily on the written page. Sometimes, I dare say, the things you want to express sound even better on the written page. They take on an authority, a voice that moves beyond the strictly personal. This is an achievement of writing. I will use any force (exercise, method, tool, inspiration, conversation) necessary to get us there.
Publication History
Virgo (poetry), Finishing Line Press - March 2009
Distinctions & Awards
Young P. Dawkins III Prize - UNH for best MFA creative writing thesis - 2007 Dick Shea Memorial Award - UNH for excellence in poetry writing - 2006