Five writers are set to take the stage at the Brockport, on varying Wednesday evenings from 7:30 to 9 p.m. to present their work. 

This semester, Brockport invites Sejal Shah, Julia Elliott, Alice Elliott Dark, Francis Spufford and Albert Abonado to participate in the Writers Forum. Anyone can attend these meetings, as they are all free and open to the public. 

Here is everything you need to know about the Writers Forum, including how it connects to Brockport’s history.

What is the Writers Forum? 

SUNY Brockport has brought in hundreds of writers, differing from novelists, poets, playwrights, screenwriters, cartoonists and even those who are just starting their careers. For over 50 years, the Writers Forum has celebrated writers and writing in the Rochester area. 

English Professor Dr. Jim Whorton is one of the professors who runs the Brockport Writers Forum program at SUNY Brockport. 

“It is a visiting writers series that we’ve had here at SUNY Brockport since 1967 and we bring five writers to campus every semester,” Whorton said. “Along with that visit we record an interview with the writer.”  

The way the SUNY Brockport gets the writers that they will be hosting for that semester is based on either who reaches out to Whorton or to whom he reaches out. 

“Yeah, I reach out to them…well actually no. Sometimes they reach out to me, but I can’t invite everyone who reaches out because I want a variety,” Whorton said “There’s not any one kind of writer.” 

Every semester there are five new writers that will come to SUNY Brockport campus to share their experiences as a writer and about their book. Whorton does try to get in a variety of writers, so it is not just one theme; however, no matter what the writer or book, the impact remains the same.  

While these meetings are held in person, some of the events are live-streamed. But also, there is an additional interview about the writer to gain more insight into their experiences.  

To Whorton the Writers Forum event is influential because it sets SUNY Brockport apart from the other SUNY schools because it is a piece of Brockport’s identity.  

“The school was in a transition and growing in the late 60s and the English Department had some faculty teaching creative writing and thought it would be good to bring in some visiting writers,” Whorton said. “It would be hard to start it now because it takes such a big investment from the college. It’s just become what Brockport is known for, it’s part of our identity and it sets us apart from the other SUNY schools.” 

The Writers Forum is unique to Brockport and allows writers at any stage in their career to get their work out to more students and it is something that started because the English Department faculty had connections to writers and just want to get their experience out there. This event helps Brockport stand out among the SUNY schools. 

SUNY Brockport’s involvement 

The Writers Forum involves two main departments, English and Journalism and Social Media. However, other departments can cosponsor one of the events.  

“[This] involves the Journalism Broadcasting and Social Media,” Whorton said. “So right now, the way we do it is Carvin Eison teaches Live TV Production and the students in that class produces the shows […] We have the English class, Writer’s Craft. Those students, we read the book(s) and then meet with the writers and then they give a reading on campus,” said Whorton.  

The Writers Forum is not exclusive to just one department, but rather it involves many different departments and is a learning opportunity for students of any major. The Writers Craft course, is open to any major and there are no prerequisites. Whorton suggests that this class is offered to teach students how to find their own voice and how to express it. 

“The way I would describe it is like this, it is a class in how to enjoy a book. What does a writer do on a page that makes a reader laugh, or feel suspense, or have that feeling a character is real and you worry about her. How do writers do that?” Whorton said. “And just how to write about that experience.” 

Taking the Writers Craft course or simply attending these events and learning from the writers can teach students of any major how to  write in their own voice.  

While Lift Bridge Book is not directly partnered with the Writers Forum, often they will table at these events and will sell the book(s) the writer has written. Lift Bridge Bookstore is located on Main Street in Brockport, this opportunity allows not only the students but also gives the Writers Forum event a way to get involved with the Brockport community.  

Writers Forum archives  

SUNY Brockport through Drake Memorial Library since the late 1960s has started taping the interviews. While not all of them have been digitized, students are able to access the older interviews with the writers.  

Within Drake Memorial Library the Rose Archives manages both the physical and digital collections of the Writers Forum speakers. Within these collections there are additional photos and slides about the writers who spoke at past Writer Forum events and additional information about the faculty directors of the Writers Forum. 

For access to old Writers Forum speakers’ readings, visit the Brockport Writers Forum YouTube channel. For the interviews, visit the SUNY Digital Repository.