The first poetry reading of the 2024–2025 academic year was held in Rapaporte Treasure Hall on Sept. 25 by poets Krysten Hill and January Gill O’Neil. The event was a celebration of O’Neil’s latest book, "Glitter Road.” The event began with a reading by Prof. Krysten Hill (ENG) of her previous and latest poetry, the creative approach and her reflection on identity, grief and education. O'Neil shared the creative inspiration behind her new book and read a few of the poems she is most proud of.

O'Neil’s previous works include “Rewilding” (2018), “Misery Islands" (2014) and “Underlife” (2009). She served as executive director of the Massachusetts Poetry Festival from 2012 to 2018, and her poetry appeared in The New York Times Magazine, American Poetry Review and the Academy of American Poets. O'Neil’s “Glitter Road” reflects her personal experiences in Oxford, Mississippi while pursuing the John and Renée Grisham Fellowship, intertwined with historical and social reflection.

During her talk, O’Neil spoke about watching the news, where she was shocked to learn that three white University of Mississippi students had been pictured standing with guns in front of a bullet hole-covered memorial sign dedicated to racial violence victim Emmitt Till. Till was an African American teenager who was abducted and murdered in Mississippi in 1955 after being accused of whistling at a white woman. This experience led O’Neil to think deeply about whose stories are remembered and whose are forgotten. “Glitter Road” weaves together the legacy of Till with O'Neil's own reflections on race, family and belonging, prompting readers to confront difficult truths about the past and present.

During the event, O'Neil read one of her poems, "Hoodie," which centers on her son. The poem was driven by the killing of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old African American boy, who was shot by a white police officer while playing with a toy gun in Cleveland, Ohio. O'Neil shared her thoughts regarding how her personal experiences as a mother and writer influence her work, explaining that all of her books include poems about her children, weaving in the complexities of raising children in America.

After sharing emotional reflections on race and history in Mississippi, the poet promised that the following readings would "get a little lighter." O’Neil described Mississippi as a place that both surprises and meets expectations. Despite social challenges, she emphasized the beauty of Mississippi, a state with natural scenery. Her next poem was “The River Remembers,” which reflects that natural beauty and her time in the state from 2019 to May 2020. She recounted the experience of traveling along the Mississippi River: "I think I have a thing for rivers," she mused, describing the river as a witness of the past and the present — a place where "flow and marvel and history converge."

O'Neil closed the reading with two poems: “Black Women,” as “a tribute to the many black women who inspired” her in the creative process, and "What's Love Got to Do With It,” a poem inspired by a Tina Turner song that shares the same name. The former is dedicated to the Black women who have broken through silence and prejudice and inspired the world. The latter, however, isn't just about Turner’s song, but about a moment in the music video that stayed with O’Neil for years. She described how, in the video, Turner casually flips her hair — a small gesture that stayed with the poet because of the confidence it showed, capturing the natural charm of "a woman fully in command of her power, flaws and all."

When asked about writing on personal and sensitive subjects, O'Neil encouraged fellow writers to be unafraid of exploring controversial or intimate topics. She reminded the audience that while writing in safe spaces like classrooms is important, sharing work publicly can provoke unexpected responses, both positive and negative. However, she emphasized the necessity of “be[ing] aware of what might come back to you, whether it's something personal like family matters, or it's something that might be a little more controversial.” 

O’Neil and Hill also discussed the topic of exploring traumatic experiences in writing. O’Neil talked about her experience conducting research while writing in Mississippi. She would often "sit down right after going to an event and write," then step away for a while to distance herself from the memory, take a break and make notes, allowing her to return to writing later. At the same time, when she was doing research, she would not write, aiming to keep the two tasks separate, as "it will feel like when you're peeking in on two people having an argument." However, she described that conducting research would often spark new ideas and reflections for her writing. Prof. Hill also mentioned that the theme of trauma is very complex and exploring it requires authors to give themselves time. 

"It's kind of like digesting, right?” Hill said. “That has a whole science to it." She also suggested that when writing about broad topics like racial trauma, if a creator doesn't know where to start but feels compelled to write, they can begin with something small. "Focus on one thing," she advised. "You can't put everything in one room."

As the event concluded, it became clear that “Glitter Road” is not just a book of poems — it is a journey through personal and collective history, with the goal for  readers to reflect on how the past continues to shape the present. Concluding the event, O'Neil hinted at future projects, noting that while she hasn't yet written much about her home state of Virginia, she is exploring its historical legacies and may incorporate these themes into her next work.