Lainey Guddat: Three Weeks Later I Was Crossing The Atlantic
Lainey Guddat is an undergraduate English Major at Washington State University. She is currently the poetry editor for the campus literary journal LandEscapes. She is also a recipient of a 2009 Basil and Ella Jerard Scholarship from the Department of English.
Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from and how long have you been at WSU?
I grew up in Covington, WA, a small city on the west side of the state. I came to WSU as a freshman in Fall of 2007. Now, I am 20 years old and beginning my third year. Currently, I am double-majoring in Creative Writing and Spanish, with a collection of Political Science credits that are shaping into what will probably be a minor.
Why did you choose Spain for your study abroad experience?
Spain happened almost on a whim. When I returned to Pullman in Fall of 2008, I was registered for WSU classes and signed up to live in a dorm on campus. Just a few weeks into the semester, I felt burned out and sick of the routine. I went to the Study Abroad Office and asked if there were any programs in Spanish speaking countries still accepting applicants for the Fall Semester. As it happened, ISA’s program in Granada, Spain, was the only one. The Study Abroad Office fast-tracked the process and my grandparents gave me their frequent flyer miles. Everyone, including the good people at the Office of Financial Aid, humored me. Three weeks later I was crossing the Atlantic on Lufthansa flight 491.
Where were you living and what were the living circumstances?
During my three months in Granada I lived with a host family in their apartment. I have never felt more accepted in a stranger’s home! My host mom quickly discovered my addiction to peanut butter chocolate candy – I suspect she found wrappers in my room. Soon, she began leaving candy bars out for me in the mornings. At this dessert-for-breakfast level of communication, the language barrier was not a problem.
Did you learn much Spanish while you were there? How much of the language did you know already?
I arrived in Granada intending to perfect my Spanish. I had taken Spanish classes in high school and at the college level, and wanted to become fluent before I returned to the United States. Although all of the courses I enrolled in at the University of Granada were language intensive, I regret that I’m still far from fluent. My recommendation to anyone seeking a full emersion in language is to live abroad for at least a year. Only then will your repertoire of Spanish phrases surpass, “Dónde está la catedral?” and, “Por favor, un vodka con limón.”
How important do you feel it is for Creative Writing students to travel - not just travel abroad but travel in general?
As a Creative Writing student, I think travel is vital. But I’ve been very lucky when it comes to globe-trotting opportunities. While abroad, I traveled all over Spain and took extended trips to Portugal, Morrocco, and Ireland. Even as a child, my parents invested in family vacations that exposed my sisters and me to Chicago, Boston, New York, etc. I believe this exposure is intimately linked to my passion for literature and my desire to write. I don’t think I could articulate the connection in this interview, and I certainly don’t want to project my feelings onto other Creative Writing students. However, I do feel that travel can be a source of inspiration for writers, whether it is local, national, or international.
Did your travel sharpen your perspective in such as way that it spills over into your writing – your fiction, poetry, and even your academic writing?
Travel hasn’t sharpened my perspective. It has overwhelmed it. At times I feel so full of input that I can’t help but turn ideas into written words. As a result, there is a large degree of spillover in my fiction, poetry, and academic writing which I am constantly trying to convert into “sharp” material. For example, an anecdote about a purple sweater I bought in Barcelona does not belong in a research paper for Anth 198. But I’d rather reign in the unwieldy anecdotes than struggle with conceptual stagnancy.
Tell me about the poetry you published this year in LandEscapes. What was publishing your work in the campus literary journal like? Can you describe the experience of reading your work at the LandEscapes book launch as well?
First of all, I would like to stress how honored I am to be a part of Landescapes. It’s an unparalleled venue for WSU students’ talents in the arts, which so often go unacknowledged. Two of my poems, “Dara’s a Slinky” and “The Shortsighted Main Sequence Sol,” were published in the 2009 issue. Both were pieces I’d been kicking around for about a year. Working with LandEscapes poetry editor Cayla Lambier was a valuable learning experience for me. Her suggestions helped me to reexamine my work with greater objectivity.
From a personal viewpoint, reading “Dara’s a Slinky” at the LandEscapes launch was a triumph. I’m not an introverted person, yet I rarely share my poetry with anyone. After the reading, a faculty member told me it wasn’t the kind of poem that should be recited. Even so, I am glad I had the chance to break out of my shell.
You are majoring in Creative Writing. What do you plan to do with your degree?
I don’t know yet. There are many things I want to do, but when I try to visualize myself doing any one thing I see myself becoming bored. This year I will be working on the LandEscapes staff as a poetry editor. I’m hoping the experience will help me to narrow my career options.