By Paige Maultsby (V)
Novelist, poet, and artist, Dr. N. Scott Momaday, visited Pingry on Thursday, October 5, for an assembly, a luncheon, and two creative writing workshops open to both Middle and Upper Schoolers. A Pulitzer Prize winning author and member of the Kiowa tribe, Dr. Momaday, was invited to the school, according to Assistant Headmaster Dinkins, “to animate the 2017-2018 professional learning theme, Diversity & Inclusion.”
The event was organized by Dr. Diana Artis, the Chair of the Diversity Department, with help from English Department Head, Chris Taylor, who coordinated student preparation for the event in English classes.
D r. Momaday spent the day sharing his knowledge and engaging in a thoughtful dialogue with students and faculty. Faculty prepared for the event by reading his Pulitzer Prize winning novel, House Made of Dawn. Guided by their teachers, students read selections of the novel and assorted poems in their English classes.
Though Dr. Momaday won the Pulitzer Prize for his 1968 novel, he considers himself to be a poet first and foremost. As for what draws him to poetry, he points toward its purity. “I think poetry is the best way to express yourself in literary terms,” Dr. Momaday told students during his workshop. “To write a poem is to say something in the best way that it can be said.” However, Dr. Momaday does not confine his writing to only poetry and novels; his past work ranges from plays to travel literature.
When it comes to influence, Dr. Momaday credits his parents with shaping him into the person he is today. He initially followed in the footsteps of his mother, who was a skilled writer, but later in life, he developed a passion for painting that his father had shared.
Also featured in his work is the influence of oral tradition. As a Kiowa tribe member, he grew up among countless stories, but they existed solely by word of mouth. “My father would tell me stories when I was a little boy,” Dr. Momaday said of his personal experience with the oral tradition. “They stuck in my mind, and I loved them so much I made him tell them to me again and again… One day I woke up to the realization that they were very fragile, that if I didn’t pass them on, they would be lost forever. So I started writing them down.” Out of this process came his best-seller, The Way to Rainy Mountain, a collection of Kiowa folktales supplemented with his commentary.
During the creative writing workshops, students had the chance to take their questions to Dr. Momaday, a true master of the craft. When asked to share what he has learned from being a writer, he responded, “How to be humble. Humility has a good amount to do with writing.” To the aspiring writers in the room, he advised, “If you can be humble about yourself and your experience and convey that humility to language, that’s quite an accomplishment. It’s worth doing.”
His words were not lost on the students. “I am so grateful that we were able not only to host him, but also to have personal discussions with him in the writing workshop,” said Grace Brown (V). “Not only did he give advice as an author which I can apply to my writing, but he also spoke on a deeper level to his thoughts about the human experience.” Though Dr. Momaday’s visit lasted no longer than a day — and ended with an evening event for parents at Short Hills — his stories and insights continue to resonate for many in our community.