Creative Spotlight: Genevieve Prouty

Prouty is a junior studying psychology.

How did you get started in poetry and writing in general?
I’ve been writing stories, either physical or in my head, for as long as I can remember. I relate deeply to stories and art in words, which is great because there’s a lot of it out there.
I started writing poetry a little more in high school because I had less time to write full-length stories and teachers would ask us to write a short poem for assignments and such. I took a creative writing class and I remember hating poetry for the longest time because I don’t like rhyming very much because it’s trite and easy. At times in poetry, the rhyme and the meter are the stars of the poem instead of the story it’s telling, which I didn’t like. But once I figured out that poetry didn’t need to rhyme or have a specific meter, I was all in.

One poem that I fell in love with is called “God Says Yes To Me” by Kaylin Haught.  It’s a women’s prayer, and it’s a sweet little poem about God being a supportive friend, and it’s free verse.

I don’t do poetry in a professional capacity, I just like doing it because it’s easy and fast, and it creates the feeling.

Who or what are your inspirations?
My favorite author is Neil Gaiman, who does stream-of-consciousness writing, which mirrors the way that I think, and it’s very easy to listen to and read. I love narration and if I find an author’s narration interesting or stimulating, I will read the book no matter how bad it is.

What do you enjoy most about writing?
The feeling and the ability to make something beautiful with my mind. Honestly, half the time I hate writing, it’s a grueling and agonizing process, but it’s comforting and safe too. It’s really hard, but it’s good too and my brain feels alive when I do it, which is cool.

Tell me about the piece you’re featuring. How did it come about?
So this piece is kind of a reflection of my fears about love. I can be pretty obsessive sometimes and everybody uses the phrase “I know this place like the back of my hand” but how well do you know the back of your hand when you’re not looking at it? How well do you know yourself? It can be very easy to lose yourself in a relationship and completely forget who you are when you’re looking at someone else.

How do you see writing playing a role in your life and future?
One of my many dreams is to be a published author and write books and screenplays for movies. I can talk way too long about how important stories are in our world and wanting to play a role in that.

How you do see your major at AU playing a role in your many dreams?
Psychology is a lot about how people think and react to situations and environments. That can be really helpful to tell a story that can convey emotion and it’s very helpful in terms of communicating something, plus it’s also a cool major.

You are a member of the AU Scriptorium. Why should people join this organization?
The thing is that if I don’t have an excuse to write something then I won’t do it. If you’re having trouble writing but you still want to write, you should join it! The Scriptorium is an amazing outlet because it gives you an environment to write in and people will ask you to write specific things that will help you grow in what you do and learn. There are also cool people who write really cool things and you can get interesting perspectives through other people’s writing and ideas.

You can find some of Genevieve’s work on AU Scriptorium’s Instagram page.

"The back of your hand"
By Genevieve Prouty

If I took your hand,
And I held it in mine,
Would you still know
The back?

If I had them, your hands,
Would you know still
All their veins,
Their creases?

If I hold your hands,
Will you still remember
All their fine bones,
The shape of them?

Would you still know
The back of your hands,
Or would you forget them entirely,
Looking at mine?