Review of the book  Regeneration! A Journal of Creative Writing,  by the Regeneration Writers of Mercer University\u27s College of Continuing & Professional Studies

Broome, Susan G.

English

DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University

Georgia Library QuarterlyVolume 47 | Issue 3 Article 22July 2010REVIEW: Regeneration! A Journal of CreativeWritingSusan G. BroomeMercer UniversityFollow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/glqPart of the Creative Writing CommonsThis Review is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in GeorgiaLibrary Quarterly by an authorized editor of DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University. For more information, please contactdigitalcommons@kennesaw.edu.Recommended CitationBroome, Susan G. (2010) "REVIEW: Regeneration! A Journal of Creative Writing," Georgia Library Quarterly: Vol. 47 : Iss. 3 , Article22.Available at: https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/glq/vol47/iss3/22Georgia Library Quarterly   Summer 2010   23FICTIONOutcasts United: An AmericanTown, a Refugee Team, and OneWoman's Quest to Make aDifference by Warren St. John(Spiegel & Grau, 2009; ISBN 978-0-385-52203-8, $24.95.)Expanding upon a New York Timesreport, author Warren St. John writesa compelling story of a woman coach,her soccer team comprised of refugee boys, and theimpact they had on a small Southern town. Not only thetale of how one person can make a difference, ithighlights the struggles of both immigrants and nativeresidents as they adjust and adapt to each other.Outcasts United revolves around the coach, Luma Mufleh,a young Jordanian woman educated and living in theUnited States. Driving around her neighborhood, shestumbles upon a group of boys playing soccer in aparking lot. These boys are refugees, mostly from Africancountries but also Iraq, Bosnia and Afghanistan, whoalong with their families have been re-settled inClarkston, Ga. Coach Luma single-handedly and withlittle support creates a soccer team for them known asthe “Fugees” (short for refugees.) Clarkston, a small townabout 13 miles east of Atlanta is remarkable only forbeing a “homogenous, white, Southern town.”Unprepared to receive and re-settle numerous ethnicgroups, the residents are divided between those resistantto these changes, including the mayor himself, and thosewho recognize that change is inevitable.The book veers back and forth between the personalstruggles of coach Luma and her team, the boys’difficulties within a new environment, the immigrantexperience for the boys’ families, and the town ofClarkston as it adjusts to a new geography of immigrantresidents. With all this, the reading is a bit disjointed attimes. But the story is moving and empathetic. Theauthor has produced a book where the reader roots forthe Fugees from start to finish. It is recommended forboth young adults and adult readers. — Reviewed by Amy HarrisUndergraduate Services LibrarianGeorgia State UniversityNONFICTIONRegeneration! A Journal ofCreative Writing by the Regenera-tion Writers of Mercer University’sCollege of Continuing & ProfessionalStudies (The Regeneration WritersPress [Macon, Ga.], 2009; $15.95)The Regeneration Writers all tookwhat one of them called “a longThe Georgia Library Quarterly reviews books on aspects of life in Georgia and the South, including history, literature,politics, education and genealogy. Materials written by Southern authors or published by regional publishers may alsobe considered, as well as those on libraries and librarianship.Brijin Boddy, Off the Shelf Co-editor, Chattahoochee Valley Libraries, bboddy@cvrls.netKaren Odom, Off the Shelf Co-editor, Houston County Public Libraries, kodom@houpl.orgSee more Off the Shelf reviews at http://gla.georgialibraries.org/glq_bookreviews.htm1Broome: REVIEW: Regeneration!Published by DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University, 201024   Summer 2010   Georgia Library Quarterlydetour” before recognizing themselves as lifelonglearners who needed to return to formal education.Some characterize them as nontraditional students andothers as adult working students, but they know eachother as individuals with names and stories to tell.What started as classroom writing assignments evolvedinto far more — a calling for both students and faculty towrite with honesty about their doubts and faith, theirdespair and triumph, their failings and successes, all ofwhich led to a regeneration of purpose in each of theirlives. Coming from careers as varied as postal service,marketing, trade skills and child care, these authors havesubjected their work to intense scrutiny with an eye forwriting skills, integrity and candor.Regeneration! A Journal of Creative Writing invites thereader to engagement and reflection through shortstories, poems, interviews, essays, photography andartwork collected around themes — “The Road toMercer,” by faculty, staff and students; “Taking Life,”stirring thoughts on murder, lynching, innocence, prisonsand forgiveness; “Conversation on Race,” includingpoetry, reflections, stories and an interview; “This Is MyStory,” ranging from hilarity to deadly serious; “A HigherPower,” a mix of humor, grim reality, faith and hope;“The Military,” written from the perspective of all militaryfamily members; “Rhyme, Reason, and/or Rhythm,” asection of brief pieces, several authored by guest writers;and “Essays,” with attention given to international historyand literature, peace and citizenship, abolition of slaveryand environmental sustainability, student athletics andwelfare.This 271-page volume is a testament to the RegenerationWriters who wanted to write, and write well, and in theprocess mastered editing, arranging, illustrating andpublishing. An effort by this body to study literaryjournals of other nontraditional undergraduate programslocated none, so this seems to be a pioneer effort. Thewritings bear the depth of experience gained by “taking adetour” in life before returning to school.The volume may be approached in several ways.Certainly, the themes could assist a classroom of studentsor a single reader in focusing on a particular subject forintrospection and further writing. Likewise, the writingsmay be read and studied by format. A number of theauthors have multiple writings, and it is revealing to readeach one’s material in one sitting, thus getting to knowthem as individuals and by writing style. Sociology classesmight give attention to the wide range of these writersand their experiences, and theology classes could studythe authors’ expressions of spirituality and religiousexperience.Nontraditional students may well be motivated by the richdiversity of these writings to attempt a similar project intheir own college and university programs. Indeed, thisproject was born out of a request by the studentsthemselves for additional creative writing classes andmentoring to improve their skills. This publication givesevidence to those in other creative writing programs ofthe unexpected results that come through matchingbudding writing skills with the life experience of workingadults.Though the primary writers are identified withbiographical notes and a few writers are noted by jobtitles, it would have been useful to have all authorsidentified by relation to the university or by profession,preferably under the title of each work instead of at theend. Likewise, the use of artwork and photography wouldhave been far more meaningful if these creative workshad been labeled and connected more clearly with theauthors and their writings. An index by author/artist/photographer name with page numbers would haveadded significantly to the usefulness of the journal.These students and a devoted faculty mentor haveproduced a work that is worthy of their efforts. As withmany authors, they will see things they wish they hadnoticed and changed before publication, but they havegiven voice to a population of students who have not beenheard so often. This publication invites others to follow, togain a better understanding of who they are throughwriting, to claim their doubts and fears, to grow. — Reviewed by Susan G. BroomeAssociate Director for Technical Servicesand Associate Professor, Division of Library ServicesMercer University Tarver Library2Georgia Library Quarterly, Vol. 47, Iss. 3 [2010], Art. 22https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/glq/vol47/iss3/22

REVIEW: Regeneration! A Journal of Creative Writing

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REVIEW: Regeneration! A Journal of Creative Writing

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