Women Writers Chat With Students

Boston Globe journalist Eileen McNamara and novelist Jill McCorkle chatted about their experiences as women writers with about 30 undergraduates at Loker Commons last night.

The event was organized by the undergraduate group Women's Leadership Network (WLN) and is part of a monthly series of receptions that aims to bring famous women to Harvard for small, informal discussions.

McNamara won a 1997 Pulitzer Prize for her Boston Globe column. McCorkle was a creative writing teacher in the College for five years and published the 1996 novel Carolina Moon.

The two women discussed their childhoods and the love they have for writing while fielding a wide range of questions.

McCorkle said she struggles to create stories and characters from "little kernels of truth" while balancing the weight of writing and teaching with taking care of a family.

A North Carolinian, McCorkle said her Southern background helped her create characters.

She said she gets the most out of her writing during the revision process, where she adds depth and complexity to her characters.

"It's the most difficult and the most complex part of writing, but the most enjoyable," she said.

Even after publishing several works, McCorkle said she still fears failure. "If [the fear] ever totally went away, I think I wouldn't be pushing myself far enough," she said.

While McCorkle described the magic of fiction writing, McNamara offered her perspective on the power of journalism.

"There is no greater satisfaction than putting words together that change the forces of the world. Somebody doesn't go to jail, somebody gets heat, somebody gets medical benefits," she said.

McNamara, who also teaches a press and politics class at Brandies University, described how her column on Christian Peter, a sexual offender who was drafted by the New England Patriots, eventually resulted in his release by the team.

"You can see the power of the word. All of this adds up to something in the real world, so you should remember Expository Writing," McNamara said.

WLN Director Sarah K. Hurwitz '99 said "the role of the network is to unite woman and give them resources, connections and opportunities that all too often are not there."

"We are trying to create an `Old Girls Network,'" she said.