Conference Participation
The National Undergraduate Literature Conference (NULC) in Ogden, Utah, was started in 1985 by two professors who wanted to create a forum for undergraduates to present their writing to peers. Included in this conference are well-known authors who serve as guest lecturers. The April 2005 conference roster included an ALB candidate, Tim Delaney, ALB ’06, and literary luminaries Norman Mailer, Antonya Nelson, Alan Cheuse, Catherine Bowman, Ron Carlson, and Lori Aurelia Williams. In addition, undergraduates from all over the country were selected to present at this conference. Both critical and creative works are accepted as submissions, and students are encouraged to submit their work for consideration. The Undergraduate Office congratulates Tim Delaney for his exceptional story and his acceptance at this conference. Below is an account of the conference itself, followed by a link to the full text of his story.
Sharing at an Undergraduate Literature Conference
By Tim Delaney
Tim Delaney
The small man with the mass of wavy white hair walked haltingly with two canes. He pushed the hotel’s elevator button. Suspecting he hadn’t seen me walk up behind him, I tried not to startle him as I entered the elevator. Once inside he turned around and smiled. I said, “Good evening, Mr. Mailer.”
His piercingly blue eyes dazzled the small space just as his two keynote lectures had inspired attendees at the twentieth annual National Undergraduate Literature Conference (NULC), March 30 through April 2, 2005, at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah.
I floated off the elevator feeling the vibes from not only Mr. Mailer but also from the other established writers and teachers who gave time, attention, and encouragement to the student writers at the conference.
A story I wrote for Julie Anne McNary’s Introduction to Fiction Writing titled “Let Go” had been accepted for presentation at the conference. Nervous but undaunted, I practiced reading the story as the last day of the conference approached. With expectant faces peering up at me, I read my story that renders the people, time, and place of Boston’s tight knit neighborhoods undergoing a dramatic transformation filled with tension and division during the bussing crisis of the 1970s. The story shows how some teenagers who experienced deep scarring overcame their intense trials through kindness and friendship, traits that were as abundant as the difficulties during that era.
Each student writer of poetry, fiction, research, and creative nonfiction presented work of outstanding literary quality. From Ron Carlson’s invigorating introductory speech and reading to the very last Q&A session with Cheuse, Nelson, Bowman, and Williams, the conference gave student writers a platform to present their writing, learn from accomplished writers, and fill up on literature.
As if this congress of litterateurs was not enough to inspire, the glorious snow-drenched Wasatch mountain range spikes against Weber State’s campus, where the conference is held. The Wasatch, Ogden, and the NULC conference are spectacular venues for a writer but no less inspiring than the writing courses I’ve taken at Harvard Extension School with many excellent instructors and students.
Conference co-founder and co-director Dr. Mikel Vause, who is one of the country’s foremost scholars of mountaineering literature, remembers spending time at Harvard in 1983. He was in the Widener stacks researching his dissertation. He asked me to spread the word to Extension School undergraduates to submit their writing to the conference.
I want to thank the undergraduate program for letting me know about the conference through their biweekly e-mails. Without them spreading the word, I would never have had this wonderful experience.
After graduating in 2006 with a concentration in writing and literature, Delaney hopes to pursue an MFA in creative writing. To read the complete story, download* a PDF version. Please be advised that the story contains adult language and subject matter. Reader discretion is advised.
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