The Visiting Writers Series held an event on Nov. 6, 2024, hosting Monmouth’s newest artist-in-resident, John Vercher in The Great Hall. Vercher is the author of three novels and his most recent novel “Devil is Fine” was recently named one of “The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024” by “Time Magazine.” During the event, Vercher read a passage from “Devil is Fine” and answered questions from the audience and the event host, Alena Graedon, associate professor for the department of English.
Vercher started by reading a quote by Toni Morrison and telling the audience, “I’m not going to read from the grief portions of this book… I’m going to read some funny shit.” He continued to read a passage from his novel that took place on a boardwalk, paying homage to the Jersey Boardwalk only a few blocks down from the University. His passage caused eruptions of laughter from the sizable audience.
The rest of the event held time for questions. Vercher answered about his writing influences, his reason and tips for writing speculative fiction, and even gave the audience a sneak peek at the influences and content of his upcoming novel.
“I thought that the event was fantastic,” Graedon said. “It was very well attended, and the bookstore sold out of John’s book—the first time that’s happened in quite a while, staff said. John’s opening remarks and the quote that he read from Toni Morrison really resonated during a difficult week. And the reading itself was so funny, pointed, and cathartic. I’ve heard variations on, ‘I really needed that’ from many, many students and faculty members who attended. I felt the same way.”
In the aftermath of this event, Vercher hopes attendees will be able to take away the importance of art. He said, “This might seem grandiose and unrealistic to some, but I hope people came away with a sense of how important art is during difficult times. Artists have a unique ability and responsibility to hold a mirror up to the world we inhabit as a way of not only navigating that world but as a way to improve upon it.”
Many students in the English and Creative Writing Departments attended the event. For them, the Visiting Writers Series allows them to see how far their work can take them and receive advice from some of the best modern-day writers in the field.
Melaina Carrara, a senior English student, reflected on the event and having Vercher as a professor this semester. She noted, “It was a great experience to hear Professor Vercher read from his book and listen to him in conversation with Professor Graedon. As a writer, it was a really insightful conversation to have gotten to listen to. I feel like I’m getting so much out of Professor Vercher’s craft class this semester and am learning things I know I’ll use in my writing forever.”
Lauren Bevacqua, a senior English and education student, also attended the event. “I thought the Visiting Writers Series was great and gave me good insight into his book and writing style,” she said. “I have him as a professor and have learned a lot from his class.”
This is Vercher’s first semester teaching, and when asked about his experience at the University, he had only positive things to say about it. He explained, “I could not have been more excited [to get this job]. I met with the hiring committee via Zoom and knew very quickly that they represented everything I’d read about the department and more. I found myself eagerly anticipating the next interview and the next, because with each conversation with them, my excitement for potentially working with them all grew exponentially. Needless to say, I was incredibly happy to receive the call from the Dean offering me the position. My short time here has already been a terrific experience.”
Vercher continued, “Not only has the faculty been incredibly welcoming, but my students have been top-tier. They are engaging, creative, and driven. It’s a pleasure to come to work every day. Not everyone gets to say that and I’m grateful for the experience.”
The Visiting Writers Series has been connecting students with established authors since 2005. Graedon explained, “I think that the Visiting Writers Series plays a vital role in creating cultural access and expanding literary awareness for the Monmouth community and the public at large.” She continued, “We’re living in an era when storytelling is as ascendant as it has ever been—we’re all constantly immersed in narratives of different genres and mediums: novels, memoirs, poetry, and plays, films, TV series, and video games—but literary culture can seem more and more rarified and remote. For as long as I’ve been alive, there’s been hand-wringing over the death of print, and the decline of the written word as an important cultural medium. But if we want people to keep reading, we need to make literature feel like a normal and compelling part of everyday life, which is what the Visiting Writers Series aims to do.”
Graedon concluded, “It’s also intended to help writers in our community develop their craft and learn about the publishing industry. I happen to think that literature is absolutely essential, now more than ever. It’s clear that we’re living through an extremely politically polarized time; some people see their fellow citizens as enemies—as evil, even. And while I don’t think that literature can fix that on its own, I do think that by reading literature, we can begin to understand other perspectives and start necessary conversations.”
