Audition Help - I need some suggestions on good authors!?

Question

i am auditioning for an art school for creative writing. and i need some help.

i was online reading what i would have to do for the audition, and there was a page for interview tips. one of them was they often decline students just because of the stuff they read. they are strongly against, "young adult novels" (like twilight, harry potter, etc). anyway, they say you get mega points if you read "adult" novels, short stories, poems, etc.

what are some cool authors i could check out and read, so im ready for my interview? and poets too.

Theres also a poet i like, but I can't remember his name! he wrote a small book of poems about his deceased wife, and him dealing with the loss. the book itself was black, and his wife i believe died of cancer.

Any help I would appreciate.

Answer 1

Firstly- could you please send me a link to the website for the school you are auditioning for or the name of the school?  I would really appreciate it.

I think you should check out the classics.  Jekyll and Hyde, Frankenstein and Dracula are some of my preferred classics because they move fast.  There are also many deep discussions that can come out of this book, which can exhibit your thoughtfulness.  If monsters aren't really your strong suit, you could try Truman Capote.  Jodi Picolut is a more contemporary author that you could read.  She wrote "My Sister's Keeper" among other books, about a girl with cancer and her donor sister.  I would stay away from Jane Austen, as it's a bit of a cliche.  All in all, I think that as long as you can express your thoughts eloquently, it doesn't matter which book you are talking about.  I've written application essays about "The Little Prince" and been accepted.  Best of luck!

The poet that you're talking about reminds me of Poe (incidentally, his short stories are very good), but I doubt that's who you were thinking of.  Sorry I can't help beyond that.

Answer 2

IMO it would be silly to go and read a load of books that you wouldn't usually read just so you can sound impressive at an audition. It's not worth being out to impress if it's not really what you're like.

Just be honest. No, they wouldn't be impressed by stuff like Twighlight and Harry Potter but there must be other things you have read; there are some excellent young adult books.

And if the books you read are so important to this, and you aren't very well rounded in what you read, doesn't it think maybe you're not right for it?

Answer 3

Wathever the best book you can absolutely read every day of you life is "Bouddha" by Patricia Chendi.

Answer 4

I'm not sure about the poet you're looking for.  Edna St. Vincent Millay wrote several poems (books of them actually).  You could use Shakespeare (he wrote hundreds of sonnets as well as his plays).  The War Prayer, by Mark Twain is also a good one.  

Answer 5

I'd stick with the classics, and if you're reading them with the intention of using them for future essays and questions, be sure to think about themes when you're reading.

My favorites are

Jack Kerouac (On the Road)

Ernest Hemingway (The Sun Also Rises)

Charles Dickens (Great Expectations)

Thomas Hardy (The Mayor of Casterbridge)

D.H. Lawrence (Lady Chatterly's Lover)

F. Scott Fitzgerald (the Great Gatsby is a great way to practice finding themes, motifs, symbolism, etc)

For poetry, I'd recommend Walt Whitman and Gregory Corso.