Matthew Cowin
Staff Writer
Intro
Kevin Wilson is an Associate Professor of English and Coordinator of the Creative Writing Program at the University of the South. He received a B.A. in English with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies and concentration in Creative Writing at Vanderbilt University. From there, he earned a M.F.A. in Creative Writing at the University of Florida. Since his arrival to the domain in 2005, he has become a professor, active member of the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, and recent advocate for the new Creative Writing major as part of the growing program. While he has gained plenty of recognition and accolades from across the world by virtue of his writing (from obtaining the prestigious Shirley Jackson Award to being on the New York Times bestseller list), Wilson’s interview with the Purple touches primarily on his growth as a writer and professor, his academic background, and the meaning of students and community to his career.
Early life
Wilson grew up in Winchester, Tenn.: a close neighboring community to the University. Much of his childhood was spent pursuing stories, novels, and music. “It felt insular to seek out the larger world…from the movies I watched and the literature I read I felt there were always possibilities to do this…I just wasn’t sure how,” he said. His early vision of real-world possibilities began as he accessed his future in high school.
High school and college
Before his senior year, Wilson was introduced to a Governor’s outreach program that allowed students to view different colleges. “I had no original college plans, but through the outreach program I visited humanity departments on various campuses and eventually ended up at Vanderbilt.” Wilson credited the support of his parents in his post-high school plans. “They were happy I was doing anything,” he said. “I realized I wanted to write once I got there. Figuring how to edit and write on my own was completely on me.” After his Vanderbilt graduation, Wilson originaly began his career as a graduate school assistant at Harvard University.
Grad school
Wilson’s experience at Harvard gave him early insight into the professional community: “Assisting the grad school of education was my first time out of the South,” he said. “I got to work with wonderful academics on a wonderful campus.” After a brief move back to Tennessee, Wilson set his eyes on M.F.A. programs, leading him to the University of Florida. At UF, Wilson similarly enjoyed the professional community experience specific to creative writing: “It was great being around people that liked and enjoyed it… I got better with greater connections and started publishing stories.” In 2000, Wilson received a call from a former Vanderbilt professor about job availability at the Sewanee Young Writers’ Conference.
Early career
Wilson’s community experiences at the conference would further embellish his development as a writer: “To be around other writers made it feel possible…these were the most important elements of my developing and becoming a writer after UF graduation.” His early Sewanee years were significant as he met his future wife through work with the conference. “She was the managing editor of the Sewanee Review…our lives began in 2005 and have been here ever since.” Wilson would continue his present-day career as a distinguished university professor.
Author and professor
At Sewanee, Wilson credits his students as the biggest value in his career as a professor: “I love the Sewanee students and how dedicated they are. I hope Sewanee can be the place to help them figure out and pursue what they’d like to do…I can help them get a sense of that.” He couples his career as a professor with being a New York Times bestselling author, as mentioned in the introduction. “I’m grateful that Sewanee has allowed time and space to continue my writing. It enlarged my career in so many ways. You can’t predict or depend on successes, you can only hope for the best. Nothing to See Here was my biggest success and was picked by Jenna Bush on the Today Show.” Wilson still considers teaching his major priority: “My primary job is to teach creative writing. Though finding time to write is important, understanding what students want fuels me to continue to question why I think and teach the way I do and prepare them to love and continue writing.”
Advice for young people/college students
On advice for young college students, Wilson focuses on incremental growth and community: “I was never the best writer, but the fact that I refused to stop made it something I could continue to do. The next step is the moment you accept your limitations and step out and do what you love. I again feel like part of a larger community as a teacher working with other dynamic professors amid the new Creative Writing major.” Wilson’s teaching and writing continue to thrive in a warming community, and he works in tandem with it to help students achieve their endless dreams.