Writing is an art form that is very close to my heart. I am so impressed and inspired by writers who follow their passion for the written word, and advance to publish their work. Since coming to Baruch, I have attended a few readings by authors who I never knew existed, but found myself greatly appreciative for having the opportunity to hear each read after attending each event. Danzy Senna’s reading proved to be another experience I am grateful to have had. After reading a brief bio of the author, I was interested to see what she might be like and how she approaches writing. Senna read from her memoir Where Did You Sleep Last Night? The excerpts from the story were so raw and emotionally intense. I was struck by her bold and brave act of sharing such deeply personal and difficult stories with any eyes that are willing to read the pages of her book, and, in this case, any ears that were willing to listen. Her statements about what she witnesses in terms of discrimination and stereotyping were fascinating. I have very little understanding of what it is like to be discriminated against, and so hearing others’ accounts of situations such as these helps me to raise my own awareness about the world. I love that Senna said, “you try to write a book you want to read.” I think she was absolutely right that some memoir writer’s are narcissists who want everyone to be just as fascinated by him or her as they are by themselves. Senna, on the other hand, wanted to write to teach and to contribute to society around her. I think her writings make her an excellent example of what an artist’s role really is in any medium: to create something with a purpose, but also to leave that creation open in order to allow it to impact those who encounter the completed work.