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Always follow your passions

BY R. HOLTZ

Mirita Golden, UDC writer in residence.

Marita Golden, writer in residence at UDC, likens fiction writers to magicians because they bring into the world characters and situation that only exist in their imaginations.

Golden has proven this with her writing, creating characters and putting them in situations as real as any personal experience. Her novel, After, is an NAACP Image Award nominee for outstanding literary work. Golden says of writing, "I think that the most magically satisfying is fictional. When someone can read a novel you've written and be positively moved, you really are a magician."

Serendipity brought Golden to UDC. Professor Elsie Williams of the UDC English department approached Golden at a 2-day workshop/retreat Golden holds in the District called "I want to write, but..." After a few formalities, Golden agreed to become the university's first writer in residence. "The good thing for me was that I got to have input in designing the position ... My interest in teaching certain classes and my interest in doing literary programming ... were designed into the position. So, that's how I came to be at UDC," Golden said.

A native Washingtonian, Golden described her childhood personality as "kind of a reclusive, bookwormy, kid. And I read everything." Her love of reading moved Golden to read everything she could get her hands on. Smiling, she said, "My husband jokes that I'll read a matchbook." Her favorite novel is War and Peace, which she reads every 10 years or so because, "it teaches you so much about life, so much about writing."

Golden earned a B.A. in American Studies and English from American University and a Masters Degree in Journalism from Columbia University. She has lived in New York, Boston and Lagos, Nigeria. Golden was in Lagos during the mid-70's when Nigeria's economy was booming. While there, she wrote for a magazine and served on the board of directors of a newspaper. Golden also taught journalism and mass communications at the University of Lagos. "It was exciting to be there as a young African-American woman, doing a lot of exciting things my education allowed me to do," Golden said.

Golden will hold an open lecture March 14, 2007 on "Why writing matters" at 7 p.m. on the UDC main campus. For more information, you can contact her at mgolden@udc.edu.

 

 

 

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