Coffeyville sophomores Samantha West and Ashley Albright look for story ideas during a recent visit to the Elmwood Cemetery by the Creative Writing class at CCC.
The creative writing class at Coffeyville Community College is digging into Coffeyville’s history looking for inspiration. Students in Salina Meek’s writing class toured the historic Elmwood Cemetery on Monday afternoon (Aug. 24) in preparation for an upcoming class assignment. “The students have been given the plot of two children looking around in the cemetery and they find something astronomical that is determined by the writer,” said instructor Salina Meek. “Each student can write within any genre – short story, poem – but it must have a Kansas historical theme.” The cemetery provides the setting for the student’s creative work. Meek hopes the names, inscriptions on tombstones, and the setting will provide a catalyst for the student’s creative juices. Coffeyville sophomore Samantha West took notice of a nearby rail yard. “The trains are giving me some ideas,” said West. “I will probably use them in my story.” Students spent the class period touring the cemetery including the Dalton graves and the gravesites of the Dalton Defenders. The class will return to the cemetery later in the fall to see how the change in seasons could affect their plotlines, or provide inspiration for additional story ideas. The creative writing class will continue their tour of historical Coffeyville locations with a visit to the Brown Mansion in early September. The creative writing class is offered at least once each school year at CCC.