Visiting author Robert Glick reads his latest release

In Robert Glick’s writing, zombies and anarchists mingle on the page amongst mermaids and Ms. Pacman. The Literary Art Institute (LAI) hosted Glick, its final visiting author of the 2022-2023 academic year on Tuesday, March 28. Glick is an Associate Professor of English at the Rochester Institute of Technology. His most recent publication, a collection of short stories entitled “Two Californias,” delicately balances psychological realism and experimental fiction, offering provocative perspectives on grief, love and everything in between.

English professor Rachel Marston serves as LAI’s Associate Director. She said that the decision to choose Glick as a visiting author was due to multiple factors, one of which was the level of detail and complexity in his work.

“The way he thinks about detail and texture in his work is something that [we] as creative writing faculty often underscore to our students,” Marston said. “We also consider how the author will interact with our students. Robert is a professor, so we knew he would be able to connect with students in a dynamic fashion.”

During his time on campus, Glick met with various creative writing classes, culminating his time on campus with a public reading and question and answer session. He works primarily in fiction, something that Glick believes can have an immense impact on readers.

“One of the main things people talk about is fiction being an engine for empathy. There are many things fiction can do, one of them being the ability to step into someone else’s universe that is not your own,” Glick said. “That enables you to learn new things from new perspectives and perhaps adopt them in your own life.”

Though experimental fiction is comprised of many different stylistic techniques, the genre as a whole defies constructs of categorization.

“The easiest way to think about it is through a distinction between that which moves the story forward and that which happens next,” Marston said. “Experimental [writings] are often interested in playing around with language and form in more obvious ways than regular fiction.”

The LAI’s purpose is to connect students to both authors as well as the craft itself. Students have the opportunity to workshop their stories with the visiting authors, along with gaining valuable insights through class visits and readings.

“We hope that within our community the readings and conversations open up a space about the vibrancy of contemporary American literature. Most of our authors really help show a whole host of students that literature is a window into our own world and experiences,” Marston said.

Glick echoed Marston’s sentiments, finding that the best way for anyone to improve their writing skills is through practice.

“It’s like anything else. You’re practicing. You’re trying out new things. You’re working with other people to talk about things. You’re opening your horizons; you’re thinking critically about language and how it affects others. Most of it’s a muscle—even the creative part of creative writing,” Glick said.