After attending the Festival of Faith & Writing for the first time this past weekend and navigating through three lively days of lectures, workshops, readings, and discussions, I've now found some time to sit back and reflect on what this experience meant to me. 

As a writer and a person of faith, I anticipated that the festival would allow me to grapple with those two aspects of my being in fresh new ways, and it certainly did. From learning how to manage doubt to experiencing sacredness in poetry to discussing how a Christian might respond to topics like #MeToo and climate change, the festival provided me with a variety of new practices and new insights for which I am grateful.

While the sessions I attended were in fact valuable to me, I think some of the things that stood out to me the most were little moments that enriched my experience in unexpected ways. Making new acquaintances, seeing beloved English professors on stage interviewing notable authors, feeling a sense of anticipation and wonder everywhere I went - these occasions cultivated a sense of meaningfulness in ways I couldn't possibly have planned or predicted beforehand. 

Coming away from my time at the Festival of Faith & Writing, I feel both a rejuvenation in my love for writing and a stirring in my soul to keep learning, keep searching, and keep wrestling with things that can strengthen as well as challenge me. This weekend was an amazing experience, and I'm already looking forward to being back in 2020. 

--written by senior student and Writing major, Kayleigh Fongers, pictured above