Three MFA graduate students shared their original creative writing pieces at Gallery Art Bar Wednesday evening.
The Urbana venue hosts monthly readings called VOICE to showcase local writers. November’s event spotlights Malina Infante, Tyler Moore and David Foley, graduate students studying creative writing. Infante and Foley specialize in poetry, whereas Moore’s focus is in fiction.
The bar buzzed with conversation from audience members sitting around candlelit tables, waiting for the writers to take the stage. Soft orange projections animated the walls, adding to the venue’s dim, intimate ambience. Friends, family and strangers gathered to prepare for the speakers.
“For a small town, there is something always artistic to do,” said Nathan Metz, host and organizer of VOICE. “There (are) always artistic people out there, and we’re hoping that this is a mainstay.”
Infante opened by sharing four poems, two of which were a part of a series titled “Thoughts on Motherhood.” The series draws on topics of heritage and identity. Her work weaves seriousness and slight humor together while exploring complexities within femininity, motherhood and girlhood.
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“At the bus stop, I remember to text the current guy that I got my period. He writes back, ‘Dub. No sweat,’” Infante said in her first piece, while the audience let out a laugh.
Her tone soon shifts in her last poem toward somber, and the audience grows quieter.
“But occupiers. So kind. They take your children to protect them from violence,” Infante’s closing read. “So kind.”
Switching from poetry to fiction, Moore followed with a part of his novel-in-progress tentatively called “My Eden Girls,” which explores a man’s life post-divorce as he returns home to care for his terminally ill mother. The story switches between past and present timelines. The section Moore read focused on the protagonist, Isaac, and his love interest Evan, who is thought to be in a secret relationship with a woman.
As he finished his final lines, the crowd erupted into applause for Moore.
After a brief 15-minute intermission, Foley took the stage as the final speaker of the night with four poems. Titled after the dates they were written, his first sonnet, “October 13, 2025,” was a lyrical piece that explores real-life struggles and reflection of grappling with adulthood.
“We finally felt like ourselves when we’re talking about how all people know how to do is talk,” Foley said.
The concluding line illustrates his adolescence and sets the stage for reflection of identity.
Another poem he read was titled “October 27, 2025,” which explores a speaker in New York feeling fearful and helpless before an election. With a round of applause, the night’s readings came to a close.
For many of the attendees, the evening offered a rare opportunity to experience literature read by the original authors.
“Hearing the author read their own work aloud honestly gives you a better feel for it,” said Alex Thomas, sophomore in LAS. “To hear it from the source is a really unique thing to experience, and I think it makes the experience better.”
Following the readings, Metz opened the floor for a Q&A session. Audience members asked questions about the writers’ process, including Moore’s transition from writing short stories to novels. Another audience member asked about Foley’s inspiration for his work, prompting him to explain how political writings helped him to develop his tactics.
The Q&A not only opened the floor for reflection but also encouraged thoughtful curiosity between the audience and the writers.
“We show up for one another and there’s great conversation after,” Infante said after the event. “The program that we’re a part of is super supportive. There’s a really great sense of community.”
VOICE serves as a reminder of the vibrant voices in Champaign-Urbana and highlights the importance of bringing them together in shared spaces. The monthly readings celebrate the dedication of MFA students by building a supportive community to celebrate their live storytelling.
