The most influential creative person in my UC-Santa Cruz undergraduate years and, later, in my professional writing life, was George Hitchcock. I met him initially when I was Provost J. B. Hall's ad asst. He scared the hell out of me----I was a surfer chick w/o a clue. Later, when I became a re-entry student, I asked him to be my academic advisor and what a ride.
He was a quirky mentor extraordinaire whose critical eye stared me into a corner. When I reappeared, surreal imagery spilled on to my blank page. During a memorable creative writing class section, George rolled a 6-foot cafeteria tray rack through the door, he reached into his satchel and pulled out a hand carved statue and slapped it down on the table, then instructed us to freewrite while he strummed the rack with a wood spoon. He roared with laughter as we read aloud our disjointed poetics.
Later, George invited me to be a member of his home writers group; eating, critiquing, playing bocci ball. My 6-year old son, would accompany me to the seasonal kayak parties, fascinated by the hand press, he'd willing participate in the production line.
Twenty-five years later, I had the honor of publishing poems by George and Marjorie in the premiere issue of my literary journal ViVACE.
Christine Neilson, UCSC Alumni
Managing Editor, ViVACE Literary Magazine
vivacemg@gmail.com
ViVACE, is offering a Memorial section of quirky vignettes by George's colleagues, former students, admirers. This tribute will appear as the first section of ViVACE 2.
