By St. Julian Cox |ContributorAugusta University hosted the seventh annual Writers Weekend event on Jan. 25-27, and essayist and memoirist Cinelle Barnes came from South Carolina to read essays that resonated with her, and answer questions that attendees had about her writing processes and memoir.Barnes, of Charleston, S.C., read her essay “Why I Write Memoir.” It begins with her highlighting the mental illness of her mother, the struggles of her father’s memory lapses and her brother drowning the dark memories of childhood with alcohol.“There was definitely a sense of somberness in the air at the beginning,” said Augusta University student Chris Lloyd.While the subject matter was heavy, it wasn’t to the point where listeners felt uncomfortable.“The mood wasn’t quite oppressive,” said Lloyd, “but more inviting.”There was definitely a sense of vulnerability in the room, with Barnes baring some of the most formative portions of her life out in the open for everyone to hear.In the middle of her speaking about her relationship about her mother, Barnes was overcome with emotion, apologizing for the break.“I haven’t cried in six months,” Barnes said with a laugh.This moment added to her air of approachability, making the reading feel like a personal gathering.Barnes is most well known for "Monsoon Mansion: A Memoir" (Little A Imprint, Amazon Publishing), which earned the title of Best Nonfiction Book of 2018 by the Bustle Digital Group. It was also nominated for the 2018 Reading Woman Nonfiction Award. She is originally from Manila, the Philippines, and has a B.A. in media studies from Hunter College and an MFA in creative nonfiction from Converse College. Barnes is the 2018-19 writer-in-residence at the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art in Charleston, where she lives with her family.Writers Weekend was put on by the AU Department of English and Foreign Languages. Other sponsors included AU’s Communication Department, AU’s Office of Student Life and Engagement, AU’s Confucius Institute, AU’s International Initiatives, the Book Tavern and the Authors’ Club of Augusta. Contact St. Julian Cox at STCOX@augusta.edu.