By Terry L. Wilber |ContributorAugusta University's Department of English and Foreign Languages held their Writers’ Showcase on Dec. 2. An audience of approximately 50 people gathered to listen as the four featured authors presented their works under the guidance of Assistant Professor Jim Minick, creative writing instructor at AU.The four authors featured were hand selected by the faculty from the upper-level writing courses to showcase what the Creative Writing program at Augusta University has to offer. These students have shown promise in their programs and have a broad range of styles in their writing which was displayed during the showcase.Trey Nevard, an author and poet who has self-published two books, read selections from his poetry. He aspires to one day write comics and one of his pieces titled, “Kryptonian”, showed his connection to the genre. Nevard also read “As She Approaches,” a poem about an individual longing for the affections of a girl over the period of several years which concluded with a surprise ending. All of his selections showed deep ties to emotion and human connection. He also assured the audience that if they would like to buy a copy of his book, they could purchase it online or from the trunk of his car.Ansley Simmons, who just this spring, wrote a feature length screen play. She also read a poem in the sestina form and a short story which was yet untitled but, for the purpose of the showcase, she called it, “Marsh.” This piece was a brief glimpse of a character that she is developing for a screenplay and was entirely an internal monologue. The gritty realism in which she wrote the piece reflected her ability to step into the mind of her characters to develop their entire persona.Montanna Wilber, an Army veteran and writer, read selections from his poetry. In addition to this, he also writes short stories and fiction. Wilber began his reading by thanking those who helped him along his journey as an author, which included his wife, Professor Minick, Professor Anna Harris-Parker and the Creative Writing club. His piece titled, “Repetition”, is a poem in the pantoum form. He cleverly turned it into a play on the often-quoted definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. For his last selection, Wilber read a poem titled, “Southern Pride”. It was a powerful piece that spoke of racism, bullying and feeling like an alien in a place you have lived your whole life. The call for retribution dances a fine line with a longing for a feeling of home.Jessica Wilkinson, an Evans native who is majoring in creative writing with a minor in history. The authors she emulates are Shannon Hale and Eoin Colfer, both of which are successful writers of young adult fiction. Wilkinson read an excerpt from a book that she is working on titled, “Holana.” It was a scene from the fantasy fiction book describing the main setting for the book. She described the street setting in detail from the bustling people to the smells that are experienced.The showcase ended with a few questions from the audience and pictures with the presenters. Information regarding the campus literary magazine, Sandhills, which has now opened up for submissions on a national level, can be found online at www.sandhillslitmag.com. Contact Terry Wilber at TWILBER@augusta.edu