Six Agnes Scott College students took the stage at the Decatur Book Festival this October, joining a lineup of authors from across the country. Mayleigh Carvana, Karmon Christopherson, Kyile Krause, Imani Milligan, Alexa Robinson, and Paige Walker–selected by Dr. Alan Grostephan, English professor and department chair–read their work on Saturday, October 4th.
The festival swept through Decatur’s square October 3rd-4th, bringing an exciting weekend of author panels, music stages, and readings to the city. For Agnes Scott writers, it offered something more: a chance to share their voices on a stage that draws readers and authors from across the Southeast.
Mayleigh Carvana (‘25) read a personal narrative titled “Hydrophillic”, an introspective piece about bathing. Her piece was layered with plush descriptions and melancholy. She hopes her work can reach people who have felt the way she has. “I think it’s really difficult to touch everyone’s heart, or connect with every single person, because not every single person is going to connect or learn from you,” she said. “So for the people that I can encourage and that I can connect with, I just hope that I enter and leave their lives, leaving them with the encouragement to be open to the opportunities that they can’t see yet.”
Her advice to writers? Keep all of your drafts. Don’t delete or rip up anything. In a moment of vulnerability, she admitted that she didn’t know what she was going to do when she first came to Agnes Scott. “If you have no idea what you’re going to do, that’s totally fine. We’re allowed to be undecided, we’re allowed to drift around for a while. But don’t get stuck drifting—find at least one thing you truly enjoy doing.”
Karmon Christopherson (‘26) brought snappy humor with “Confessional”, a story that follows the main character in a gay bar’s confessional booth, telling their thoughts on their friend’s upcoming wedding to the priestly sex doll on the other side of the screen. The piece was deeply queer and human, something Karmon aims to feature in his work. He says he’s been drifting away from explaining queerness and fighting on the page—“I would rather just write about trans people having fun, dealing with relationships, having friends, telling jokes, making bad decisions.” He’s interested in creating a world where characters being trans isn’t the most interesting thing about them.
His advice to writers? Surround yourself with people who will be honest with you about your writing—people who will support you, but can honestly tell you when something isn’t working. Karmon also recommends reading in front of people as much as possible. Attend open mics, Calliope (Agnes Scott’s poetry club) meetings, whatever you can get your hands on. “I still get really anxious beforehand, the first 20 seconds are always terrifying,” he says. “But the more you do it, the easier and more fun it gets.”
Kylie Krause (‘26) read an unnamed piece about a woman exploring a romance without a spark. The story was quaint and romantic, with dryly humorous prose following a winding train of thought. Kylie’s story was a bit different from the things she usually writes—autofictitious stories about real people and places, oftentimes with elements of gothicism, psychology, and romance.
For Agnes Scott writers, she says “you have to be willing to understand that your audience is smart and they’re reading you for a reason.” Furthermore, Kyile says to not write for anybody in particular, except for yourself. Trust that your writing will find who it’s meant for.
Imani Milligan (‘26) presented a darkly intriguing story, one that combined romance with mystery. She liked the feeling of community and having a space to share her work and listen to others’.
“I like to write people, and I like to write complex people,” she said. “I think people are much more interesting and expansive than we give them credit for.” Imani wants people to read her work and consider that their viewpoint of someone is just one perspective. “There can be a whole interesting, thought-provoking, emotional story behind a random person you pass on the street.”
She thinks people should stop being scared of themselves as writers. When she arrived at Agnes Scott, Imani was still trying to figure out her writing style, so she did a lot of copying in order to do so. She would go back to the pieces and wouldn’t see herself in them. “I was scared of what my voice as a writer would sound like, and if I would like it. I think the first time I really let myself have creative freedom was in the Counternarratives class.”
Alexa Robinson (‘26) read a reflective piece about her childhood and her mother. She feels her writing speaks to an audience of people who were in similar positions that she was in growing up. She was a bit of an outcast, being one of the only black people in her neighborhood and school.
She suggests making connections with other writers on campus by offering a seat at the table. Alexa didn’t have many opportunities until her sophomore year, where her friends helped her out by gifting their opportunities to her. She also says to keep writing. “It can get difficult sometimes, but I just say the only way to get over writer’s block is to keep writing.”
Alexa’s advice to Scotties? Always stay true to yourself and do what feels right in your heart. Don’t let others’ opinions define who you are: “If I followed everyone’s opinions of me, I would probably be…a very sad shell of a human being.”
Paige Walker (‘27) read an autobiographical piece, full of humor, telling the story of her and her high school ex. The piece was whimsical, contrasting how she thinks people view art these days: through a lens of efficiency. In the past, Paige has struggled with her mental health. It wasn’t until she came to Agnes Scott that she realized that life and her art can be more than just going through the motions.
Her advice to Scotties? Don’t assume everyone around you has everything figured out. To other writers, Paige says to know there’s something better out there, and let that knowledge drive you to keep creating. She also says to know your worth, both when it comes to writing and in general.
The weekend proved that the Decatur Book Festival offers something invaluable: a stage for emerging voices alongside established ones, right in Agnes Scott’s backyard.
As Kylie put it: “The Decatur Book Festival, while it’s in our backyard, it’s an event that people fly over the country to go to. To us, it might seem small because it’s right next door, but there are world-renowned authors who seek the opportunity to go to the Decatur Book Festival. It’s one of the biggest book festivals in the Southeast.”