The Drop Hammer Student Reading Series is an opportunity for Buffalo State students, faculty, and staff to read their original poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction in front of an audience, and to meet and connect with other writers on campus.
The series began in the spring of 2012 and is named in honor of Manny Fried, a member of the English Department faculty who taught creative writing at Buffalo State from 1972 until 2008. He wrote his first play in 1927 at the age of fourteen, and went on to become the author of many well-known plays, including The Dodo Bird, Boilermakers and Martinis, and his most successful play Drop Hammer.
The series consists of monthly readings throughout the academic year. Each reading has two specials guests – a faculty or staff member and a student who each read for ten or fifteen minutes. Then the floor is opened to anyone who’d like to read. All writing majors and minors are encouraged to read their work at least once (and hopefully more than that) during their academic career, but all students, regardless of their majors, are welcome and encouraged to participate.
We welcome any writing such as poetry, short stories, essays, or creative non-fiction. Students are also encouraged to be unique and surprise readers by bringing something different to present. We hope that students will see and hear things in the readings that surprise them, challenge them, and inspire them.
In order to continue our Drop Hammer Reading Series this semester, in lieu of in-person readings, the Writing Committee would like to offer videos of students reading their original works of fiction, nonfiction, and/or poetry. If you're interested and would like to be featured, please send us a video of you reading your own original work to Professor Kim Chinquee at chinquk@buffalostate.edu
