Two seniors studying literature with a concentration on creative writing at The Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, & Technology at UT Dallas secured the top spots in a prestigious writing competition.
At this year’s Texas Association of Creative Writing Teachers (TACWT) annual conference, Michaela Kubes and Nezihe Yildirim impressed the judges with their captivating narratives, earning first place in the nonfiction and fiction categories.
While both students showcase the exceptional talent and dedication fostered within our program, Kubes’ journey to crafting her award-winning non-fiction story will take center stage in this article. Stay tuned as we diligently work on an upcoming feature highlighting Yildirim’s equally impressive achievement in the competition.
Kubes claimed victory as the TACWT 2023 Undergraduate Nonfiction Winner with her 11-page short story “A City Full of Wonder.” Her story focuses on her father’s journey in the Navy, exploring his quest to find an ideal station. The narrative recounts his journey as he arrives in New Orleans, a city full of wonder, where he meets the woman who would later become his wife.
“There are so many elements of this story that were layered on top of each other, and it’s boiled down to what I call this element of wonder that I think was the story’s central theme that kind of draws people in,” Kubes said. “And because it’s more than just a love story, more than just a cliche of two people seeing each other and instantly falling in love. I think that’s what makes this story unique.”
While the narrative is rooted in a true story, Kubes originally penned it for a fiction workshop in a class taught by Dr. Toni Muñoz-Hunt, visiting assistant professor of literature and director of the UT Dallas Center for US-Latin America Initiatives (CUSLAI).
“I chose this story to be based around my fiction story originally because it feels so whimsical,” Kubes said. “There were so many moments that my dad was telling me about that I was like, wow, this feels like a movie. And when my professor heard that, she was like, ‘Hey, maybe you should really look at this and see if it should actually be a nonfiction story.'”
Initially disliking reading as a child, Kubes discovered her passion for creative writing in middle school, and this perception changed when a teacher mandated four books per school quarter—a challenge she initially struggled with. A friend insisted on helping her, introducing the Percy Jackson series. Despite initial reluctance, this experience ignited their interest in reading, marking a pivotal shift in their literary journey.
“I attribute that series and her to my love of reading, and actually I attribute her to my love of writing, too,” she said. “This book series really inspired me, and I hope to write fiction books like that eventually. I think the writing style was very unique compared to stuff I had read before, and overall it was just a fun series.”
Her initial association with reading solely as an academic obligation shifted when she discovered more novels that seamlessly blended adventure and emotion, inspiring a significant shift. Subsequently, she embraced reading, setting a record of 21 books in a single quarter and solidifying her identity as a genuine reader and future writer.
The main driving point in my decision to study literature was the creative writing aspect of it. Kubes said. Taking literature classes has allowed me to become a better writer, mainly because the reading material also enables you to become a better writer. I was pleasantly surprised when I started taking literature classes, and it just reassured me that it was a great path for me.”
