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Karen Lu '19 to be Published by "The Apprentice Writer"

Karen Lu ’19 is going to be published in The Apprentice Writer, which annually features the best writing and illustrations submitted by high school students throughout the United States. The Apprentice Writer is published by the Writers Institute at Susquehanna University and is printed every September.
 
Below is an interview with Karen regarding her writing and the piece being published, titled Yours Truly.
 
Can you talk a little bit your inspiration for Yours Truly?
I first found the inspiration to write this piece when I was watching the movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. I was intrigued by the themes that the film presented: freedom, oppression, and society’s unjust. Mental health itself is a topic that is always on my mind as well. While watching, I noticed that many of the characters’ lines expressed another hidden meaning beneath the outer surface. For example, when the character Charley Cheswick repeatedly demands for his cigarettes from the nurse, what he really wants is his dignity. The various symbolisms and philosophies in the film made me think about my own views on life and death, and the thought process of patients with mental disorders. I reflected on whether it was true courage or cowardice that motivates the suffering to end their life, and after much pondering and research on mental disorders, I put my conclusion down in the voice of a patient who suffers from depression.
 
What is the piece about?
Yours Truly is written in the form of two letters from the main character from a nursing home to his sister. He describes his daily activities in the nursing home, his interactions with the doctors and nurses, he reminisces on the past, and he shares his views on life and death as well. There are many contradictory themes in this piece, as the main character goes through major shifts in his mental state. He starts off turbulent in his first letter, speaking in a stream of consciousness, wishing for some sort of change in his life in the nursing home, which he views as a prison. Yet, he is hopeful. He hopes to be able to see his sister and his nephew again, and to be able to live a life outside of the restrictions of the nursing home. In the second letter, the main character’s tone significantly changes. He finds out that his sister, his only source of hope, has actually passed away in a car accident from an acquaintance that visits him. As a result, he is no longer fearful of leaving the world because there’s nothing left for him to hold onto anymore. In a sense, he’s found an answer to his questions he’s been posing of what his next step should be. Despite the shift from hopefulness to resigned acceptance and the change from anxiety to courage, the theme of love has always been constant. Though the main character’s words, the reader may see the overflowing and faithful love that the main character feels toward his sister and nephew. He expresses that he loves the world and every aspect of it, and paradoxically, that becomes his drive to end his life. The letter closes as he once again conveys his love for the world and his sister, and it is implied that he committed suicide.
 
How did you learn about The Apprentice Writer publication? What made you submit your work and how did you decide on the piece?
I was searching for platforms on which I could share my writings with a wider audience as I had just completed many short stories at the time, and I happened to find out about The Apprentice Writer. I thought it would be a great opportunity to submit my writing along with other young writers that are passionate about writing and literature. I had scanned through a few pieces from previous publications of The Apprentice Writer and I found that many of the works convey an idea that means a lot to the author and has in some way shaped and shifted the author’s mindset. I chose to submit Yours Truly because mental health is an issue I am interested in exploring and learning about, and it has significantly impacted the way I think about everyday interactions between others and myself.
 
Can you talk about your passion for writing and how this has fueled it?
As an introverted creative writing enthusiast, writing short stories is one of my few outlets to freely express the mess that goes on inside my head. In a world full of color, warmth, tragedy, and stories, emotions can sometimes be difficult to convey. But with every different person, there’s a different way of expressing one’s self. I find that to be an extremely important piece of every individual—means of communication. Especially when school, work, and simply basic socialization is all about communicating with each other. So it has become a goal of mine to share my thoughts with others through my writing, be it to help or to influence others. By submitting writings to magazines and competitions, I hope to engage and influence a wider audience.
 
What are you planning to study in college?
I hope to major in psychology is college as I would love to be able to learn as much as I can about understanding human behaviors, perspectives, habits, biases, and much more. To me, psychology is far than just studying how our mind works and more than just a scientific discipline. With the readings that I do on psychology, it has changed the way I think about my own life and provides an excellent training in analytic thinking and scientific research methods that are applicable to a broad range of subjects and careers.
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Ranney School

235 Hope Road
Tinton Falls, NJ 07724
Tel. 732.542.4777

Our mission is to know and value every child, nurturing intellectual curiosity and confidence, and inspiring students to lead honorably, think creatively, and contribute meaningfully to society.