Writer-in-residence taps into ‘the power and joy of writing’

Fitchburg State University professor Steve Edwards had a sabbatical coming up when the perfect opportunity presented itself in Acton. 

“I saw the opportunity to have a workspace, to be in the library, which is such an incredible resource, and the chance to do some programming for the community,” Edwards said. “I thought, ‘This is what I would like to be doing if I weren’t teaching four classes every semester.’” 

Edwards is the Acton Free Public Library’s current writer-in-residence. The program offers private office space, library resources, and a stipend as the writer creates both original work and programming for the community. 

Edwards mostly writes memoir and nonfiction and is using his residency to finish a book of essays to be published next year. Though he doesn’t have a title yet, he describes his work as “personal essays that take up fatherhood, nature, and neurodiversity.”

“I love poetry and fiction as well, but true stories tend to tug at my heartstrings the most,” he said. 

The ‘Acton vibe’

Assistant library director Ricky Sirois said Edwards is the second writer-in-residence and was chosen from 80 applicants.  

“He fits in well with the Acton vibe,” Sirois said. 

To apply for the residency, which runs from January to June, one must be 18 or older, show writing aptitude, and be interested in promoting writing within the community. A committee narrows the field, and those finalists are sent to a group of local authors for an anonymous review. The authors make their recommendations, and then the original committee chooses the writer. 

“Steve has that strong background with writing about and thinking about nature, that we know ties in with Acton’s literary history,” Sirois said. “We were really intrigued by his ability to take writing — the power of writing and the joy of writing — and connect it with people who might not have that background.” 

Edwards credited “some great teachers in college” with encouraging his creative urge, but he said the turning point came with a class in which National Book Award finalist Patricia Henley was his mentor. 

He described Henley taking the class for a silent walk around campus, telling them to look for a detail that might inspire a story. Edwards noticed a baby seat in the back of a pickup truck. Henley noticed tulip petals on the ground, washed from the flower during a recent rain, and said they looked like discarded prom dresses. 

“That was the moment when I thought, ‘How did she do that?’” Edwards recalled. “I’d always loved words and language, but I had no [role] model, and she had written a book or two by that point.” 

Best of both worlds

Edwards’ first programming event was a Sunday workshop on writing personal essays, which he said drew about a dozen people. An event last month for high schoolers focused on college essays. 

On Fridays, Edwards holds “office hours” in the common area. Anyone can come by and talk with him. 

“I’ve had several lovely visitors,” he said. 

As the weather improves, he’s hoping to “take my weekly office hours out for a walk,” paired with some writing prompts. 

“Some plein air writing,” he said. 

So much of a writer’s work is done alone, Edwards said, and that makes the writer-in-residence gig the best of both worlds. 

“I have privacy, but I know that I’m surrounded by books and the kinds of people who read books and the community,” he said. “It really is serving to remind me of the fact that these words of mine are going out into the world. I’m not doing this in isolation.”