Diverse & Lively: a Review of the October Red Wheelbarrow Showcase
Written by Bianca Chen & Jayan Raju
The Red Wheelbarrow (RWB) is the IAA Creative Writing division’s quarterly literary journal that features a variety of poetry and prose. Hosted by Creative Writing students, the reading of the October issue of the Red Wheelbarrow of the 2025-2026 school year took place in the Writing House on Oct. 22.
The reading began with Emmy Chen—a sophomore Creative Writing student—reading an excerpt from her nonfiction essay, “Confessions from a New Year’s Resolutionist.” The author detailed the terrifying events of being accidentally “lit on fire” in Spain on New Year’s Eve. After the thrill of escaping burning alive, Emmy lost track of her New Year’s resolution, which she wrote on a napkin with a borrowed lip-liner.
Another highlight from the reading was the beautiful poem written and read by Creative Writing senior Addie Sparks. Addie wrote about his experience growing up and leaving home, as his future unwinds before him and as he grows closer to others: “I want to be so close to you that leaving is like seeing a flat landscape for the first time and feeling far too exposed.” His beautiful imagery and use of colorful language made way for a wonderful conclusion to the Red Wheelbarrow reading.
On top of traditional forms like nonfiction, poetry, and short stories, the event also featured original songs on guitar and group readings.
Quinn De Vecchi, a Creative Writing senior who directed and performed their play at the event, enjoyed the multidisciplinarity of the reading. They mentioned, “I really loved the Singer-Songwriter parts. They’ve always been my favorites in RWB.”
Quinn’s play itself had been a unique and unforgettable piece, performed by a group who alternated between lines of different characters, adding on to the particularly active vibe of this issue of the Red Wheelbarrow.
A variety of topics and emotions were expressed in the diverse writing content: childhood experiences, heartache, homesickness, appreciation for the beauty in our world, relationship with family members, and nature. Quinn noted, “The audience was great this time around.”
Many students anticipate the next reading that will be happening in February with the same lively spirit of the audience, breadth of emotions, genres, and expressive writing as beautiful as the reading of the October issue of the Red Wheelbarrow was.