Greenville College Annual Report 2001-02

Campus Profiles

Scriblerus Provides Outlet for Students of Various Disciplines

After a five-year hiatus, Scriblerus, the Greenville College creative writing club, has been revived due to the efforts of Dr. Brad Shaw and a group of talented student authors. The club ended in 1997 with Dr. Elva McAllaster’s death, as she had advised the group since the 1950’s.

The roots of the Greenville College creative writing club lie in a group of writers in 18th century England who called themselves Scriblerus. They wrote in a wide variety of genres including fiction, poetry and more. Greenville College students adopted this name for their creative writing club in the 1920’s.

Dr. Elva McAllaster was a published poet and novelist and an English professor at Greenville College. She “was, in some ways, the force behind Scriblerus for about 40 years or so,” said Shaw, associate professor of English at Greenville College and former member of Scrib. Because she was so much a part of Scrib, when her health began failing so did the club. The other English faculty members were at a loss of what to do about Scriblerus because “this had been Dr. McAllaster’s thing” said Shaw.

In the fall of 2001, Shaw told his Fiction and Poetry class about Scriblerus. He said that if they really wanted to apply some of the things they were doing in class, reading each other’s work and responding to it, he would be more than happy to assist them in reviving Scriblerus. The students took to the idea and close to two-thirds of the class decided to become a part of Scrib.

There are many writers on campus throughout the different disciplines, from Communication and English to Biology and Philosophy. All of these students can benefit from Scrib. Shaw believes that these student authors need “an organized outlet.” Scriblerus members are serious, creative writers who like language and ideas and the ability to integrate all of them on paper. During weekly meetings, each member reviews three to four stories or poems written by other members – all members contribute. “We offer each other a sympathetic audience with knowledge about the English language,” says Jen Pierce, Mass Communication/English major and Scrib member. “We try to build each other up as writers.”

To be considered for membership, students enter their stories or poems for anonymous review by Shaw and other members of Scriblerus. The decision is based on the quality and potential of the writing. Christy Grimes, a Public Relations major said, “potential is a very key element in the selection process. We have voted people into Scrib based on the potential we saw in their work.” Shaw also points out that, “It’s not about who you know, it’s about your interest in writing and the quality of your writing.”

This new generation of Scriblerus has yet to be published, mainly because they are just getting started again and do not have a budget. Looking forward, the group hopes to have both a printed anthology and a website.
“The plan this year is to establish ourselves firmly as a group that will continually meet on a regular basis,” said Shaw. The main goal remains to develop an active, student-led organization that provides a regular outlet for those who want to get good, constructive responses as they “define and develop their craft.” Shaw said, “I have no doubts that [Scrib] will be a very vital part of campus for a long time.”

Last updated: January 16, 2003