The smell of brewing coffee, the sound of music playing and the sight of couches filled the space as people faced a single microphone, bracing for The Auburn Circle's annual SNAPS event.
SNAPS, an exhibition of the 46th volume of The Circle's literary magazine, was held at Mama Mocha’s on Monday.
The authors of the poems and prose read their works out loud to allow the audience to hear the author’s expression of their works.
Mathew Pierce, freshman in sociology and history who wrote “Feathers,” said reading his prose was equal parts exciting and terrifying.
Pierce said “Feathers” is a coming of age story and, although it is not a religious piece, his religious upbringing had an influence in his writing. He said writing the story came naturally.
“It kind of just came on me, and I wrote it down, and I couldn’t stop for two days,” Pierce said.
Snaps also featured live music with Decoy Snail who played “Youngbird,” “Star Crossed” and a new song, “Lie Better,” which is also featured in The Auburn Circle as a poem by one of the members, Jeff Deery.
Cole Summersell, senior in environmental designs, wrote “Spring Ball” and “Hankering” and read “Spring Ball”.
“I was way more nervous than I thought I was going to be,” he said.
Summersell said originally, “Spring Ball” was a poem he wrote for his Poetry II class, but Cecilia Wood, the editor-in-chief of The Auburn Circle, encouraged him to submit it.
He decided he liked it enough and submitted it, Summersell said.
The author’s peers read some of the works. “Catharticism” by Chloe McMahon was read by Will Humphreys, sophomore in apparel design and culinary science.
“It was kind of an intimate experience because she’s a very close friend of mine,” Humphreys said. “She let me read it before she submitted it. So, I knew the personal intent behind it. I don’t know. I was just very honored to do it.”
Humphreys said he was scared to read it because he wanted to capture the true essence of what her work was conveying.
“That through such a painful experience you can find strength and reliance and the beauty of that,” Humphreys said.
The visual art featured in the magazine was hung on the walls, and after the readings, people were encouraged to walk around to admire the artworks and continue to mingle.
Cecilia Wood, editor-in-chief of The Auburn Circle, commented on the courage it takes to read one’s own work and her appreciation for the people who were willing to do so for SNAPS.
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Abigail Murphy, senior in journalism with minors in history and women and gender studies, is the operations managing editor at The Auburn Plainsman.
