Why I Write Wednesday: IUWC Participant Raina Joines

Former IUWC participant Professor Raina Joines says that she cannot recall the exact moment in her life when she decided to become a writer. “Writing has always been a part of my life since I was a child writing small books,” she shares. Joines enjoys the freedom that writing gives her to explore “what we think.” She loves the immersive process of discovery that happens while writing, and how it makes her feel smarter. Raina developed her passion for writing over time. Her first degree was in theater, so she has a great love for Shakespeare, but she also studied writing in order to “learn how to play with language.”

Professor Joines at Lynda Barry’s IUWC class in 2015

Joines participated in the Indiana University Writers’ Conference in 2015 after learning about the conference online. Her favorite session during the conference was taught by distinguished author Linda Berry. Raina said she enjoyed how collaborative the conference was and that it helped her become a better writer. Joines emphasized that the conference’s focus on generative work is what motivated her to participate. Additionally, she loved attending the conference because it was “incredibly inclusive, accepting, and friendly.”

When asked what advice she had for first time conference participants who are nervous about sharing their manuscripts, Joines said to “go for it, and participate in everything!” She also wanted to reiterate that “the conference is a rare experience to get valuable feedback from distinguished writers.”

Raina Joines is a professor at the University of North Texas where she teaches classes about American literature and creative writing. Her favorite part of teaching is seeing students discover their own creative process through “little epiphanies.” Recently, she published a new poem and an essay. She is an amazing writer, and we highly recommend that you check out her work.