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Mr. K and How He Did Not
Influence My Writing: A True Story
By Diana Bocco
During my last year in college, I enrolled in a class called The Art of the
Personal Essay: Writing from Everyday Experience. Our teacher, who insisted on
being called Mr. K so adamantly I have forgotten his real name, was a minuscule
man with a full-size voice, who scribbled on the blackboard non-stop. During the
initial five minutes of our first class, he made it clear that a winning essay
should be about everyday events. “Don’t let the extraordinary influence your
writing,” he said. “And don’t write anything yet, just pick a topic and we’ll
discuss its merits.” That sounded too simple for an advanced writing class, but
nevertheless I took out my notebook and jotted down: Growing up overseas. He
walked up to my desk and stared at the page.
“What’s this?”
“It’s my topic.”
Long pause.
“You grew up overseas?”
“Well, abroad. In fact, I didn’t speak English fluently until I was sixteen.”
“Too exotic,” he announced to the whole class, walking away from me. “People
will not be interested in something so detached from their lives. Find something
else.”
I was beyond mortified, but maybe he was right. What did I know, anyway? Next, I
thought about growing up without a father. He was clearly horrified. “So tragic.
You should avoid depressing readers with your first piece.”
How about an essay on why I became a vegetarian? I saw a documentary once and
after that... “Too controversial. Always better to keep it light.”
Rescuing street cats? That sounded everyday enough. “No, no. People can read
about crazy old ladies who rescue cats in the newspaper.” Right. “Not you,” he
quickly corrected. “You’re still young.”
“Well, then. How about the year I spent teaching English in Siberia?”
Mr. K looked somehow disappointed.
“You should write about something real.”
“This is real! I lived in Omsk for a year. In fact, I’m heading back next
semester.”
“Too unbelievable. Readers will think you made it up.”
We spent the next two days battling over this. Winning a contest? Too conceited.
A lost friendship? Too purple. Finally, on my third class, I simply gave up and
quit the workshop. Maybe I didn’t have it in me to write essays. Maybe it was
better to stick to fiction.
Last summer, while I was helping my mother clear the attic of our old house, I
came across a box with the notes for the workshop in it. I decided to give it a
go and try my hand at essay writing again. I wrote about everything Mr. K said
to avoid. I’m happy to report that my essay on healing from abandonment was
published last month and I’m now finishing a piece about the adventures of
teaching.
Mr. K doesn’t teach at my old college anymore. I would have liked to show him my
piece. He would have been proud to know I didn’t let anything influence my
writing after all. Not even him.
Diana kept her word-- She’s back in Siberia braving -16°F as an English
teacher. When she’s not trying to defrost herself, she’s hard at work on a
mystery novel. Diana’s short stories, essays, features, interviews, and poetry
has appeared in such publications as Writer’s Digest, Canadian Author,
Children’s Playmate, and numerous other newspapers and magazines, both print and
electronic. She was also one of six authors featured in the bestselling book
Vegetarian New York, with a foreword by Paul McCartney.
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