Gabi Kamran

Editor-in-Chief 

Dakota Rosen ’15 is relatively new to the writing world. He entered the Study of Fiction and Poetry class at the start of his junior year, but little did he know that he would discover a natural talent. Now at the start of his senior year, Rosen is a prolific poet with a passion for the written word. He is currently enrolled in the Creative Writing elective and serves as one of three student leaders of the Creative Writing Program.

On September 18, Rosen debuted his poetry at the Creative Writing Program’s monthly Writes of Passage meeting. As September’s Spotlight Poet, he read four of his pieces: “Lost Girl,” “The Glove,” “Warmth of Your Palm,” and “Lay Me Down.” Rosen writes primarily about topics like family hardships, relationship tensions, and personal issues — and he does not hold back, making for poetry that is raw, real, and uncensored.

“Writing lets me explore the world,” Rosen said. “It’s like a chance to experience lives other than my own.”

Rosen’s sources of inspiration range from his favorite music (especially the hip-hop group Atmosphere) to random phrases or situations that he happens to come across in everyday life.

“My favorite thing about writing is the freedom,” Rosen said. “I realized in Ms. Mansfield’s Study of Fiction and Poetry class that the ‘rules’ that are usually set for good writing are really just guidelines. A writer has the ability to make his writing anything he wants it to be.”

Read his poems here: https://medium.com/@gabikamran/spotlight-poet-dakota-rosen-21ad5163daca