Uma Jagwani
For Uma, studying English and Creative Writing was an inevitable decision. She initially decided to go to
fashion school, but she found it to be unsatisfying. She was doing what she always did—reading and writing during any spare pockets of time. She realized that a childhood dream of hers—being a poet and writer—had always been in her subconscious mind, and she transferred to Brandeis specifically for its English and Creative Writing Program. As a senior, Uma is now beginning to live out her dream by working on a senior thesis project with Chen Chen that essentially involves creating her own chapbook, or short collection of poems. These poems speak to the themes of joy and beauty despite pain; they progress from the speaker’s sense of oppression and the strive for freedom, divinity, and faith.
Uma’s favorite class she has taken at Brandeis is “Philosophical Approaches to Film Theory” with Professor Flesch. She describes this class as altering her way of perceiving art and film by presenting it through a philosophical lens. Despite growing up reading mostly fantasy and mystery novels, nowadays Uma reads poetry most regularly. However, she still has an undying love for novels. She recommends A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki to other students because she finds it to be a fascinating meditation on time, on legacy, and on what share of our sorrows can reach through the distance from past to present. She also highly recommends Ocean Vuong’s On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous because it’s such a clear example of a poet writing a beautiful novel.
As a writer who is first and foremost a poet, Uma’s aspirations are simple: for her work to be something she is proud of, read by others, and for others to feel something when they read her words. She would like to become a published author. Uma is also planning to go to grad school, do an MFA, and possibly teach creative writing in the future. Aside from writing assignments, scribbling random thoughts in her notebook and poetry, she writes for the Brandeis Hoot in the Arts section.