WRITER

Laura Rink
writingsBlog
ABOUT

Laura

In 2021, I graduated with an MFA degree in Creative Writing from the Rainier Writing Workshop, a three-year low-residency MFA program at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington. In that program, I completed two manuscripts tied to my exploration into how my grandmother and her two sisters survived the Armenian Genocide. My critical paper explores how authors write into silence, the private silence of untold stories and the public silence of suppressed stories. In my creative thesis, a hybrid memoir, family photographs, primary documents, and historical fact intersect with memories and speculation to create a personal story within the larger public archive.

WORK IN PROGRESS

Matilda’s Silence: The Search For My Armenian Family’s Story

My grandmother Matilda Haigazn survived the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923, which took one and a half million Armenian lives, men, women, and children. Matilda rarely spoke of her experiences and the family she left behind in Turkey. Not knowing what happened has always haunted me. This manuscript is my investigative journey to find my extended family and their story, including the historical context in which their lives took place.

Blog

Covid: A First Time for Everything, I Guess

Covid: A First Time for Everything, I Guess

[Due to my website being offline while it was being redesigned, April's blog, as well as two Covid updates, were previously  posted on Substack and Facebook.] I interrupt the regularly scheduled blog this month to bring you my first bout of Covid-19. I could add, that...

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Nobody Cares About Your Dead Relatives

Nobody Cares About Your Dead Relatives

In the writing world the saying goes, nobody cares about your dead relatives. Or the living ones, for that matter. The fact that my Armenian grandmother was dear to me isn’t enough to endear her to readers. Saying my uncle gave me the best books for Christmas doesn’t...

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Delights and Joy: There’s a Difference

Delights and Joy: There’s a Difference

Inspired by Ross Gay’s The Book of Delights, I’ve kept a Daily Delights journal for the last two years. I wanted to do something different than being grateful at the end of the day. I wanted to note what made me smile or giggle, what lightened my heart, what delighted...

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