Caroline Silvera applied to Iris magazine one year ago as a second year without any writing experience. Surprising right? Most wouldn’t guess by the variety and depth of her pieces, not to mention the title of “author” beneath her name on the Iris website, that she had never considered herself a writer before.
“Originally when I applied I really had no writing experience, I just wanted to be a storyteller,” she tells me as we sit across from each other at a booth on Clem 2. An involved member of the UVA community, Caroline still carved out time in her busy Tuesday to do an interview. Although she was initially unfamiliar with the writing world, and nervous that so many people would be able to read her work, Caroline has developed an elegant and artful writing style of her own.
Outside of Iris, Caroline is a Senior Resident with Housing and Residence Life, a member of the newly revived Alpha Rho Chapter of Sigma Lambda Upsilon/Señoritas Latinas Unidas Sorority, Inc., and a part of Political Latinxs United for Movement and Action in Society (PLUMAS).
Caroline decided to add Iris to her impressive resume to give voice to the untold stories of our university: the stories that resonate with her as a woman of color.
Caroline decided to add Iris to her impressive resume to give voice to the untold stories of our university: the stories that resonate with her as a woman of color. Caroline has used her role as an Iris writer to tell the complex stories of her father's dreams, the pain and growth in the aftermath of an ex-love, traditions of crafting homemade gifts with love for her family, and the difficult path to becoming confident in her mixed identity.
"[I hope to tell] more of those stories that I feel like a lot of us go through but we don't really talk about because we feel ashamed…I feel like it can help others feel not alone,” Caroline says.
It is no easy feat to be so vulnerable. Yet, it is one Caroline has accomplished with grace. While adding her own creative spin to her work, she is also delicate and thoughtful as she bravely shares stories that many people experience, but don’t yet have the courage to discuss themselves.
It was her involvement with PLUMAS that sparked her desire to discuss such tough topics.
“I'm part of PLUMAS…and we host open mics. So that's kind of where I got inspired to start sharing my stories, by just talking about issues that impacted our community. So I got more comfortable with sharing personal things about myself there.”
"[Writing is the] way in which I process my own life."
Beyond connecting with her community, Caroline’s writing serves a more personal purpose.
“It's definitely an outlet for sure. Like an emotional outlet, a creative outlet. It's [the] way in which I process my own life.” A natural creative, Caroline reflects that working with Iris is something she has wanted to do for a while. “[Iris] helped me start this new passion and realize that I'm capable of writing and that I really like it.”
This new mode of storytelling has been challenging at times, but Caroline has fully embraced it. In Iris, she has experimented with a variety of mediums, from poetry to interviews to listicles. Whatever the medium, storytelling is still her purpose.
“I always like coming up with ideas of stories and what I want to tell [first], and then I figure out the medium or the type of writing that I want to do.” Her second piece, "Poem to a Blocked Contact," tells the story of self-growth after a breakup. Caroline says this poem was challenging for her to write, as it was an emotional topic presented in a form she wasn’t used to. She leaned on the Iris community for guidance, taking advice from Mary Esselman, Jasmine Wang, and Miriella Jiffar— the editorial staff who recognized her talent and pushed her to realize her potential.
"Although poetry is not easy for me, I think I really like just experimenting with my writing.”
“Like Jasmine tells us, every word has a meaning. So trying to bring the meaning to each word and make each word impactful was challenging.” In spite of the difficulty, Caroline tapped into her poetic side to produce an emotional and elegantly written story with encouragement from the Iris team. The collaborative environment gave her space to hone her storytelling skills and her newfound writing talent.
“Our meetings are really helpful for me because [of] Jasmine, Miriella, and Mary encouraging us to dream big and think bigger.” Experimenting with a new medium didn’t stop Caroline from what she wanted to accomplish, in fact, it helped her grow as a writer even more.
“I think poetry was a really good medium for me to experiment with words and be artistic, but still be able to tell a story. So although poetry is not easy for me, I think I really like just experimenting with my writing.”
“I would encourage anybody to apply...as long as you're open to learning I say, why not?”
There is much on the horizon for Caroline, who is excited to continue her writing journey with Iris and long after. Inspired by fellow writer Cheyenne Butler, Caroline hopes to try her hand at fiction next. From open mic nights at PLUMAS to becoming a published writer, Caroline has developed multiple avenues to share the stories that have impacted her life and shaped her identity. Reflecting on her journey so far, Caroline welcomes others to join the Iris ranks.
“I would encourage anybody to apply just because I wasn't confident and then I, you know, I learned. So as long as you're open to learning I say, why not?”
