Writers painted pictures with words Thursday at the Hearst Center for the Arts in Cedar Falls as the Final Thursday Reading Series presented their featured writer for the month of March. 

The penultimate reading for the spring semester, hosted by the Hearst Center, had their monthly appreciation of the written word by having an open mic followed by a featured writer. This month’s writer was the University of Northern Iowa’s own language and literature associate professor, Jeremy Schraffenberger. 

Schraffenberger’s most recent published work, “The Waxen Poor” is a collection of poems dedicated to his brother, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia at a young age. 

The event started at 7 p.m. with an open mic. The public took the stage and discussed and recited the pieces they were working on. Michaella Garringer, sophomore English major, didn’t participate in the open mic, but listened to the performers. 

“I’m just really interested in hearing other people’s poetry, and trying to work up the courage to go up there myself,” Garringer said. 

Once the open mic closed, Schraffenberger took the stage, asking for the audience’s help with choosing what suit coat he should wear. 

Schraffenberger started his readings with some newer poems not found in “The Waxen Poor.” His topics of interest in these poems are those of humanists. These poems feature homophonic titles such as “Torch Her,” a poem about tortures administered by American military forces. 

After Schraffenberger read his new poetry, he started reciting “The Waxen Poor.” Many of the poems, dedicated to his brother, explain how he thinks and delves into the shallow end of his brother’s mind, allowing the readers a slight reality of what it’s like to have the disorder. 

“When I’m writing emotionally, I feel like a straight on approach is different than a political poem … and then you write that poem, and it makes you cry, and you actually have trouble writing … but you realize ‘I have to go back there’ .. and maybe finding language for it will take years, but at least you know, ‘I have to go back there,’” Schraffenberger said.

The event concluded with a question-and-answer period, where Schraffenberger discussed his writings, and gave tips on writing in general.