MC alumna Halle Hill ’17 earns national recognition for writing
March 2, 2021
Maryville College alumna Halle Hill ’17 won Oxford American magazine’s debut fiction call, a debut writing contest with more than 500 submissions. Hill’s short story, “Bitch Baby,” was selected and featured in the August 2020 issue.
“Oxford American magazine is a tough one to get into, but I’m not surprised that Halle won this debut fiction call, given her talent as a writer and her drive,” said Kim Trevathan, associate professor of writing communication at MC and advisor of the College’s student newspaper, the Highland Echo. “Your work not only has to be good, but it has to stand out among many submissions as something original, powerful and important.”
Hill, a Knoxville, Tenn., native, graduated from Maryville College with a bachelor of arts degree in religion. She also completed her MFA in writing at Savannah College of Art and Design. Hill said that her work is inspired by her culture, her family and her history. She has the tendency to creatively give a voice to the countless thoughts, frustrations and memories that come from within her, she said.
“I was just so humbled and honored when I won that award because I didn’t expect to be able to swing that on my first try. I made the decision to commit to my work, to write to my standards and to take myself seriously,” Hill said. “It just made me feel like my stories have a place in this world. I really believe and have faith that these stories deserve to be heard. There are other people who are curious about them, and there’s a space for me to share that and connect with them.”
While attending Maryville College, Hill was very involved on campus. She was a peer mentor, a resident assistant and an Isaac Anderson Scholar. She also wrote for the Highland Echo and sang in Voices of Praise, the College’s gospel choir. Hill said that the responsibilities that came from those activities, along with MC’s liberal arts education, really shaped her and helped prepare her for her career and life after graduation.
Her attention to detail and eagerness to learn enabled her to really thrive in the classroom, said Christina Seymour, lecturer in writing communication at MC.
“Halle’s unique combination of confidence and curiosity is most striking to me. As a writing and literature teacher, I noticed her lyrical way of speaking and the fearlessness in her writing,” Seymour said. “Halle’s talent for writing is natural, and her work shows that she is committed to empathize, to tell meaningful stories and to make assertive decisions about her characters in a poetic and realistic way. Her trust in her ability and her purpose is inspiring, and she has the work ethic to back it up.”
Hill said that the way that MC faculty and staff pushed and mentored her really left a tremendous impact on her, and they exposed her to a lot of new things and new ways of thinking. Her presumption of always being right was heavily challenged, and her experience at MC opened her mind by forcing her to consider other people and their perspectives, all while allowing her space to reconsider her own, she said.
“I had a lot of great successes in my studies, and I also had times where I had to learn and grow and be better,” she said. “I think I learned that just because something is difficult, that doesn’t mean that it is bad.”
Hill currently works as a marketing and communications specialist for the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Wyoming.
“Maryville College gave me a place that allowed me to be curious about a lot of things,” Hill said. “It allowed me to be in touch with faculty who were not only brilliant but who were also very caring toward their students.
“I made best friends for life,” she continued. “I believe that Maryville College does relationships better than probably any institution in the nation. It really teaches you how to show up for others and how to keep and maintain relationships. Those were just some of the best years of my life. If you want to take that time to get to know who you are so that you can be transformed and grow – then MC is the place for you.”
Written by Grant Agnew ’22, Communications Assistant