UCF alumna discusses memoir, college days

Before she made a career out of writing, alumna Kelle Groom made her home at UCF where she received her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees from the English department. Groom completed her academic career with a M.F.A. in creative writing in 2008.

Her memoir, I Wore the Ocean in the Shape of a Girl, has been recommended on the O Magazine 2011 Summer Reading list and has been recognized among other remarkable platforms.

Previous works include three books of poetry and pieces which have been published in the New Yorker, Ploughshares and The Best American Poetry 2010.

Groom continues her relationships with UCF staff, friends and other members of the Central Florida community.

The Central Florida Future spoke with Groom about her memoir, her writing career and her time at UCF.

Central Florida Future: How would you describe the memoir?

Kelle Groom: I Wore the Ocean in the Shape of a Girl is a memoir of 32 (mostly) short chapters about my struggle with alcoholism in my teens and very early twenties, as well as my search for answers about the life and death of my son, who I gave up for adoption when I was 19. There's a parallel narrative of my growth as a writer. Rather than telling a story, I was interested in what I could discover through writing about my own life and the lives of others.

CFF: What do you think is the connection readers feel toward I Wore the Ocean?

Groom: I think readers connect to the story and the struggle to take action in one's own life.

CFF: How did publishing the memoir affect your personal life? (Was it cathartic? Was is difficult to reveal certain aspects of yourself? Did you have to change names?)

Groom: No, I wouldn't say that it was cathartic for me. Much of the information I sought in the memoir had been kept from me, particularly about my son, with the idea of saving me and others from pain. The memoir is a search to find my son, though he died many years ago — I felt that, by writing the book, it would take me to him. I was interested in going toward grief, not away from it. I did change most names in the memoir to protect the privacy of others. In writing the memoir, it was crucial to be as honest as possible with myself – the memoir had to begin with the basic ground of honesty. It was the only way I could hope to discover the truth about what had happened to the girl I used to be and to my son.

CFF: What has the process been like for being on Oprah's Summer Reading list? Has it affected your readership or presented other opportunities?

Groom: I'm very honored that I Wore the Ocean in the Shape of a Girl is included in Oprah's O Magazine‘s Summer Reading List. That kind of recognition helps to bring the book to more people. Barnes & Noble just selected I Wore the Ocean as a "Discover Great New Writers" pick for Fall 2011. Last month, Barnes & Noble recognized I Wore the Ocean as a Best Book of the Month for June. I'm very grateful for all of this support.

CFF: When did you first see yourself as a writer?

Groom: I was seven when I began writing stories and poems. On the college application form I filled out as a 17-year-old, I stated "writer" as my career goal.

CFF: What is your writing process like?

Groom: I usually write at night, for 5-8 hours at a time. I need solitude and quiet, so that seems the best time for me. I can do research and some revision during the day, but once I start writing, I just want to keep going without interruption.

CFF: Do you feel your time at UCF helped you get to this point?

Groom: UCF was a great help to me. I spent many years at UCF, acquiring three degrees.

CFF: What were some things you learned at UCF (in school or outside of academics) that have helped you the most in your career?

Groom: Of course, I learned the tools of writing. My teachers introduced me to an incredible range of writers. I was taught and mentored by writers who were also engaged in their own work. It was wonderful to not only be taught by these writers, but also to read their work, to attend their readings. At the time, UCF also brought in acclaimed visiting writers through two amazing reading series. One was the Distinguished Author Series that Dr. Don Stap created, and the other was the World Writers Series run by Dr. Anna Lillios. Through these readings, and others that the English department sponsored, including those through its partnership with Atlantic Center for the Arts, I was able to hear many of the leading writers of our time, as well as internationally acclaimed writers whose work I would not otherwise have encountered. Those lectures, talks, and readings still nurture my writing. Dr. Stap also created a literary magazine, the Cypress Dome, which gave me an avenue as an undergraduate for submitting my work and for my first publication. It also offered a prize of $100 for a first-place poem, which when I won it, meant a great deal to me. The English Department's nationally recognized literary journal, the Florida Review, published my second poem. They also gave support through departmental awards that included the opportunity to give my first readings. UCF also gave me the opportunity to teach writing.