McNeese Graduate Student Presents at National Literary Conference 

Theories of hyperreality, video games and creative writing are all in a typical day’s studies for McNeese State University graduate student Karris Rae McCollum. She will present her research paper at the Popular Culture Association’s national conference taking place from April 16-19.  

McCollum, of Akron, Ohio, is a second-year graduate student in McNeese’s Master of Fine Arts in creative writing and Master of Arts in English programs. Her paper titled “Examining Hyperreality in Will Wright’s The Sims” was accepted and earned her a spot to present her work.  

“My paper applies philosopher Jean Baudrillard’s theory of hyperreality to The Sims game franchise,” McCollum explained. “In my paper, I argue, that while The Sims purports to reflect our real world, it actually reflects a certain narrative about it. Namely, that life is about the acquisition and hoarding of wealth, family, friends and achievements.”  

McCollum first applied to McNeese for a combination of practical and artistic reasons. “McNeese’s program is funded, which was important to me, since writers are not known for making money. I also wanted teaching experience, which McNeese offers.”  

Dr. Wendy Whelan-Stewart, the program coordinator of the Master of Art’s in English program, explained that students in the program take foundational courses including literary theory and research methods. They also have the opportunity to teach freshman English courses.  

“We teach our students how to find and respond to academic calls for papers, helping them tailor papers written in our classes for national audiences at conferences. 

“Many students go on to teach at institutes of higher education, pursue doctorate degrees and publish. Graduates have gone on to become finalists and winners of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award,” Whelan-Stewart said. 

On the creative side of things, McCollum saw the opportunity to develop her own personal voice. 

“McNeese stood out to me because the writers who graduate from here retain their distinct voices. McNeese embraces a mix of aesthetics and genres,” McCollum explained. “This was important to me because I like to experiment with voice, form and speculative elements.  

“It makes sense that a program in such a culturally eclectic place as Louisiana would see beauty in uniqueness,” she added. 

McCollum says that she’s grown enormously as a writer in the year and half since she arrived at McNeese. 

“This is my first time being in a true community of writers. It seems like every time I catch a friend in the hallway for a quick chat I come away a better artist.”  

Whelan-Stewart says that McNeese is unique in its intimate graduate student-to-teacher ratio. “Students and professors develop deeper connections. I’ll use myself as an example: I keep in regular contact with all of my former McNeese professors but hardly anyone from my doctorate program at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette,” she said. 

Before graduating, McCollum plans to apply to writing fellowships in the San Francisco area, with the prestigious Stegner Fellowship at Stanford University at the top of her list. Four McNeese MFA alumni have received Stegner Fellowships, with one Fellow also winning the Pulitzer Prize.  

“If all goes to plan, I’ll be graduating with two polished manuscripts, so I expect that I’ll be hard at work firing off agent queries from my new home in San Francisco.”