“Writing and perseverance go hand in hand,” said Mary Smull Arguelles ’72, a published author of essays, short stories, and poems. “You have to have confidence in your ideas and your ability, and find your own unique voice. Writing is communicating. You need to use fresh language and find a way to express your words and thoughts like no one else has. You want to make the reader say, ‘Oh yeah…’”

Mary credits finding her voice with her time spent at Moravian Prep. “I value what Moravian has given me, especially a good education in writing and English. I have a deep appreciation for Mrs. Ziegler, who instilled in me a love of words through the reciting and memorizing poetry, and Mrs. Gonda who taught me how to write a good, solid sentence.”

One of Mary’s favorite pieces is a nonfiction essay entitled “Mending Petals,” which came out of conversations she had with her husband and friends during her battle with breast cancer. “The cancer diagnosis was very traumatic and allconsuming. My usual reaction to process traumatic events is to write about them. Initially, though, I couldn’t look past the immediate turmoil. But, as I grew to be more at ease with the diagnosis and treatment, I was able to process it all and persevere through the pain to produce some great poems and essays.

“Mending Petals” was published in the Bellevue Literary Review, and was a finalist for Best American Essay of 2014. Mary has also been featured in Newsweek’s “My Turn” column for her editorial piece “Money for Morality,” and has appeared in the Healing Muse, a journal published by SUNY Medical Center for her poem “Men Carrying Purses.”

To aspiring writers Mary offers this advice, “Have faith in the quality of your own work. Learn how to take criticism and use rejection as a motivator. Rejection slips do not necessarily mean the work was bad; it just might not be suited for that publication’s editorial needs. Perseverance will pay off, and eventually, you will get a published work.

This article originally appeared in the 2019 Moravian Academy Fall Journal.