(L-R): Tara Moore and Kaitlyn Gilmore at the historical England landmark, Stonehenge
Kaitlyn Gilmore ’26 is experiencing life as a full-time writer this summer, producing travel pieces intended to market locations and experiences, along with a portfolio of poetry tied to places following a memorable study abroad trip to England in May.
Accompanied on the journey by faculty mentor and Etown Associate Professor of English, Tara Moore, Gilmore is planning to pitch her pieces to publishing venues at the end of the Summer Creative Arts and Research Program (SCARP) experience.
Title of Research
Contemporary Travel Writing: Documenting British Culture through Creative Expression
Student Researcher
Kaitlyn Gilmore ’26 (English Professional Writing major)
Faculty Mentor
Tara Moore, Associate Professor of English
What are you researching?
Gilmore: After going to England for the Regional Writers of England faculty-led May term, I am writing three to four pieces of travel writing about what I experienced and different poems focusing on the places I visited abroad.
Why did you choose this topic?
Gilmore: Dr. Moore asked if I wanted to do a SCARP project on travel writing, and it sounded interesting. I love exploring different types of writing, and this was something I have never tried. I asked to add poetry to this project due to my love for it, and I wanted something I had previous experience with on this project. Poetry of place is new to me, but I have loved trying it and using it to describe the beautiful places we visited.
What was the most interesting aspect of this research?
Gilmore: The most interesting aspect has been the traveling. I have never been abroad before, and going on this trip to explore a new country and come back and write about it is so fun for me. I love writing and love that I will have this trip immortalized in writing to look back on for years to come.
What are you hoping to accomplish through this research?
Gilmore: I’m hoping to find new types of writing I enjoy. I am still trying to finalize what I want to do in life, and exploring various writing styles is helping me. I’m hoping I either love it and decide that’s my career path or have an idea of something I can do as a freelancer.
Talk about working with your mentor. How have they helped you throughout this experience?
Gilmore: Dr. Moore has been amazing throughout this project and as an advisor. She knows me very well and has helped me figure out how to go about everything. I had no clue where to start, and she immediately gave suggestions and feedback to help me begin everything. Having led the study abroad trip, I could talk to her about different ideas, and get new ones from our conversations, which were used in my project.
Hear from the faculty mentor — Tara Moore
“Kaitlyn is a particularly reflective person, and I’ve enjoyed seeing her perspective on global travel. While I’ve traveled extensively, it has been a long time since I have seen things the way she does. Her enthusiasm for writing and reflecting on her experiences is refreshing, and I’m so pleased that we have a chance to share it with a wider audience through the varied pieces of this project.
“Now that we are back home, Kaitlyn is researching to add depth to her marketing pieces, and she is refining her poetry pieces. Other aspects of the project include a social media takeover for the Study Abroad office, something we intended to bolster Kaitlyn’s professional writing experiences, and the creation of an annotated bibliography about poetry of place. I hope to incorporate that research into a future course design for the College’s Core curriculum.”