Alumni Spotlight: Erica Garza
The Alumni Spotlight is a place to hear from the School of the Arts alumni community about their journeys as artists and creators.
Erica Garza '10 is the author of the memoir Getting Off (Simon & Schuster), a New York Times Editor's Pick in 2018. Her essays have appeared in TIME, Glamour, Health, VICE, Narratively, and Salon. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter.
Was there a specific faculty member or peer who especially inspired you while at the School of the Arts? If so, who and how?
Lis Harris, one of my workshop instructors, was the first person to ever tell me that my writing would make it out into the world. She didn't just tell me that, she promised it. I had never been published before and was terrified at the thought, but something about the way she said it made the idea indisputable. Seven years later, I've signed a book deal at Simon & Schuster and have had dozens of essays published in many of my dream publications. I owe so much of my self-confidence to her.
How did attending the School of the Arts impact your work and career as an artist?
I learned how to trust my voice as an artist, which was the most important thing for me. I learned how to become more vulnerable. I learned how liberating it felt to reveal so much of myself, so much so that I got hooked on telling my secrets.
What were the most pressing social/political issues on the minds of the students when you were here?
Obama was newly elected into office when I started the program-- I remember it being a time of big ideas and big change.
If you could revisit any piece you created during your time at the School of the Arts, which would it be? Why?
There were a few essays that make me cringe. I would love to go back and toss them in the trash bin.
What was your favorite or most memorable class while at the School of the Arts?
A class called Non/Fiction, which pertained to experimental literature that danced a fine line between fiction and nonfiction genres.