Alumni Spotlight - Luiza Flynn-Goodlett

"Abintra encouraged me to pursue my passions and curiosity, and trust that those impulses would lead me in the right direction."

-- Luiza, Poet

Luiza Flynn-Goodlett graduated from Abintra in 1997 and studied poetry in high school at Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. She continued her studies as a poetry major at Sarah Lawrence College, and earned her MFA in poetry at The New School in New York City. Luiza currently works as a poet and Content Editor at the Academy of Art University's Cyber Campus. This is an exciting time for Luiza as she prepares for the release of her first book of poetry. Read on to learn more!

Abintra: Tell us a little about yourself.

Luiza: Right now, I'm very excited about my chapbook (a collection of poetry, shorter than a full-length book), Congress of Mud, which is forthcoming from Finishing Line Press (you can reserve your copy now!) in March. I moved to the Bay Area after finishing up my MFA at The New School and spent a couple of years trying to shape my graduate thesis into something resembling a book. The resulting chapbook was picked up by Finishing Line Press, and most of the poems within it have appeared (or are forthcoming) in various literary journals. When I'm not writing or reading, I'm enjoying the sun, beaches, and weird/wonderful life on the left coast.

Luiza (left) with friends at Abintra in '95

Abintra: How do you think your time at Abintra influenced your future experiences?

Luiza: Abintra encouraged me to pursue my passions and curiosity, and trust that that those impulses would lead me in the right direction. At my most difficult crossroads, I return to how much I was trusted and how generously my truth was valued.

Abintra: What is your favorite Abintra memory?

Luiza: There are so many! I guess my favorite might be performing "Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe" with [my friend] Liz in elementary school, and all of the Shakespeare plays that we did as a class, which fostered an abiding love of language.

Abintra: If you could give one piece of advice to a current Abintra student, what would it be?

Luiza: Trust yourself and be of service to others.