Journalist and novelist gives budding writers insight into her career

by Savannah Phillips, student writer

Irina Zhorov has learned a lot in her decade-plus as a journalist and author, and on Sept. 25 she shared many of her personal experiences with students in the Batte Center's Recital Hall.

The lecture lyceum, "From Journalist to Author: Connecting Fact and Fiction," was followed by a book signing and meet-and-greet outside the Recital Hall. The event was sponsored by the Lyceum Program and was organized by the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences, the political science department, and the local bookstore So Much More To The Story.

Joseph Ellis, political science professor of 15 years and associate dean of the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences, reached out to Zhorov after having read her first novel, Lost Believers, which was published a little over a year ago. The novel focuses on a Soviet-era geologist from Moscow who discovers members of an isolated Christian sect living in Siberia.

"There were just so many elements of the story that I connected with," Ellis said. "It's such a dynamic and interesting novel!"

He hoped that Zhoroz could have come later in the year after he had had the chance to assign Lost Believers to one of his classes. Even though the timing was off, Ellis was thrilled that Zhoroz agreed to make the trip to Wingate.

"I'm always excited by the opportunity to talk to students - maybe fellow writers or future writers - and also to readers," Zhoroz said. "That's the best part of working on a book: finally interacting with the people who might read it or students working on their own project."

Zhoroz, who was born in Soviet Uzbekistan but immigrated to the U.S. with her family at the end of the Cold War, offered a raw and uncensored view of her experiences and life as a journalist. While not all of her lecture was optimistic, those in attendance appreciated her candor.

"For an aspiring writer," President Rhett Brown said, "Mrs. Zhorov's lecture is a terrific opportunity to learn the practical aspects of pursuing such a career."

Zhoroz explained that she has received hate mail, has been told that her Philly accent wasn't quite right for "on air," and has burned bridges with people whom her articles called out. She also warned students about the criticism she has had to face that surrounds journalism - that it is all "propaganda," that it "cannot be trusted," and that journalists "infiltrate sane minds."

In her novice years, she remembers saying to her interviewees: "Tell me more. Tell me everything." In those days, Zhoroz said, she firmly believed that "information led to action" and that there was a point to what she was doing. "But I was idealistic and incredibly naive," she said. "I had good stories that made change, but the change was minimal, and sometimes even backfired."

"You really have to believe in yourself to do this kind of work," Ellis said, "but I hope they [the students] realized that it is possible. You have to commit to it and really work at it."

'Compelling storyteller'

Zhoroz's experience is extensive, as she tried her hand at many different forms of journalism and covered a wide range of topics along the way. She did, however, find that she had a knack for investigative journalism that centered on science. Zhoroz has written stories on natural resources, the environment and agriculture, to name a few. "Her adaptability and her curiosity have clearly served her well," Brown said.

During her day job as a reporter, Zhoroz said, she was expected to have all the answers. But with writing her debut novel, she found that "letting go of facts" was a "stimulating process."

"It's exciting to enter into another realm of writing," she said.

In journalism, Zhoroz explained, there is a need to control the story. Writing fiction, on the other hand, allows more room for freedom and exploration.

"Irina is a compelling storyteller," Brown said. "I thought it was lovely how she weaved her personal narrative throughout [her speech] - from her birth in the Soviet Union to her impending motherhood."

Zhoroz told the audience during the Q&A portion of the Lyceum that she is in the early stages of her second novel, which will be more closely aligned with her own personal experience.

Ellis hopes to bring more storytellers to campus.

"Wingate has had a long tradition of bringing in authors and novelists," he said, "and this is an attempt to sort of reignite that tradition on campus. It just requires attention to the idea, and then the support of faculty and staff to pull it off."

"I consistently advocate for programming that enriches our students' educational experiences," said Keyua McElveen, director of Lyceum programs. "The impact of such initiatives largely depends on student engagement, yet I believe they can foster a passion for writing and inspire students to create works that have the potential to effect change in the world."

McElveen said that it has been many years since Wingate has had a published author come and speak to students. Doc Hendley's book Wine to Water was read as part of the required summer reading assignment for the class of 2017, which was McElveen's graduating class.

Ellis explained that there used to be programs in place that "created a lot of venues and opportunities to bring in authors and scholars to discuss their work." Over the years, these programs have faded.

"The reality is, like with anything, you just need people committed to it," Ellis said, "that believe it's good for our campus community to continue to do these things."

Oct. 1, 2024

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.