It’s hard to miss within seconds of meeting Ms. Zoela Summerfield that she is a writer. Even in the short 23 minutes I spent with her for our interview, I could sense this quality, especially in her face. Her eyes and ears gathered information intently from her surroundings, constantly in search of their next idea. Ms. Summerfield often takes inspiration from her life and fictionalizes real events. “My brain will start chewing on it and adding things to it,” she said. In this way, both Ms. Summerfield’s mind and body function for one main purpose: to create.
Ms. Summerfield began her English-oriented career at the young age of 13, writing her first story, which she notes was “a total rip-off of a Ray Bradbury story.” In high school, she continued to write, practicing prose monologue speech and debating. During college, Ms. Summerfield took a creative writing class, where the direction of her life was changed forever by the passing words of one professor who said, “you should think about trying to get this published.” The comment changed her outlook on life, and publishing and opened up her world to the possibility of writing professionally. Soon after, she began to study creative writing full time.
Her passion for literature is evident in how she “geeks out” over an author’s creative choices. Ms. Summerfield even recommended the movie The Gleaners and I directed by Agnès Varda after I shared that I was interested in making movies. She is simply drawn to creativity, much like she is drawn to, as she reluctantly shared, the simple pleasures of miming, having taken a class a few years back.
As a student of hers this year, I have seen firsthand how her enthusiasm for the arts is very apparent in her teaching. “I really truly believe that reading and writing literature can make us better people,” Ms. Summerfield said. From carrying a positive and engaging energy throughout her lessons to maintaining a peaceful and comfortable classroom environment, Ms. Summerfield truly cares about teaching and literature.
Ms. Summerfield worked at a charter school in Pasadena before joining Westridge. “Everybody [here] is very warm and welcoming. And the environment is too. When I come onto campus, I just feel kind of at ease, which I don’t feel that way in a lot of places in LA, you know, big cities. Some people feel very comfortable in big cities. For me, it’s so loud. So it feels like a secret little pocket here,” she said.
In addition to being an experienced educator, Ms. Summerfield is a published author and has a multitude of tips for up-and-coming writers (or anyone who is just looking to start out). “If any students here are interested in getting stories or poems published, I can offer some useful tips for how to go about doing that.” And that she can. During our interview, I received a list of publications to submit my work to based on what I like to write about. (McSweeney’s and the New Yorker for my fellow comedians out there.)
Not only does her experience with writing and publishing make Ms. Summerfield ‘a writer’ by definition, but her passion for literature, free flowing creativity, and excitement to teach others her craft make her, in my mind, the embodiment of a true writer.
