The language of nature: Maya Jewell Zeller’s roots extend through her words

Jordyn Rossmeisl Staff Reporter

While some may imagine writers as a stereotypical, antisocial person who holes themself up in their home to work on their manuscripts, this hasn’t always been the case for published author and professor of creative writing, Maya Jewell Zeller, who said she is no stranger to nature.

Professor Zeller grew up in the northwest and said she spent a lot of her time outdoors, closely observing the world around her.

“I think what I do professionally and personally is pay very, very close attention to the world around me,” Zeller said. “In the very beginning of my life, I did not have access to traditional education and I lived with a family that was somewhat non-traditional, and I would say pseudo-transient.”

Growing up, she lived in many different places including trailers, barns, rentals and makeshift homes.

“I didn’t have access to a lot of capital pursuits, but I had access to the natural world,” Zeller said. “I tended to spend a lot of time in the fields by the rivers and in barns, and so I lived a life that was very rich in sensory observation.”

According to Zeller, the natural world was her “first library,” and eventually, through access to the public library, she discovered books that offered her the same connections through language.

“When I started reading poetry, I became excited by the possibilities of language,” Zeller said. “I found that language gave me the ability to express some of those sensory observations and feelings that made me feel alive.”

From a young age, Zeller knew she wanted to work with language, but she also wanted to work with other people who wanted to read and write. That passion led her to teaching.

Known as “Maya” by her students and friends, Professor Zeller strives to create a safe environment for students to share their writing. Some of Zeller’s students say they feel fortunate to be in her class.

One of Zeller’s students, Monica Monk, said, “Writing teachers or mentors like Maya only come around once or twice in a lifetime if we’re lucky … I’ve written more poems in the last six months than I have over my whole lifetime and have developed confidence in my writing, thanks to Maya’s innovative assignments and the rich learning environment in her classes.”

In addition to being an accomplished author and CWU professor, Zeller is a poet, an editor, a nature enthusiast and a mother. Students and colleagues who know her described her as “brilliant,” “thoughtful,” “unfailingly positive,” “encouraging,” and “an amazing teacher.”