Discussing his recently published novel “Studies in the Hereafter,” Sean Bernard tells a satirically humorous story about a realistic and mundane form of heaven in the perception of a deceased office bureaucrat that does not seem to find joy in the afterlife until he begins his study on the living. Sean Bernard held a lecture Tuesday in the President’s Dining Room, explaining the writing process. / photo by Noel Cabrera
Gabriella Chikhani
Staff Writer
Associate Professor of Creative Writing Sean Bernard read chapters from his recently published book, “Studies in the Hereafter” to an audience of approximately 35 students and faculty members Tuesday in the President’s Dining Room.
Bernard, who is also honors program director, immersed the audience in the story by beginning his lecture with the fourth chapter of his book.
The scene introduced his main character waking up on a bus and feeling disoriented in heaven.
“I think the moment is more engaging and better to start with than the first chapter which is a prelude,” Bernard said.
In Bernard’s version of heaven, golf is the only sport, there are arranged marriages, reality television shows, jobs and vegan food is the only option.
“It’s an anti-heaven idea that works against the general happy afterlife, it’s satirical,” Bernard said.
Irene Lopez, junior creative writing major, is familiar with Bernard’s writing style after taking the Fiction Writing class and working on the Prism Review literary magazine staff with him.
“I enjoy the voice Sean develops in his stories and how he can really relate to the reader to make them feel like a friend,” Lopez said.
Bernard sat in the middle of the President’s Dining Room with the projector screen pulled down behind him showing the cover of his book, two sheep nestling their heads together.
Bernard says people are not so different from sheep and this theme is carried out throughout several chapters of his book with words like “herd.”
Bernard was given a grant from the University in 2009 to begin researching his book. He admits that when he began he was unsure what his book was going to be about.
“I have a lot more intention now and know what I’m going to write but I don’t outline and I don’t write down my thoughts,” Bernard said. “It’s important to know what the ingredients are before you begin a piece, but not to know the steps.”
Bernard developed his own periodic elements chart for the book but replaced the elements with emotions and personality traits.
“We’re not really aware of the daily things going on in other people’s lives and Sean made it so you can see the small details of people’s emotions and what people do,” Heidi Park, sophomore child development major, said.
Bernard says his main character has some personality characteristics that mirror his own, like being critical, self-deprecating and incredulous.
“The ideas that he was working with are against tradition and I think it was a fascinating idea that could really be explored more so I’m really looking forward to reading the book,” Courtney Britt, junior English major, said.
“Studies in the Hereafter” is available on Amazon.
Gabriella Chikhani can be reached at gabriella.chikhani@laverne.edu.
