Spotlight: Walt E. Hunter

Walt E. Hunter ’04, the always savvy and composed president of The Harvard Advocate, seems to perfectly embody the publication’s motto: Dulce est Periculum. With the passing of the first submission deadline and an upcoming reading by Donald Revell sponsored by the magazine, Hunter continues to lead the publication through another semester of its storied tradition of fostering literary talent and criticism.

Describe your current project:

We’re always working on our current issue. We’re trying to get as much student creativity into the public eye as possible. Our mission is both to help students get their work published and also to create an interaction between students and the arts.

How did you first get involved with the Advocate?

It sort of happened accidentally. It just opened me up to a lot of contemporary writing and art, and I just stayed interested in both writing and contemporary art.

What is the selection process like at the Advocate?

It depends from board to board. It involves a subset of the 60 to 70 members discussing what goes in a particular board’s content for the issue. It’s a collective decision on what will be consistent for the content for the whole issue.

How is Harvard as a community for writers?

There are different support structures for writers—publications, the creative writing department, the English Department. It would be nice to think about ways that the creative writing program could be incorporated into other concentrations and departments.

How would you describe yourself in three words?

Fast and furious.

Where do you imagine yourself in 10 years?

I see myself somewhere where I can interact with a lot of people on a day to day basis. I really don’t know where I want to go yet.

What would you like to relive from your four years at Harvard?

I think I would have liked to have gotten into the creative part of my learning earlier than I did, and read what my peers were writing even earlier. I think it’s the best part of the learning experience.

What has been your most fulfilling artistic/academic experience?

Probably working on the Advocate. It has the potential to be a very positive environment for writers and the student body as a whole. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience at the Advocate.

What would you consider to be your biggest quirk?

I do have a collection of old vinyls—Folk Songs of the Southern Appalachians and Elvis Sings Christmas and such.

Which writer or poet do you admire most?

One of my favorites is Donald Revell, who’s a contemporary poet that we’re getting to come next week, so I’m very excited about that. But a lot of my favorite writers and artists are actually people I know here at Harvard.

What’s your favorite locale on campus?

The river, or also some surrounding areas in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. I take a lot of trips on the weekends.