ADELLE ALEXANDER

With a vigor for stretching the mind and enjoying innovative angles of life, Adelle Alexander, continues to be a writer that delightfully surprises her readers. She typically indulges with writing through a fantastical, dystopian, or paranormal lens. “Anything delightfully weird,” Adelle said. However, she also enjoys exploring the introspective side of life. “A lot of my writing has to do with depicting memories or exploring emotions and connections between people,” Adelle shared.

Growing up as a relatively reserved child, Adelle found that fantasy literature, art, and theatre were ways she could comfortably express herself. She has been writing since elementary school, and now as a college senior, she is pursuing a major in English Literature with a minor in Theatre. When asked how she finds that art and literature blend, Adelle shared her thoughts that, “You can use art to document your own perspectives on literature and literature to expound upon the meaning you find in an art piece in a really beautiful way.” But she doesn’t just draw inspiration from art and theatre in her writing—her creativity is also shaped by her love of playing guitar and writing her own songs, along with the influence of various rock and classical artists. At the moment, her favorite song is “Which Witch” by Florence + The Machine.

Adelle shared that one of the most valuable pieces of advice she’s heard recently, from author Gabrielle Calvocoressi, was “If I’m not careful I can also mimic myself. It’s like a paper mache bird—if I pressed on it there’d be nothing inside.” Adelle said that this encouraged her to take her pieces that she thinks are authentic and dig deeper into truly creating substance and raw honesty. She hopes the biggest thing that people will take away from her writing is to feel known and understood, in that same genuine way.

As she is about to graduate come Spring of 2026, Adelle has reflected on those who have helped mold her during her time at Anderson University. She expressed fond memories of Dr. Updegraff’s creative writing classes and Dr. Ellisor-Catoe’s Women Writers class, where she learned to love writers such as Sandra Cisneros and Virginia Woolf. When asked how she would continue to incorporate writing in her life, Adelle said, “Honestly, it’s not much of a choice. If I don’t do it I would go slightly crazy. I need that outlet.” Even if it’s just a notebook she carries with her, she hopes to always be writing in order to grow, process emotions, and record precious memories. Adelle’s poems in Ivy Leaves each beautifully capture these topics. “To Waffle House” is a sweet memory of time spent with family on a trip, and “When It’s Your Turn to Go” is originally a story of grief about a squirrel.