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Novelist Ethan Joella Visits Westminster
The final event of the Michael Cervas Visiting Writers Program of the 2025-26 school year took place on April 23, when the school welcomed novelist Ethan Joella to campus for an evening reading and student writing sessions. The program is part of the Friday Nights at Westminster series, made possible through the Ford-
Goldfarb English Department Enrichment Fund and the Gordon McKinley Fridays at Westminster Fund, endowed by Nathan Hayward ’61.
Michael Cervas P’96, ’01, ’10 first introduced a student writer Chloe Zhou ’28, who read her poem, “Portrait of My Father: 11:04 p.m. on a Wednesday,” and an essay titled “The Pink Hair Clip.” Cervas noted that both of Chloe’s pieces were “recognized for excellence by Scholastic Magazine.”
Joella then took the stage at Werner Centennial Center to read excerpts from three of his novels, “A Little Hope,” “The Same Bright Stars,” and his latest work, “The Top of the World.” “A Little Hope” was his first published novel and became a Read with Jenna Bonus Selection. Joella has been teaching for 27 years, and currently teaches English and psychology at the University of Delaware. He lives in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, the setting of his second novel.
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Goldfarb English Department Enrichment Fund and the Gordon McKinley Fridays at Westminster Fund, endowed by Nathan Hayward ’61.
Michael Cervas P’96, ’01, ’10 first introduced a student writer Chloe Zhou ’28, who read her poem, “Portrait of My Father: 11:04 p.m. on a Wednesday,” and an essay titled “The Pink Hair Clip.” Cervas noted that both of Chloe’s pieces were “recognized for excellence by Scholastic Magazine.”
Joella then took the stage at Werner Centennial Center to read excerpts from three of his novels, “A Little Hope,” “The Same Bright Stars,” and his latest work, “The Top of the World.” “A Little Hope” was his first published novel and became a Read with Jenna Bonus Selection. Joella has been teaching for 27 years, and currently teaches English and psychology at the University of Delaware. He lives in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, the setting of his second novel.
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