Spreading His Wings at SMSU: Nick Northrup '13

Published Friday, April 11, 2025

Crowfather. Image courtesy of the artist by Redeyewolf Visuals.

A Spotlight Interview with Crowfather, aka Nick Northrup '13, by Erin Lehman, SMSU Student

Nick Northrup was lying in bed one, early morning in the house he rented near campus. Hoping to get more sleep, he rolled over, accidentally kicking his window out and exposing the crow that usually sat directly outside. For the next few days, he would be woken up by that same crow, begrudgingly allowing him more time to enjoy his morning. As he started noticing the crows, their routines, and how they mirrored his own, he wondered to himself, “Could crows have depression just like me?”

Eventually, Nick got in front of a crowd at his local open mic night and presented a poem he wrote titled For The Crows, a significant line from the piece being “I wear my dark feathers proudly.” Other students took to his poetic appreciation for the crows and his vulnerability towards his mental health journey, and the name ‘Crowfather’ was thrust upon him.

Growing up, Nick spent most of his time going back and forth between Minnesota and Wisconsin, eventually landing in South Minneapolis for his senior year of high school. He always knew he wanted to be a writer in some capacity, ignoring the well-meaning attempts from his parents to pick a different career path. One day, while wandering through the College Fair at the Minneapolis Convention Center, Nick passed a booth for Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU).

“I had never heard of SMSU before that day but ended up wandering past the booth and was drawn to the beautiful pictures they had up. I think they had just put in the new Student Center,” Nick said when talking candidly about his first impression.

Intrigued, he stopped to gather more information and was approached by Dr. Jim Zarzana, a now-retired professor. Jim made small talk with Nick, asking him when he was graduating and what he was interested in. When Nick explained he was looking for a degree in Creative Writing,

“Zarzana was immediately locked in,” Nick said, laughing. He went into great detail about the writing program SMSU had to offer and how it was the perfect place for Nick to obtain the education he was looking for. That, combined with the knowledge of a friend attending, Nick made the trek from Minneapolis to Marshall to begin his journey.

“If I hadn't gone to school at SMSU, I truly believe I wouldn't have finished,” he reflected. “I feel like I was able to gain humility and ego. There are so many things in my craft that I take for granted, like the skills I learned there. I really hit the ground running and took as many workshops as I could.”

Once settled in, the Bellows Academic (BA) building became his second home and where he dedicated most of his time, whether it was attending classes or building relationships with his professors.

“My professors always made time for me, even when I was just in their office to goof off with them.” Nick explained, “I had never thought I wanted to be a professor until I was in some of those classes. Sitting in class, I realized a career as a Professor would allow me to not only do my writing but also help other writers find their voice.”

When asked what finding his voice meant, Nick told a story about a formative experience in Dr. Judy Wilson’s class.

“When you’re in high school, you’re encouraged to water yourself down to an extent. I never felt like I could write about the things I felt passionate about. It wasn't until I wrote one of my first pieces for Judy’s class that I truly felt inspired,” he said.

The title of the piece was Smile and the purpose of the piece was to see how far he could push the boundaries of artistic freedom. Nick reminisced on his class's expression when reading it out loud and how it felt for his writing to invoke emotion in those around him.

“It was a mixture of feedback I received, but the one thing that stood out was when Judy told the class that ‘not everybody will like the piece, but they will always remember it. That’s what good writing looks like.’”

From then on, he knew that to break mediums meant not holding back.

His appeal to boldness eventually found a home when he discovered slam and spoken word poetry and he used his newfound creative expression to host Open-Mic Nights at The Daily Grind [a coffee shop in Marshall].

“I would curate a show about once a month on a Thursday night and would have 20-30 people show up. A lot of times, it was just somebody standing on a chair or crate shouting their poetry—we didn’t even have a microphone half the time. Students would come in though, expecting it to happen and hold down tables, or they’d approach me during and after class to ask me about it. People were just really excited to showcase their work,” Nick talked about, feeling proud and nostalgic about one of his best memories at SMSU.

Another standout memory of his time at SMSU was the opportunity to attend the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) conference in Chicago. “I can’t believe I shared oxygen with Margaret Atwood,” was one of the first things he said about that experience. He went on to explain how amazing it was to see iconic writers talk about their craft and expand on what it meant to be a writer.

“Slam poetry was also just starting to be accepted into literary circles. They had a few panels on it, but it was still seen as very underground,” he said of feeling out of his element. After-hours at the AWP Conference, they held the first-ever slam poetry competition and Nick couldn’t help but throw his hat in the ring. He participated in two rounds before coming to the last and final round. The man he was performing against performed his slam piece in the form of a sonnet and Nick was growing concerned he wouldn’t be able to compete. Finally, his turn, he pulled out an old piece titled Grey that was intentionally littered with cliche’s pertaining the trauma he experienced with his mother growing up. To his shock, he and his piece were chosen as the first winners of the AWP Slam Poetry Competition.

“My prize? A literal cookie. It was awesome,” he said, smiling.

Thinking back on his journey, Nick shared “I experienced a lot during my time at SMSU. I was able to find my confidence and help my classmates find theirs. My time there not only shaped my writing abilities but my personal and emotional abilities as well. It’s helped me look at the world more empathetically—and get the help for my mental health that I needed.”

Nick Northrup graduated from SMSU in 2013 with his Bachelor of Arts degree in English, with a Creative Writing Emphasis.

As Crowfather, Nick Northrup will return to SMSU for a special performance of HOPECORE with See More Perspective at 7:00 p.m. on April 14, 2025, in the Upper Conference Center. His most recent album, Late Nights & Side Quests, debuted on March 14th of this year and can be found on most major music streaming platforms. He's also working on his first work of fiction, with hopes of publication in the future—all while continuing to write music. To stay updated on his latest projects and learn more about him, find him on Facebook, Instagram, or visit his Website.