UI alumnus and former Hawkeye drum major talks artistic growth following graduation.

By Sarah Stortz
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Literary work sparked at the University of Iowa can sometimes end up in a bookshop just a few blocks from campus.

For UI alumnus Pres Maxson, his most recent book, Pigeon, will come to Prairie Lights for locals, including students, to read. Set in Paris, the novel follows an unassuming busboy named Luc Martin who is dragged into the world of crime-fighting after being mistaken for a world-famous detective.

Since a young age, Paxson said, he’s been interested in creative writing — since he could first hold a pencil.

However, writing did not become his main focus until he took a poetry class at the university.

“I was inspired by the idea, all of the sudden, that all the poems didn’t have to sound like a Hallmark greeting card,” he said. “Most of my poetry was cheesy, but once I discovered that I could free myself from a structural boundary, that language itself didn’t really have rules in poetry, that gave me the freedom to search for my voice in all types of writing.”

Beyond creative writing, Maxson honed his musical talent during halftime performances, acting as a drum major for the Hawkeye Marching Band from 1999 to 2002.

Director of the Marching Band Kevin Kastens said he worked closely with Maxson during his time with the band, lauding his style as a drum major.

“[Pres] was a very talented and skilled drum major — he did a great job entertaining our fans in Kinnick Stadium,” Kastens wrote in an email to The Daily Iowan. “Pres was a strong leader, respected by his peers, and he possessed an outgoing, positive personality that everyone in the band enjoyed.”

UI alumna and former Golden Girl Diana Reed, who acted as a baton twirler for the Hawkeye Marching Band, said she fondly remembers Maxson during her time at Iowa.

“He can take a simple moment and make it a lot of fun,” Reed said. “He doesn’t ever sit back, he makes the most out of each and every moment.”

After graduating in 2002 with a degree in English, Maxson moved to Los Angeles to further develop his musical skills. He played guitar and piano for a rock band, although he said he kept the idea of writing a book in the back of his mind.

He finally wrote his first full-length book, Bender at the Bon Parisien, in 2015, calling the experience “actually learning how to write a novel.”

“Frankly, I just wanted to see if I could do it,” Maxson said.

Now, he said, he feels more comfortable during the process of writing a book.

“[Pigeon] only took only a year to write, only because I wanted to know how to lay out a story first,” he said. “Plus, I had discovered ways to make characters more interesting and to make the general tone more coercive toward page one to the end.”

Currently located in Indianapolis, Maxson’s work has reached public acclaim, including NUVO Magazine nominating him as Best Local Artist for the past two years.

Knowing his personality, Reed said, she expects the book to match his spontaneous work ethic.

“I think if it reflects his personality, it will be an entertaining, witty book,” Reed said. “I’m excited for him that he’s excelling so much.”

When it becomes stacked on Prairie Light’s shelves, Maxson said, he hopes students and locals can see value in his work.

“It’ll be perfect for someone who enjoys traveling,” Maxson said. “It’s also perfect for students who like reading but who are tired of what they’re forced to read in college.”