Just An Exhibition: Marie Boyd’s Quilled Art and Illustrations from Her Debut Picture Book Just A Worm on Display at Richland Library Main Branch
Marie Boyd’s exhibition at the Richland Library Main Branch, called A Quilled Garden, opened May 12th, 2023, and is on display until June 2nd, 2023. This exhibit includes original images and illustrations from her first picture book, Just a Worm, which was published March 14th by Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins.
Quilling is a style of collage art that uses strips of paper which are cut, folded, and or rolled, looped, crimped, curled, and coiled to create intricate patterns and designs. Kirkus Reviews called the quilled designs in Boyd’s book “stunning.”
Kirkus Reviews is not the only one to recognize Boyd’s prowess as an illustrator and children’s author, however; she has also been interviewed on The Sunday Show on MSNBC, and last month, she read Just a Worm to children at the White House Easter Egg Roll.
Just a Worm tells the story of Worm, who has been referred to as “just a worm” by two young children. Worm then embarks on a journey through the garden to prove that they are a whole lot more than that. They meet several other creatures along their journey, all of which bring about Worm’s own discovery of self-worth.
Needless to say, we are very proud to boast that Marie Boyd is from our very own city of Columbia, SC. In addition to writing and quilling, Boyd is a professor of law at the University of South Carolina. She lives in Columbia with her husband, Jaime Harrison, and their two children.
This exhibition was made possible by the South Carolina Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as a generous award from the John and Susan Bennett Memorial Arts Fund. The exhibition is located at 1431 Assembly Street, Columbia, SC 29201.
If you wish to learn more about Marie Boyd, or wish to view more samples of her work, you can visit her website. To listen to a “meet-the-author” recording with Boyd, visit the Teaching Books site.
Dr. Baker Rogers Opens South Carolina’s Only Queer Independent Bookstore
Cola book lovers are still buzzing with excitement from the opening of All Good Books, and soon there will be an additional space to explore that offers not just a unique literary environment, but a safe space curated with queer people in mind: Queer Haven Books.
Baker Rogers, MSW, PhD has recently founded what is presently South Carolina’s only queer independent bookstore. The store just opened online, and Rogers is fundraising to get a brick-and-mortar location on Main Street.
As a queer person themselves—and with a masters in social work, a doctorate in sociology, and a position as Director of Arts in Social Science at Georgia South University—Rogers is deeply familiar with the experiences of LGBTQIA+ individuals and how various histories and situations impact them.
When Rogers lived in South Carolina previously, they knew there needed to be a safe space for queer people—a place where their community could be seen and see each other. Their first dream was to open a gay bar, but as they grew older, left South Carolina, and came back, Rogers realized what the city truly needed.
In Rogers’ time in academia, they have published a plethora of work in gender and sexuality in the US South with titles under their belt such as Conditionally Accepted: Christians’ Perspectives on Sexuality and Gay and Lesbian Civil Rights and King of Hearts: Drag Kings in the American South. With their work in literary texts, Rogers’ vision for Columbia crystallized: we needed a bookstore.
For them, a queer bookstore is the perfect intersection of education and community. Beyond having stock rife with queer texts—which is thus a space where queerness is the norm—Rogers plans to host a plethora of events, such as queer book club, queer-centered recovery groups, and classes on sex positivity.
As they work on this goal, they are continuing to expand their selection. Every book currently stocked in their online store is written by and/or either portrays the narrative of a queer individual or in some way addresses the experience of being queer. Queer Haven has sections for nonfiction, local authors, and children’s literature. They also sell a handful of gifts, such as keychains and cards.
Presently, Rogers is running the store out of their home—getting books from online bulk retailers and distributors and storing them in their house. Fortunately, the investment is already showing promise: Rogers shares that they have already begun to sell books online and at some of the events the bookstore has been present at, like NoMa Flea.
Unfortunately, Rogers and Queer Haven have received their share of pushback and negative feedback—particularly on social media and Facebook. However, Rogers is undeterred and asserts that this is only more proof that this space is necessary. The majority of feedback, though, has been positive, and Rogers intimates that they have received a good amount of support from locals.
Rogers has already met with All Good Books, and they are working in tandem with each other. All Good Books has a queer section in their store and can offer Queer Haven as a path for patrons interested in diving into those texts even deeper, while Queer Haven can direct patrons to All Good Books for various reading needs.
For the bookstore to take off and really begin supplying the area with queer space and queer literature, though, they need a physical place, and for that, they need financial support. Rogers has started a Kickstarter that ends on June 8. If they can raise $50,000 by then, the bookstore should open physically by the end of 2023.
If you can’t donate but want to support, you can browse their website, which houses their current stock and holds an Event Calendar with all upcoming places you can find them. They are also currently hosting a Logo Content for any interested artists.
Rogers named this place a haven because that’s what it will be. It will be a safe space, set apart from the harmful spaces queer individuals have to navigate in their daily life, especially in the South. Among current harmful political climates, it will serve as a refuge but also as an informative, educational space for both LGBTQIA+ individuals and allies.
As Rogers emphasizes, “This is a place Columbia needs, now more than ever, to provide education on the queer experience and to give queer people in South Carolina a place to go.”
Announcing the Sun for Everyone Lineup & Release of Jasper Magazine’s Spring Issue
Among the performing artists Richardson has invited are Columbia’s new City Poet Laureate, Jennifer Bartell Boykin, writer Johnny Guillen, singer-songwriters Beaux Jamison and Jae Rodriguez, independent filmmaker Gil Grifaldo who will be screening film footage inside the Co-op, and performing artist Maya Harris aka Dragonfly Beatz. Visual artists Alyssa Eskew and Bohumila Augustinova will be showing and selling their art as well.
Read MoreMuddy Ford Press Announces Launch of New Book LOW COUNTRY LAMENTATIONS by Frank Malmsteen with Party at Bourbon Patio
Broad River Books, an imprint of Muddy Ford Press, the boutique publishing house located in Chapin, SC and the original underwriter for Jasper Magazine, announces the release of their newest novel, Low Country Lamentations by Frank Malmsteen. Lauded by Kirkus Review as “[a] striking, character-driven tale. . ,” Low Country Lamentations may be this year's favorite summer read for anyone who enjoys a tongue-in-cheek take on the likes of Dorothea Benton Frank, Anne Rivers Siddons, or Pat Conroy. As an added bonus, Malmsteen offers an atypical take on the classic book-within-a-book trope by fully integrating excerpts from a second Southern novel, a road novel not-coincidentally entitled Lowcountry Lamentations and ostensibly written by Erica Edwards, within the pages of his larger and more encompassing volume.
The release of Low Country Lamentations will be celebrated with a launch party on the Bourbon Columbia patio, 1214 Main Street, on Thursday May 18th from 5 – 7 with food, music, and a cryptic theatrical element.
A scholar of literary tradition, the reclusive author, Frank Malmsteen, has studied the genre of Southern fiction for decades and created a tome that will not only engage and enthrall, but will keep readers questioning long after consuming the final pages of the book. This will be the only North American appearance by Mr. Malmsteen, whose previous work includes Recondite Oblivion (2022), an enigmatic look at aesthetics that generated vast opportunities for interpretation. Only recently, the ascetic Malmsteen has agreed to come out of his self-imposed seclusion for one night only and we are thrilled that he has selected this specific launch party on Main Street, Columbia, SC as the singular location at which he will meet with the public to sell and sign his newest book, Low Country Lamentations.
The Watering Hole Announces Registration for The Listening Party throughout May
What is it?
↳ A FREE Virtual Craft Talk Series
↳ A peer-led group of 6-10 Tribe members, where each member presents a 15-30 minute Craft Talk to the group.
↳ At the end of the presentation, the group asks questions and gives feedback.
!
When is it?
↳ Zoom meetings will be 75 minutes once a month, scheduled around the availability of the group members.
!
Why do it?
↳ You’ll get to attend several sessions of Craft Talks and learn from your peers!
↳ You’ll create your own Craft Talk!
↳ You’ll get thoughtful feedback for revision!
↳ Hopefully, you’ll revise your idea and get it published or use it to for paid lectures. (Maybe TWH can even pay you to present the talk.)
↳ Plus, can (re)connect with Tribe!
!
Register HERE & Now
Registration should take less than 3 minutes
for most people.
Fall Lines 2023-2024 Submissions Are Open with a New Format and a New Award!
Fall Lines – a literary convergence is a literary journal presented by The Jasper Project in partnership with Richland Library and One Columbia for Arts and History.
Fall Lines will accept submissions of previously unpublished poetry, essays, short fiction, and flash fiction from April 15, 2023 through July 31, 2023.
While the editors of Fall Lines hope to attract the work of writers and poets from the Carolinas and the Southeastern US, acceptance of work is not dependent upon residence. Publication in Fall Lines will be determined by a panel of judges and accepted authors will be notified by December 31, 2023, with a publication date in early 2024. This year we are offering three cash prizes of $250 each. The Saluda River Prize for Poetry and the Broad River Prize for Prose sponsored by the Richland Library Friends and Foundation as well as the Combahee River Prize which will be awarded to a SC writer of color in either poetry or prose.
See last year’s winners and contributors.
2023 Entries
After filling out the submission form you will receive an email with instructions for submitting your work.
Poetry
Up to 5 poems may be submitted in a SINGLE WORD FILE.
No single poem should exceed four 6 x 9-inch pages
New This Year- To ensure the integrity of the poet’s spacing, it is best that poems be formatted to appear on a 6 x 9-inch page with I-inch margins. If submitted in a larger format, we cannot guarantee your poem will be printed with the spacing you desire
We have created a template that should make this easier: Fall Lines Poetry Submissions Template
Prose
Up to 5 prose entries may be submitted in a SINGLE WORD FILE.
Entries should be 2500 words or less
ALL ENTRIES SHOULD BE TITLED.
There is no fee to enter, but submissions that fail to follow the above instructions will be disqualified without review.
Simultaneous submissions will not be considered. Failure to disclose simultaneous submissions will result in a lack of eligibility in any future Jasper Project publications.
__
The Columbia Fall Line is a natural junction, along which the Congaree River falls and rapids form, running parallel to the east coast of the country between the resilient rocks of the Appalachians and the softer, more gentle coastal plain.
Jasper Presents Fall Lines - a literary convergence Volume IX at Richland Library
Join the Jasper Project on Saturday, March 25 from 2 - 5 pm for the release of Fall Lines - a literary convergence Volume IX at the Main Branch of the Richland Library on Assembly Street.
Poetry and prose accepted for publication in this year’s Fall Lines journal include the following
Fruit – Gil Allen
The turning – Ken Autry
The last battle in Alabama – Ken Autry
Bachman's Warbler – Ken Autry
Bird – Libby Bernardin
with spoiled fruit – Evelyn Berry
Dear Raphael – Al Black
Porcelain doll – Al Black
If I were a man – Cindi Boiter
Prudent – Cindi Boiter
Seamstress – Carolina Bowden
Signs that say what you want them to say (not signs that say what someone else wants you to say) – Lucia Brown
Before we turn on the table saw – Lucia Brown
walking a half-marathon through your hometown – Lucia Brown
Members of the backyard church – Tim Conroy
Nasty Bites – Tim Conroy
How to cut up a chicken – Susan Craig
Touching Wyse's Ferry Bridge – Susan Craig
The Older Poet Yearns to Carpe the Diem – Debra Daniels
Dream Three – Heather Dearmon
Bring Me Something – Heather Dearmon
Across the River - Marlanda DeKine
talking to themselves - Marlanda DeKine
For my cat, every Sunday afternoon – Graham Duncan
Ghosts in Poems – Jo Angela Edwins
Stricken – Jo Angela Edwins
Nana Lencha – Vera Gomez
You don't know what you don't know – Vera Gomez
Coattails – Kristine Hartvigsen
River – Kristine Hartvigsen
A Quiet Love – Jammie Huynh
A ghazal to my father – Jammie Huynh
Bad Idea Boyfriend, or White Jesus – Shannon Ivey
D. – Suzanne Kamata
Red Bird / Blue Bird – Bentz Kirby
Hunter's Chapel Road – Len Laurin
I love you 3000 – Len Lawson
Crown – Terri McCord
Space – Terri McCord
For a 20% Tip – Rosalie McCracken
"Yes, please" – Melanie McGhee
Cycles – Joseph Mills
Office hours – Joseph Mills
Those of us with bushy white beards – Joseph Mills
So long, Greenie – Eric Morris
Chopin all over her – Eric Morris
Old photos (for Ahmaud Arbery) – Yvette Murray
Thundering shadows – Frances Pearce
Gone to the birds – Glenis Redmond
"Praise how the ordinary turns sacred" – Glenis Redmond
Strangers in a Strange Field – Aida Rogers
Pre-Columbia Intersections – Lawrence Rhu
Meaningless – Michael Rubin
Small things I notice – Randy Spencer
Next Day Now - Randy Spencer
Above the poplars – Arthur Turfa
For the Love of Mz. Joe – Ceille Welch
The Broad River Prize for Prose this year goes to Tim Conroy for his short fiction, Nasty Bites and the Saluda River Prize for Poetry goes to Jo Angela Edwins for her poem, Stricken.
Carla Damron was the adjudicator for the prose prize and Lisa Hammond judged the poetry prize.
Both contributors and the public are invited to attend. Contributors are also invited to read from their included works during the event in the order in which it is published.
Thank you to Carla Damron, Lisa Hammond, Richland Library, the Friends of Richland Library, One Columbia, and Muddy Ford Press for their support of this project.
Richland Library Hosts a Celebration of Words with Yomi Sode, Jennifer Bartell Boykin, and Students
On Friday March 17 at 7 p.m. at the Main branch of the Richland Library, Yomi Sode, Jennifer Bartell Boykin, and students from Keenan High School, Spring Valley High School, Allen University, and the University of South Carolina will gather for a Celebration of Words.
Richland Library says this ceremony seeks to honor “the importance of different voices that help youth make sense of the world around them.”
Yomi Sode is a Nigerian British writer, and a recipient of the 2019 Jerwood Compton Poetry Fellowship as well as a finalist for the 2022 T.S. Eliot Prize. His latest project is a book of poetry titled Manorism, which was released in October 2022. These poems explore the complexities of generational trauma, family, and being a Black man in Britain.
Sode—in partnership with education coordinator and poet in his own right, Peter Kahn—will also be hosting poetry workshops around Columbia high schools and colleges the week before the celebration.
Jennifer Bartell Boykin is the City of Columbia’s very own poet laureate. She teaches at Spring Valley High School where she won Teacher of the Year in 2019, and she has had poetry published in Callaloo, PLUCK!, Blackberry, Fall Lines, and of course, our very own Jasper Magazine.
The main event will be preceded by a light reception at 6:15. It is free and open to the public! More details on the libraries’ website.
All Good in the Neighborhood – A Look into Five Points’ New Bookstore
If there is one thing to get residents of Columbia excited about something, it is a new bookstore. There are a few scattered around the greater Columbia area, from the corporate Barnes and Noble and Books-A-Million to the tried-and-true used bookstores like Ed’s Editions and The Book Dispensary, but there have not been very many that fit in between. That was the case until Odd Bird Books opened in the Main Street arcade alongside businesses like Swanson’s Deli. For three years, this was the one bookstore that offered a cozy atmosphere, a great mix of used and new books, and a welcoming staff that was always in the mood to talk about their favorite books or give recommendations.
Of course, the demand for an improved store lingered. When Odd Bird Books’ owner Ben Adams partnered with University of South Carolina Law Professor Clint Wallace and his wife Jenna, the trio birthed the concept of All Good Books: a community driven, independent bookstore. After a successful campaign funded by the community, the bookstore opened in the building formerly occupied by The Thirsty Parrot, which had been closed for quite some time. With a fresh coat of white paint, the space has become revitalized! The grand opening of the store was on March 2nd and was met with tremendously high community support. We looked in the store during the first Sunday afternoon they were open.
The bookshelves are divvied up into cozy little corners that zigzag along the wall, creating pockets of space for specific genres or groups of authors. The fiction section is massive (as to be expected) and spans the right wall next to the entrance until it joins up with sections like poetry, true crime, essays and more. There’s a combination drink bar/checkout area tucked nicely into the front of the store, where customers can enjoy a glass of wine, cold beer, or a coffee while they shop. There are tables with featured book collections in the center of the store as well, and next to the checkout is an adorable young readers’ station, with bookshelves at toddler height and a small reading hut. This one area was enough to make us fall in love with the store (even if all the Board of Directors are 4 times the target height for the reading nook). The store extends further back into a developing area with a huge community table that customers can chat with others and enjoy their new book at.
On opening weekend, a plethora of patrons, including local artists, populated the store, proving our whole community is super excited about All Good Books. Jasper will stay on the lookout for author talks and events that they’ll hold; in fact, they’ve got two lined up for mid-March already:
Talk with the First Lady of Iceland on March 13th
Book Launch with Marie Boyd on March 19th
Want to go support a local business but not sure where to start? Jasper has compiled their favorite books to give you some horizon-expanding inspiration. Who knows, one may become your new favorite too!
“My favorite authors are Margaret Atwood, Alice Hoffman, and Barbara Kingsolver, but my all-time favorite books are In Search of Our Mother’s Gardens by Alice Walker, The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone, and The Secret History by Donna Tartt.”
- Cindi Boiter, Jasper Project Executive Director
“Going After Cacciato, by Tim O’Brien, will always be on my very short list of all-time favorites.”
- Jon Tuttle, Jasper Play Right Series Manager
“It always depends on who asks. My go to answer switches between The Shining by Stephen King or The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner.”
- Emily Moffitt, Jasper Board Secretary
“I go through too many phases to have solid favorites, but Diary by Chuck Palahniuk was the first thing that popped in my head!”
- Bekah Rice, Jasper Digital Manager
“The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy!”
- Christina Xan, Jasper Treasurer and Gallery Manager
“Love in the Time of Cholera, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.”
- Kristin Cobb, Jasper Vice President
“A Pooka in Arkansas, by Ed Madden.”
- Bert Easter, Jasper Board Member
You're Invited to the Launch of The Limelight Volume III by Cindi Boiter at the Art Bar, Thursday February 23rd
Please join the Jasper Crew Thursday night, February 23 from 6 to 8 at the Art Bar as we help executive director Cindi Boiter celebrate the launch of her newest collection of essays written by some of Columbia’s most interesting local artists about some of Columbia’s most interesting local artists.
The Limelight volume III: A Compendium of Contemporary Columbia Artists is the third collection in this series Boiter has published from Muddy Ford Press. This volume features essays from Jon Tuttle and his son Josh, Cassie Premo Steele, Clair DeLune, Dale Bailes, Kristine Hartvigsen, David Axe, Claudia Smith Brinson, Jason Stokes, Ed Madden, Tim Conroy, Len Lawson, Chad Henderson, and Boiter herself. The subjects of the essays include Tom Beard, Al Black, Nappy Brown, Anastasia Chernoff, Thorne Compton, Clark Ellefson, William Price Fox, Phillip Gardner, Tyrone Geter, Terrance Henderson, Rob Kennedy, Jillian Owens, Leslie Pierce, Kathleen Robbins, Sharon Strange, and Kay Thigpen.
We’ll be gathering at 6 pm for a cocktail hour during which attendees can order drinks from the bar and visit with friends, purchase and sign books. Following that we will enjoy brief readings from the collection.
Admission is free and we’ll be gathering in the back of the bar. Books, including The Limelight Volume I and The Limelight Volume II will also be available for purchase at reduced rates.
The Art Bar is located at 1211 Park Street in Columbia, SC. Thanks to the Art Bar for hosting this event.
Jasper's Nightstand features Carla Damron's newest novel, The Orchid Tattoo, in an author-led discussion at Richland Library
The Jasper Project is excited to welcome Columbia-based author Carla Damron to discuss her newest novel, The Orchid Tattoo, at Richland Library on Sunday February 26th at 3 pm.
From The Southern Literary Review, September 2022 --
The pages of Carla Damron’s The Orchid Tattoo (Koehler Books, 2022) whiz by so fast, so easily, I have to say it is one of the best nail-biters I’ve read in a while. Not only that, this well-crafted thriller features a smart, likeable hospital social worker—Georgia Thayer—as protagonist. She is pitted against a human trafficking ring. In short, The Orchid Tattoo is a great read with a social message.
The opening shows Georgia, better known as George, in action interviewing a crazed patient in a Columbia, South Carolina, hospital. When the patient claims she hears the voice of a demon, George understands better than most. She, too, hears voices that years of therapy and medication have helped her to control.
If that’s not enough action and high stakes for the opening chapter, George’s brother-in-law David calls with bad news. Her sister Peyton is missing. Her absence is incomprehensible. She would not just abandon her beloved daughter Lindsay. She would not stop going to her grad school classes. And she would not leave without her cell phone. The race is on to find Peyton.
Some chapters are told from the viewpoint of a fifteen-year-old Kitten, who is trying to escape from Roman. He is a thug who runs prostitutes out of a run-down trailer. Some chapters are narrated by other women under the traffickers’ control. Damron does an excellent job of portraying those trapped by the trafficking ring without ever stooping to condescension or losing sight of their humanity. The girls and women are fragile yet strong, vulnerable yet tough, afraid yet brave. The American at the head of the operation calls himself Jefe—pronounced hef-fay. He has become extremely wealthy from human trafficking. While some of his prostitutes work in tawdry bars, others entertain an entirely different class of clients at Jefe’s exotic Orchid Estate. CEOs. Senators. Governors. But no matter where these women and young girls work, the threat of violence hangs over them constantly. Any mistake or attempt to escape leads to a vicious beating. Or death.
Since the police don’t approach Peyton’s disappearance with enough urgency and intensity to suit George, she launches her own investigation. She learns her sister had a secret project for one of her classes. Why would she keep it secret from her husband, her sister, even her classmates? What was she up to? Did her research for this project lead to her disappearance? The more George investigates, the more she feels she can’t trust anyone except Elias, a Black gay bar owner who is her closest friend. They bonded while in group therapy.
As the novel progresses, the stakes raise for all the characters, propelling us forward relentlessly. Some surprising twists add to the novel’s breathless climactic moments.
Like her protagonist Georgia, Carla Damron is a mental health professional. She holds a Masters in Social Work (USC) and an M.F.A. in creative writing from Queens University. In 2000, she was given the “Outstanding Mental Health Professional of the Year” award by the state chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. She is a South Carolina native and lives outside of Columbia. Her novels include The Stone Necklace (winner of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association Star Award), Death in Zooville, Keeping Silent, and Spider Blue. Her books explore social issues like addiction, homelessness, and mental illness. Her short stories have appeared in Fall Lines, Six Minute Magazine, Melusine, In Posse Review, and other journals.
Evelyn Berry, South Carolina Poet and Author 2023 National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellow
“At our time when the lives and future of queer people seem to be precariously endangered, I want to share stories of how we have survived, how we will continue to survive.”
Congratulations to Evelyn Berry (she/her) for being awarded a 2023 National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellow. A trans author from Aiken, South Carolina, she is best known for her poetry. She published the chapbook Buggery (Bateau Press, 2020) which received the 2019/2020 BOOM Chapbook Prize from Bateau Press and has the upcoming poetry collection GRIEF SLUT due to be released in 2024 (Sundress Publications). In 2022 she received the Dr. Linda Veldheer Memorial Prize and was awarded the 2019 Broad River Prize for Prose in the Jasper Project’s Fall Lines literary journal, and the 2018 Emrys Poetry Prize, among other honors.
Other pieces of her work can be viewed in GASHER, Beloit Poetry Journal, Raleigh Review, Gigantic Sequins, Anti-Heroin Chic, petrichor, beestung, Taco Bell Quarterly, Underblong, and elsewhere.
Thirty-six fellows, including Berry, were selected through an anonymous review process, and judged on artistic excellence for the award. NEA’s Director of Literacy Arts Amy Stolls explains, “their poetry explodes with originality in form and content, offering powerful reflections of the pain and joy of our modern times.” (www.arts.gov, January 12, 2023). They received funding through this award to advance their literary careers. Berry describes this award as “a life-changing achievement
Berry’s desire, through this award, is to continue to “write poetry and prose that make visual the lives of transgender people in the American South, an often-hostile place I call home.” She states that receiving the $25,000 award allows “for the purchase a working automobile, to better afford healthcare, and to afford rent in a time of escalating inflation” which gives her more time to write. (www.arts.gov, January 12, 2023)
Berry wants to access archives and research to better understand the “legacies of queer communities in South Carolina.” In her personal statement to the National Endowment for Arts, Berry says, “At our time when the lives and future of queer people seem to be precariously endangered, I want to share stories of how we have survived, how we will continue to survive.” She continues to describe the importance and life changing effects of writing for herself and others, “Queer stories and poems have helped reflect myself back to me, have helped me imagine a future in which I was still alive. Trans people have always belonged in the South, and we will always belong here.” (www.arts.gov, January 12, 2023)
Visit www.evelynberrywriter.com to read about her literary work and accomplishments, and about her work as museum educational specialist and freelance editor in Columbia.
To view the complete Evelyn Berry release from the National Endowment of the Arts visit www.arts.gov/impact/literary-arts/creative-writing-fellows/evelyn-berry
To view bios and artist statements from all the 2023 recipients and past Creative Writing Fellows visit www.arts.gov.
— Ginny Merett
Welcome to 2023! Cola-based Artists Share Their New Year’s Resolutions
We often struggled with creating our own New Year’s Resolutions, so this year, Jasper turned to creators themselves to see what they hoped for their 2023s. Hoping you take as much inspiration from these as we as did!
Artists shared the simple but deep desire to create more, from the general to the specific:
“To sketch everyday” – Laura Garner Hine
“To create more art, see more art and share more art” – Keith Tolen
“To create a fresh collection of meaningful works to show by the end of the year.” – Ashley Herring Warthen
“To be more consistent and spend time in the studio every day.” – Olga Yuhkno
“To sketch a few times each week even though I am working a regular job and still in school.” – Heather Lynn Endicott
“To complete my translation of Havamal, and put together the video where I tell the story.” – Price Lassahn-Worrell
Some artists addressed the desire to return to unfinished projects – with both earnest desire and humor:
“To finish a few of the many unfinished works sitting in my studio. To find creative inspiration and spurs.” – B.A. Hohman
“My 2023 New Year's resolution is to finish all the craft projects from 2022 that I should have done in 2021, since I started them in 2020 after buying the supplies for them in 2019.” – Valerie Lamott
A recurrent theme was the desire to stop listening to the nagging voice in the back of our minds that tries to scare us or quiet us:
“To be less critical of my art and to be more open to ideas flowing in and reconnect with my inner voice.” Renee Rouillier
“To override my inner critic and follow my intuition.” – Ginny Meret
Similarly, artists shared a desire for understanding of themselves and the space they occupy:
“To respect the fact that life brings changes and art sometimes has to occupy a different position on the list of priorities.” – Mary Ann Haven
“To paint more of what I WANT to paint.” – Sean Madden
“To paint and write (about my daily experiences, culture, and cooking) on a daily basis in 2023. I could not manage to paint or write regularly in 2022 although I realize and internalize how painting and writing are effectively helpful to my inner peace and well-being (my mental health) and nurture my inner child.” – Khin Myat
The desire for self-exploration came up again and again:
“To explore new mediums, to be more vulnerable, to be more generous.” – Lucy Bailey
“To delve deeper into the world of sound & rhythm by availing myself of educational opportunities. The goal being to broaden and enhance my understanding of how sound affects us and to incorporate that knowledge into my craft.” – Dick Moons
“To play with more mix media, experiment more with oils, delve into interchangeable art with my business partner Barry wheeler who always pushes me to keep exploring.” – Michael Krajewski
“To allow Artist-Self more Exploration of Shadow Self//privately (perhaps publicly) …let those kids merge—dissolve some things and mend some others, all the while being colorful, honest and vulnerable through visual & written prophetic blabber!” – Emily Wright
And, artists expressed a desire to grow within a community, with goals for unity and collaboration:
“1. Listen to people more and work on humility as well as developing healthy, in person relationship that encourage aggressive kindness. 2. Help cultivate and create a culture of collaboration with “Columbia-Centric" artists from all mediums in order to reinforce a positive art infrastructure. 3. Finish writing and producing three original albums. 4. Stay clean and sober. 5. Serve the city.” – Saul Seibert
“To see, and be a part of, more collaboration with artists and our communities. Utilizing our talents and materials to create and unify....” – Gina Langston Brewer
The common message among these various goals is this: create what you want to create, create whenever you can, and create in constellations. The act of making something, of there now being something where there once was nothing, may often be simple, but it is magical. Go into 2023 treating yourself with grace and with the open-mind and willingness to create something where there wasn’t something before.
And Happy New Year—from all of us!
A Playground in Kyiv
The year is ending and the war in Ukraine has been going now for more than 10 months. As we reflect on the blessings and losses of the past year, we think about the hardships of those suffering still from war, violence, and the struggle over national borders. As we reflect on the state of the world, we offer here a poem by USC student Alexander Seyfried.
Alexander writes, “I have been living in South Carolina ever since 2000. Part of my family on my mother’s side comes from Ukraine in the capital of Kyiv. Before 2014, when Putin annexed Crimea away from Ukraine, which was the starting point of the Russo-Ukrainian War, my mother and I would travel to Kyiv every summer to visit our family and friends since I was around four or five years old. Over those two or three summer months, I would make many precious memories with my family and friends and would travel visiting different parts of Ukraine. Today, some of my family members are still alive during the current war, as well as some of my friends who I still have contact with. I wish I could say I knew where the rest of my childhood friends are and how well they are doing right now. I would like to share a poem from memories of how each day I would be with my friends at the playground before these nightmarish events even happened.”
A Playground in Kyiv
Overseas apartment in Kyiv
every summer when I was kid
two small playgrounds with old childhood memories.
Green and blue wooden benches
old broken wooden sandboxes under trees.
Jumping off blue metal color swings
flying high through the air
landing on soft sand underneath.
Climbing on big and small trees
eating chips while drinking bottles of Pepsi
acting like monkeys sitting on tree branches.
Having peach, pear, and spikey green chestnut trees
with thin paper birches and thick oak trees.
Red paint chipping from two tall metal slides
sliding down not with our butts,
but standing on our feet like surfers
riding down ten times in a row.
The only American kid from the friend group
wishing to reunite with my old Ukrainian friends once more.
Columbia Artists Share Their Christmas Wishes for the Art Community
It’s that time of year again, where we deck our halls and trim our trees, scoot closer on our couches to those we love, and curl up tight in our blankets as we sip hot chocolate (which South Carolinians can actually do this year—brr!). It’s in these moments of peace and joy we often close our eyes to make our Christmas wish. This year, here at Jasper, we asked a handful of our local artists their wish, specifically: “If you could make one Christmas wish for the Columbia arts community, what would it be?”
Artists wished for more space—places old and new alike where they can freely share their creative gifts with the city they love.
“Main St. Back…”
—Michael Krajewski, visual artist
“More places to show (and make) art!”
—Lucas Sams, visual artist
“An artist’s alley in a public space where anyone can contribute however/whenever they want!”
—Cait Maloney, visual artist
“As a member of the Cola arts community, if I had one present for Christmas, it would be to have more spaces like CMFA (or to expand CMFA), where community members can rehearse and perform and support each other (for free)!! CMFA has been invaluable to Bonnie [Boiter-Jolley] and I’s company, the Columbia Repertory Dance Company!”
—Stephanie Wilkins, dancer and Artistic Director of Columbia Repertory Dance Company
Artists wished for an expansion of funds for local artists so that they can express themselves fully and without burden.
“I think the community could give back to the artists—no strings attached guaranteed income for those who pour into the community with their creative gifts and talents. This would help artists have the opportunity to at least cover living expenses due to the increase of the cost of living and still have the opportunity to pursue a creative career.”
—Maya Smith, visual artist
I’d wish for sufficient financing for artists to present their art to the community. There are many costs involved in producing a play, a concert, a ballet, and other art events that ticket prices alone cannot cover. To have the financial support from the public and private sectors to present our art in the best way possible would be an amazing Christmas present.
— Becky Hunter, performer
Artists wished to spend more time with each other, to acknowledge each other and create inter-community support.
“More togetherness throughout the arts community where everyone mutually supports each other, meets together quarterly, and promotes each other.”
—Arischa Conner Frierson, actor
“A 3-Day retreat filled with Skill Shares and Improv and Games so that we can learn to love each other even more. Like Family <3”
—Monifa Lemons, poet and actor
And, finally, artists wished for the chance to grow as humans and creators, not just within themselves but within a community as a whole where each person can better the other.
“My holiday wish (mostly for myself but also) for the Columbia arts community is for the courage to be open. I know I can seem insular because of my own internal obstacles, but I think collaboration can elevate our art beyond our skillsets and help us fulfill and even exceed our creative concepts. Collaboration builds our artistic support systems and creates informed testing audiences. While I believe it’s important for one to make the art one needs to make without regard to how others may receive it, I believe it’s also nice to be able to ask for constructive criticism and maybe be given encouragement along the way to a project’s completion. I don’t know if I’ll personally gain this kind of courage by the time January rolls around (or ever), but I’m always hopeful I will and that others might, too!”
— Desirée Richardson (Death Ray Robin), musician
“As a social worker, I was trained to practice from a ‘strengths perspective.’ This perspective acknowledges challenges while encouraging us to identify and work with whatever resources we have access to within ourselves and the community. So, the gift I’m hopeful for this year is our collective vision to see the strengths that exist within the Columbia arts community and to employ those resources in fostering expressive projects that bring meaning to people’s lives.”
—Lang Owen, musician
“My Christmas wish for Columbia is…more people of skill and intellect and intuition and caring go see more shows and performances and exhibitions. These people would then share their thoughts and impressions with the rest of us. Helping to strengthen and spur the conversations between art and artists and patrons. CRITICS! I want more critics of every size, shape, gender, sex, color and perspective to do good work in Columbia.”
—Darion McCloud, performer and storyteller
“I want all the artists and soon-to-be artists in Columbia to find, embrace, and share their gift. I hope that even when it’s dark they see they are loved and supported.”
—Adam Corbett, musician and visual artist
From our family of artists and art supporters, we thank everyone for the love they have shown this community this year, and our Christmas wish for you today and always is that you have all the joy and support there is to offer. Merriest of Christmases—and have an extra boozy eggnog on us!
The Jasper Project Congratulates New Columbia City Poet Laureate Jennifer Bartell Boykin
As one of only a few southern cities to recognize the position, the City of Columbia is proud to announce the selection of poet Jennifer Bartell Boykin as Columbia’s second Poet Laureate.
Bartell Boykin will serve a four-year term that begins January 2022. Recognized by the Mayor and City Council in a resolution passed on October 21, 2014, the honorary position of Poet Laureate “encourages appreciation and create opportunities for dissemination of poetry in Columbia, promotes the appreciation and knowledge of poetry among the youth, and acts as a spokesperson for the growing number of poets and writers in Columbia.”
“Sharing the stories and art within our community are critical to our success in Columbia,” says Mayor Daniel Rickenmann. “I am honored to welcome Jennifer Bartell Boykin as the new poet laureate for the City of Columbia and look forward to seeing her success representing our great community.”
“I am very pleased with the selection of Jennifer Bartell Boykin as the Columbia Poet Laureate,” says Councilman Howard Duvall, who represented the Arts and Historic Preservation Committee in the selection process. “She will be the perfect person to build on the foundation established by Ed Madden.”
Jennifer Bartell Boykin is originally from Bluefield, an African American community in Johnsonville, South Carolina. For most of her career, she has been an educator, most recently as an English teacher at Spring Valley High School. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and a Graduate Certificate in Women’s and Gender Studies and is currently pursuing a Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of South Carolina. She has sponsored the Poetry Out Loud competition and W.O.R.D. (Write.Organize.Read.Dream), Spring Valley High School’s poetry club. She’s been a regular participant in work under the post of Dr. Ed Madden, served as a former board member for the Deckle Edge Literary Festival, and contributed to the work of The Jasper Project; including writing for Jasper Magazine, serving on its board, and writing for special projects such as The Supper Table and Marked by the Water.
“I am honored to become the city’s second poet laureate,” says Bartell Boykin. “Ed Madden set a blueprint for the Columbia Poet Laureateship, and I will continue to build on his legacy. I am elated about spreading more poetry throughout our schools and in our communities. Poetry is for everyone, and I’m excited to facilitate bringing more of it to every corner of our city.”
Bartell Boykin hopes to continue the public projects that Dr. Ed Madden has initiated during his time as Poet Laureate. Still, she also hopes to develop a community-wide poetry event that would include readings and participation by K12 students. She is also keenly interested in ways that poetry can help people and hopes to build collaborations with artists and organizations to develop projects that engage the residents of the Columbia area.
Boykin takes the role from Dr. Ed Madden, the city’s first Poet Laureate who served two terms in the position, poetry editor for Jasper Magazine and Muddy Ford Press. His projects focused on community-centered activities that helped increase awareness and accessibility around the literary arts, particularly poetry, with the mission of using literary art as a public art.
“Being the city laureate for the past eight years has been such a privilege and an honor,” says Madden. “It is humbling to serve as another voice for the city, but also such a joy to promote so many other writers and voices, all the ways we can define who we are and who we hope to be as a city. I look forward to seeing what the next laureate does with the role, to hearing their work, and to discovering what new voices they elevate.”
Mind Gravy Poetry and More Presents Larry Rhu
Wednesday, November 16
7:00 – 9:00 pm
Mind Gravy Presents Poet Larry Rhu and Songsmith, Branhan, Lowther (Slim Pickens)
Cool Beans, 1217 College Street, Columbia, SC 29201
This week, Al Black’s Mind Gravy Poetry will be featuring the poetry of Larry Rhu, a USC Emeritus Professor of English and award-winning poet, and Brahan Lowther (aka Slim Pickens) “a picker of great repute.”
Mind Gravy is a weekly show an open mic for original content only and hosted by Al Black
Poems on the Menu
One of Ed Madden's goals these past eight years as the city's poet laureate has been to put poetry in public places. As his term nears an end, drop by Pawley's Front Porch to celebrate one of his last projects, Poetry On the Menu. The winning poem, "Eating Out" by Columbia poet Lisa Hammond, appears on the Pawley's menu, and she will be reading it (and maybe a couple of other food-related poems!) November 2nd. Pawley's Front Porch is located at 827 Harden Street in the Five Points district. Pawley's is the first restaurant in the city to participate in this project, and we hope that the next poet laureate will get others to join in! Small celebratory gathering starting at 6:30, on the porch if the weather is good. Stop by, have dinner or a drink, and join us in celebrating poetry as a public art! More details on the Facebook Event page.
Eating Out
by Lisa Hammond
I can make it at home, my mother says. Biscuits,
yes, mac and cheese. She shells butterbeans,
and there is joy in that—but also in the restaurant,
linen covered table or not, the dishes you don't wash,
the first time you taste chimichurri or grilled Mahi-Mahi,
fried green tomatoes with homemade Boursin cheese.
Good red wine and small plates, prosciutto and arugula pizza—
even just tossing peanut shells on a bar floor—doors wide
open, aproned wait staff smiling, welcome in, welcome in.