POETRY : Students from FHS’ ‘Connotations’ to be featured at OPWC
Posted on Sunday, April 27, 2008
Ozark Poets and
Writers Collective
will meet at 7 p. m. Tuesday at our comfy digs, Nightbird Books, Fayetteville’s best little independent book store. As has been our custom each April, the feature this month will be the students from Fayetteville High Schools’ “ Connotations” literary magazine as they read several pieces from the upcoming issue. This has been a perennial favorite meeting as we get to see and hear the poets and writers of the future perform their works.
“ Connotations” has an award-winning history, including several nominations for the prestigious Pacemaker award by the National Scholastic Press Association. Last year’s volume has been nominated — one of 10 magazines in the nation.
“ Connotations” includes cutting-edge poetry, essays, short stories and alternate forms. The current “ Connotations” staff consists of two sophomores, eight juniors and nine seniors. Editors for the magazine are Lauren Whitmore and Sabba Nassem, with Yani Ko as poetry editor and Nick Shoulders as prose editor.
“ Reid Johnson has served as business manager, ” Turner Tomlinson said, “ heading our massive letter campaign seeking donations. ”
Due to state laws prohibiting the sale of pizza during lunch, “ Connotations” has suffered decreased resources. The job of raising money has been more critical than ever, and so the students will gladly accept donations for future magazines and the overall program at the reading.
The “ Connotations” staff will sell copies from previous years and take reservations for copies of the 25 th anniversary edition. Sporting a silver theme, this edition will arrive May 5 and is a compilation of students poetry, prose, and awardwinning artwork. Several pieces of art that are featured in the magazine have won awards and are on display at the Art Center of the Ozarks in Springdale.
Join OPWC, the longestrunning live poetry venue in this area, the last Tuesday of each month for an evening of powerful performance poetry by the students of Fayetteville High School. We encourage open-mic performances where any kind of creative writing is welcome and each performer has four minutes to share original work or a “ cover. ”
Admission is free, though a hat is passed to provide a stipend for the featured guest. The University of Arkansas Press generously gives away a book each month. In addition, OPWC will also give a gift card from Nightbird Books. OPWC is a friendly forum for wordsmiths from beginners to veterans. For more information, visit www. uark. edu / ua / mmasull / opwc.
Mark 8 p. m. May 13 on your calendars for the next Comedy Poetry Slam at the White Rabbit. It will feature Kris Stoker, a brilliant acting M. F. A. student in the UA graduate program. Stoker has taught numerous improv workshops for all ages. He received his B. A. in theater at Missouri Southern State College and spent time in New York studying improv and sketch writing with the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. He now performs on the UA stage. Stoker founded The Illuminati, a local comedy improv troupe that performed all over Northwest Arkansas. So don’t miss Stoker at the Comedy Slam and be sure to come with your smile on.
Cat is a nontraditional undergraduate student in the Creative Writing Program at the University of Arkansas, and lives in Durham with her husband, two sons, two pugs and 30 chickens.
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