To purchase Artemis Journal 2014
Send check or money order of $22.00 to;
Artemis – P.O. Box 505 – Floyd, Va. 24091
Poetry reading by Nikki Giovanni will be held May 23rd to celebrate the release of Artemis 2014
Artemis editors will host a live reading by renowned poet, Nikki Giovanni on May 23rd from 6-8 p.m. at the June McBroom Theatre in the Community High School, downtown Roanoke. The event is open to the public with free admission.
A regional poetry & art journal, returning after a 14-year hiatus, Artemis features over 80 regional artists & writers, including honored guest poet Nikki Giovanni, and guest photographer Sam Krisch. Among the contributors are several Floyd county residents, as well as art editor, Jeri Rogers, design editor, Virginia Lepley, and publishing consultant, Warren Lapine. Maurice Ferguson, poetry editor, is from Buchanan.
Contributors were asked to submit entries that reflected “Our connection to nature and place.” In keeping with this theme, the design and layout of Artemis is based on Sacred Geometry proportions of Phi, or 1.618. Despite its mystical origins, this number is considered to be the fundamental building block of nature, recurring throughout botany, astronomy, biology, art, architecture, and music.
Artemis History and Rebirth
After 20 years of publishing Artemis, year 2000 marked the end of a respected and distinguished small press journal. Artemis was one of the few publications in Southwest Virginia to provide an off campus literary and arts presence in our communities. Today, Artemis 2014 has been reborn to celebrate and give voice to artists and writers in the Blue Ridge Mountains and beyond.
Artemis beginnings are deeply rooted in social activism, starting in 1977 as a writing workshop for the T.A.P. Women’s Center in Roanoke. It’s founder, Jeri Nolan Rogers, encouraged women in the group to express themselves through poetry and other art genres as a therapeutic tool. For the first few years of publication, Artemis showcased the work of women from this group. In 1979 the journal expanded its scope to include men and the community at large.
Throughout its history, Artemis presented many educational and cultural events: school mentoring programs, an annual Winter Lights Festival, live readings at Hollin’s University and other venues such as the Art Museum of Western Virginia, Mill Mountain Theatre, and the Blue Ridge Writers Conference.
Artemis was also a place for many contributors to debut their work. They were published side by side with national and state poet laureates and other award winners. Continuing the tradition, Artemis 2014 is presenting a number of first-time-published poets and artists, including two Floyd students, Rachel and Camille Terrill, who interned on the Artemis staff along with Madeline Emmett.
Honored Guest Contributors
This issue also begins a new tradition of featuring a guest writer and artist whose contributions to poetry and art in our community are unparalleled:
Nikki Giovanni, writer, activist and educator, is one of the most widely read American poets. The author of twenty-eight books and a Grammy nominee for The Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection, she is also a mother and distinguished Professor of English at Virginia Tech. Her spirited writing and lectures focus on the power each person has to make a difference, and is a strong voice of the Black community, committed to the fight for civil rights and equality. Artemis is proud to open the book with her poem “Ego Tripping.”
Sam Krisch is a Roanoke based fine art photographer known for his dramatic landscapes and iPhone photography. His work has been exhibited throughout the United States and he is adjunct curator for photography at the Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke. In contrast to his large, iconic, atmospheric landscapes, Sam brings Artemis into the 21st century with his perspectives on iPhone photography. Artemis is proud to publish three of Sam’s photographs, including its dynamic cover, photographed at the Drake Passage between Argentina and Antarctica.
Event Details:
Friday, May 23
6:00 – 8:00pm
Free Community Event
June McBroom Theatre
Roanoke Community High School
302 East Campbell Street, Roanoke, VA 24013