By Draven Copeland, Editor-in-Chief
As many of our readers are aware, this week we are celebrating Women’s History Month with a special edition of our weekly publication Imaginary Gardens. Featuring artwork, creative fiction, photography, and an opinion piece submitted by Pellissippi State Community College students, alumni, and faculty, we are showcasing work from around campus in celebration of women’s contributions to contemporary society, both past and present.
As editor’s choice this week, we have a weird fiction piece by Pellissippi alum and current reference librarian Alexis Lamb, titled “The Naiad.” Inspired by the works of H. P. Lovecraft and Octavia E. Butler, “The Naiad” is a tremendous work of symbolic storytelling, examining the subconscious terrors of a woman who does not submit to the expectations of her sex. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in the horror genre as a vehicle to explore human experience.
Artwork by students McKenzie Hudson and Caroline Clatterbuck are also featured this week. Hudson’s finished piece is a mixed-media collage that creates an intriguing image, while Clatterbuck’s piece is a beautifully rendered painting featuring a blend of realism and imagination.
Architectural photography by Ana Hooker is on display this week as well, with three separate works from varying perspectives. Each piece reflects different eras of architecture, from gothic to modern, maintaining a signature cloudy overcast through each one.
Poetry by Danielle Lowe and Kylie Sommer are also highlighted in this week’s edition, both bringing unique perspectives to womanhood in different contexts. Lowe’s “Burning Bright” is an introspective and colorful piece with a focus on the light within, exploring what makes the soul of a person. Sommer’s “Mama Mary (Not a Catholic Abecedarius)” is an abecedarian poem (an acrostic format of 26 lines wherein each line begins with the subsequent alphabetical letter, A-Z) exploring the differing perspectives of Jesus’ mother, Mary, between Evangelicals and Catholics. There is a beautiful interrogation of how these perspectives on Mary can affect women’s views on themselves and their own worth within the latter poem, making it a strangely compatible companion to “The Naiad.”
Last, but certainly not least, we are featuring a submitted opinion piece by English Professor and Imaginary Gardens’ faculty advisor, Heather Schroeder. In her piece, she explores the Hardin Valley campus through her son’s eyes, expounding upon her experience walking about an area she knows all too well with someone who finds the ordeal new and exciting. It’s a refreshing perspective for any student/faculty who might have become complacent in their appreciation of the beautiful campus(es) we have at Pellissippi State.
In addition to all of these submitted pieces we will continue with our regular roll-out of content, including yet another beautiful poem by Amberia Shoemaker in her Georgia Douglass-Johnson series and reviews of banned Academy Award winning film The Seed of the Sacred Fig, the latest in the Hunger Games series Sunrise on the Reaping, the recent showing of Wicked on the Hardin Valley campus, and much more.
Happy Women’s History Month and a sincerest thank you to all who submitted. We look forward to reading more work from students and faculty all around Pellissippi State!
