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elementia issue xviii Reception and call for submissions
elementia issue xviii Reception
Friday, April 23, 2021
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Online event
Celebrate the 18th issue of elementia, the teen literary magazine published by Johnson County Library. Explore concepts of our theme "Bodies" with readings from published teens, artwork, music and a keynote performance from poet Franny Choi.
And, we are calling on teen creators for the next elementia. We accept original poetry, fiction, nonfiction, graphic stories, photography and illustrations.
Submit your original poetry, short stories, essays, comics, or artwork through February 1, 2022.
TBT: Earth Day
We have so many materials for every age on the subject of Earth Day. Since we live here on this planet, we should probably read an owner's manual.
Our Throwback Thursday tie-in? The Earth is old—really old—older than the trees! Earth Day got us curious to see just what nature photos we could find at jocohistory.org. What will you find?
Remember, jocohistory.org is the place to time travel through local history. Be sure to follow our hashtag on Twitter!
Happy Throwback Thursday! Some call it the best day of the week.
Franny Choi Poetry Workshop
elementia's issue xviii featured author Franny Choi will lead a workshop on poetry writing for teens and adults. A poet, playwright, essayist, slam champion, and podcaster, Choi writes through her existence as a Korean-American queer woman living in a society that capitalizes off beauty, bodies, race, and sexuality, thus was the perfect honoree for this year's elementia theme: Bodies.
Update: Central Resource Library
As you're probably aware, we are making areas of Central Resource Library even better in 2021! Here's a little peek at what's been going on behind the scenes.
During March, crews completed the interior demolition of the Kids area. In addition, the slab flooring was cut to install footings for new door and window openings and to install underground utilities. Crew members also installed temporary walls where the new addition will connect to the current building.
We know you may have many questions about what to expect this year, so we’ve put together a Construction FAQ that addresses the status of popular services like the Black & Veatch MakerSpace and Genealogy resources, more details about Little Central, and where to find alternate services. You’ll also find a Fly-Through video rendering of the project.
In addition to its public service staff, Central is home to many departments that support all 14 branches. Once the work at Central is complete, you will feel the positive impact across the Library system!
Photos provided by Construction Manager, Titan Built, LLC.
This Week at the Library
This week at the Library, you can join us for:
Ask-a-Maker Session Monday, April 19, 10 – 11 AM
If you're a Maker working on a current project, register for one-on-one help with a MakerSpace Facilitator, hosted live via Zoom. Whether you need help using hand tools, software or specific equipment, our Makers can answer your questions.
Book Party - Wednesday, April 21, 2 – 2:30 PM
Get some fresh reading and listening recommendations from one of our Librarians! Join us for a Book Party where a librarian will "booktalk" a short list of titles centering around a certain genre or theme.
In Memory of Six Million - Thursday, April 22, 6:30 – 7:30 PM
Join us for our 11th annual In Memory of Six Million Holocaust Remembrance program. Hear a survivor speak from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum via Zoom. As survivors grow fewer as the years go on, we are incredibly grateful and excited to offer this opportunity to our patrons. The survivor will speak for 30 minutes allowing 30 minutes for audience questions at the end. The program will be recorded and available for viewing after the event.
Elementia issue XVIII Reception – Friday, April 23, 7 – 8 PM
Celebrate the 18th issue of elementia, the teen literary magazine published by Johnson County Library. Explore concepts of our theme "Bodies" with readings from published teens, artwork, music and a keynote performance from poet Franny Choi.
Franny Choi Poetry Workshop - Saturday, April 24, 9 –11 AM
elementia's issue xviii featured author Franny Choi will lead a workshop on poetry writing for teens and adults. A poet, playwright, essayist, slam champion, and podcaster, Choi writes through her existence as a Korean-American queer woman living in a society that capitalizes off beauty, bodies, race, and sexuality, thus was the perfect honoree for this year's elementia theme: Bodies.
In Memory of Six Million
Join us for our 13th annual In Memory of Six Million Holocaust Remembrance program. Hear a survivor speak from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum via Zoom. As survivors grow fewer as the years go on, we are incredibly grateful and excited to offer this opportunity to our patrons. The survivor will speak for 30 minutes allowing 30 minutes for audience questions at the end. The program will be recorded and available for viewing after the event.
Thursday, May 4, 2023
6:30–7:30 p.m.
Register here »
April Podcast Episode Encore
April's Did you hear? podcast episode is "Parents as Teachers"?
Whether it's homeschooling, or home learning that complements traditional school, Library resources are available to help. Parents as Teachers describes the role, relationship and resource of you as a critical educator.
Our March theme? Poetry.
We have a look back at our poetry walk to give you a behind the scenes look at how this incredible outdoor event came together. We share some of the great works presented on the walk and help you find more great poetry. Also, we look into poetry events and even explore physical art as poetry.
TBT: Guitar Hero
As you very well know, it’s International Guitar Month!
"Sometimes you'll want to give up the guitar. You'll hate the guitar. But if you stick with it, you're gonna be rewarded."
~Jimi Hendrix
Remember, jocohistory.org is the place to time travel through local history. Be sure to follow our hashtag on Twitter!
Happy Throwback Thursday! Some call it the best day of the week.
Events with Poet Bridget Lowe
Local poet Bridget Lowe spent many of her childhood and teenage days at the Corinth branch of Johnson County Library. In a post on the Ploughshares blog, she wrote about finding Anaïs Nin on the shelves--and how that discovery affected her. She writes:
"I like to imagine a sneaky librarian in the 1950s and ’60s ordering the works on the sly and slipping them onto the shelves. Whatever brave soul purchased those books, I want to thank him or her for ushering me through a difficult time, and for bringing Anaïs to Kansas."
Bridget will help us celebrate Poetry Month with three events in April. Register here to save your spot and click through to read what Bridget calls a love letter to her childhood branch of Johnson County Library.
Library Article Helps Connect Global Music Initiative with Local Songwriter
Jacoby Elliott is a singer/songwriter who grew up in Olathe, started performing in the Kansas City area, and is now based in Colorado.
In 2016 and 2017, Johnson County Local Arts Librarian Bryan Voell featured Elliott twice on the Library’s local music blog. Partly through those posts, Elliott came to the attention of Beyond Music, a global music initiative launched by the non-profit Swiss Beyond Foundation and Co-Founder and rock legend Tina Turner.
On his Facebook page in February, Elliott shared the email from Switzerland, in which Beyond Music said, “Through Johnson County Library and on other channels we became aware of you and your musical talents.” They invited him to join.
Jacoby says he was honored to be tapped by this impressive invitation-only platform, which last year had about 450 artists. He was thankful that Voell had reached out to him early in his career, helping to spread the word about his music.
“It’s only a blessing,” Elliott said in an interview from Colorado. “He (Bryan) was my first interview for ‘Is Anybody Out There?’ a message in a bottle, seeking to find a community of like-minded creative people. Five years later I get this email from Switzerland. It’s beautiful.”
Elliott, now 27, taught himself keyboard and was in a band in high school, as well as in advanced choir at Olathe North High. He moved to Kansas City in 2015 and performed at Davey’s Uptown, recordBar and other venues.
He studied film and media for a year at KU and now specializes in singing, songwriting and music videos in a genre he describes as “gritty supernatural pop.”
His pop persona is Y the Ghost, which Elliott says reflects the existential search for identity and for immortality through art. Two fan favorites of his are “Is Anybody Out there?” and “Hologram.”
He moved to Colorado in January 2019 and was making good connections in the Denver area music and film community, even being featured in a film festival in February 2020, before the pandemic struck. He used the pandemic time very productively, composing and polishing new songs that, as he says, “wouldn’t leave me alone.”
He also worked in film, “visual storytelling with the music,” to enhance each new single and released a new song and video March 26 called “Is That too Deep?” at https://youtu.be/xrgLnsvNZy4. He had filming assistance from Bas Tamiet, (artist name Honnéte), whom he met at Olathe North.
“Throughout the last year I’ve been finishing up some of my favorite songs that I’ve ever made,” he said. “It’s some of my strongest work.” His earlier work was more dance pop, while his newer work is more emotional but still has a good dance vibe.
Regarding Beyond Music, he’s excited about its mission to connect musicians from around the world. “It has spiritual overtones of bringing people together, to transcend all the differences that cause so much strife,” he said. He is researching other artists in the platform, learning a lot and hoping to form some good collaborations.
Voell was impressed from the beginning with Elliott’s work and is delighted his Library articles helped connect Elliott to Beyond Music. “He has a very distinct, confident vision of how his music can be a visual experience as well,” Voell said. “He is a very accomplished singer and instrumentalist and he has a presence and a way of performing that you just have to pay attention.”