Burning Swamp Returns: The Re-Cap

Ice storms, floods, snow, even earthquakes: the coastal Georgia area has, as of late, experienced its share of cataclysmic events.  However, rather than feeling afraid, we here at Burning Swamp feel that this is just the planet’s way of expressing its excitement that the reading series has returned.  Here are some photos from the spectacular February 11th reading — make sure that you’ve got milk, bread, flashlights, and batteries, because these are photos of some apocalyptically awesome readings.

The Walnut Room, packed with people ready to hear some good words and good work.

 

Bob Marsh starts the evening off right with a stunner of a short story.

Jared Yates Sexton and Bob Marsh: an interlude.

 

The lovely Yavaria Ryan reading her lovely poems.

Joey Blackwell, parkour practitioner and poet extraordinaire.

Heather Nysewander reading a short story that shook down the house.

Eric Nelson’s reading was too amazing to be captured on film, so here is a photo of him talking poetry with Jekka.

A behind-the-scenes look at Eric Nelson’s reading and another glimpse at that handsome crowd. Thanks to everyone who came out, and we’ll see you again in March!

Burning Swamp Introduces — Joey Blackwell

Joey Blackwell, contemplating the ferocity of The Kraken.

If there’s one thing that I think most of us share, it’s the need to really think through the following problem: what would happen if two cryptozoological superpowers found each other in a dark alley next to their swamp?  Thankfully, the talented Joey Blackwell, a Writing and Linguistics major here at Georgia Southern University, has provided us with what may be the most important development in cryptozoology since 10 Million Dollar Bigfoot Bounty became a thing.  You don’t want to miss your chance to hear Joey read from his work — and, possibly, talk about Bigfoot — at the Burning Swamp Reading Series this Tuesday at 7:00 pm.

1. Do you believe in swamp primates?  I think swamp primates are very plausible. In fact, I think, here in Statesboro, they’re the itch you feel on the back of your neck at night when you’re walking down the empty pedestrian wondering about the notion of solitude and whether or not you’re ever truly alone.

2. Would you support the recent proposal to domesticate swamp primates? I don’t think domesticating swamp primates would benefit us. Their natural inclinations to live in swampy conditions and engage in other primate activities wouldn’t be conducive to domestic life. However, I do think that swamp primate feeding stations set along places like the pedestrian would help in placating them and bring us one step closer to peace.

3. Monster Battle Royale of the Month: Kraken vs. Loch Ness Monster – who would win?

Monster Battle Royal: Ok, let’s be real here. Kraken vs. Loch Ness? The Loch Ness monster dances between descriptions and hardly has a concrete, universal image for what exactly it is. Even if we base it on a prototypical plesiosaur, it doesn’t suggest that it could ever stand toe to toe with the Kraken.

The Kraken is described as a legendary sea monster. It crushes ships, hopes and dreams all while rarely coming to the surface for its victim to ever look into its frigid, pale glare as it constricts the life from them. Even with the size inconsistency of the Kraken, we can all agree that, if your arms can wrap around a ship and break it, you’re probably pretty huge.

If Nessie ever had the misfortune of swimming in the same ocean as the Kraken, it would find that its mirage like existence would meet a crushing end as countless tentacles slowly rose from the surface. For the sake of fairness we’ll assume that, like plesiosaurs of old, Loch Ness can swim fairly quickly. However, we’ll also assume that, like most octopi, the frozen cruelty of the Kraken can’t be easily escaped. Adhering to octopi traits, we can also assume that the major of the Kraken’s massive head is its brain where it’s constantly playing chess against itself and simultaneously plotting the downfall of Florida.

 In short, sorry Nessie you lose.

 

Joey Blackwell is a passionate writer who has had the fortune of being published several times online. His love for word craft drives him to better himself every time he puts the pen to the page. He aims to utilize his considerable amount of published work to vault himself into the literary world and become a writing mogul. Or just pay the bills and stop eating Ramen every night, he’s fine with either.

Burning Swamp Introduces — Bob Marsh

Bob Marsh, one of our readers on Tuesday, February 11th, 7:00 pm, in The Walnut Room behind Chop’s on Main.

We’re so close to the return of the Burning Swamp Reading Series that I can taste the excitement, which kind of tastes like smoke.  But in a good way.  A positive, awesome, amazing, and super-exciting good way.  It’s time to get to know one of our five awesome, amazing, and super-exciting good readers: Bob Marsh.

1. Do you believe in swamp primates? Of course there are swamp primates, depending on what you mean by swamp and primates.
2. Would you support the recent proposal to domesticate swamp primates? They should be domesticated as soon as the rest of us are.
3. Monster Battle Royale of the Month: Kraken vs. Loch Ness Monster – who would win? Loch ness is just a baby Kraken so there will not be a fight.

Bob Marsh was born in upper Michigan because he wanted to be close to his mother. He’s not from The South but got here as soon as he could. In high school he was a good student in math and science but failed English twice. College was much the same. After one semester he was invited to take a semester off. During the time off he became a journeyman railway carman. After flunking out again, the United States government offered him an all-expense paid tour of Vietnam. He declined and joined the Navy. After the Navy he became a sho nuf electrician. He worked in an iron mine, several oil rigs, and a steel mill. While working nights at the steel mill in Atlanta, he went to school days at a place sometimes called North Avenue Trade School. He got a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree there and went to work in several nuclear power plants. While taking some time off, he happened to see a posting for a math teacher. He applied and much to his amazement was hired to teach math. Sometime during the 14 years of attending GSU and teaching math East Georgia College, he was invited to participate in the Georgia Southern Writing Project Summer Institute. This was a life changing event. Bob discovered that he could actually write.

With encouragement from colleagues and friends at The Writing Project, he became a book author, published poet, and award-winning playwright.

He also calls Bingo at the American Legion and is chancellor of APW Wrestling.

Burning Swamp Introduces — Eric Nelson

Last night, there were reports of sleet in the greater Statesboro area.  While some may think this is just more of the crazy winter weather we’ve been experiencing, we here at the Burning Swamp Reading Series know differently: it was just a side-effect of a traditional swamp monster bog pool party celebration.  Why are the swamp monsters so excited?  Because Burning Swamp is coming back, and it’s bringing Eric Nelson with it.

On that note, let’s learn a little about Eric and the awesome he’s about to bring to the Burning Swamp stage in the Walnut Room in Chops on Tuesday, February 11th, at 7:00 pm:

1. Do you believe in swamp primates?   Who doesn’t?
2. Would you support the recent proposal to domesticate swamp primates? Certainly not. Haven’t you seen Born Free? 
3.  Monster Battle Royale of the Month: Kraken vs. Loch Ness Monster – who would win? Kraken’s a nobody. Nessie wins with one flipper tied behind her back.

 

Eric Nelson has published five poetry collections, including The Twins, winner of the Split Oak Press Chapbook Award; Terrestrials, winner of the X.J. Kennedy Poetry Award; and The Interpretation of Waking Life, winner of the University of Arkansas Press Poetry Award. His poems have appeared in Poetry, The Southern Review, The Oxford American, The Sun, and many other journals and anthologies. He has five chickens in his backyard, which give him eggs and poems—he may hold the record for most number of poems about chickens written by a single person. When not observing chickens or writing poems, he teaches creative writing at Georgia Southern University.