Aerial 2012, an anthology of poetry and prose, is what happens when a group of creative people put their pens together to create something beautiful.
Aerial 2012, an anthology of poetry and prose, is what happens when a group of creative people put their pens together to create something beautiful.
The annual anthology, originating from the Rhodes Institute for the Study of English in Africa (ISEA), was launched last month with readings by some of the contributors at Cafe D'Vine on New Street. The literary magazine features short stories and poetry created on the institute's Creative Writing course.
Jeannie Wallace McKeown, who lent a hand during the publishing process after finishing the course herself last year and whose contributions I particularly enjoyed, accurately describes the collection's diverse nature. "I have a different favourite every time I pick it up and page through it; there's something in there for every mood," she said.
It's an eclectic collection comprising both poetry and prose – although poetry submissions outweighed the short stories this year – and it has a little something for almost everyone.
Cheese sandwiches get a special mention in the prose section: Caitlin Stobie's wickedly funny step-by-step instructions on How to Make a Cheese Sandwich had me in stitches, and Monica Hendricks's nostalgic autobiography based on her love of cheese sandwiches was quaint and touching.
In the poetry section, novice and experienced wordsmiths (local poet Harry Owen, for example) tease out the complexities of life, love, parenthood, and pretty much everything else.
Lerato Makate's short, rhythmic meditation on what it means to be a poet was one of my favourite pieces.
Although the poems and pieces of prose were all unique ruminations on many of life's biggest questions in some way or another, some young writers are still quite new to the practice and need to learn how to make personal stories universally relatable.
Aerial Publishing, the Grahamstown-based community publisher responsible for the anthology, emerged from the creative writing course in 2003 to publish individual manuscripts from course graduates. "Every year an anthology is produced from work done on the Creative Writing short course, and Aerial tries to publish two other books per year, be they poetry collections, short stories or novellas," explains McKeown.
Anyone who has completed the short course – which McKeown describes as "massively rewarding" – is eligible to submit work they did during the period of the course for publication.
If you want to find out more about Aerial 2012 and get your own copy for R50, call Carol Leff (ISEA) at 046 603 8565. Get more info about the ISEA Creative Writing course at http://www.ru.ac.za/isea/courses/shortcoursecreativewriting/
