‘The Southern Quill’ benefit, silent auction to feature readings, live music

Top row L-R: Novelist Taylor Jenkins Reid, poet Darren Edwards; bottom row: Local band NVM. These artists will be featured at an April 3 benefit and silent auction benefiting “The Southern Quill,” Dixie State University's annual arts journal. | Photos courtesy of Dixie State University, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — Dixie State University’s annually published, student-edited literary arts journal, “The Southern Quill,” is hosting its annual benefit and silent auction to support the journal’s publication and distribution.

The benefit will start at 6:30 p.m. April 3 in the Zion Room on the fifth floor of the Jeffrey R. Holland Centennial Commons on the Dixie State campus. Admission is free.

The event will feature readings by novelist Taylor Jenkins Reid and poet Darren Edwards, as well as a live performance by local band NVM. Additionally, attendees will have the opportunity to purchase copies of “The Southern Quill” and participate in a silent auction comprising merchandise and gift cards — including ski lift tickets and resort stays — donated by local businesses.

“This event will bring together the Dixie State University campus and our community for a culturally enriching experience with two writers whose work is both nationally and internationally known,” said Dr. Cindy King, DSU assistant professor of creative writing and “The Southern Quill” faculty adviser. “The reading and silent auction will also serve as a benefit to celebrate and support ‘The Southern Quill.’”

About Taylor Jenkins Reid and Darren Edwards

Reid is the author of “One True Loves,” “Maybe in Another Life,” “After I Do” and “Forever, Interrupted.” Her novels have been named best books of summer by People, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, InStyle, Good Housekeeping, USA TODAY, Redbook, Us Weekly, Parade, PopSugar, Buzzfeed, Bustle, Brit+Co, Goodreads and others.

Edwards helped bring slam poetry to southwestern Utah as slam master for a long-running open mic series. He is the author of “Utah Sport Climbing: Stories and Reflections on the Bolting of the Beehive State.” From 2016-17, he served as managing editor at the Southern Utah Independent. His writing has appeared in Dialogue, Urban Climber and Stone Voices.

“I’ve known Darren Edwards for nearly a decade,” Dr. Stephen B. Armstrong, who teaches with Dr. King in Dixie State’s creative writing emphasis, said. “He helped the English department at DSU make important strides as we’ve expanded our creative writing offerings over the years. And Taylor Jenkins Reid? Good golly, what a writer! My wife and I have been reading through her splendid novels together and can’t wait to hear her read in person.”

About NVM

NVM, a progressive rock band hailing from St. George, will kick off the evening with an acoustic set featuring tracks from their new album, “aqua cross.”

“NVM is a literate, engaging band,” Armstrong said. “Their new record, ‘aqua cross,’ shreds.

“The Southern Quill” has been in print since 1951 and publishes fiction, nonfiction, poetry and visual arts of various forms from contributors in Utah and Clark County, Nevada. The staff of the journal comprises students from a variety of disciplines who read, review and select the works that will be published.

Resources

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @STGnews

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.