Reflecting, Sharing, Learning

Word Magic: A Poetry Workshop

David Oates, Host of "Wordland" on WUGA FM

Athens-Clarke County Library • Multipurpose Room C

2025 Baxter Street • Athens, Georgia • 706 613 3650 x343

Tuesday, August 28 - Thursday, August 30 • 6–8 pm

Poetry is a tradition going back thousands of years, predating written text, to ancient Sumeria, India, Japan and Africa. Poetry uses forms and conventions to suggest differential interpretation to words, or to evoke emotive responses, using devices such as assonance, alliteration, onomatopoeia and rhythm. Whether you prefer sonnets, haiku, or slam poetry, you’ll enjoy Word Magic: A Poetry workshop with accomplished Athens poet David Oates. Oates returns to ACCL to lead this poetry workshop with examples from his own and others’ work and exercises to help you get into the flow.

Mr. Oates has 30 years experience teaching writing, has had three books published, and his work has appeared in many magazines He is the host and producer of “Wordland” on WUGA FM. Oates received his master’s in creative writing from the University of Illinois—Chicago.

Life The Griot: Knights to Kings - A Journey to Ethiopia

Lemuel LaRoche

Athens-Clarke County Library

Appleton Auditorium • 2025 Baxter Street • Athens, Georgia • 706 613 3650 x343

Thursday, August 2 • 5 pm

The Athens-Clarke County Library and Chess and Community invite the public to a free screening of the documentary Knights to Kings: A Journey to Ethiopia at the Athens-Clarke County Library on Thursday, Aug. 2, at 5:00 pm. 

The film follows eight teenaged boys from Athens and surrounding counties as they journey to Ethiopia, led by Athens poet and community activist Lemuel LaRoche, also known as Life The Griot. This documentary speaks to the core of positive youth identity and community intervention. 

The screening will be followed by discussion on youth engagement and youth identity in Athens. Attendees will meet local non-profits and community programs that focus on youth development in the Athens area.  This event aims to bring the community together to celebrate and support positive youth development, dialogue and initiatives.  

This free program is sponsored by Reflecting, Sharing, Learning and is a family friendly event. Families with teens are encouraged to attend.

About Chess & Community

Founded in 2012, Chess and Community (CC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to developing leadership and promoting the success of youth in Athens-Clarke County, Ga., and surrounding areas. CC’s mission is to impact youth in the areas of academic enrichment, civic engagement and critical thinking, using chess as a learning modality.

Oh Canada! A Timely Travelogue with Mark Willis

Athens-Clarke County Library

2025 Baxter Street • Athens, Georgia • 706 613 3650 x343

Tuesday, July 24, 7:00 pm

Our neighbor to the north, which has been much in the news lately, is a beautiful and vast country. Canada shares an 8,890 km border with the United States, the longest border in the world not patrolled by military forces; the overwhelming majority of its population lives within 300 km of the border. Canadians have crafted a model multicultural society, welcoming immigrant populations from every other continent. In addition, Canada is home to a wealth of natural resources and intellectual capital.

Join us at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, July 24, in the library’s auditorium for a talk by Mark Willis on Canada’s 10 provinces and 3 territories as well as a brief history of the “Great White North.” Its majestic countryside, along with major cities and culture will be shown in slides that depict a country of rugged variety with many colorful attractions.

Mark was born in Seattle, but grew up in the Midwest. He met his wife Hilde as an undergraduate at the University of Kansas, and later was drafted into the Army during the Vietnam era. After serving two years, he returned to Chicago, where he completed a graduate degree. Mark worked for Morton Salt for thirty years; then he and Hilde settled to Athens in 2007 and have enjoyed the University town atmosphere, the warmer winters and the friendly folks!  Mark’s hobby is doing botanical watercolors.

The Cartoon Show

Alex Burns, Patrick Dean, Abby Kacen, Missy Kulik, David Mack, Scott Stripling, Devlin Thompson, Klon Waldrip, and Joey Weiser

Athens-Clarke County Library • Quiet Gallery

2025 Baxter Street • Athens, Georgia • 706 613 3650

July 15 - September 15, 2018

The library is proud to present an exhibition of Athens-based cartoon artists in the Quiet Gallery from July 15 to September 15. Artists represented are Alex Burns, Patrick Dean, David Mack, Scott Stripling, Devlin Thompson, Klon Waldrip, and Joey Weiser.

Alex Burns studied art at the University of Georgia and Cranbrook Academy of Art. He has been a graphic designer in Atlanta and Athens since 1980, and was the editorial page cartoonist for Creative Loafing for 18 years.

Patrick Dean graduated from UGA with a BFA in Graphic Design. His comics and illustrations appeared weekly in Athens' Flagpole Magazine for a decade and have been published in Legal Action Comics, Typhon, The Comic Eye, Vice Magazine, and The Oxford American Magazine.

Abby Kacen is an illustration artist from Chicago now residing in Athens, GA after studying drawing and animation at the University of Georgia. Inspired by punk rock, tattoos, cute cats and bright colors with illustrations that try to portray just how weird everyday life can be.

Missy Kulik is an illustrator, cartoonist, zine maker, artist, and crafter. She started making comics in grade school, and her first zines were self published in 1990. Her comic called Tofu Baby appears in the Flagpole each week since 2006 and is popular with children and adults.

David Mack spends most of his time drawing and making things. His illustrations and comics have been featured in various publications; Mack has enriched Flagpole’s pages with his weekly take on life in Athens. Now, David has collected these comics into a fat little book entitled ATHENS, GA.

Scott Stripling is a self-taught artist, illustrator, and cartoonist living currently in Athens, Georgia. Beyond the work he publishes as Shoot The Moon Comics, his work can be seen in Gigantic Sequins, Hobart, The Atomic Elbow, and elsewhere.

Devlin Thompson is a cartoonist, and comic pusher, perhaps best known for being the proprietor of Bizarro Wuxtry at Clayton & College in downtown Athens. and for his appearance in HATE #15. Married w/two dogs. No tattoos.

Klon Waldrip has lived in Athens since the ’80s. During the day he maps the stormwater infrastructure of Conyers; At night he writes about film and art for Diaboliquemagazine.com. Klon publishes a video store-themed zine called Late List, and is a featured artist in Printsploitation magazine.

Joey Weiser is the author of the Eisner Award-nominated Mermin graphic novel series from Oni Press. His comics have appeared in several anthologies including SpongeBob Comics, and the award-winning Flight series. His first graphic novel, The Ride Home, was published in 2007 by AdHouse Books. He is a graduate of the Savannah College of Art & Design.

We present for your viewing pleasure a half-dozen videos from recent programs at Athens-Clarke County Library: Moms Demand Action: The Georgia Peach Quilt, Hidden Treasures: A Virtual Tour of the Public Gardens of Athens, Organizing Chaos: The Art of Gunnar Tarsa, Yesterday’s Visions: Warren Manning Master Plan 1925, Lieutenant Flipper’s Trial, and My Vietnam Decision: A Roundtable Discussion.