Sand Hills Literary Magazine holds A Hullabaloo of Poetry in honor of World Poetry Day

By Rachel Shomer | Co-Editor in ChiefAugusta University’s Sand Hills literary magazine held “A Hullabaloo of Poetry” in honor of World Poetry Day in the JSAC Breezeway on Wednesday, March 21.The first half of event began with Sand Hills staff members reading select poems published by AU alumni in the literary magazine’s archives.  Among these was writing dedicated to body image struggles, rape culture and relationships.During the latter portion, audience members rose to the stage to read poems of their choosing.  Current students, alumni, faculty and members of the public, all of whom were eager to read aloud, held a special connection to their selected poems.From classics such as T.S. Eliot to present-day poetry writers like Rupi Kaur, and singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, the variety of writing moved the audience and held associations with present-day events concerning campus life, politics and pop culture.There was a spontaneous theme of poetry written in the spirit of social justice.  Up until this year, the literary magazine only published students at this university and alumni, which makes sense this theme is often depicted in Sand Hills given its previous writers and primary readers.Sand Hills was founded in 1963 and will be going national beginning this year.  This debut marks a significant milestone for Sand Hills, a historic staple of this university that continues to evolve.“World Poetry Day” was declared in 1999 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to be held every year on March 21.  This day celebrates the mainstay of the oral tradition that communicates the innermost values of diverse cultures.Sand Hills is currently accepting submissions until May 15, 2018.  For more information, visit https://sandhillsmagazine.submittable.com/submit.Contact Rachel Shomer at rshomer@augusta.edu