Short Story 1

In His Solitude By Charly Palmer

The leaves of the southern magnolia tree tickled the skin on mah face dearly, and remind me of gentler times on this god for sackin’ cement pavement version of a baskitball court. Them mangolia’s lined the court ever since I was a wee child, and muh daddeh showed me how’ta shoot the baskitball from the three pointer line. He’d been the only one who’d believe’d in me succeedin’ in baskitball, and I whole-heartidly gave everythin’ I had to improve. It was sure difficult at first, them white boys at school beat me for sometime, for using the baskitball court to get better. But all them saw was some negro who could potentially been bett’r than them. So they made sure that I knew to back down. But come high school, I growned far over them white boys heads and two times over again, by now I was in muh last year of schoolin’ and as far as I knew, I’d been the best in muh school. Or at least by muh daddeh and mine eyes. Bu’ lil did we know what muh true potential was.

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In the last few months of muh last year in school, scouts came to see how good the athelets at muh school were. And if them be good ’nough, they’d get a sports scholarship to any college them get accepted to. And possibly securin’ a spot on the school’s sports team, o’ course it depended on what team they wanted to go out fer. I was especially excited for when the famous Rad Ronnie Johnson came from the University of North Carolina to see how well the boys could play baskitball. I saw this as muh opportune time to show them white boys who’s really gonna get a woopin’.


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This is muh first time bein’ in the locker room at the muh school. As I walked in and dropped muh bags, a lot of the white boys looked at me in some funny way, and would whisper to one eachother, n would laugh as I passed. I changed inta muh good sneakahs, and slipped out of that god-damned locker room as fast as muh legs allowed me ta. When I opened the door leading to the auditorium, I eyed muh competition; I wanted this scholarship award much more than them boys, and I wanted ta show them what I could do.
A big black man in a fancy suit n a “University of North Carolina” clipboard clutched to him called for our attention. He was a very profound talker I mus’ say, he talked about potential, dissapline, and hard workin’ before he introduced himself as Ronnie Johnson. I sware them mouths on them boys dropped down like an apple off a tree durin’ pickin’ season. He called out names to n fro, and assigned us inta different teams, exercises, and stations.
I sware I almost crawled muhself off of tha’ court I was so tired. I gave all I had for every damn exercise n I refused to give up. Mr. Johnson said “If you feel like you coulda done better, dun’ be expectin’ a call back”, and then he left. I’d been the last to leave that night, and as I was walkin’ home a heard a car creepily slowin’ down behind me. I walked faster and when I got home, the car parked in da driveway. I ran inside and told muh daddy it was probably the other boys coming to kill muh cause I done good on the court. But when he got to look over out the windo’ he said to muh, “Son, there’s just a gentleman out side in a suit, no boys from da school”. An a secon’ lata, Mr. Johnson was proudly shaken muh daddies hand tellin’ him, “Hello sauh, the name’s Ronnie Johnson from University of North Carolina. N I want your son on our basketball team”. Good Lordah, I almost died of happiness, n muh daddehy hugged me through tears of joy.

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Decloration!*

My first idea of a Concept-Folio was Beauty in Different Cultures. However, one night I was researching and the idea of 'Imagination' just seemed to come to me. Imagination is a world-wide, universal theme; it impacts everyone in some way. I know it affects me more than once in everyday life. Whether it be day-dreaming, while I'm relaxing, through imagery, planning for the future, or something as simple as stargazing, or watching the clouds pass by. I plan to explore it all. Recall when you were a child, and you would dream of everything, and your imagination was your protection to keep you from anything&everything, or maybe now, when your a teenager; after a fight or a brake-up, you probably imagine what could have been, or rather wish you could be some where else entirely. There is nothing more interesting for a concept in my perspective, then to explore the wonder of imagination. Where does it start? What is each individuals inspiration? I hope that after looking at my concept-folio, it will open up your mind, heart, and most importantly; your imagination; because with imagination and inspiration, anything can happen.

Kayla F.

Critique #1

Bryan Larsen, a very respected artist is also the genius creator of “Opportunity of the Future”, BB& T No.3”, and “Study for Young Builder”. Generally, his paintings are shown to be in cities, or neighborhoods as seen in the picture above, “Walking among the Clouds”. Bryan Larsen’s, “Walking among the Clouds”, gives the viewer a sense of inspiration. The woman depicted in the picture seems to be glancing at an mirage of creativity, an ideal insight of what the future looks like perhaps. Larsen uses a mix of light hues and colors to specifically depict the woman’s ideal personality. The viewer feels as if they are the woman, glancing at towering industrial buildings among a busy city. The woman seems to be peeking over a building herself, if you look closely, beyond the slips of her sheets, there is a concrete boarding. Perhaps she feels as if she is trapped, lost, and confused thus, dreams of an image of where she longs to be. Or perhaps, greeting the morning sun, as she looks over the city; as she would on any other morning.


Larsen uses a perfect portrayal of contrast and balance of colors, from the woman’s ripped quilt, to her dark skirt, to the blue and tan scene spread before her. I personally love the openness of this painting that gets the viewer wondering, ‘what could the woman be doing?’ or ‘what is the purpose of this painting?’, which is a very good quality that many artists strive to have. The image is fresh, eye opening, and captivating, inspiring even my imagination as I look at it. It makes me wonder, what would I see if I were to walk ‘among the clouds’.

Kayla F.

"Minds Eye"

Todd Kefor’s “Still Life”, is definitely a jungle gym for the eyes. It holds an admix of different shapes, colors, and hues; which all go beautifully together. Generally a depressing seen, Kefor adds a splash of color by providing a red backdrop along with fresh rosy flowers that are of contrast and add balance, to the gloomy feeling that hangs over the paintings corners. The skulls, dark casting shadows, and concrete boxes co-inside with this depressed feeling, as a mocking monkey almost seems to tease the viewer, bringing them in closer to interpret the true meaning of its presence.

Indeed this picture is a play on the eyes, which makes it so interesting to me. When I look at this piece I think of what does this specific painting symbolize? Perhaps anger because of the cinderblocks with chucks of it missing. Or perhaps death, which in this case the skulls, and flowers are extreme motifs. Or perhaps the artist wanted it to be a mystery, by adding a locked jewelry case, and the monkey, almost daring the viewer to ‘take it as it is’ or find out what it means from their own perspective.


Kayla F.