Talisman celebrates 40 years of existence

The Talisman celebrated the publication of its 40th Anniversary Edition with a collection of readings from its new magazine consisting of a compilation of poetry, fiction, and artwork made by students of the past and present creative writing and literary courses.

For the various writers whose work made it into the magazine, it was a special experience to be able to occupy the gallery stage and read a meaningful poem or an excerpt from a story to the audience. For the newcomers who have yet to grace the pages of the Talisman, it should be known that recurring winners of the event are often fraught with the dynamic passion to read creations that leave the audience laughing at one point, and and in the following moment, win them over by tugging at their heartstrings.

One such participant was Chris Gilpatrick, a student of Katharine Harer's creative writing class, and the first person to read his creative works at the Talisman event. Gilpatrick is no stranger to the artistic world, as he has formerly experienced acting in drama and live theatre performances.
 
Gilpatrick uses a specific dream to explain his thoughts on accomplishing writing in the future—a dream that is deeply rooted in his childhood.
 
"I would love to be a published author of fiction," Gilpatrick said. "It has been a dream of mine for years, ever since I was four or five years old, reading ‘Winnie the Pooh.' "
 
Along with poems, short stories were also read at the event. Another student of Harer, Richard Van Loon, read his short story to a captivated audience—a story that he was awarded a first-place cash prize for.
 
 "At first I was nervous, but after I got into the story, I felt more comfortable," Van Loon said.
 
Van Loon's comfort being in the spotlight should come as no surprise, for he has had honorable mentions at the main library in San Francisco and has also attended his fair share of open mic nights.
 
"I am working on a novel at the moment," Van Loon said about his plans to accomplish solid works of composition in the future. "And, I want to produce more literature in hopes of getting published and working with other great writers."
 
Overall, the event featured many talented writers and artists. If you missed the event, you can still read the poems and stories in the soon to be available to the public, Talisman 40th Anniversary Edition.
 
It would be difficult to explain exactly how the atmosphere was for the audience, and indeed for the writers who had to go up on stage and perform their works.

Gilpatrick summed it up best, saying, "It was so nerve racking—I was tomato red, but it was so awesome."