Marcus Amaker, a local poet, musician and graphic designer, was named Charleston’s first poet laureate Tuesday evening, a month after the position was established by City Council.
“We established the position of Poet Laureate to encourage the appreciation of poetry throughout Charleston,” Mayor John Tecklenburg said in a statement. “Marcus is a well-known artist in our community who has the drive, passion and talent to make poetry accessible to everyone.”
Amaker, who once edited Charleston Scene for The Post and Courier, is an active collaborator and a tireless performer, often organizing and participating in spoken word events. He is the author of seven books of poetry, and he has contributed poems to a variety of volumes.
“This honor is not just for me, it’s for every poet in Charleston,” Amaker said. “Poetry is such an important and vital art form. I’m looking forward to working with nonprofits, businesses and schools to give literacy a bigger platform. It’s going to be fun to come up with creative ways for poetry to be spread throughout Charleston. I’m also excited to be an advocate for the City through my words. Charleston has inspired me since the minute I decided to move here in 2003.”
Cities are increasingly embracing poetry. Across the U.S., cities large and small have named an official bard. Doing so clearly is a win-win: it gives poetry (and, by extension, poets) a boost, and it adds an artistic sheen to municipalities otherwise preoccupied with budgets, infrastructure, public services, construction and other matters of urban life.
As poet laureate of Charleston, Amaker will do much more than write and recite. He will work in conjunction with the Office of Cultural Affairs implementing a community outreach and education program to encourage the writing, reading and performance of poetry within the city. He will also participate in civic events, promote literacy through poetry in schools and foster the development of a youth poetry initiative.
And Amaker will commemorate the city by composing poetry that speaks to, for and of the region, to be presented at an annual city-sponsored event.
The ordinance establishing the post authorizes a small honorarium funded by private sources, according to city spokesman Jack O’Toole. That honorarium likely would amount to a few thousand dollars.
A poetry reading and reception featuring Amaker is scheduled for 6 p.m. June 29 at the City Gallery at Waterfront Park. Armed with an old-fashioned typewriter, Amaker will be at the Charleston Farmers Market on June 25 with other local poets. He will also be presenting the inaugural Charleston Poetry Festival, in late October.
Charleston Jazz is excited to announce the lineup for the Charleston Jazz Festival, April 21-24, 2022.
From April 21-24, the 2022 Charleston Jazz Festival will feature student musicians, local jazz groups, and internationally acclaimed performers including the Emmet Cohen Trio, the Jorge Luis Pacheco Quartet, Kandace Springs and Etienne Charles in multiple venues around Charleston.
The festival will open on April 21 with Lowcountry Jazz Day, hosted by Forte Jazz Lounge. Expect a host of Charleston's own top musical talent and an appearance by the city Poet Laureate, Marcus Amaker.
From April 22-23, the Charleston Music Hall will host internationally-acclaimed artists Emmet Cohen Trio (pictured above, with Lucy Yeghiazaryan and Bruce Harris), the Jorge Luis Pacheco Quartet, Kandace Springs, and Etienne Charles & Creole Soul.
The festival will close with Family Jazz Day on Sunday, April 24 as Charleston's brightest young musicians carry on the torch of the city's jazz art form in a special showcase at Royal Missionary Baptist Church.
The Charleston Jazz Festival is made possible, in part, by the Medical University of South Carolina.
Get the entire festival lineup and, importantly, ticket information right here.
The poet describes her works as “word paintings,” deeply rooted and inspired by the magical and mournful circumstances of her lifetime.
“Six decades in, it is the exact right time to share my poetic journey. We ‘evolve’ throughout our lives, and I hope that my personal achievement inspires others, no matter their age, to fulfill their own dreams,” Walder said.
Running Naked in the Snow (ISBN: 978-1734673791, 57 pages, $13.99 U.S.) is available on Amazon and at fine book sellers throughout Charleston and select cities across the U.S. It also will be available as an e-book and audio book in 2022.
Evelyn Berry, an award-winning Aiken-based poet, novelist, editor, and podcast host, has worked closely with Walder as a mentor, and is excited about her debut collection of poems.
“Linda’s work is deeply invested in not just truth-telling, but truth-sharing. Such radical candor invites the reader to feel and reflect deeply,” she said.
Free Verse Press is a new publishing company started by Charleston Poet Laureate Marcus Amaker. In the introduction of Walder’s book, Amaker says that readers will "experience a wildly creative book from a writer who has confidence in what makes her unique. ‘Running Naked in the Snow’ gives you short poems about seasons, rhythm word experiments, gentle pieces about family, and more.”
Linda’s creativity blossomed in early childhood, and she began writing poetry in elementary school. Her artistic bent continued throughout her education, studying art, literature, and history. After graduating from Vassar College, Linda thrived in the creative world of art and fashion public relations. Then, after graduating from The Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Linda continued her focus on the arts as an attorney for artists.
For the past 20 years, she has been a visionary and activist in the field of adult Autism. Her internationally recognized Foundation (The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation) has led the global community in accepting, valuing, and supporting the diversity of adults diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Linda’s own story is one of courage and heart. She is the mother of an adult daughter and a son (who died of an Autism-related seizure at age 9, and in whose memory the foundation is named). She is also a recent widow, navigating the crushing loss of her cherished husband.
Linda resides in Charleston with her beloved family of human and furry beings. Her website, 
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