Loose Leaf Notes

-The following was first published at Floyd Times on September 15, 2026.

Artemis, a Floyd-based poetry and visual art journal serving the Blue Ridge Mountain region and beyond, recently celebrated its 50th anniversary at Roanoke’s Taubman Museum with its 2026 book launch. The September 4th sold-out event featured 2026 U.S. Poet Laureate Arthur Sze and internationally acclaimed artist Michele Oka Doner, cover artist of this year’s Artemis.

Founder and Editor-in-Chief Jerri Rogers was honored for her 50 years of creative vision and dedication with a Proclamation from the Office of Mayor Joseph Cobb of Roanoke declaring September 4, 2026, the launch day, as 2026 Artemis Journal Day. Artists and poetry contributors and community partners in attendance were asked to stand and be recognized.

“The 50th anniversary theme, “Origins,” explores roots, emergence, mentorship, and the stories that help us rise a testament to the resilience and creativity born from adversity,” the event press release reads. It’s a fitting theme because Artemis was founded by Rogers in 1976 as a writing workshop for survivors of domestic violence when she served as the first director of Roanoke’s Woman’s Resource Center. Today, as a nonprofit, Artemis donates 10% of annual sales to a local women’s shelter, staying true to its mission of amplifying diverse creative voices from the region.

During a conversation, facilitated by interviewer Douglas Jackson, an Arts and Culture Coordinator for the City of Roanoke, both Sze and Rogers shared their origin stories.

Sze, a poet, a translator, and an editor, was born in New York City in 1950 to Chinese immigrant parents. He is the 25th United States poet laureate, serving his term in 2025–26, and on 14 April 2026 he was named to a second term as poet laureate for 2026–2027. He is the author of 12 books of poetry, including Into the Hush (2025), the winner of the 2025 Bollingen Prize for American Poetry for Lifetime Achievement.  Sze served as a professor and director of the creative writing program at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he lives.

Rogers, who grew up in Texas and currently lives in Floyd County, came to Roanoke in her ‘20s through a marriage.  It took a while for her to really appreciate the region but soon she fell in love with it and the Blue Ridge Mountains. She, an artist herself as a photographer, spoke of the healing quality of art and how it creates community.  “Our reputation has grown,” she said about the journal. “We get submissions now from far far away, like Japan and England.”

Along with showcasing the talents of emerging regional artists and writers with nationally recognized contributors, Pulitzer Prize winners, and poet laureates, Artemis, with Rogers at the helm, is dedicated to youth mentorship. The non-profit literary and art publication offers internships to Hollins University students, and this year, partnered with Roanoke City Public Schools, Roanoke Arts Commission and Roanoke Public Library to launch a regional Youth Poet Laureate program.

Sze read several of his poems, including “At the Equinox,” the poem that appears in Artemis 2026 which references Roanoke as well as Homer, Alaska. “My wife, Carol Moldan, was also a poet and she was a visiting poet at Hollins University in 2011,” he said.

“…On the mud flats off Homer, / I catch the tremor when waves start to slide back in; / and, from Roanoke, you carry / the leafing jade smoke of willows. / Looping out into the world, we thread / and return. The lapping waves / cover an expanse of mussels clustered on rocks; / and, giving shape to what is unspoken, / forsythia buds and blooms in our arms.” -Excerpt from At the Equinox

When asked what advice he would give to young writers, Sze responded, “The important thing is to go deep inside yourself and really take the time to not be in a hurry and take the time to develop and nurture that talent.”

“I would tell my students, don’t even think about whether you’re writing a poem or not, because that changes how you use your language. Think about writing with intensity and making each word count and make it compressed. Make each word as strong as you can,” he added.

During a question-and-answer segment of the event, Sze was asked about AI’s impact on professional writers. He responded, “AI can do a technical translation, but it doesn’t have the human spirit.” His answer drew a round of applause from the audience. – Colleen Redman

 Note: Copies of the 50th issue of Artemis are available for purchase at Troika gallery, Coco Mia, Taubman Museum of Art Store and online at the store for Artemis Journal www.artemisjournal.org/store

1. The launch of Artemis 2026 was a sold-out event at the Taubman Museum. Pictured in the front row are U.S. Poet Laureate Arthur Sze and artist Michele Oka Doner (to Sze’s right) who did the cover the 50th anniversary issue.  2. Artemis contributors from Floyd County Starroot and Katerine Chantal attended the 50th anniversary celebration. 3. Artist Carolyn Deck holds up her published contribution. Floyd Countian Suzi Ross’s art was also featured in teh issue. 4. Hors d’oeuvres and drinks were served. 5. Issue of Artemis 2026. 6. Douglas Johnson, poet Arthur Sze and publisher Jerri Rogers are pictured on the Taubman Museum stage. 7. A conversation with Sze and Rogers was facilitated by Douglas Johnson, the Arts and Culture Coordinator for the City of Roanoke. 8. Booksigning with Sze.