FEATURED WRITER 2021
I was born in Norrkoping, Sweden, about two hours south of the capital, Stockholm. My parents, my sister, and I moved to Greenville, SC in 2011. I love learning about different cultures and all they entail: food, music, language, and so much more, and I always enjoy visiting new places. Some are real, and some are imaginary. Books let me experience what would otherwise be impossible; they are a doorway to exciting worlds yet undiscovered, waiting for a brave adventurer to turn their pages. From witty Mark Twain to intriguing Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to comedic Lemony Snicket, I read it all. My love for reading led quite naturally to a love for writing. In high school, if I was bored in class, I would write poems and short stories beside my notes. In English class, when everyone else was grumbling, I really didn’t mind all those essays. Writing is a way for me to express myself, and more than that, it is an art and I know I still have much to learn. I take inspiration from details, short moments in time that I try to catch and pin down on a paper. But it isn’t always easy, and that’s why I appreciate the guidance of many teachers throughout my middle and high school years and of the professors here at Greenville Tech. I never thought that my silly little poems would grow into something that would be published by the Blue Granite Review. As for the future, I will always be writing. There are still so many places out there to see, so many people to meet, so many things to live, so many stories to tell. I want to share them all.
FEATURED ARTIST 2021
Yulia began her education at Greenville Technical College in 2019 majoring in fine arts and graphic design. She is interested in studying packaging and motion graphic design. After she completes her Associates at Tech she plans on transferring to Lander University to complete her B.F.A. She enjoys design and artwork that communicates genuine feelings, citing artists Salvador Dali, Little Thunder, and Nathalie Nguyen among her favorites. Yulia has had an interest in visual arts and drawing since childhood. Holding herself to very high standards, she sometimes finds accepting imperfection in her work challenging. She credits all of her art teachers from elementary school through college with helping to shape the artist she is today and is also very inspired through the encouragement of close friends and family members. She enjoys illustration for its capacity to transport the viewer to a character’s experiences. For this reason, she enjoys reading and reflecting on the visual counterpart to a narrative. When she was 10 years old, Yulia received a free pass to skate at the local ice skating rink. This resulted in her continued practice as a skater, so in addition to her work in the visual arts, she spends her extra time teaching other young skaters.