A playwright, a poet and a novelist headline Seersucker Live 'The Homecoming Episode'

Do you consider yourself book-ish? A finely turned phrase twists inspiration into your own prose. Perhaps poetry in lilt and meter delivers to your mind intricacies of heart and soul. If skilled writers reading selections of their work entices, you don’t want to miss the latest installment of Savannah’s very own Seersucker Live—A Literary Performance.

On Thursday, Nov. 9, Seersucker Live hosts “The Homecoming Episode” with three accomplished authors at Front Porch Improv, 210 W. Victory Dr., Savannah. The evening turns on a theme of coming home, with works presented by Halle Hill, Jazmine Faries, and Danelle Lejeune. Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 with student ID.

In 2010, Chris Berinato, author and culture writer with Savannah Morning News, and Zach Powers, currently artistic director at The Writer’s Center in Bethesda, Maryland, agreed the Hostess City needed a showcase for literary arts. Both enjoyed the energy and inspiration that often flowed from listening to writers share their words. They put their heads together and came up with Seersucker Live, an experience that’s part talk show, part cocktail party and part literature reading. The organization has hosted an array of artists in its 13-year history, with each themed performance spanning a range of subjects and genres.

“We’ve featured well over 100 writers, whether in our main show or in the smaller production, Seersucker Shots, at The Book Lady,” reflected Berinato. “Zach and I started this because we are writers, and we like going to readings and wanted to share that.”

In curating, Berinato generally seeks three writers different in genre and geographic location. His aim is to present nationally, regionally and locally recognized talent.

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Danelle Lejeune: Poet explores isolation of farm life

Danelle Lejeune, who now lives in Richmond Hill, came to Savannah's poetry and literary milieu by way of Iowa, livestock farming and sustainable agriculture. With an undergraduate degree from Drake University, an MA in historic preservation, American history and creative non-fiction from Iowa State and an MFA in creative writing from Savannah College of Art and Design, Lejeune is a veritable powerhouse of language, knowledge and multi-disciplinary understanding.

But she wasn’t always aware of the value of her insights. About a decade ago, she stayed a week at the Ossabaw Island Writer’s Retreat, which opened her eyes to her own potential and led to an invitation to the Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference. That conference went on to open many more doors for writing and publication. But it was an unpleasant divorce that ultimately primed her to be part of the world of literature and poetry.

“It was the final nail in the coffin of my tumultuous marriage,” recalled Lejeune. “I’d been accepted to a six- week, fully-funded writer’s residency in Prague in summer 2015, and my husband said, ‘If you go, I want a divorce.’ I went, and when I returned, I could no longer live on our farm. It was brutal, but I got custody of our three children and found a way to move to Savannah.”

Lejeune’s first book of poetry came out in 2017 entitled, “Landlocked: Etymology of Whale Fish and Grace.” Her second book, in line for publication, is poetry-as-catharsis in surviving domestic abuse and the isolation common, but often not spoken of, in farm life. The work also addresses the difficulty of women getting social and psychological help in rural communities, especially around abuse. Lejeune anticipates sharing primarily work from this soon-to-be published book of poems.

Jazmine Faries: Star of 'Iron Family' documentary to perform scene from play

Jazmine Faries, who lives in Iron River, Michigan, is set to perform a scene from of one of her plays. Faries, an imaginative woman with Down syndrome, writes works in which she envisions herself as “fashion mogul to the stars.” In these, she’s also written a long-standing, sometimes funny other times dramatic, relationship between she and actor Matthew McConaughey. The work is fun, fanciful and fully supported by friends and family in her hometown, including Savannah resident and big brother, Chad Faries.

Most recently, she starred in a documentary about her life, “Iron Family,” which won the Audience Award at the 2022 Slamdance Film Festival. Directed and produced by Patrick and Anne Longstreth, the film also received critical praise from a number of festivals across the United States.

“With the movie we traveled a lot,” said Faries. “I really liked Los Angeles, it was great. We stayed in the Loews Hotel, went to Universal Studios. It was really, really fun. I’m a huge fan of “Friends,” and Matthew Perry’s death made me very sad. I might have a part for him in the next season. I’m looking forward to being in Savannah to see my director friends Pat and Anne.”

She and her team have also filmed a season of shows, “Jazmine’s Fairy Tales Reality Incorporated,” with which they are currently in negotiations for distribution with a major streaming service.

Halle Hill: Acclaimed novelist shares stories of Black women in Appalachia

Also sharing the stage is Halle Hill whose debut “Good Women” is generating a buzz among readers and industry heavy-hitters. Published in September, the collection of short stories has already garnered sterling accolades from Kirkus Reviews, Oprah, People Magazine and more.

An MFA graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design’s writing program, Hill currently lives in Winston-Salem and is touring the South East in celebration of her book. The work of fiction explores the lives of 12 contemporary Black women in the Appalachian South, with one woman trying to reconcile the lies she must peddle in working for a for-profit, scam college; a working-class woman ponders revenge on a local religious man, while a loving sister wrestles with the guilt she feels in helping her brother elope with a man he’s been having a secret relationship with.

Berinato insists the evening will be an engaging experience, full of highs, lows and everything in between.

“Our aim is to treat literature with respect but also in a fun way. The show can cover a whole spectrum of emotions, and we want to honor that with diverse writers presenting to a diverse audience.”

If You Go >>

What: Seersucker Live—The Homecoming Episode

When: 7:30 p.m., Nov. 9, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Front Porch Improv, 210 W. Victory Drive, Savannah

Tickets: $15 general admission; $10 with student ID, to purchase frontporchimprov.com/calendar-tix

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Seersucker Live hosts 'The Homecoming Episode' at Front Porch Improv