Dozens of artists, writers, and community members from across Central Texas gathered on the evening of Friday, April 25, to celebrate the release of the 11th edition of Soul by Southwest, the annual literary and visual arts journal published by the Center for Writing and the Arts (CWA) at Seminary of the Southwest.
The launch event transformed the Bishop Dena A. Harrison library into a vibrant hub of creativity. Guests enjoyed a gallery exhibition of visual art from contributors, live readings by featured writers, and musical performances by the Duane Carter Band. Adding a touch of improvisational creativity to the evening, poets from Typewriter Rodeo — Sean Petrie and Bianca Perez — crafted personalized poems for attendees on the spot using vintage typewriters.
Claire Colombo, director of the CWA and editor of the journal, spoke to the significance of the evening. “It was a delight, as always, to hold space not only for the creative works of our contributors, but also for the courageous sharing of those works,” she said. “The long arc of the creative process includes countless hours of making — usually in solitude — and then a very public moment in which we release what we’ve made into the world. That moment can be harrowing — and yet, when done in community, it often ends up being a moment of great joy, and even transcendence.”
This year’s journal is themed around “belonging,” and features the work of more than 30 artists and writers, including students, faculty, staff, and members of the broader Southwest community. During the event, Colombo expressed gratitude to contributors for both their artistic offerings and for fostering a sense of community and inclusion through their work.
Dean and President of Seminary of the Southwest, Scott Bader-Saye, Ph.D., shared, “This event was a beautiful and fitting culmination of months of effort on the part of Dr. Claire Colombo and her team. Art and poetry are ways that we seek to uncover the deep meaning of things and to reveal the presence of God in the ordinary. The contributions to this year’s journal were insightful, playful, and profound—sometimes all at once. It was great to be able to welcome members of the wider Central Texas community to our campus for this event and to receive the gift of their creativity.”
The evening concluded with live readings from the 2025 edition of the journal, with several contributors sharing their poetry aloud to an appreciative audience.
“This was a true celebration of the arts in community,” said Colombo.
The digital collection of this year’s issue of Soul by Southwest can be found on Open Book, and print copies can be obtained in the Southwest bookstore.
