The Journal of Expressive Writing is more than a publication. We aim to be an engaged and supportive community of writers and listeners. Giving our focused attention to each other’s voices, stories and writing is a generous, necessary act of humanity, repair and celebration.

On June 23, 2022, our monthly OPEN MIC series will feature writer R.J. Lambert as he launches his debut poetry collection, Mind Lit in Neon plus 15 other writers who will read their work. Our feature writer will read for 30 minutes. Each of our contributing authors will have 3 minutes to read their best expressive writing, poetry, stories, free writing, non-fiction, personal essay, memoir, reflective essay, prose, contemplative discourse, and creative non-fiction.

Our featured writer, R.J. Lambert (he, him, his) grew up near Denver and survived the 1999 Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, Colorado. He has since been interested in the healing power of writing as individuals and communities respond to crises such as relationship violence, environmental disasters, mental health, and HIV/AIDS.

R.J.’s debut poetry collection, Mind Lit in Neon, is newly available from Finishing Line Press. In these short lyric poems, R.J. brings together 80s music and fine art, celebrities and philosophers, nature and neon, all with a candid and curious sensibility. One poem, “Habits of Creature,” was chosen by Kaveh Akbar for the 2021 Patricia Cleary Miller Award for Poetry from New Letters, and The Worcester Review nominated the poem “Indelible in the Hippocampus” for a 2021 Pushcart Prize. Other poems in this collection were finalists for the Tupelo Quarterly Broadside Prize and the Crab Creek Review Poetry Prize. R.J.'s poetry appears widely, including recent publications such as Denver Quarterly, Superstition Review, and Temenos.

Having worked for many years in cancer research as a medical editor and grant writer, R.J. now teaches scientific and professional writing at the Medical University of South Carolina. Within the Office of Humanities, he regularly assists with course offerings, humanities events and outreach programs including MUSC’s annual statewide Septima P. Clark Student Poetry Competition.

Learn more at: rj-lambert.com

Come listen to R.J. Lambert and 15 other amazing authors read their work LIVE!

The Journal's OPEN MIC series is FREE to attend and OPEN TO ALL, but you do need to Pre-Register here through eventbrite to get the live Zoom link.

The OPEN MIC series is produced and hosted by Kelly DuMar.