Spotlight Artists
This Spotlight Zine is composed of two very talented artists and writers who make Rockland High School a better place with their work. In this Zine we are recognizing Bryce Taylor and Jacob Nunn. Enjoy their work and our interviews w/ Bryce and Jacob!
By: Bryce Taylor
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“Hello, I’m...” By Jacob Nunn (New)
One man with power of three
He sings his tunes in the key of E
Rebel on the loose against the flak
Broken down Charger, black as a cat
Burns through the night like a pyromaniac
He is, the Man in Black
Profound destruction around the man
If anyone could explain it, he sure can
Others get escorted out the back
Couldn’t stand the sight of people like that
While his voice rings to crowd in the back
He is, the Man in Black
Along the coast, along the rivers
Along the bough, the breaks, I shiver
Comes the sight, upon the rocks
Over the hills, the trees, and stalks
As child and men, begin to attack
Enters through the fields of lilac
It is, the Man in Black.
World on the verge of utter outbreak
While the lords sit and eat rich steak
The man has no thought to wanna crack
Holy words bound to a single paperback
Perhaps he thinks to give it all back
He is, the Man in Black
As Tricky Dick requests a southern ballad
He prepares a couple songs written so rabid
Prepared to win the folks with a mighty whack
Enter the rebellious Man in Black
Sings to nation, not to the contract
He is, the Man in Black
Along the coast, along the rivers
Along the bough, the breaks, I shiver
Comes the sight, upon the rocks
Over the hills, the trees, and stalks
As child and men, begin to attack
Enters through the fields of lilac
It is, the Man in Black.
By: Bryce Taylor
By: Bryce Taylor
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Excerpt from “To Be” By Jacob Nunn
“To serve the servants must be infuriating. Do the servants respect you as if they would break bread
with you? Or do they respect you as if you would respect them? Do you respect them? What does it
mean to be respected? What does it mean to be a tool of war?”
“The World At Times” by Jacob Nunn
Summer chill brings winter flowers
Piping cold tiger lily’s breathe so softly
The sun freezes the grass as the day lives
The moon burns all that look upon it
The ocean is dry and the fish are clean
The desert is wet and the cacti are soaked
Woman is Man and Man is Woman
So children are to be nothing of the such
War is as Peaceful as those Summer Chills
The price is as much as a wet towel
Corruption is key to well working lifestyle
Those subjected are unruly by nature
The poor kill the rich they must be stopped
The rich are subject to the most vulgar life
Cats kill dogs
Rain melts water
Ice is not cold
Life is simple
The depression uplifts any weary soul
The sad man brings his smile everywhere he goes
By: Bryce Taylor
Interviews:
Jacob Nunn's Interview
1. When did you start writing? How did you get into writing?
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I started writing technically around first grade, I wrote a story about a baseball team that wins a close game. I wrote it in pen. I was also the illustrator. It was three pages. Around 15 words. Possibly my greatest work to be honest.
2. What inspires you to write? How did you become interested in writing?
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Anything inspires me, whether it be nature, war, politics, hypocrisy, comedy, irony. I just like to write. I became interested in writing I guess to jot down my feelings instead of verbally expressing them. I have a tendency to clam up and/or cuss out of nerves when I speak so I write to combat that inability.
3. What is your favorite thing to write about?
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My favorite thing to write about is whatever is on my mind. I don’t go out of my way to write about things that don’t interest me. I guess living in a first-world country I am allowed that luxury.
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4. What is your favorite piece you have written?
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My favorite piece is tough. I recently wrote a song/poem about Johnny Cash and his legacy titled “Hello I’m...”. I am a huge Johnny Cash fan so it was fun to write. I like my piece “Prefecture” (I believe that’s what I titled it) and I talk about the A-bomb in Japan. How hippy of me eh.
5. How often do you write? How much time do you spend writing?
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I have a lot of free time so I write whenever I get the mind to. I can’t write if I don’t want to, I wouldn’t produce anything interesting, it would sound depressing and conceited. I usually spend an hour a day writing, writing poems or music.
6. Do you have a favorite topic to write about?
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My favorite topic would be war I guess. There’s a lot to pick from war, not just violence but social effects and the consequences of decisions. It’s a heavy topic that many like to glamorize but never really think about. And I like to write about flowers. Yep. I’m a big flower guy. I use them as symbols all the time in my writing.
7.Do you like to share your writing with other people?
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Sure I like to share my writing. I am in Images after all. Whether it is read or not isn’t up to me.It’s difficult to write things people want to read. That’s why I only share the ones that would have a chance to captivate or provoke thought. Not every metaphor is gonna be an earth shaker. After all, we are just angsty teens with a dictionary and a dream.
Bryce Taylor's Interview
1) When did you are getting into to drawing?
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I started writing comics in Elementary School, after a Constellation Project. I made a comic about the character in the constellation and have kept expanding and making changes upon it since. I really got into writing because of the freedom it gives to express your ideas.
2) Who or what inspires you to draw?
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What inspires me to write is the thought of creating another world through drawings and literature, that even though it’s fake, it can still make a reader feel emotions from it. I enjoy writing stories in a world that isn’t Earth, but one that is extremely similar, so that it’s still relatable.
3) How much time do you spend drawing?
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Though I don’t write as much as I draw, I usually write a short story every once in a while. However, I always draw at least 30 minutes a day, but usually 2 or more hours a day
4) Do you have any other hobbies besides drawing?
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My favorite thing to write about anything ridiculous. My favorite thing to do is take the dumbest thing I can think of, and see how serious I can get people to take it. An example is a character named Grundus Mundus, who is a purple skinned and yellow haired boxer. Obviously people won’t take him seriously at first, but the goal is to make people eventually take him serious and like him as a character because of what he goes through and what he does
5) What piece that you have drawn are you the most proud of?
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My favorite piece I’ve made is a comic called “Number 68” about a mentally impaired Superhero clone. He has to travel to a distant country, but deal with his old enemies who want to sabotage his trip. It’s an action and comedy centered comic that eases into a more serious tone as it goes on, and deals with racial discrimination, human nature, loss, and identity issues.
My favorite topic to write about is what divides people, and what what exactly the difference between people is, and why it’s important, but also why it shouldn’t matter as much as it does to many people.
6) Do you plan on doing something with art in the future?
I love sharing my work with other people, as it helps me understand exactly what I’m doing right, and what I’m doing wrong or need to work on.
“Conceited Pupil” by Jacob Nunn
Latin for elongated diction, Tyrannosaurus Thesaurus
A disingenuous example of literary pride
The cunning exemplary figure of papyrus bravado
Where is the intelligence in premeditated scripture?
What is a wordsmith