Artists and writers are the explorers of our souls. They navigate our inner landscapes and delve into the turbulence of our emotions, which are shaped by the world around us—its politics, events, and social changes. Through their work, we gain insight into ourselves and our place within these contexts.

Turning fragility into form, silence into art or poetry, darkness into light, by supporting an artist or poet in the most human sense requires risk and acknowledgment—a civic duty that demands our time in a world that devours everything with haste and judgment, seldom pausing for reflection.

Poets:

1. Lindsey Hull
2. Rachel Anne Morris
3. Mark Fryburg
4. Magge Dillow

Renee Good, 37 was fatally shot by an Ice Agent on January 7th in Minneapolis after dropping off her 6 year old son to school. She described herself as a "poet and writer and wife and mom."

Good’s death occurred at a time when U.S. Pres.Trump ordered some 2,000 ICE officers to be sent to Minneapolis as part of what an administration official called the “largest immigration operation ever.

In the days after Good’s death, thousands of people participated in protests against ICE in Minnesota and around the country.

Good studied creative writing at Old Dominion University in Virginia and was awarded the school’s poetry prize in 2020. She won a 2020 Academy of American Poets University and College Prize, one of the top awards in the nation, for On Learning to Dissect Fetal Pigs.

GUEST POETS;

Jane Goette, An Old Song
Jessica Mardian, A little over a week after January 7th
Mark Fryburg, QUOTES
Erica Joiner,What They Have Wrought
Anne Deaton, Renee Good Has Gone to Wake the Dead…
Katryn Broadoak, Murdered Good

Skip Brown-(reading;) On Learning to Dissect Fetal Pig by Renée Nicole Macklin Good

Dr. Michael Godin is a facial plastic surgeon with a passion for storytelling.

He also has a passion for storytelling. While he loves the world of plastic surgery, he has a passion for storytelling. His creative side had been nurtured as a child, he became an avid reader while growing up in Los Angeles San Fernando Valley.

What Godin didn't know at the time was how much learning to write persuasively would help him in his medical career. He has written over 20 scientific articles and a bestselling surgical textbook.

While he always found time to write, his ultimate goal was to create works of fiction. He survived surgical training during the 1980's at the beginning of the HIV pandemic, experiences that inspired his debut novel, The Big Prick. Learning to operate and surf, he continued to write, and took good care of his patients.

The year's experiences culminated in his writing of Surgery Survival Guide: A Manual for International Precocious Medical Students, which sold at medical bookstores throughout the US and Canada.

His debut novel, the Big Prick; received critical acclaim and reader response, he then went on to write his second novel, Fighting Gravity. This romantic comedy explores challenges of midlife, divorce and modern dating through the eyes of a New Orleans plastic surgeon.

Drawing from his decades of experience in medicine and his understanding of human nature, Godin brings authenticity and heart to his stories about second chances and personal transformation.

Dr. Godin practices facial plastic surgery in Richmond, Virginia and Southern California.

Sheila is the 2016 recipient of the American Library Association Sullivan Award “presented annually to a single Library Director nationally who has shown exceptional understanding and support of community service to children.” In addition, in 2018, Sheila was named Citizen of the Year, Humanitarian by the Roanoke Chapter of the NAACP and in 2024 she was the recipient of the Martin Luther King Community Service Award.

In June of 2019, the National Civic League named Roanoke the first ever “All America Hall of Fame City” for Sheila’s work with Star City Reads and the Library’s impactful Feed Read and Grow initiative. In 2021, the Library received a National Bright Spot award from the Campaign for Grade Level Reading for their impactful community work during the pandemic.

The Library received the Virginia Municipal League 2021 Innovation in Local Government Award (working with Youth category) for her work with families during Covid and in 2024 for an Innovation in Local Government Award (Safety) for a collaborative project with Police on gun safety for families. She was most recently received the 2025 100 Heroes Project Award from United Way as an outstanding Leader in the region.

The Roanoke Public Library Foundation actively partners with Artemis Journal to ensure this year's journal is readily available to the public. This collaboration underscores our commitment to providing valuable literary resources for our community.

AI can complete virtually any cognitive task, at least as well as a human. So, how does Artificial Intelligence, typically associated with human intelligence, affect our lives? Artemis Speaks is my platform for investigating and interviewing artists and writers, and I must be mindful of this process in the work I publish.

AI as a tool can perform tasks associated with human intelligence, and almost everyone has experienced this tool, which has maximized the achievement of defined goals. As a photographer, I have used Photoshop for a long time. We have all used spellcheck.

But beyond that, AI is seeping into all aspects of our lives, including search engines, virtual assistants, language models, strategy games, drone systems, medical advancements, Robotics, autonomous vehicles, and more. And the question is…How will it affect us in the here and now as well as the future?

I am digging deeper into the field of AI with two guests today, all from different careers who have used these AI tools, and hear their experiences with AI.

My guests are;

Skip Brown, Musician and owner Final Track Studios, Artemis Speaks co-producer

Susan Saandholland, conceptual artist and writer

Today’s guest is Ann Goethe, a prolific writer known for her poetry, novels, musicals and plays, including operas. She is a recipient of The Virginia Arts & Humanities Prize and has served as a Fellow at the Sewanee Writer's Conference.

Ann co-founded several initiatives, including ReNew The New, Giles Political Action, and the Giles Early Education Project. Her musical *COMING OF AGE*, explores middle school experiences, was adapted into a film by the National Association of Secondary School Principals. However her proudest achievement is the musical "JOSH," which addresses the serious topic of teen suicide.

Her novel, MIDNIGHT LEMONADE, was a finalist for the Barnes & Noble Discovery Prize; her novel GONER was a finalist for The Indy Press literary award in 2016. She wrote the libretto for TRAVELS, an opera performed by Opera Roanoke.

As the founder of the Blacksburg New School, now in its 54th year, Ann continues to inspire and shape the future of education and the arts through her work in literature and education.
Her poem "TREE TALK" was featured in Artemis Journal 2025.

Elani Spencer is a 19-year-old poet based in Roanoke, Virginia. She was born and raised in Rochester, NY, and currently attends Hollins University where she is pursuing a bachelors of art in Creative Writing and a minor in Business. She is Roanoke’s first ever Youth Poet Laureate, and she has appeared at many local art events, in newspaper articles, and on television programs like WDBJ7. Elani is currently interning with the Roanoke Arts Commission and she is also acting as the social media manager for Artemis as well as a reader for the editorial team.