JANNA mcMAHAN Jasper 2013 Artist of the Year in LITERARY arts > Winner By ed madden
n January, Janna McMahan published Anonymity (Koehler Books), her fifth novel. Gritty and based on extensive research, the novel tells the tale of a difficult friendship between a photographer and a homeless teenage girl in Austin. Author Silas House describes McMahan as “a natural voice who gracefully walks the tightrope of being both literary and commercial,” and novelist Ron Rash calls Anonymity McMahan’s best yet. Real South magazine praised the novel’s gritty realism and its exploration of a situation in which “there are no easy answers for anyone.” She also contributed “A Name You Can Yell” (yes, she’s talking about how you name a dog—or a kid?) in Literary Dogs and their South Carolina Writers, published by Hub City Press in Spartanburg just before Christmas 2012, and “Pat Conroy: Or How I Stalked My Prince of Tides,” in The Limelight: A Compendium of Contemporary Artists, published by Muddy Ford Press earlier this year. Anonymity has led to speaking engagements in schools and community organizations throughout the Southeast. Some Richland Library book clubs read the novel this fall, and in November, the Main Street library hosted a community panel discussion on youth homelessness in Columbia. McMahan says, “This has been a story with social impact, and I’m most grateful for how people are interested in the topic and actually taking action.” “I was delighted to learn that I was nominated as one of Jasper’s Artists of the Year,” says McMahan. She explains, “An author’s efforts often seem like a big question mark. Is what I’m doing good? Is it worthwhile? Will anyone be entertained? Will anyone even care? A writer’s life can be fraught with rejection, so a little encouragement is always welcome.” McMahan adds, “Jasper does a compelling, insightful job of covering our exploding local arts scene. The writers are artists themselves and they report with an involved understanding of creative endeavors. To be selected as an Artist of the Year by Jasper would be lovely validation that I must be doing something right.” 16