Jordan Penland was wallowing in post-graduation depression when he randomly spotted a Palms NC lawn sign while out on a walk. Desperate for some direction in his life, he started volunteering for the neighborhood council and eventually was appointed the Palms Youth Representative.
Penland’s definition of “Youth” is rather broad - he himself is a Graduate of UC Santa Cruz with a BA in Literature, with an emphasis on creative writing - he is an adult by all intents and purposes.
“The way I see it, human lifespans are so relatively short in comparison to most other entities in the cosmos, that relatively, all people are young,” said Penland.
He has since taken this philosophy and his education in writing to establish the hyper-local literary magazine, Scorched Palms, a collection of short stories, poems and art by residents of Palms, youth and otherwise.
”Scorched Palms came out of my and my co-founder/college friend Allison Finley’s desire to keep pursuing the literary magazine work we did while in school.” said Penland.
“[Finley] handles all of the digital and design work, which is why the Zine looks as good as it does and isn’t just a crayon collage in my sketchbook.”
The little neighborhood 'Zine is Penland’s way to get residents engaged with local politics - which he acknowledges can be alienating, intimidating and not accessible for most people. “By shifting the focus to a Zine, one that encourages people to share their creativity, I feel like we can get a wider range of people to come participate.”
Penland’s original intention was for the Zine to be a free physical publication with a wide distribution throughout Palms. The Covid19 outbreak put a stop to that however, and the Zine has remained an exclusively online publication available on the Palms NC website.
“When we eventually get this pandemic under control where it isn’t a hazard to physically engage people, I’d like to get back to making physical copies for everyone to have,” said Penland “Beyond that, I’d like the Zine to keep picking up momentum throughout LA and become one of those staple lit magazines that people enjoy.”
Along with managing the Zine, Penland’s position on the Palms NC has him interacting with schools and organizations in the neighborhood pertaining to youth, addressing and advocating for youth issues. With one more year on the NC, Penland hopes to create a lasting impact in the neighborhood and set a precedent for what the Youth Rep role can accomplish in the community.
“I want to make this Zine the best it can be,” said Penland, adding candidly that he wants Scorched Palms to eventually gain enough internet clout through some unknown means so literary agents will take him seriously as an author, eventually working his way to end all unnecessary human suffering. “Those are my immediate life goals,” said Penland “But that too, is susceptible to change.”
Want to submit your work to Scorched Palms? You can submit to the Zine by emailing your art, prose, poetry, drawings, and everything in between to Jordan Penland at jordan.penland@palmsnc.la
