Dallas is often critiqued for its lack of culture, especially downtown. (Spencer J Eggers/The Daily Campus)
Literary arts magazine Tale of One City showcases the many faces of Dallas through the creative voices of city high school students.
Elizabeth Housewright was born and raised in Dallas. Housewright recalls some diversity at her high school, Lake Highlands, but said different ethnic and cultural groups tended to keep to themselves. Her Lake Highlands experience represents an issue that extends far beyond classroom walls: the city of Dallas – large, diverse, and comprised of many distinct parts – suffers from the same cultural divides.
“Dallas is a place that needs a bit of change. There [are] a lot of misunderstood cultures and misunderstood people,” Housewright said.
A current first-year student at The Art Institute of Chicago, she believes much of that change can be achieved through art. Last fall, as a high school senior, Housewright exercised some of that power by submitting a photography piece to a scholarship competition held by the literary publication Tale of One City. She won.
“Art is the expression of one’s opinions, experiences and – not to be dramatic – soul. There’s a lot of power in it,” she said.
“Through all forms of creative expression, Tale of One City looks to bridge the social, economic and racial gaps that separate us,” Tale of One City Co-Director Dylan Smith said.
Founded by SMU alumni Rebecca Quinn Teresi and Drew Konow in 2010, Tale of One City received its start as one of the university’s Big iDeas projects. According to the program website, Big iDeas at SMU awards grants to students who wish to “research and address challenges [the Dallas] area faces” to “improve the quality of life in the Big D.”
By compiling the stories of high school students from across the metroplex, the magazine largely gives unheard voices the chance to say something meaningful about the Dallas they know. Tale of One City aims to open up the discussion about the cultural divide in Dallas by giving those voices a platform from which to share their unique perspectives and experiences.
“Many people aren’t able to imagine a life or a background that is not their own, and by bringing disparate voices together, Tale of One City can show how even within a single city, city life is not uniform,” Julianna Bond, former Tale of One City operations chair said.
SMU sophomore Meredith Carey also serves as one of the magazine’s current co-directors. She says Tale of One City is looking to expand its efforts with the third edition. For the first time, the magazine will pursue publishing a printed edition for public distribution. Additionally, the Tale of One City team plans to contact more high schools to extend the competition. The new submission window will run from Nov. 1, 2012 to Feb. 1, 2013.
This year’s submission and publication cycle will culminate with an awards ceremony on March 20, 2013, the opening night of SMU’s annual Literary Fest. Winners of the annual competition receive one-time college scholarships. Housewright’s winning piece left a lasting impact on many.
“It was so poignantly and powerfully done that I still get the good kind of chills thinking about it. In so few words, the photographer was able to both identify many of the elements that we use to separate and categorize other people, as well as unify us all as being human. I feel like she was able to capture the spirit of the magazine perfectly,” Bond said.
For Carey and Smith, Tale of One City does more than just give out scholarships to promising young artists. It offers everyone the chance to learn about a side of Dallas they may not even know exists.
“Dallas is not to be taken as a homogeneous entity. Dallasites need help acknowledging that the city is a colorful mix of experiences, perspectives, and stories that compliment each other and build the Dallas we all love,” Bond said.
