The Atlanta Odyssey

Robert Barsky is launching The Atlanta Odyssey at The Goat Farm Arts Center on Saturday, October 24, from 11 AM to 4 PM. It's an illustrated epic poem, and the launch is part of Book//Zine, Burnaway's annual art book and zine fair, so there's more to it than just a reading: you can make your own Odyssey-themed zines while you're there.

Barsky took his cue from Homer's Odyssey, but he swapped the Mediterranean for Atlanta and Fulton County. The poem follows a character named 'George'—the same poet known from Beltline Chronicles—as he wanders through the city weaving an epic story of his adventures. It's a local take on the old quest narrative, meant to reflect the great journeys of the past while pointing toward future ones through the city and the county.

What makes it an illustrated poem is how it layers the city's history with things Barsky recorded on the way: photographs and soundscapes of graffiti, artworks, and landmarks. It's a piece of the city built into the work itself. If you want a preview of the work-in-progress before the launch, you can find it at contours.pubpub.org/the-atlanta-odyssey.

The project is sponsored by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners' Arts & Culture Program Area, and any revenues go to assist homeless people in Fulton County. The launch runs from 11 AM to 4 PM on Saturday, October 24, at The Goat Farm Arts Center, 1200 Foster St, Atlanta, as part of the Book//Zine fair.