ABOUT US
Sassafras Literary Exchange
Inspiring Pickens County Writers for More than 40 Years
“Each time I leave a Sassafras meeting, I feel a bit more like writing than I did when I came.”
~William Young
A wee, tiny want ad in the Pickens County Progress is how it started; the Sassafras Literary Exchange, that is.
You see, Pickens County native Cordia Byers read a book and didn’t like the ending. “I can do better than that!” she said. Somewhere during the writing process, she realized that not only did she not know any writers, she didn’t know anyone who was even interested in writing.
Thus, the advertisement!
Read more HERE
Join us at our next meeting to learn more, to get input and feedback on your writing, and to hang out with some really cool folks.
We Love Words
Basically, we’re a group of diverse people that have one thing in common – we love words!
Whether it’s writing or reading, our group is here to share and collaborate.
We Foster Future Writers
In addition to getting together to chat about writing, we also sponsor an annual writing contest for the youth in Pickens County. Students in junior high and high school are invited to submit their literary creations. Visit THIS page for details.
If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut.
~Stephen King
Contact us for more information or to join us.
President
Jessica Bowers
A local whose family has been in the area for generations, Jessica’s novels and short stories incorporate elements drawn from her Appalachia roots. She writes and performs stories as Odessa Blaine. Jessica loves encouraging the creative passions of others by serving multiple writer focused nonprofits based in the Southeast and providing marketing and project management to small businesses.
Her novel Where the Roots Tangle is coming September 2026 through Mercer University Press as her pen name, Odessa Blaine.
And the Moon Sees Me, a short film based on one of her original performance stories, has been accepted to seven film festivals. It earned Outstanding Visual Achievement at the Appalachian Film Festival 2025 and Best Cinematography at Love Your Shorts Film Festival 2026.
President Emeritus
William Young
Moving to the Jasper area just in time for fourth grade, William has been a member of the community off and on since 1951. He married his wife in 1977 and they raised a daughter together. William’s stories are full of adventure, much like his colorful life. He was one of the original members of Sassafras Literary when it started all those years ago with an advertisement in the Pickens Progress.
Secretary & Treasurer
Jeremy & Georgia Allen
Jeremy Allen is a local author. His debut novel, The Doors of Timothy O’Rourke, is a coming of age story journey through the stages of grief and finding inner strength.
Georgia Allen is a local teacher and helps Jeremy with editing. She’s even been known to write the occasional poem.
They have already been working hard to support Sassafras Literary. We’re thrilled they accepted the nominations to the board.
Board Member
Angela Reinhardt
Angela has dedicated her life to writing and the arts. In addition to working as a professional journalist for over 17 years, Angela serves her community as president of the Pickens Arts & Cultural Alliance, a non-profit whose mission is to support arts and culture, and is also director of the ArtWalk Jasper event series. Angela has won over 12 Georgia Press Association awards for her writing, including 1st Place for Feature Writing, Enterprise Story, and others, and writes poetry and non-fiction. She has more hobbies than time but isn’t complaining. Angela loves her farm life in west Pickens County where she lives with her husband Eric, their teenagers, Auri and Scarlett, and her koi fish and cats.