Youth Angst Society returns to UNC at Bull’s Head

After years of activity, the Youth Angst Society disappeared.

So this year, UNC sophomore Alex Karsten decided to bring it back.

The group was originally founded in 1997 by Dan Kois as a forum for student writers to share their work aloud with their peers.

Karsten’s revitalized Youth Angst Society will hold its first public reading tonight in Bull’s Head Bookshop.

Karsten, a creative writing minor on the poetry track, said he decided to restore the organization when he saw a poster on poetry professor Michael McFee’s door.

He reached out to friends and fellow creative writing students to organize the event.

“As soon as I approached people to get this together, they were all in right away,” Karsten said.

He said he hopes the society will provide an opportunity for writers to share their writing and contribute to the University’s literary community.

“We really want to give people a motivation and a vehicle to write and share their writing with others,” Karsten said.

Karsten approached Kyle McKay, marketing director of Bull’s Head, about using the store for the group’s readings.

McKay said he was supportive of the idea and coordinated with Stacie Smith, the manager of the Bull’s Head, to get everything organized and running.

“Part of the mission of the Bull’s Head Bookshop is to provide literary support to the UNC and Chapel Hill community,” McKay said.

“We aspire to be more than just a place for people to buy books — we want to help foster a thriving literary community on campus and (the society) is a perfect example of something where we can help do that.”

McKay said that Bull’s Head hosts an average of two to three events per week in a semester, and each draws anywhere from 25 to 70 students.

Most of the events are local and faculty authors reading recently released books, but the shop also seeks to support students and their work.

“The Society is a great way to encourage undergrads to write, share and inspire one another in their writing,” McKay said.

Tom Macarte will share a poem at tonight’s reading that is part of a project he’s doing on the cultural geography of Chapel Hill and Carrboro.

“It’s a great thing to be a part of and to bring attention to the writing we have here,” he said.

Karsten said though he’s uncertain what the turnout will be like, it has been a rewarding process.

“Even if it’s just the readers there reading, I’ve met some new writers, I’ve met and spoken further with some professors,” he said.

“I’ve read a lot of work that’s been great to experience.”

Contact the Arts Editor at arts@dailytarheel.com.