"Expanse" by Adam Dastrup
Consecrate/Desecrate
A Great Salt Lake Anthology
con·se·crate
/ˈkänsəˌkrāt/
To make or declare something sacred; to formally dedicate something to a divine purpose; to devote to a purpose with or as if with deep solemnity or dedication; to make inviolable or venerable; to bless; to exalt; to preserve or save something; to transubstantiate or transform.
des·e·crate
/ˈdesəˌkrāt/
To treat a place with violent disrespect; violate; to disrespect something made sacred; to divest of sacred or hallowed character; to divert from a sacred to a profane use or purpose; to treat with sacrilege; to destroy what something is and means.
con·se·crate/des·e·crate
The terms “consecrate” and “desecrate” represent the dichotomies we all grapple with as we strive to exist within the human condition–the dichotomies that perhaps unjustly have come to define the world we share. These dichotomies reveal to us the rewards and consequences that our actions can, do, and will produce.
To make something sacred is to bring it in to oneself and, in turn, to let yourself become a part of it. The stories, poems, pictures, and artwork contained here are a testament to that idea. They revere the Great Salt Lake for what it once was, and they decry what may happen to it in the future. Above all, they exemplify what the Great Salt Lake is: An inextricable part of this environment, of Utah, and of every one of us who lives here beside it. This anthology serves as a reminder that we do not exist separate from the natural world, we are a part of the natural world. To harm the lake is to harm ourselves, to become the agents of our own desecration. The Great Salt Lake’s salvation lies within our unity, our perseverance, and our ability to honor that which is as much a part of us as we are of it.
Excerpt from "Imminent/Alternate" by Joclynn Kelsey
The “Consecrate/Desecrate” Community Anthology (2022) came about as part of the SLCC Community Writing Center's (CWC) mission to engage the community around the crisis facing Great Salt Lake. The CWC, as part of their work for the Great Salt Lake Collaborative and as part of their mandate to bring community voices together, issued a call for photography, poetry, prose, art, and film submissions from the public. Some 150 people shared over 200 poems, short stories, photography and other artwork about the lake.
"Consecrate/Desecrate" wouldn't have been possible without the imagination, patience, and really hard work of each of the artists, writers, poets, researchers, photographers, and filmmakers.
The CWC chose “Consecrate/Desecrate” as the title for the anthology because many of the submissions explored the interplay between how humans have used, misused, and examined their relationships with the Great Salt Lake. Above all, they exemplify what the Great Salt Lake is: An inextricable part of this environment, of Utah, and of every one of us who lives here beside it. This anthology serves as a reminder that we do not exist separately from the natural world, we are a part of the natural world. To harm the lake is to harm ourselves, to become the agents of our own desecration. The Great Salt Lake’s salvation lies within our unity, our perseverance, and our ability to honor that which is as much a part of us as we are of it. Stories have power. Stories are powerful. "Consecrate/Desecrate" is a clear demonstration of the community using the power of storytelling to come together for a common cause–to save and restore our city's namesake.
To honor the voices, stories, histories, and activism of those whose work was published in "Consecrate/Desecrate," the GSL Collaborative hosted a celebration at Gallivan Hall on October 27, 2022. Over 200 people attended the celebration. Here are some of the experiences that honorees shared with us about the Gala and the Anthology:
A limited number of copies of "Consecrate/Desecrate" are available at the CWC (210 E 400 S #8). All multimedia and long-form works were published on the Great Salt Lake Collaborative's website.
Please stay tuned for the 2023 Young Voices on the Great Salt Lake Anthology Call for Submissions.
"Half-Light" by Adam Dastrup