An Explorer in Vegas
Let’s Meet Jade Darr, Devoid’s Managing Editor
By Victoria Koelkebeck
If you want to find someone with the effervescence of a bubble bath and the depth of the Bedwater Basin — meet Jade Darr, Devoid’s managing editor. Jade has a few staples to their look: colorful eyeshadow, a hint of bronzer, and a delicate Viking-esque braid. Their outfit choices are even more exciting. From band tees to skirts, and snazzy blazers, their look is like an English teacher, but make it fun.
Jade has been writing their whole life. In every new place they live, they find themself working for a new publication or even a couple at a time. They act as the Managing Editor for Devoid Magazine and often publish their own chapbooks through Bandcamp.
Jade is unapologetically non-binary and embraces “the freedom in the confusion,” they say. And now they get to enjoy a new freedom by writing with Devoid.
“For Devoid, the option to write longer form pieces that are more personal is a really intriguing arena — because I’ve been doing so much personal writing in my poetry for so long and I would love to expand out into the non-fiction circles and just combine that with a little, I don’t know, live-action storytelling, so to speak,” they explained.
Poetry is Jade’s writing of choice, but their first article is about the DJ scene and musical roots in Las Vegas. Jade was introduced to the world of DJ’ing from another artist, DJ Heartslayer, who performs at clubs downtown, events, private parties, and of course— live on Twitch.
It’s no secret that the Las Vegas people love freedom: freedom to ride a roller coaster over the edge of the tallest building west of the Mississippi, freedom to buy marijuana 24 hours a day, and freedom to be whoever you want.
“Las Vegas is very queer-friendly. There aren’t many rules about who can be here and who can’t and that’s one of the coolest parts of Las Vegas, it’s very democratic — or at least it appears that way,” they said.
Jade also submitted their most recent chapbook for Devoid, Viper Kiss Mixtape — which you should definitely read. They began writing it about a week after moving to Vegas having stumbled into eat., a restaurant downtown where they found themselves surrounded by a motley group of young, cool, affluent people. “It was as if I had entered the real version of Vegas — that was not The Strip…but I started to feel like I was living here but still as an explorer, not as a resident because I hadn’t been here long enough,” they explained.
And from that experience, Viper Kiss Mixtape was born. “Viper Kiss Mixtape was essentially just being overwhelmed and excited at the possibilities of unpacking this really strange city that we live in,” they explained.
When reading Jade’s chapbook, it’s introduction starts at the very restaurant table they were sitting at downtown,
“Let me attempt to set the scene. The time is 11:55 AM, Saturday, Las Vegas. Someone in a prohibitively expensive apartment tower, Fremont Street, light gushing into the room, is making origami cranes that correspond with the blocks of the city.
CRANE, TEAL SEA-WAVE ANEMONE PAPER, IN BACK OF PRISTINE COLLECTION, GLASS-CASE ENCLOSED: I am complete and no longer concerned with ‘making it’ in Vegas.
Maybe these are the stories papers write on themselves…”
Do yourself a favor and read the rest of Jade’s Viper Kiss Mixtape here. And you can read their article on Ben Tucker, AKA U4IA, here in the “Culture” section of Devoid.
