"Writers on the Writing Process," an Interview with Karen Paul Holmes

A chance meeting on Facebook results in a San Fransisco writer interviewing a Netwest member. 

Writer, Laura E. Davis, who lives in San Fransisco, and Netwest Rep for Georgia, Karen Paul Holmes, met through an international women's writers' group on Facebook. Learning of Karen's new book, Untying the Knot, Laura offered to interview her for the series called "Writers on the Writing Process."  Read the interview here

The Lake Chatuge view that inspires Karen Paul Holmes to write

Untying the Knot is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle, and also at City Light Bookstore in Sylva, NC.

On August 9, Karen Paul Holmes and Co-Netwest Rep, Rosemary Royston, will be the featured readers at Writers' Night Out in Blairsville. Rosemary also has a new book, Splitting the Soil (available on Amazon and from Finishing Line Press). The two poets plan to try a new approach to their reading: They will pair their poems in some logical/artistic way and read them alternately, rather than each poet reading alone. The event takes place at the lovely Union County Community Center at Butternut Creek Golf Course (map here). Food and beverages (including alcohol) are available for purchase at 6 pm during the social hour. An open mic follows after the reading. Sign up at the door to read 3 minutes of prose or poetry. Writers' Night Out takes place on the second Saturday of every month.

Come Hear Lucy Cole Gratton, July 12 Writers' Night Out

Don't miss Lucy!

She writes poetry and short essays of interest and misadventures about activities around her property on Lake Apalachia. The program begins with a social hour at 6 p.m. (dinner available for purchase) and reading following at 7 p.m.. There’s also an open microphone for those who’d like to read their own writing (limit 3 minutes of prose or poetry).

Union County Community Center

129 Union County Recreation Rd., Blairsville, Georgia 30512 

Behind Holiday Inn Express near the intersection of US 76 and Highway 129
phone (706) 439-6092

We usually meet in the upstairs ballroom (alternate location is A-B conference room on first floor). Click here for the map.

Writers' Night Out Nov 8

Our last Writers’ Night Out for 2013

features

Katie Chaple & Travis Denton

Two entertaining readers who are university poetry instructors, editors and husband & wife: You’re in for a treat.

Oh yeah, an Open Mike too!

 

Last month, we had a small group of 10 in attendance, so please come this Friday to give these wonderful poets a large and enthusiastic audience as we usually do for Writers' Night Out. November is our last meeting of the year -- we'll resume in March 2014.

Writers’ Night Out
Friday, Nov 8

Brothers Willow Ranch Restaurant, Young Harris, GA
Private Room upstairs (can access by ramp from upper parking lot)

6:00-7:00 eat dinner or munchies and socialize (come early to order dinner)
7:00-ish announcements and featured reader
Break
7:45-ish Open mike, sign up at door, limit 3 minutes per poetry or prose reader (Please time yourself at home, let's make it fair to everyone. Prose readers can often eliminate some details and still captivate the audience with their piece).

Featured Poets' Bios:

Katie Chaple is the author of Pretty Little Rooms (Press 53, August 2011), winner of the 2012 Devil’s Kitchen Reading Award in Poetry through Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. She teaches poetry and writing at the University of West Georgia and edits Terminus Magazine. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in such journals as Antioch Review, Crab Orchard Review, Mead, New South, Passages North, StorySouth, The Rumpus, Washington Square, and others.

Travis Denton is the Associate Director of Poetry @ TECH as well as a McEver Chair in Poetry at Georgia Tech. He is also founding editor of the literary arts publication, Terminus Magazine. His poems have appeared in numerous journals, magazines and anthologies, such as Mead, The Atlanta Review, The Greensboro Review, Washington Square, Forklift, Rattle, Tygerburning, Birmingham Poetry Review, and the Cortland Review. His second collection of poems, When Pianos Fall from the Sky, was published in October 2012 by Marick Press.

Maren O. Mitchell Featured At Writers' Night Out Sept 13

Come hear Maren Mitchell, prize-winning, nationally published poet and author of Beat Chronic Pain: An Insider’s Guide.

Writers’ Night Out

Friday, Sept 13

Brothers Willow Ranch Restaurant, Young Harris, GA
(upstairs private room, park in back and walk in via the ramp)

• 6:00-7:00 eat dinner or munchies and socialize (come early to order dinner)
• 7:00-ish announcements and featured reader
• Break
• 7:45-ish Open mike, sign up at door, limit 3 minutes per poetry or prose reader (Please time yourself at home, let's make it fair to everyone. Prose readers can often eliminate some details and still captivate the audience with their piece).

Maren’s Bio:

Maren O. Mitchell’s poems have appeared in Southern Humanities Review, The Classical Outlook, Town Creek Poetry, Appalachian Journal, Red Clay Reader #4, The Arts Journal, The Journal of Kentucky Studies, Wild Goose Poetry Review, and Pirene’s Fountain and elsewhere. Her work is included in The Southern Poetry Anthology, V: Georgia; Sunrise from Blue Thunder; Nurturing Paws; and Echoes Across the Blue Ridge, and is forthcoming in Hotel Amerika. Her nonfiction book is Beat Chronic Pain, An Insider’s Guide (Line of Sight Press, 2012), and is available at the Curiosity Shop bookstore in Murphy, NC, and on Amazon.

Mitchell has taught poetry at Blue Ridge Community College, Flat Rock, NC, and catalogued at the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site. In 2012 she received 1st Place Award for Excellence in Poetry from the Georgia Poetry Society. For over twenty years, across five states, she has taught origami, the Japanese art of paper folding.

A native of North Carolina, in her childhood Mitchell lived in Bordeaux, France, and Kaiserslautern, Germany. After moving throughout the southeast U.S., she now lives with her husband in Young Harris, Georgia.

WRITERS' NIGHT OUT

WRITERS’ NIGHT OUT

Brenda Kay Ledford will read her poetry at Mountain Perk Coffee House in Hiawassee, GA on Friday, August 13.

“Writers’ Night Out” begins at 7:00 p.m. with Ledford’s reading. An open microphone follows for people who wish to read their work.

A native of Clay County, NC, Ledford’s work reflects her Appalachian heritage. She recalls her Hayesville High School English teacher, Mrs. Josephine Thurman, encouraged students to write what they know.

Ledford’s poem, “Lake Chatuge,” received the 2010 honorable mention award from Georgia Poetry Society. Her poem was published in the societies’ anthology, The Reach of Song.

She’s a member of Georgia Poetry Society, Byron Herbert Reece Society, Appalachian Writers’ Association, North Carolina Writers’ Network, North Carolina Poetry Society, and listed with A Directory of American Poets and Fiction Writers.

Her work has appeared in Our State, Journal of Kentucky Studies, Appalachian Heritage, North Carolina Humanities, Broad River Review (Gardener-Webb University), Chicken Soup For the Soul, Country Extra, Echoes Across the Blue Ridge, and other publications.

Ledford received third place from the North Carolina Press Association for Feature Writing in 1999. She also won the Paul Green Award from North Carolina Society of Historians for her three poetry chapbooks, Patchwork Memories, Shewbird Mountain, and Sacred Fire. Her books are available at the John C. Campbell Folk School Craft Shop, Phillips & Lloyd Bookshop and online at: http://www.amazon.com/.

Finally, those interested in participating in the open microphone, may sign up at “Writers’ Night Out.” Each person has three minutes to read prose or poetry. The event is free and open to the public. It also includes musical interludes.

Mountain Perk Coffee House is located at 195 Main Street next to Mull’s Motel in Hiawassee, Georgia. Come early for a light dinner. The café features espresso and other coffee drinks, smoothies, sandwiches, and sweets.

For more information, contact Mountain Perk owner, Mary Lawrence at: (706) 896-9385, or “Writers’ Night Out” coordinator, Karen Paul Holmes at: (404) 316-8466, or kpaulholmes@gmail.com.

WRITERS' NIGHT OUT TO FEATURE KAREN HOLMES

HAVE A FUN EVENING AT WRITERS’ NIGHT OUT, JUNE 11

HIAWASSEE – June 1, 2010 – Come hear authors reading their work at the new monthly event, Writers’ Night Out at Mountain Perk Coffee House in Hiawassee, GA. This month, Karen Paul Holmes of Hiawassee/Atlanta will read her poetry on June 11 at 7:00 p.m. Her reading will be followed by an Open Microphone for those who’d like to share their own poetry or fiction. These light literary and musical evenings take place on the second Friday of every month from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Please arrive early as the event has drawn a full house in its first two months.
Karen Paul Holmes is an award-winning business writer who began focusing on poetry after moving to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Her publishing credits include journals such as Poetry East, Atlanta Review and Sow’s Ear Poetry Review and anthologies, including the upcoming Echoes Across the Blue Ridge: Stories, Essays & Poems Written by Writers Living in & Inspired by the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Karen enjoys reading her poetry in public, classical music, Ikebana and contra-dancing. She’ll be teaching a writing class at John C Campbell Folk School next January.

Those interested in participating in the Open Mic will have a chance to sign up at the event. Each writer will have three minutes to read fiction or poetry. The evening, which also includes musical interludes, is free and open to the public.

Mountain Perk Coffee House is located at 195 Main Street, next to Mull’s Motel. The café features espresso and other coffee drinks, sandwiches and sweets.

For more information, please contact Mountain Perk Owner, Mary Lawrence at (706) 896-9385, or Writers’ Night Out coordinator, Karen Holmes at (404) 316-8466 or kpaulholmes@gmail.com.