Showing posts with label non-fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label non-fiction. Show all posts

Thursday, December 21, 2023

Give Yourself the Write Start in January... with a Folk School class


John C Campbell Folk School

January 26 Weekend: "Your Write Time" 

all genres & levels of writing experience welcome

taught by Karen Paul Holmes

Come be inspired and productive while having fun in a place of beauty. Whether you’re already writing or looking for a place to begin, give yourself the gift of time in a setting conducive to creativity. Magic—inspiration, encouragement, and laughter—abounds inside the studio. 

Gain editing and publishing tips from the instructor and learn from and support your classmates’ polished and unpolished work. Return home with the motivation to continue your writing and maybe even pursue publication. 

Local residents usually qualify for a discount. 

For more information and to register visit John C. Campbell Folk School: www.folkschool.org

Karen Paul Holmes headshotAbout the instructor:  Karen Paul Holmes won the 2023 Lascaux Poetry Prize and received a Special Mention in the Pushcart Prize anthology. Her two poetry books are No Such Thing as Distance (Terrapin Books) and Untying the Knot (Aldrich Press). She's is widely published in literary journals, including Plume, Gargoyle, and Prairie Schooner, and her poems have been read by Garrison Keillor on The Writer's Almanac and by the US Poet Laureate on The Slowdown podcast. Karen founded the Side Door Poets in Atlanta in 2010 and still hosts the group monthly. At about the same time, she started a monthly Writers' Night Out in the N. Georgia Mountains and hosted it until recently. She is also a freelance writer and has taught writing workshops at local and international conferences and various venues. Karen is a member of the North Carolina Writers' Network. www.karenpaulholmes.com


Friday, March 2, 2018

Writers Karen Salyer McElmurray and Maryn McKenna to read and lecture at Young Harris College, Young Harris, GA, March 13, and April 5, 2018



Two talented writers who will be on the YHC campus in March and April. Both are free and open to the public.

Karen Salyer McElmurray will deliver the 2018 Heinze Lecture at YHC this year in Wilson Lecture Hall on March 13, 2018 at 6:30 pm. She will read from both her creative nonfiction work and new fiction. McElmurray's work is set in Appalachia and looks critically at the challenges of living in, leaving, and returning to the region as well as the beauty and worth of such journeys. Her language is lyrical and her honesty piercing. You will not be disappointed in spending an hour with her! Please come if you are able! And share with any in our community that might be interested.

Journalist and author Maryn McKenna will give a lecture at YHC on Thursday, April 5th at 7 p.m. in the Hatcher Room, Rollins Campus Center. McKenna's most recent book, Big Chicken, tracks the evolution of poultry farming and discusses the dangers of the industry's use of antibiotics. New York Times columnist Mark Bittman calls the book "A must-read for anyone who cares about the quality of food and the welfare of animals." Big Chicken also has local ties, as nearby Gainesville, Georgia, plays a central role.

Check www.yhc.edu for further details.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Authors' Fair in Murphy, NC on Saturday, June 25, 2016, to feature local writers Wally Avett, Amanda Beavers, Roy Pipes, and Ann Miller Woodford


Authors Fair Saturday, June 25th, 2016 Features Four Local Writers

Four local authors will present their books Saturday, June 25, in the Fellowship Hall of the First United Methodist Church in downtown Murphy. The Authors' Fair will be held from 10 a.m. until 12 Noon, free admission, free refreshments, all readers cordially invited. 


Writers scheduled to appear are Wally Avett, Amanda Beavers,Roy Pipes, and Ann Miller Woodford. Their titles include both fiction and non-fiction. Authors will be available to sign their books after short individual presentations on their respective works.

Wally Avett writes the HILLBILLY RANGER column for the CHEROKEE SCOUT, where he was editor during the 1970’s. His four books are fiction, inspired by true stories from countless interviews here in the mountains.

Amanda Beavers,daughter of a local pastor, wrote a heartfelt memoir of the months of anguish she and her family endured after her father was nearly killed by a drunken driver.

Roy Pipes, former Superintendent of Schools for Cherokee County, in retirement has proved to be a prolific writer. He currently has five novels in print and two more awaiting publication.

Ann Miller Woodford, native of Andrews, has written a scholarly 600-plus page history of the black communities in Andrews,Murphy and Hayesville. The late Purel Miller, her father, was a noted oral historian and her best source.


For more information, contact Wally Avett at: 

wallyavett@gmail.com

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Review of "East African Odyssey", by Emilee Hines

Review by Lana Hendershott:

I enjoyed reading Emilee’s personal account as a young American woman teaching in Kenya. In the early 1960s many young college graduates were joining the Peace Corps, but Ms. Hines focused on teaching young adult Africans to become teachers themselves while she learned about the country in the process. The author's honesty and naiveté shines through as she admits her misgivings, social blunders and her love affair with two very different men: Rico, a jealous Italian and Ray, an Englishman. The afterward offers closure as the reader learns the fate of her friends years later. The author's love and respect for Africa is revealed in her physical descriptions of the country but is balanced by the reality of the country's problems. One has the sense this East African teaching experience had a lasting influence on the author. 

Click on the titles, East African Odyssey, and The Proposal, to listen to the author's books on Audible.com.


Sunday, October 27, 2013

Thanks to the writers in Henderson County for the 2014 Netwest Picnic

It was a good day and lots of fun when we gathered for the Netwest picnic in Hendersonville recently.
photo by Ellen Schofield
 In spite of a slight drizzle most of the afternoon, under the cover of a large pavilion at Jackson Park, the writers, including Jack Prather, Emilee Hines, Susan Snowden, Lana Hendershott, Pat Vestal, Betty Reed, Paul M. Schofield, Susan Lefler, Martha O. Adams, Karen Luke and others enjoyed the array of sandwich fixings purchased from Ingles, which included their cold cuts, artisan breads and condiments, along with chips, fruit and cookies.

When Lana gave a quiz on NCWN and NCWN West, long time members knew most of the answers, but Ellen 
Schofield, Program Coordinator for NCWN West, and I had the highest scores. Surprised?

A number of books had been donated as prizes and I was delighted to win a copy of Jack Prather's book, Twelve Notables of Western North Carolina. I learned that we can expect another book on notable women. I look forward to reading that one.

My thanks to Lana, Pat, Martha and all the writers who helped with the picnic, and who made me and my guest, Rebecca Gallo, feel so welcome. Once again I was reminded that the writers of NCWN West (Netwest) are some of the nicest and most supportive people I've ever met.

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Great opportunity for Mountain Writers


If you don't know about the Squire Summer Residency at Western Carolina University sponsored by your NCWN, please click on the link below and see what is offered. You can apply for a scholarship to this exciting and interesting weekend with three of the best writers in their field.

"Those fifteen hours of workshop time will create a community of common ground, a safe place to refine and polish your work, and maybe the opportunity and inspiration to try something new. Morning and afternoon breaks between workshop sessions give writers a leisurely writing period." 

http://www.ncwriters.org/squire-summer-residency

Monday, May 13, 2013

Classes by Tracy Ruckman, editor and publisher of Write Integrity Press

Workshops - June 1 (fiction) and June 8 (nonfiction) at Unicoi State Park in Helen, GA. 



If you've been considering publishing your own books, these workshops are for you. A completed manuscript is not required, but we'll be looking at the publishing process from completed manuscript to publication. This is a hands-on one-day workshop, and it comes with 30 days of free coaching after the class is over (doesn't have to be the 30 days after the class, it can be any 30 day period within the next year - whenever you get ready to publish your book!)


June 1st: Unicoi State Park, logo room A, 9-5. How to self publish a novel
June 8th: Unicoi State Park, logo room A, 9-5. How to self publish your nonfiction
Classes are taught by Tracy Ruckman, editor and publisher at Write Integrity Press.
Each writer's how-to class is only $99. Register now at http://www.writeintegrity.com/

Early bird registration is $99. On Wednesday, the price goes to $119. 




Monday, November 21, 2011

Writers' Conference - Chock Full of Writers in Asheville

Although I didn’t attend even one workshop at this conference, I loved being there with all the writers, poets, publishers, editors and agents. Our  Program Coordinator, Rosemary Royston, had other duties including participating in a panel. My goal was to have our Netwest table to showcase Echoes Across the Blue Ridge, to sell books and to proclaim “We are here! Writers in the mountains have a voice.”

We arrived early and grabbed a great table near the entrance to the Exhibitor Area. Directly in front of us were JC Walkup and Penny Morse with a table for Fresh, their beautiful literary magazine. JC is distributing Echoes in the Waynesville, Asheville and Canton areas. She will be glad to sell a copy or two as she says storing them is a nuisance.

Joan Howard, Netwest poet from Hiawassee, GA and writer, quilter and knitter, Barb Haynes who lives in Murphy and is a Netwest member also, rode with me to Asheville. Great travel companions and good caretakers. Little did they know I’d become ill on Saturday afternoon. I missed all the fun on Saturday evening, the open mike readings and the happy hour gathering as I slept in my room.
I can never thank Joan enough for taking the early hours she logged in at the Netwest table. Bright and early Saturday and Sunday, she welcomed writers, handed out brochures and sold books. Our Netwest members came by to pick up their Netwest stickers to attach to their name tags.
Betty Reed manned the table on Friday evening while I had dinner. Barb also filled in when needed. Others who represented Netwest at the table were Mary Ricketson, Susan Anderson, Pamela Warr, Linda Smith, and Rosemary Royston, Program Coordinator. Many thanks to them from me and Netwest members for being there to help when needed. I feel sure all these writers enjoyed the conference because each time I saw them they had big smiles on their faces.

Networking with other writers is an important part of a writing conference. One lady said to me, “Do you think it would be Okay to ask Rob Neufeld to review my book?”
She saw the Asheville Citizen-Times book columnist across the hall. I told her to go for it.
Novelists and non-fiction writers came to find agents and publishers. Poets hoped to find the best place to submit a poetry book. And everyone wanted to chat about writing with other writers.


But I imagine most were looking to learn something from the accomplished faculty that would stay with them and be the spark to push their writing up a notch.
Because I was tied pretty closely to the Netwest Table when I was at the conference, I was delighted so many folks I know dropped by. One of our first visitors was Scott Owens, poet, editor, teacher, and very nice guy. I especially enjoyed meeting Netwest members who have recently joined or even some who have been members for a long time, but I’ve not encountered before. Betty Reed and Pamela Warr are two of those members I had not met, but learned more about them and their writing. Pamela Warr designed our most recent brochure and the new Netwest logo.

Bill Ramsey was promoting the phenomenal literary event, the Blue Ridge Bookfest at Blue Ridge Community College in Henderson County NC. Just a short time ago the first bookfest was a toddler, and now it is running and jumping. Bill says the college has come on board with the volunteers and can guarantee continuity of this well-attended showcase for authors. Netwest was a supporter of the first bookfest, and we have been there to help in any way we can each year. NCWN is a sponsor, too.

Scott Douglas’s Main Street Rag exhibit seemed to always have writers gathered there. I appreciated Scott coming over to chat. He has been quite successful with his small press and publishes some of the best authors in North Carolina. He told me to check out his site to see the books by other presses that he sells. Wouldn’t it be great if Echoes were listed there?

Kevin Watson from Press 53 and Keith Flynn with the Asheville Poetry Review seemed to be popular in the exhibitor’s center. People were talking about Keith’s interesting poetry presentation. His band also played Saturday night for the banquet. I didn’t hear them from my room on the third floor, but I’m sure they were entertaining.

Our own Netwest founder, Nancy Simpson, held a poetry workshop. I heard many compliments on that session. I'm sure those poets came out of that room wanting Nancy's book, Living Above the Frost Line, which has received awards and nominations for awards this past year.
The keynote speaker, Silas House, blew us all away with his talk. But I’ll write more about that in another post.

Ed Southern held a townhall meeting and updated us on the Network. As Ed said, NCWN is not the staff. NCWN is the members. To truly feel a part of this large writers’ network in our state, I think you should attend at least one Fall Conference. I always leave feeling motivated, energized and enthusiastic about my own writing.

I look forward to the next one -- Fall 2013.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Submissions - Send it out

Main Street Rag has updated its submission guidelines for poetry, short fiction, creative nonfiction and reviews. Please review these changes before submitting your work, especially fiction.


Main Street Rag has announced three themes for next year’s anthologies –
1) The List
2) Just Tattoos
3) Secrets.
Click here for more information and updates on submission.



MoonShine Review accepts prose and photography submissions year round but only read after the Spring (deadline March 1) and Fall (deadline September 1) deadlines., click moonshinereview.com
 
 
(from WordPlay Newsletter by Maureen Ryan Griffin)