Wednesday, December 24, 2014

New NC Poet Laureate named by Governor

Shelby Dean Stephenson, poet, editor and teacher, has been named by Governor McCrory as the new poet laureate of North Carolina. He will be installed in February, 2015.

Earlier this year the governor set off a storm among poets when he appointed a woman, Valerie Macon, without going through proper procedure with the NC Arts Council. This time he chose Stephenson from a field of nominations using a panel of respected poets and writers.

Read more here.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Brenda Kay Ledford Featured on Windstream Communications

Brenda Kay Ledford was interviewed by Jim Geer, host of the "Common Cup," on Windstream Communications regarding her new poetry book, CREPE ROSES.

Kelsay Books printed CREPE ROSES, October, 2014.  Dr. Joseph Bathanti, former Poet Laureate of North Carolina, and Carolyn York, North Carolina Poetry Society President, endorsed Ledford's book.

You may view Brenda Kay Ledford on the "Common Cup," Windstream Communications, Channel 4 cable television, the following dates:

Monday, December 15, 2014 at 9:30 AM, 4:00 PM, 7:30 PM

Wednesday, December 17, 2014 at 9:30 AM, 4:00 PM, 7:30 PM

Friday, December 19, 2014,  at 9:30 AM, 4:00 PM, 7:30 PM

Monday, December 22, 2014 at 9:30 AM, 4:00 PM, 7:30 PM

Wednesday, December 24, 2014 at 9:30 AM, 4:00 PM, 7:30 PM

Friday, December 26, 2014 at 9:30 AM, 4:00 PM, 7:30 PM

Monday, December 29, 2014 at 9:30 AM, 4:00 PM, 7:30 PM

Wednesday, December 31, 2014 at 9:30 AM, 4:00 PM, 7:30 PM

CREPE ROSES is available online at:  www.Amazon.com
                           and locally at the John C. Campbell Folk School Craft Shop,
                           Clay County, NC Chamber of Commerce,
                           Moss Memorial Library, Hayesville, NC

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

COFFEE WITH THE POETS AND WRITERS

We had an interesting mix of writers and poets gather today at  Blue Mountain Coffee and Grill for our last meeting of the year. We don’t meet in January and February because the weather is questionable in this area during those winter months. We will begin in March on the second Wednesday, at 10:30 a.m. and our featured Netwest member will be Bob Grove, author of several books, including his memoir, Misadventures of an Only Child. Visit him online at bobgrove.org.

We had visitors today from Murphy, NC and from Blue Ridge, GA. I was happy to  see two writers from my classes at Tri-CountyCommunity College in Murphy, Kim Delaney and Larry Weas. I look forward to teaching again in March 2015 at TCCC. The title of the class is Write Your Life Stories. We will meet from 6 – 8 p.m. on Tuesday evenings. See www.glendacouncilbeall.blogspot.com for more description of the class.

We gave away five or six door prizes today – books and writing magazines. We talked about how, as writers, we bond when we share our poems and stories with each other. We get to know each other in a way that non-writers do not. Maren Mitchell said when she first read her work in public her knees were shaking but now she could read before a thousand people and it would not bother her. I hope all our beginning writers and poets hear that and know that one day all their fears will disappear, and they will enjoy sharing their work with others.

The program was all open mic today and we heard stories, poems and essays from those gathered around the table. I read a poem from Christmas Presence, an anthology edited by Celia Miles and Nancy Dillingham. The poem, Southside Diner by Cecily Wells, showed a glimpse of the loneliness of some people at Christmas time and made us all feel grateful.

Some photos of our day:


From left: Kim, Totsie, Maren, Joan, and Bill

Linda, Joan and Jim

Not pictured,  but present: Larry Weas and Louisa, Jim's wife.


Sunday, December 7, 2014

Guest Post by Deanna Klingel

Deanna Klingel, author from Sapphire Valley, NC has sent, from her own blog, this post on Trees. 


Tree of the Month          

When I’m driving along on my book selling trips and suddenly burst out singing “How Great Thou Art,” it’s usually in response to a tree. Trees are the most amazing things! In early spring driving through middle Georgia there are more shades of green than one can imagine. Shortly after, Tennessee highways are lined with red buds blooming their little hearts out. When summer comes I hate to leave my street where the rhododenrons and laurel are so heavy with blooms the branches bend. And of course, there’s the autumn trees. The Blue Ridge all the way to New England is breathtaking. But this month, ladies and gentlemen, it’s all about the tree of the month, the North Carolina Fraser Fir.

Here in the mountains of western North Carolina we begin to see “our” trees coming down the mountain on big trucks in November heading for the Northeast, the southern coasts, south as far as Miami and as far west as Texas. Thanksgiving weekend tree lots pop up in cities everywhere with 2 X 4s stobbed into the ground to support the trees that will stand under overhead lines of light bulbs. Most of these lots will announce the arrival of the North Carolina Fraser, America’s ideal Christmas tree.
Named for John Fraser, a Scottish botanist, the trees were discovered in the 1700s growing only in five places in the world:  Richland Balsam, Grandfather Mountain, Clingmans Dome, Mt. Mitchell, and Mt. Rogers; indigenous here in western NC. The tree is now widely cultivated above 3000 feet where the cool temperatures and high rainfall allow the tree to retain its needles throughout the season. Because of the glossy needles, intense fragrance, and the natural “Christmas tree” shape, the tree is the number one choice in America.

 At any time there are 50 million of these trees in the ground here in NC, on about 33,300 acres of Christmas tree farms, 1500 trees to an acre. Every tree farm has seven stands of trees, as it takes seven years before the tree is ready to harvest. I visited with one of our local growers, Jerry McAbee, at Hutch’s Mountain Trees, not far from my home. He has a website www.hutchsmoutaintrees.com where we can see beautiful pictures of his trees from planting to harvesting. Share it with your kids; they’ll find it interesting.

I learned that both Jerry and his employee Sherry are writers and are considering joining our local writers’ group. They understand patience and waiting, and appreciate how long it takes to nurture a book-or a tree-to harvest. We laughed about how a Christmas tree farmer and an author are alike in that it takes passion, hard work, patience and determination.
Thanks Jerry, and our other Tar Heel Tree Farmers whose trees make Christmas special.

Visit Deanna's mini blog: http://www.booksbydeanna.com/12/post/2014/12/welcome-to-my-mini-blog-selling-books36.html




Friday, December 5, 2014

Shirley Cole's company appreciated by Reece Farm in North Georgia


Shirley Cole, Netwest member from Jackson County, was recently applauded in the Byron Herbert Reece Society newsletter. Shirley served as a representative for NCWN in Jackson County recently, but is now busy writing a novel. 

Changes in the Landscape 
Thanks to the ongoing contributions of Shirley Cole and her son Shannon of COLE  AND  COMPANY, MASTER LANDSCAPE GARDENERS, INC., visitors to the Reece Farm will notice another landscape change in and around the light pole in the parking area.  Three golden Hinoke Cypress trees have been planted there along with the placement of small boulders from other Farm locations.  Other plantings in this area are underway.  

Also, Shirley and Shannon found an ancient “cemetery rose” growing along the railroad tracks in Marietta.  The rose is pale pink and very hardy and has been planted behind the split rail fence at the end of the parking lot.  It should bloom in the spring and hopefully will help replace the lost rose so treasured by Reece’s mother Emma.