Local poets and writers to read at Hayesville's Festival on the Square this weekend, July 9th and 10th, 2016

This weekend, Hayesville, North Carolina will offer their annual Festival on the Square.The festival begins Friday evening, July 8th, with a street dance. Music and many vendors will grace the square on Saturday and Sunday, July 9th and 10th. Included in this event will be our North Carolina Writers' Network-West booth, which will be on the North side of the square.

Several local poets and writers, members of NCWN-West, will be attending the booth, and will read periodically from their published works. Included in this line-up, are Tom Davis, Joan Ellen Gage, Mary Rickertson, Rosemary Royston, Marcia Barnes, Glenda C. Beall, Joan M. Howard, Bob Grove, and Lucy  Cole Gratton.

During the day, the booth will have books to give away. Please make an effort to come by and support the wonderful members, who are taking time to showcase our writers' network.


http://www.clayhistoryarts.org/
http://festivalnet.com/43539/Hayesville-North-Carolina/Festivals/Festival-on-the-Square

Local poet Joan M. Howard to have two poems published in the next issue of The Wayfarer, a literary magazine.

Local poet Joan M. Howard has two poems, "My Neighbor" and "The Chosen Range" accepted in the next issue of The Wayfarer, a literary magazine available online, and in print.

Joan M. Howard lives near the beautiful waters of Lake Chatuge in Georgia. The serenity of her surroundings inspires much of her poetry. Her interests include kayaking, birding and boating. 

Joan M. Howard's poetry has appeared in the Aurorean, Lucid Rhythms, The Road Not Taken:The Journal of Formal Poetry, The Deronda Review, Victorian Violet Press, Wild Goose Poetry Review, The Reach of Song 2012 poetry anthology (Georgia Poetry Society), POEM, Miller's Pond, Eclectic Muse,The Lyric and other journals.

You can access The Wayfarer, here: http://thewayfarer.homeboundpublications.com/magazine/the-print-and-eedition/

Something a Little Different at Writers' Night, July 8

Royston and Holmes to do "Call & Response" Poetry Reading, Blairsville, GA

Back by popular demand, the duo of Rosemary Royston and Karen Paul Holmes plan to once again pair up their poems and alternate their reading, rather than one poet reading all her poems followed by the other.

This month's Writers’ Night Out is on Friday, July 8. The 7 p.m. reading will be followed by an open microphone for those who’d like to share their own work. The event is free and open to the public at the Union CountyCommunity Center in the heart of Blairsville, GA. If you'd like to purchase food or drink at The View Grill, please come by 6 p.m. (the food is good but service can be slow).

Brenda Kay Ledford's poem published

Brenda Kay Ledford's poem, "The Greatest," was published in "The Skinny Poetry Journal," online, June 2016 issue.


https://theskinnypoetryjournal.wordpress.com

The Blue Ridge Bookfest 2016 featured author Sara Gruen; you can watch her interview with Bill Ramsy, here.

Sara Gruen is the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of At the Water’s Edge, Water for Elephants, Ape House, Riding Lessons, and Flying Changes. Her works have been translated into forty-three languages, and have sold more than ten million copies worldwide. Water for Elephants was adapted into a major motion picture starring Reese Witherspoon, Rob Pattinson, and Christoph Waltz in 2011.

She lives in Western North Carolina with her husband and three sons, along with their dogs, cats, horses, birds, and the world’s fussiest goat.

Sara was the featured author at the 2016 Blue Ridge Bookfest. You can watch her video where she was interviewed by Bill Ramsey, who is on the board of North Carolina Writers' Network, here:

Nancy Simpson's poem "Lingering at the Edge," published in Kudzu Literary Magazine's 2016 publication, "Women in Appalachia"

Poet Nancy Simpson has had a poem published in Kudzu Literary Magazine's 2016 issue. The theme of this year's magazine was Women in Appalachia. Simpson's poem was Lingering at the Edge.

Nancy Simpson is the author of three poetry collections: Across Water, Night Student and Living Above the Frost Line, New and Selected Poems published at Carolina Wren Press. She holds an MFA from Warren Wilson College and a B.S. in Education from Western Carolina University. She received a N.C. Arts Fellowship and co founded NC Writers Network-West, a non profit, professional writing organization serving writers living in the remote mountains west of Asheville. For more than thirty years she has been known as “beloved teacher” to thousands of young writers.

Simpson’s poems have been published in The Georgia Review, Southern Poetry Review, Seneca Review, New Virginia Review, Prairie Schooner and in other literary magazines. Her poem, “Night Student” was reprinted in the anthology Word and Wisdom, 100 Years of North Carolina Poetry and in Literary Trails of North Carolina. Seven of her poems are featured in Southern Appalachian Poetry, a textbook anthology published at McFarland Press. The Southern Poetry Review, Armstrong College in Savannah, Georgia included one of her poems in their 50^th Anniversary issue, Don't Leave Hungry and a new poem in their recent issue featuring Georgia poets. Her poem “Carolina Bluebirds” was included in The Poets Guide to Birds, an anthology edited by Judith Kitchen and Ted Kooser, and her poem “Pink Pantsuit” was featured recently in Ted Kooser’s widely read “American Life in Poetry” newspaper column.

http://hazard.kctcs.edu/en/Student_Life/Kudzu.aspx
https://kudzu.submittable.com/submit

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

In case you missed Karen Paul Holmes & Bill Ramsey at Coffee with the Poets and Writers on June 15, 2016, enjoy some video excerpts

 

 Karen Paul Holmes reading at CWTP&W on June 15, 2016

 

Bill Ramsey reading at CWTP&W on June 15, 2016 

You can find other videos of these writers, and other NCWN'West writers, on the network's YouTube page, at: 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu63wy0hyAFhgTPRo7by4og

Ronald Moran and Jonathan Rice entertained at Writers' Night Out, NCWN-West event, June 10, 2016, at Blairsville, Georgia

Ronald Moran

Jonathan K. Rice

Ronald Moran, former Clemson professor, dean, and a Fulbright
Lecturer, joined Editor Jonathan K. Rice at Writers’ Night Out on Friday, June 10 at the Union County Community Center in the heart of Blairsville. Moran read first, not only featuring published poems from Eye of the World, but also recently written ones. Quite a bit of his work was witty and met with laughter and acknowledgment. Rice followed and read from Shooting Pool with a Cellist (Main Street Rag), and Killing Time (Main Street Rag). Rice’s love of music was apparent in his poems, as was his keen eye. The poets were followed by open mic, where several writers in attendance shared both poetry and prose.

Writers’ Night Out is sponsored by NC Writers' Network-West and takes place on the second Friday of the month. Prose writers or poets wishing to participate in the open mic can sign up at the door to read for three minutes. The Union County Community Center hosts the event at 129 Union County Recreation Rd., Blairsville, Georgia 30512, off Highway 129 near the intersection of US 76, phone (706) 439-6092. Food is available for purchase in The View Grill, but please arrive by 6 pm to get served.
Rosemary Royston

https://theluxuryoftrees.wordpress.com/about/

Reminder: Call for Submissions North Carolina Writers’ Network–West Summer 2016 Flash Fiction Contest, ends August 31, 2016

Who’s Eligible: Members of NCWN-West whose dues are paid up to date.   

Original Work: The entry must be the author's original work and not previously published.

Eligible Genres: All fiction except children’s fiction. 

Dates: Submissions will be accepted beginning June 1, 2016. All entries must be emailed or postmarked by August 31, 2016.

Entry Fees: An individual writer may enter up to three submissions. A fee of $5.00 must accompany each entry. Entry fees will be used for awarding prizes to the winner or winners.

Length: The word count (excluding the title) may not exceed 300 words.

How to Enter: No entry form is required. Electronic and paper entries are acceptable. Handwritten copies cannot be accepted.

To submit by email, copy and paste the manuscript into the body of an email or send the manuscript as an email attachment to novelistapproach@gmail.com.

Checks for email and paper entry fees, as well as paper manuscripts, should be submitted by mail to Pat Meece Davis, 23 Tutor Lane, Brevard, NC 28712.

Author’s Identifying Info: The author's identifying information and manuscript title should appear on the subject line of the email or on a separate sheet of paper if entering by mail.

You may enter up to three manuscripts, but each entry must be submitted separately with a $5.00 fee for each.

Judges: Judging will be non-biased. Writers’ identities will not be shared with the judges.

Agreement: By entering this contest, the author agrees NCWN-West may publish the winning entry/entries on its website. Polish and proofread your work.  

The winner will be asked to provide a short paragraph biography to accompany the published manuscript.