Brenda Kay Ledford's Poetry Upcoming in "Feed the Holy"

 Brenda Kay Ledford's poetry, "Abuse," and "Fear," are upcoming in Feed the Holy

journal.  

For information, contact:  Editor Barbara Leonhard

                                         meelosmom@gmail.com

Carroll S. Taylor's Book Two, "Feannag the Crow," Published

 

                                                    Author Carroll S. Taylor

CARROLL S. TAYLOR’S BOOK TWO, FEANNAG THE CROW, PUBLISHED

          Poet, playwright, author, and retired educator, Carroll S. Taylor’s new book, Feannag the Crow, has been published by Catch the Spirit of Appalachia, Inc.  This is the second book in a series preparing children for the process of socialization.

          Doreyl Ammons Cain illustrated the delightful book.  A beautiful cover begs the readers to flip the pages, and savor the breathtaking pictures.  This awesome first edition captures the attention of children.  Artwork pops with exciting colors in each scene.

          Cain is an award-winning illustrator and native of Western North Carolina.  She received a Masters of Art at California State University.  Cain won the Art in the Park Award and has exhibited at the Smithsonian.  A passion for nature and knowledge of Appalachian culture are reflected in her artwork.  You may view her paintings at muraltrail.com.

          Feannag the Crow is a powerful story.  Come with these adorable birds as they search for food in the forest and on the ground.  Feannag, his brother Mica, and sister Acorn open the narrative ready for adventure.  Their quest leads to the farmer’s garden.  They greet animal friends along the way, and meet the farmer’s daughter, Lizzie.

          She scatters peanut shells for the birds and squirrels.  Feannag and his siblings munch the offering.  He says, “I would like to eat all of the peanuts, but we should share the rest.”

          The crows stuff shells in their beaks, and fly homeward.  Kind-hearted Feannag drops a peanut beneath a chinaberry tree for his friend, Rouge.  When the birds arrive home, the parents are pleased their children shared.  They suggest giving Lizzie a gift to show their appreciation. What does he give Lizzie? Read the book to find out!!!

          The social skills gained in this story reflect sharing and learning to say thank you.  This picture book would contribute to the Early Childhood curriculum in schools.  It also would make a wonderful addition to children’s literature in libraries.

          Author Carroll S. Taylor has penned a phenomenal book.  A graduate of Tift College, Taylor taught school over forty years.  Her favorite pastimes are nature and writing.  She’s the author of two young adult novels and two children’s books.

          Taylor is a member of North Carolina Writers’ Network, Georgia Writers, and the Georgia Poetry Society.  She and her husband live in Hiawassee, Georgia.

          Finally, stay tuned for announcements of Taylor’s upcoming book signings and literary readings.  Feannag the Crow will make a wonderful gift for children and even adults.

For information:  Contact Amy Ammons Garze, editor and publisher; Catch the Spirit of Appalachia, Inc.; 1007 Milford Church Road; Taylors, SC 29687; Phone:  (828) 226-0640.

Book reviewed by:  Brenda Kay Ledford, MA Early Childhood Education

Author of:  Patchwork Memories; Blanche; Leatherwood Falls; Beckoning; Red Plank House; The Persistent Trillium; Christmas in the Matheson Cove; The Singing Convention; Sacred Fire; Crepe Roses; Reagan’s Romps; Shewbird Mountain; and Simplicity, Prose and Poetry, co-authored with Blanche L. Ledford

         

Brenda Kay Ledford Published in "Agape Review"

                                                            Brenda Kay Ledford

                                                            Photo by: Jen Johnson                                      

 Brenda Kay Ledford's testimony, "Shepherd of the Soul," appeared in Agape Review, May 31, 2026.

This is an international journal that publishes inspirational prose.

www.agapereview.com/ShepherdOfMySoul

AI and writers

 I am pleased to share this link from the blog post on NCWN website.

https://www.ncwriters.org/news/blog/missing-the-whole-doggone-point/

If you are a writer, please click on the above link and read why many are amazed that someone won a notable prize with a poorly written book submitted by an author who used AI to write it. 

The North Carolina Writers Network has guidelines for writers regarding the use of AI. Most of us can recognize AI writing. We see it constantly online. We would think those who presented the prize would surely know whether a human being wrote the book, and it seems it was not even well written.

The NCWN post provides guidelines on what writers should and should not do regarding the use of AI.

I use it for spelling and grammar checks, but would never let it write for me and claim I wrote it. I often find that my spelling and grammar are correct, but AI has given me wrong information, so I always double-check my own work.

What do you think about writers using AI?

Glenda Beall

https://www.glendacouncilbeall.com 

Brenda Kay Ledford to be Featured Speaker at Moss Library Even

Brenda Kay Ledford

Known throughout the Northeast, award-winning poet Brenda Kay Ledford will be featured at June's gathering of Coffee With Poets and Writers, Wednesday, June 10, at 10:30 a.m. at Moss Memorial Library
in Hayesville, N.C. The monthly event is sponsored by North Carolina Writers' Network West.

Brenda Kay Ledford is a seventh-generation native of Clay County, N.C. She is a retired educator, poet, award-winning author, and storyteller.  Ledford holds a diploma of highest honors in "Creative Writing" from Stratford Career Institute and a Masters of Arts in Education.

Ledford's work has appeared in many journals including "Anthology of Appalachian Writers," "Guidepost Magazine," "Our State," "Fresh Words International Journal," 57 "Old Mountain Press Anthologies," and many other online and print publications.

A member of North Carolina Writers' Network, she has received 13 "Awards of Excellence" from North Carolina Society of Historians.  Ledford won a gold medal, silver medal, and two bronze medals this year in the Silver Arts Literary Competition with Cherokee/Clay Senior Games.

Her books are available on Amazon.com.

Poet Scott Owens Featured at May 28 Wordsmiths Meeting

Scott Owens will be the guest reader at Mountain Wordsmiths Thursday, May 28, at 10:30 a.m.  Mountain Wordsmiths meet monthly over Zoom to listen to a featured writer and let local writers share their work during an open mic session. 

Owens has just completed his twenty-fifth collection of poetry, "The Song is Why We Sing."  Owens—poet, professor, coffeehouse owner, and the City of Hickory Poet Laureate—is marking his more than four

Scott Owens

decades of writing, reading, and teaching poetry with this latest landmark collection

His poems reflect a lifelong of artistic practice and invite readers to pause, observe, and listen more closely to the music of language.  "I would love to have as many wordsmiths as possible to celebrate Scott’s achievements," Wordsmith's coordinator Carroll Taylor said.

Mountain Wordsmiths is an informal group. Gatherings are open to anyone who wishes to join and hear from well-known writers whose work is featured.

If you wish to attend, contact Carroll Taylor at vibiaperpetua@gmail.com to get the Zoom link.

Brenda Kay Ledford Published in Fresh Words International Magazine

 Brenda Kay Ledford's short story, "Holiday Baking," will appear in "Fresh Words: An International Literary Magazine," March, 2026 issue.

https://sites.google.com/view/freshwordsmagazine/home

Popular Poet Michael Wright To Speak at Moss Library April 8

Michael Wright

Known locally for his stunning and evocative imagery, April's gathering of Coffee with the Poets and Writers will feature noted poet Michael Wright, Wednesday, April 8, at 10:30 A.M. at Moss Memorial Library in Hayesville.  The monthly event is sponsored by North Carolina Writers' Network West.

Michael lives in the mountains of Western North Carolina where for over 45 years he has been a self-employed designer woodworker.  He is a graduate of The Herron School of Art at Indiana University.  He writes poetry on the side.

Coffee With Poets and Writers meets every second Wednesday from March to December 2026 at Moss Memorial Library.  The event is free and open to the public. An open mike will follow the presentation. Please bring a poem or short prose piece of about three minutes to participate.  There is no critique.  

CWPW is sponsored by North Carolina Writers Network West which also includes writers in Towns, Union, Fannin, and Rabun Counties in Georgia.  NCWN-W continues to use technology to share our writing.  We offer writing events and classes both online and in person.  For questions, please contact joanhoward121@gmail.com.

Author Sandy Benson to be Mountain Wordsmiths Featured Reader for March

 Mountain Wordsmiths will continue our 2026 season of featured readers on Thursday, March 26, at 10:30 a.m. via Zoom. The monthly event is sponsored by North Carolina Writers’ Network-West.

Sandy Benson

The gathering will feature our guest reader, author Sandy Benson, who lives near Warne, NC. Benson is a retired forester with a solid background in journalism. From the 1970s until her retirement in 2023, she worked forestry jobs in Arizona, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, and Nebraska while moonlighting as a reporter, editor, publisher, and freelance non-fiction writer. She has received local and regional writing awards.

Her first two books, My Mother’s Keeper: One Family’s Journey Through Dementia and Dear Folks: Letters Home 1943-1946 World War II, honor the memories of her parents. She is currently working on her third book, a memoir in short story form, Girls Can’t Do That, featuring her adventures and sometimes-hilarious misadventures as one of America’s early female foresters.

“Now that the serious tales are out of the way, it’s wonderful to finally get started on the fun stuff,” she says. “I’ll be sharing some girl-forester stories with the Mountain Wordsmiths.”

NCWN-West continues to stay in touch by using technology to share our writing. We offer writing events and writing classes, both online and in person. Mountain Wordsmiths gatherings always take place on Zoom. Attendees are welcome to bring a poem or short prose piece to read during Open Mic. Please limit the reading to 3-5 minutes. Mountain Wordsmiths is not a writing critique group.

Those wishing to attend Mountain Wordsmiths may contact Carroll Taylor at vibiaperpetua@gmail.com or ncwngeorgiarep@gmail.com to receive the Zoom link. Our group is informal, and we welcome those who would simply like to listen to the beauty of wordsmithing. All who attend are encouraged to enjoy their morning cup of coffee or tea as we share our thoughts about writing.

2026 Literary Hour Season Opens with Poet Kimberly Simms and Novelist David Plunkett

  Poet Kimberly Simms and novelist David Plunkett are the featured readers for the first Literary Hour of the 2026 season at the J.C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC, Thursday, March 19, at 7 p.m. in the Keith House.  Literary Hour is free and open to everyone who enjoys reading and writing poetry and prose.

Kimberly Simms

Kimberly Jane Simms (Gibbs) is an acclaimed Greenville poet, literary organizer, and educator whose voice is deeply rooted in the Southern tradition of storytelling, influenced by her British and Southern heritage. In her debut poetry collection, Lindy Lee: Songs on Mill Hill, she chronicles the lives of textile workers in the Piedmont region with historical accuracy and imaginative insight.

Simms is a former Carl Sandburg National Historic Site Writer-in-Residence, a TedX speaker, and a slam pioneer turned literary curator. As the founder of the nonprofit Wits End Poetry—a thriving organization she has led since 2002—Simms has made significant contributions to the literary arts, organizing major literary festivals and fostering community engagement.

David Plunkett of Young Harris, GA, is author of the Chessboard Series thrillers, “Chessboard” and “Poisoned Pawn” which follow the adventures of Kathy and Al Sutton as they face intrigue and danger in the Middle East.  He is currently working on the final novel of the series, “End Game,” which will complete the trilogy.

The Literary Hour is hosted by well-known Murphy, NC, author Mary Jo Dyre, whose novel “Springheads” combines elements of historical fiction, romance, mystery, adventure and fantasy to create a story of self-discovery.

The Literary Hour at the folk school brings local writers to the campus to share their work with the community.  It is sponsored by the North Carolina Writers’ Network-West on every third Thursday of the month through October.  The public, and students and faculty of the school are welcome to attend the readings.

The John C. Campbell Folk School offers classes in folk arts and crafts and storytelling.  For information about the school, you can find its webpage and contact information at https://www.folkschool.org/.

Shards of Hope Performance Coming on Earth Day 2026

 

Clarinetist Denise Gainey and Poet Mary Ricketson

An evening of live music and poetry, presented by Denise Gainey and Mary Ricketson

Mary Ricketson, poet, and Denise Gainey, clarinetist, will join to perform five of Mary’s poems set as a song cycle for soprano, clarinet, and piano to Shards of Hope, composed by Andrew Wilson, London, England.

Additionally, Mary will read poems primarily from Tall Flowers and Living Long and Shade and Shelter.  Denise will play a selection of clarinet solos.  She is an accomplished musician, Distinguished Professor of Music Emerita, University of Alabama at Birmingham, and past president of the international Clarinet association.

The performance will be at First United Methodist Church, 73 Valley River Ave, Murphy, NC.  A reception will follow at Cherokee County Arts Council, 33 Valley River Ave, Murphy NC.

This concert is part of the Arts in Appalachia concert series, celebrating original works and meaningful artistic exchange in our region.

Tickets are $10 for adults and free for students with valid ID and anyone under 18. To purchase tickets go to:  https://www.cherokeeartscouncil.org/events/shards-of-hope

Romance Novelist Denise Farnsworth to Speak at Moss March 11

Denise Farnsworth

     March's gathering of Coffee With the Poets will feature noted romance author Denise Farnsworth Wednesday, March 11, at 10:30 A.M. at Moss Memorial Library in Hayesville.  The monthly event is sponsored by North Carolina Writers' Network West.

     Denise Farnsworth, formerly published under Denise Weimer, has authored over twenty-traditionally published novels and novellas--historical and contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and time slip. As a freelance editor and Acquisitions & Editorial Liaison for Wild Heart Books, she's helped other authors reach their publication dreams.  A wife and mother of two adult daughters, Denise always pauses for coffee, chocolate, and old houses.

     Denise will feature her latest release, The Maiden and the Mountie, book two of her Twenty-Niners of the Georgia Gold Rush Series.  While most of her novels feature the unique history of her home state of Georgia, she is currently researching for her next series set in Western North Carolina.

     Coffee With Poets and Writers meets every second Wednesday from March to December 2026 at Moss Memorial Library.  The event is free and open to the public.  An open mike will follow the presentation. Please bring a poem or short prose piece of about three minutes to participate. There is no critique. 

     CWPW is sponsored by North Carolina Writers Network West which also includes writers in Towns, Union, Fannin and Rabun Counties in Georgia. NCWN-West continues to use technology to share our writing.  We offer writing events and classes both online and in person.  For questions, please contact joanhoward121@gmail.com

Poet Mary Ricketson to be February's Featured Reader at Mountain Wordsmiths

     February's gathering of Mountain Wordsmiths will feature noted poet Mary Ricketson as our guest reader on Thursday, February 26, at 10:30 a.m. via Zoom. The monthly event is sponsored by North Carolina Writers’ Network-West.

     Ricketson, who lives in Murphy, NC, works as a mental health counselor and a blueberry farmer. Her published poetry collections are I Hear the River Call My Name, Hanging Dog Creek, Shade and Shelter, Mississippi: The Story of Luke and Marian, Keeping in Place, Lira, Poems of a Woodland Woman, Precious the Mule, and STUTTERS, A Book of Hope.  Stutters is also available as an audiobook, in Mary’s voice, from Spotify, libro.fm, and other distributors. 

     Stutters was reviewed by North Carolina Literary Review: "So, as I read Ricketson’s poetic account of her lifelong struggle to understand and overcome stuttering, I vicariously experienced this struggle with her…. I think Ricketson has accomplished her goal in Stutters. It is a book of hope, a stirring and enlightening book of hope." --Julia Nunnally Duncan 

     Ricketson won first place in the 2011 Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest 75th anniversary national poetry contest. In 2024, she won a gold medal in poetry, 2024 Cherokee-Clay County, NC, Senior Games/Silver Arts, and the silver medal in the North Carolina statewide competition.  Inspired by nature and her role as a mental health counselor, her poems reflect the healing powers of nature, a path she follows from Appalachian tradition, with the surrounding mountains as midwife for her words.

     For 30 years she has written a monthly column, "Woman to Woman," for Murphy’s weekly newspaper, The Cherokee Scout.  She is a Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor in private practice in Murphy, NC. Additionally, she has a new poetry collection published by Redhawk Publications, Tall Flowers and Living Long, which is about her living on her land. 

     Ricketson has lived 44 years on nine acres of land, digs fingers into the soil, walks paths to weave her life with mules, dogs, and every living thing, to grow a life of essential love, happiness, and peace. 

     Mountain Wordsmiths’ gatherings always take place on Zoom on the fourth Thursday of each month. Attendees are welcome to bring a poem or short prose piece to read during Open Mic. Please limit the reading to 3-5 minutes. Mountain Wordsmiths is not a critique group.

     Those wishing to attend Mountain Wordsmiths may contact Carroll Taylor at vibiaperpetua@gmail.com or ncwngeorgiarep@gmail.com to receive the Zoom link. Our group is informal, and we welcome those who would simply like to listen to the beauty of wordsmithing. All who attend can enjoy their morning cup of coffee or tea as we share our thoughts about writing.

 

Book Debuts today

 I am happy to announce the release of Scott Owens' 25th poetry collection. Scott has been a friend of NCWN-West for many years. 

On April 16, he will speak at the Literary Hour, 7:00 PM at John C. Campbell Folk School. I look forward to reading with him.

News Press Release Date: January 24, 2026

Company: Redhawk Publications


IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Redhawk Publications Announces The Song Is Why We Sing, the 25th Poetry Collection by Scott Owens, City of Hickory Poet Laureate

Hickory, NC – Redhawk Publications is proud to announce the release of The Song Is Why We Sing, the latest poetry collection by Scott Owens—poet, professor, coffeehouse owner, and the City of Hickory Poet Laureate. Marking more than four decades of writing, reading, and teaching poetry, this landmark collection reflects a lifelong artistic practice and invites readers to pause, observe, and listen more closely to the music of language.

Owens, a longtime instructor at Lenoir-Rhyne University and owner of Taste Full Beans Coffeehouse in Hickory, has been writing poetry for over 40 years. His extensive body of work includes recent collections such as Elemental, eventually, An Augury of Birds, and Prepositional. With The Song Is Why We Sing, Owens reaches a significant milestone—his 25th published book—while continuing to evolve as a poet deeply engaged in making meaning through words.

Described as part ‘ars poetica’ and part ‘carpe diem,’ The Song Is Why We Sing gathers poems that explore why poetry matters and how it shapes how we perceive and inhabit the world. The collection blends reflection, instruction, and inspiration, offering readers insight into both the craft of poetry and the lived experience of a writer committed to attention, contemplation, and expression. As poet Malaika King Albrecht observes, the poems are marked by “a reverent attention to the present moment with exacting language… grounded in the dailiness of life yet attuned to wonder.”

“To some extent, every poem is an ‘ars poetica,’” Owens notes. “By its very existence, a poem declares the rightness of its approach toward perception, contemplation, expression, and existence. Putting these poems together in one book made that process a conscious one.”

While the collection looks back across a long and accomplished career, it is far from purely retrospective. Instead, The Song Is Why We Sing invites readers into an ongoing conversation about language, creativity, and the necessity of art in everyday life. The poems linger on small but expansive moments—clouds, memory, a knot in the grass—revealing, as Albrecht writes, “how small things hold entire universes for those willing to pause with presence.”

This collection will appeal to poets and poetry lovers, as well as teachers, students, thinkers, observers, and anyone who enjoys words and the quiet revelations they can bring.

As Owens puts it simply through the work itself, poetry is not just something we read—it is something we live.

Order your copy of Scott Owen’s Newest Poetry Collection, The Song Is Why We Sing at https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftinyurl.com%2FTheSongIsWhyWeSing&data=05%7C02%7C%7Cfe9a581b5a3b453e8f1808de5b50b0c9%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639048599284883448%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=sDq%2FGYjF5q6GOQMXV4YRKLlZVa2J7Enp3b9wgclzEcw%3D&reserved=0

Author Contact for media follow-up interviews, feature articles, book events, etc.

Scott Owens
Email address: asowens1@yahoo.com
Best Phone number: 828-234-4266

Places Available: Creative Writing at the Folk School: Feb 13-15

What better time than Valentine’s Day than to read & write some Love Poems & Stories in a supportive, fun environment! 

Love Poems & Stories: weekend class taught by Karen Paul Holmes

Expressing love can be a joyful experience for the writer… and also a challenge. Come discover your voice: humorous, romantic, matter-of-fact, or all three? Karen will provide her favorite poetry and prose samples, writing tips, prompts, inspiration, and time to write about your spouse, partner, grandchildren, other family members, pets, or fictional characters. Find encouragement, laughter, and a little Folk School magic — whether you’re already writing or itching to begin. All levels, all genres welcome (memoir, creative non-fiction, fiction, blogging, poems, etc.) 

Karen Paul Holmes is a freelance writer and poet who won the 2023 Lascaux Poetry Prize and received a Special Mention in the 2024 Pushcart Prize Anthology. Her poetry books are: No Such Thing as Distance (Terrapin, 2018) and Untying the Knot (Aldrich, 2014). Her writing has been featured on The Writer’s Almanac and The Slowdown, and has appeared in numerous literary journals including Diode, Gargoyle, Pedestal Magazine, Prairie Schooner, and Plume. Holmes also leads adult creative writing workshops and has served on panels at conferences such as AWP (Association of Writers & Writing Programs).  She founded and hosted Writers’ Night Out for the North Carolina Writers’ Network and has hosted the Side Door Poets in Atlanta for more than 14 years.

Here’s an example of one of Karen’s love poems (as a “prose poem”): 

To My Husband on Our First Anniversary, 2021

 

    Sac-ra-ment: a thing of mysterious & sacred significance; a channel of divine grace

 
In my floral robe, wrinkled and faded as a dishrag, dragging my 67-year-old self down the stairs to the living room where you’re pressed and dressed and have already calmed clients on the phone, but now you’re singing Here comes my baby--that bright-eyed bushytailed thing you do each day. It could be too much, this boosting me into morning. But I laugh, can’t be a cranky rusted gate because, well, those sea blue eyes, your rosy beam, arms unfurling peony-like, (and I, the ant burrowing). Plus French press you’ve kept warm for two hours and the oven ready to bake frozen biscuits. Like you do, I want to make tenderness a daily sacrament. Love is, wise ones remind us, also a verb, and I thank you for your patience while I practice. I want to verb you like you verb me. 

this and more love prose poems here: http://www.portyonderpress.com/karen-paul-holmes---3-poems.html

For more info on the Folk School Class and to register:

https://folkschool.configio.com/pd/3666/love-poems-stories?st_t=2077&st_ti=2516&cid=2527&returncom=productlist&source=search