A Poem

Big Sur

I drive along the freeway,
cars like inch worms creep.
I visualize a moment
far removed from traffic jams.

High above the scene,
we picniced on cheese and wine.
The wind swept up the cliff
and kissed my face with droplets
from the great Pacific which crashed
on rocks one hundred feet below.

Wind tossed our words up to the gulls
who shrieked them back at us.
The day was dazzling in its brilliance.
Our love, not young, refreshed, renewed.
We dreamed, made promises.
That perfect day - a perfect place,
away from all the world.
--- Glenda Council Beall

2009 Best of the Net

First of all, I extend my sympathy to Glenda Beall and her family upon the loss of her beloved husband, Barry. We all loved Barry and appreciate very much all the work he did for North Carolina Writers Network-West. Barry took photos of our writers' events and was always faithful. We will all miss him very much. Glenda and her family are in our thoughts and prayers.

Barry always supported the writers of this region. I think he would be glad to heard I was nominated as 2009 "Best of the Net" for my poem, "Crepe Roses," that was published on THE DEAD MULE SCHOOL OF SOUTHERN LITERATURE website (April, 2009). You may visit the blog at: http://www.deadmule.com/blog

N.C. Writers Network West Has Lost One of our Strongest Supporters.

N.C. Writers Network West Has Lost One of our Strongest Supporters. Barry Beall of Hayesville died July 21, 2009. Barry was not a writer, but he gave his support to our members. He was always supporting Glenda Beall, our Program Coordinator in her job. He went to get copies and delivered copies and set up for workshops. He set up for the annual picnic and took our pictures and came to hear us read. Barry Beall will be missed.

NOW MIGHT AS WELL BE THEN by Glenda Council Beall

Finishing Line Press recently announced the publication date for Glenda Beall's new poetry collection titled NOW MIGHT AS WELL BE THEN.
Click Here to order your copy.

(Cover by Mike Keller)

$12.00 plus $1.00 mailing fee if ordered before October 16, 2009






Posted by Nancy Simpson

I know these poems well, and I feel the excitement in the air knowing her book, NOW MIGHT AS WELL BE THEN, will soon be in my hands. All of us who know Glenda as our NC Writers Network Program Coordinator, are placing our orders now. It is a bitter sweet time for Glenda, as she is caring for her life mate and husband Barry Beall, the subject of a number of her poems, who is seriously ill.

"I asked for an early release of the book for Barry," Glenda wrote to me, "and I wonder if he will ever see the finished book."

NOW MIGHT AS WELL BE THEN by Glenda Council Beall

Finishing Line Press is taking pre-orders for Now Might As Well Be Then, poetry chapbook by Glenda Council Beall, Program Coordinator for Netwest since 2007.


It is the second book on the page of new releases coming out in October.


This book is dedicated to her husband, Barry Beall, who was an unofficial member of Netwest as he made many of the photos at writing events, for articles, and of members that are used in publicity today.


Like William Wordsworth, Glenda Beall was raised knowing well the "yoke of earth," how the fields, pastures and woodlands yield both beauty and terror. Her evocations of being a daughter in the deep South, growing up on a farm, riding her mare, witnessing death and tragedy, as well as joy and fruitfulness, ring absolutely true. She gives us love poems from a mature woman's perspective, too, and poems that celebrate the vistas and culture of the mountains where she now lives. Every poem pulses with detail that brings life back to us in all its varied detail and music. The "yoke of earth" is also the poet's yoke, and she bears it gladly. --- Kathryn Striping Byer, NC Poet Laureate

Netwest Mountain Writers and Poets: Our Own Jayne Jaudon Ferrer Shares Her Survival Tale, Hazards of Youth Growing Up in the 1950s on MSNBC

Netwest Mountain Writers and Poets: Our Own Jayne Jaudon Ferrer Shares Her Survival Tale, Hazards of Youth Growing Up in the 1950s on MSNBC

MONDAY, JULY 6, 2009
Hey! I'm on MSNBC!
Some weeks back, I got word that a reporter was looking for input from people who grew up in the 40s and 50s and lived to tell about it. You know, back in those BAD old days, before any of us knew the dangers of suntans, red meat, bicycles, cigarettes, hairspray, hard candy, and such. By all rights, we Boomers should be dead, according to today's health and safety standards. But I feel pretty good myself; how about you? I frankly think my childhood was a lot more fun than what kids today experience, so I wrote the reporter and shared some of my thoughts on that. Lo and behold, he used my comments! Who'da thought it? As it turns out, he didn't do much reporting (doesn't even use a byline; what writer lets that opportunity fall by the wayside?!); he just printed some of the responses he got. But, hey, I'll take my fifteen seconds of fame from whencever they come.

Mostly, I thought it would be fun to use this as a prompt for YOUR memories of "dangerous" living during your childhood days. I've heard my big sister talk about foot x-rays (that was before my time) and I loved my mother's tales of driving the family car to school when she was nine. (Nine?!) One of my own favorite activities--which is totally banned these days--was walking barefoot around town in the summer; it felt sooooo good to go from that hot sidewalk on Main Street onto the cool linoleum of Ben Franklin's Five and Dime or the smooth hardwood floors of my Daddy's Western Auto.

I'm as cautious as the next person, but I think sometimes we get carried away with all these rules and regulations, and I have to say, I think the motivation for all the hoopla is more often about profit than public safety. Several years back I read Myrna Blyth's fascinating book, Spin Sisters, which shares in great detail how the media--women's magazines, in particular--thrive on alarmist stories targeted at "power moms"--those of us who are 25-54 with at least one child at home. Blyth should know; she was editor of Ladies' Home Journal for years, and helped give birth to one of my favorite magazines, More. She readily confesses that she was as guilty as the rest in making us moms second guess our belief that our homes and families are safe. Blyth's need to come clean (or, perhaps, just her need to sell a book, but that's okay) resulted in a mesmerizing examination of how media preys on our insecurities and need for approval. If you haven't read Spin Sisters, go find a copy. It's well worth buying, and certainly deserving of a trip to the library.

In the meantime, I invite you to confess all the horrors your mother may have unwittingly exposed you to in your youth, and the appalling risks you may have taken. Roller skating with no kneepads? For shame! B-B guns? The very idea! Truly, it's a wonder any of us survived to have children of our own.

Here's the MSNBC article. Hope it brings back some happy memories; scroll down seven paragraphs and one ad: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31670024/from/ET/ .


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31670024/from/ET/

Nagging Questions can be answered by Yvonne Perry's blog

Do you know when to use an en dash and when to use an em dash? What is an en dash? What is an em dash?
Interesting information on the subject at this site.

Cherokee County Poetry and Essay Contest

Dalton Mallonee, Cliff Owl, and Amanda Gaddis - Essay contest winners.
Kelly Noel Waldorf and Hannah Larson. Poetry contest winners.

Serving as judge of essays for the Cherokee County Poetry and Essay Contest held each year for high school students in Cherokee County, North Carolina was and is always an honor. I read and re-read the work of these students and found it difficult to choose only three winners.

Cliff Owl III, in the white shirt in the photo, was my choice for first place. His personal essay, Walking the Line of the Reservation, expresses deep insight into his feelings of guilt, stygma, and his reconciliation of these feelings as he graduates from Murphy High School. With a small enrollment of people from his father's Cherokee Indian heritage Cliff often felt he should be at Cherokee High School on the Qualla Boundary, home of the Eastern Band of Cherokee where his relatives live and his family once lived. I was not surprised when Cliff said he was going to college at Stamford University.His writing showed a surprising maturity for such a young man.

Second and third place essay winners responded to an assignment in class and both wrote entirely different views on the subject of a Learning Experience.

First place Poetry winner was Hannah Larsen. This was her second time to win this contest in her four years of high school

Judging the Poetry contest was Jayne Jaudon Ferrer, our Netwest Rep in South Carolina.

Our congratulations to all the winners. This contest is sponsored each year by the local community, and the Cherokee Scout Newspaper.

Paul Donovan, a long time supporter of writers in his community, organizes the contest which awards monetary prizes. Netwest donates an award each year.

Titles of winning essays are:
First Place :Walking the Line of the Reservation
Second Place :A Powerful Learning Experience
Third Place :A Learning Experience

Corporate Sponsor of Netwest

Netwest is indeed appreciative of the annual donation from United Community Bank, Inc. UCBI supports the arts and other community events, and we are delighted they recognize the advantages of our writing group to the public. Mary Taylor, Administrative Assistant to Jimmy Tallent, founder and CEO, says she has noticed we support them as well. If you have a branch of United Community Bank in your town, you will find the folks who work there to be among the friendliest anywhere. I always come out of their doors with a smile on my face.







Many thanks, Mary, to you and United Community Bank, Inc.