July Writers' Night Out

Published authors Glenda Barrett and Brenda Kay Ledford will read their work on Friday, July 8 at 7 p.m. at Mountain Perk Coffee House in Hiawassee. Those who’d like to share their own poetry or prose can participate in the open microphone portion of the program following the featured readers. The evening also features local musicians.

Glenda Barrett, a native of Hiawassee, Georgia is an artist, poet and writer. Her writing has been published in Journal of Kentucky Studies, Farm & Ranch Living, Country Woman, Woman's World, Rural Heritage, Chicken Soup for the Soul and many others. Barrett’s poetry chapbook, When the Sap Rises, was published by Finishing Line Press. Her Appalachian Art is for sale on Fine Art America.

Hayesville’s Brenda Kay Ledford has had work in many publications including Yesterday’s Magazette, Our State, Pembroke Magazine, Appalachian Heritage, Broad River Review (Gardner-Webb University), Echoes Across the Blue Ridge, The Reach of Song, and other journals and anthologies. She’s listed with A Directory of American Poets and Fiction Writers. Ledford received the Paul Green Award from North Carolina Society of Historians for her three poetry chapbooks. Recently, Ledford co-authored the book, Simplicity, with her mother, Blanche L. Ledford.

Writers’ Night Out takes place on the second Friday of each month at Mountain Perk Coffee House, 1390 Highway 76 East in Chatuge Harbor Plaza across from Towns County High School. The evening is free and open to the public. Food, gourmet coffees and other refreshments are available for purchase. Those interested in reading at the open microphone may sign up at the event. Each writer can read for up to two minutes.

Writers’ Night Out began in April 2011 and has steadily grown in popularity, drawing audiences from four counties. It’s a relaxed atmosphere for anyone who loves the written word.

COMMON CUP TV PROGRAM

Brenda Kay Ledford (pictured above) and Mrs. Doris Roberson will appear on Windstream Communications' Channel 4 cable TV. The "Common Cup" will air at 9:30AM, 4:00 PM, and 7:30 PM on Friday, June 24, 2011.

Mrs. Roberson will tell about the Truett Baptist Camp at Hayesville, NC. She and husband, Richard Roberson, are the directors of the camp.

Brenda will present her research paper about Dr. George W. Truett who was born in the 1800's where the Truett Camp is presently located. Dr. Truett was a world-renown Baptist minister during the early 1900's. He was the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, TX for 47 years.

Jim Geer, host of the Common Cup, interviewed Mrs. Roberson and Brenda on this program. Mark Mote produced the program and inserted many photos of Truett Camp and Dr. Truett on the show.

Call for Poetry Submissions

Robert S. King wants to spread the word about a special project at FutureCycle Press.
"We're looking for poetry submissions on social or political themes for a forthcoming anthology, tentatively called American Society: What Poets See.
Find submission guidelines at:

http://www.futurecycle.org/FutureCyclePoetry/SocialAnthology.aspx

Poets and Writers Reading Poems and Stories at JCCFS, Thursday Evening June 16

Reading this month at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC, are two long time members of NCWN West. Glenda C. Beall and Brenda Kay Ledford.
The reading begins at 7:00 PM at the Keith House.  Everyone is invited to attend and we hope you will.There is no admission charge.

Glenda Council Beall lives in Hayesville, NC. Glenda finds memories come to surface in her writing. Many of her poems, such as Clearing New Ground, from her poetry chapbook, are narratives that tell stories she remembers from childhood.
She is a multi-genre writer, but she first began publishing poetry in 1996, shortly after moving to the mountains. Her poems have appeared in literary journals such as Main Street Rag, The Journal of Kentucky Studies, Appalachian Heritage, Red Owl Magazine, and online in Wild Goose Poetry Review. One of her poems was chosen for Kakalak, North Carolina Poets, 2009.
Glenda’s poetry can be found in numerous and various anthologies including the recently released, Women’s Spaces, Women’s Places, and in From Freckles to Wrinkles from Silver Boomer Books. In 2009, her poetry chapbook, Now Might as Well be Then, was published by Finishing Line Press. Two poems from that book were recently re-published online by Future Cycle Press. Her poems will also appear in the Poetry Hickory anthology for 2010.
Her short stories have been published in online journals, Muscadine Lines; A Southern Journal and The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature. Her personal essays have been published in Echoes across the Blue Ridge, Reunion Magazine, and in Cup of Comfort for Horse Lovers.
Breath and Shadow, an online journal will publish a non-fiction article, Pass it on,  in their July issue.

Glenda is past Program Coordinator for North Carolina Writers Network West, and now serves as Clay County Representative for Network West.

A graduate of the University of Georgia, she earned her BS degree in education. She began studying writing in 1996, attending classes taught by teachers in the writing program at the Folk School. She has attended workshops and writing conferences through the North Carolina Writers’ Network for fifteen years and has learned the ends and outs of writing and publishing. When she isn’t working on her own poems and stories, she enjoys teaching others the joy of writing.  She is on faculty at John C. Campbell Folk School and will teach a writing class this summer, August 21 – 27. She is Director of Writers Circle, a writing studio at her home.

Brenda Kay Ledford is a native of Clay County, NC. Her work has appeared in many publications including Yestersdays Magazette, Our State, Pembroke Magazine, Appalachian Heritage, Broad River Review (Gardner Webb University), Echoes Across the Blue Ridge, The Reach of Song and other journals and anthologies. She is listed with  A Directory of American Poets and Fiction Writers and is a member of North Carolina Writers' Network West, North Carolina Poetry Society, Georgia Poetry Society and Byron Herbert Reece Society.

Ledford received the Paul Green Award from North Carolina Society of Historians for her three poetry chapbooks. She co-authored the book, "Simplicity," with her mother, Blanche L. Ledford.
Ledford's readings are  performances.  She is a story teller as well as a poet and writer and you never know what surprise she has for her audience.

Thursday evening, June 16, promises to be an evening of fun for those who enjoy writing and writers. .

Can You Really Teach Someone to Write?

Your Life - Your Stories - Folk School class in 2003


I remember the first day of the first class I taught at John C. Campbell Folk School. Nancy Simpson, Resident Writer at JCCFS, had called and asked me to substitute for an instructor who was unable to come to teach a weekend class.

I was delighted to have the opportunity. I had been teaching at an adult education program at a church in North Georgia and found I enjoyed working with senior adults who were not necessarily writers, but wanted to write about their lives to leave a legacy for their families.

This became one of the most fullfilling experiences of my life. All were beginners to the world of writing classes and writing workshops. With a little encouragement each student poured out stories about their lives, stories I knew their families would cherish for generations. I still hear from students in that class.
My first class at the Folk School met in the wet room, a room set up with long tables, a room far too big for our small class, but it didn't matter. It served our purpose.
I arrived early, around 3:30 Friday afternoon. I approached the door and turned the key in the lock. For a minute I stood there, remembering when I was fresh out of college, entering my first classroom for children, scared but eager to make a positive difference in the lives of fourth graders. That was years ago and only a few of those children have I heard from or seen since they left Sylvester Road Elementary. I hope the year they spent with me helped them on their life's journey.

Now, more than thirty years later, I had come full circle. Once again I came as a teacher, not of children, but to do what I could to make a positive difference in the lives of adults.

Our time together was short; Friday evening and Saturday, but it was fruitful. A gentleman in the class said to me as he left on Sunday. "I'm so glad I came. I have carried around this envelope filled with stuff about my father for years, and now I know what I will do with it. Thank you."

Through the years it has been rewarding to hear from my students who have published memoirs, either for their family or for the public. I have read their work on blogs, in magazines and in their books.
I am always delighted to see their accomplishments.
I don't take credit for their success, but I am happy to have been a small part of it.
I look forward to teaching a week-long class at John Campbell Folk School in August. Once again I'll meet interesting people with unique lives, and I will do all I can to help these writers get those life stories on paper for those whom they love. Maybe you will be one of those writers.

Glenda C. Beall - http://www.profilesandpedigrees.blogspot.com/

Local residents, ask for half price on tuition.
Your Life—Your Stories (contact http://www.folkschool.org/ to register online)
Writing
August 21-26, 2011 (Sunday-Friday Session)
Instructor: Glenda Beall
Tuition: $488.00
Use your life experiences, favorite photos, or keepsakes to help you develop stories and personal essays. Your stories are unique. Write to publish or to save for your children and grandchildren. Share your work and get feedback that will help polish each piece you write. This class is for beginning and intermediate writers.

Poet Nancy Simpson IN THE NEWS - ASHEVILLE CITIZEN - TIMES

Poet Nancy Simpson featured at Coffee With The Poets

9:17 AM, Jun. 3, 2011  |  

Comments

The North Carolina Writers Network West (Netwest) will feature accomplished poet, Nancy Simpson of Hayesville, at Coffee with the Poets at 10:30 a.m. June 8 at Café Touché, 82 Main St., Hayesville.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Share
• Email
• Print

• A
• A
• A

Written by

Staff Reports

• FILED UNDER
• News

HAYESVILLE — The North Carolina Writers Network West (Netwest) will feature accomplished poet, Nancy Simpson of Hayesville, at Coffee with the Poets at 10:30 a.m. June 8 at Café Touché, 82 Main St.

Simpson’s most recent poetry collection, “Living above the Frost Line, New and Selected Poems,” was published by Carolina Wren Press in 2010. Her first books were “Night Student” and “Across Water.” She edited the recently published anthology “Echoes across the Blue Ridge.”

She holds an MFA from Warren Wilson College and a B.S. in education from Western Carolina University. She also received a North Carolina Arts Fellowship.

Known as a co-founder of N.C. Writers Network West, a non-profit, professional writing organization serving writers living in  the remote mountains west of Asheville, she is also known as teacher to poets and writers in this area.

Nancy Simpson's extensive body of poetry includes poems published in The Georgia Review, Southern Poetry Review, Seneca Review, New Virginia Review, Prairie Schooner and other literary magazines. 

Her poems are often chosen for anthologies. “Night Student” was reprinted in “Word and Wisdom, 100 Years of N.C. Poetry” and in “Literary Trails of N.C.” (2008). The Southern Poetry Review included one of her poems in their 50th Anniversary issue, “Don't Leave Hungry.” Her poem “Carolina Bluebirds” was chosen for The Poets Guide to Birds (Anhinga 2009), an anthology edited by Judith Kitchen and former Poet Laureate of the United States, Ted Kooser. Seven of her poems are featured in Southern Appalachian Poetry, a textbook anthology published at McFarland Press.

Her poetry is widely published in journals such as The Journal of Kentucky Studies, Cooweescoowee Reviewat Will Rogers University and Pisgah Review.

Through 2010 Simpson served as Resident Writer at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown. The literary community in Clay, Cherokee, Towns and Union Counties is largely made up of her students and students of writers she invited to teach at the Folk School. Presently she teaches at Institute for Continuing Learning at Young Harris College and continues to teach poetry writing at John C. Campbell Folk School.

Coffee with the Poets is open to all and any lover of writing is welcome to come listen or bring an original poem, short essay or story to read at open mic.

For more information,  Glenda Beall 389-4441.

www.nancysimpson.blogspot.com

Writers' Night Out

ATLANTA WRITER FEATURED AT WRITERS’ NIGHT OUT

Aimee Wise will read her work on Friday, June 10 at 7 p.m. at Mountain Perk Coffee House in Hiawassee. Those who’d like to share their own poetry or fiction can participate in the open microphone portion of the program following Wise’s reading.

Wise, who lives in Atlanta, writes memoir, short fiction and poetry. She says, “I have finally found the time and inspiration to write” after a career in health care, including work in East Central Africa; owning an interior design business for several years; and raising a family. “My children are now adults; my five grandkids are rapidly leaving childhood, so I have inner and outer space to make writing my priority. I find writing an on-going journey of discovery.” She has attended a variety of writing classes, but the two she enjoyed most were Tom Bird’s course at Emory University on “Writing a Book in 30 Days” and a poetry workshop led by Memye Curtis Tucker, Senior Editor of The Atlanta Review.

Writers’ Night Out takes place on the second Friday of each month at Mountain Perk Coffee House, 1390 Highway 76 East in Chatuge Harbor Plaza across from Towns County High School. The evening is free and open to the public. Food, gourmet coffees and other refreshments are available for purchase. Those interested in reading at the open microphone may sign up at the event. Each writer can read for up to two minutes.

Writers’ Night Out began in April 2011 and has steadily grown in popularity with an audience averaging 30 people from four counties. It’s a relaxed and fun atmosphere for anyone who loves the written word.

For more information, please contact Karen Holmes at (404) 316-8466 or kpaulholmes@gmail.com, or call Mountain Perk at (706) 896-0504.