A Day for Writers 2019 in Sylva at the Jackson County Library

NCWN-West and the Jackson County Regional Public Library will host A Day for Writers in Sylva, NC on Saturday, August 24. 

It has always been the goal of this program to bring the best to the west with reasonable fees so all writers in the mountains can benefit from membership without traveling long distances.

C. Hope Clark, author of two mystery series is keynote speaker. Clark’s 35,000 readers of her Funds for Writers Newsletter give her much credit for their success. Clark will speak on marketing and on writing the novel.

Poets will enjoy Joseph Bathanti, poet laureate of North Carolina, 2012 – 2014. He is Writer-in-Residence of Appalachian State University’s Watauga Residential College in Boone, NC. Bathanti, author of ten poetry books, is recipient of the 2016 North Carolina Award in Literature. His most recent volume is The 13th Sunday after Pentecost (LSU Press, 2016).

Joseph Bathanti, Poet

David Joy, novelist, will present Writing Centered in Place/Landscape as Character. His books are highly praised as a voice of Appalachia. He is the author of the Edgar nominated novel Where All Light Tends To Go (Putnam, 2015), as well as the novels The Weight Of This World (Putnam, 2017) and The Line That Held Us (Putnam, 2018). His memoir Growing Gills: A Fly Fisherman's Journey (Bright Mountain Books, 2011), was a finalist for the Reed Environmental Writing Award and the Ragan Old North State Award. 

Patricia Vestal and Katie Winkler will teach how to write a ten minute play. Both of these writers have had plays produced on stage. Katie Winkler has taught English composition and British literature for over 23 years at Blue Ridge Community College. During that time, she has been active with the college's drama department as a writer, actor, and director. Pat Vestal’s plays were done off-off Broadway and were on NYC TV. She taught play-writing at the college level.

Carol Crawford who owns www.carolcrawfordediting.com and is a well-published nonfiction writer as well as poet, will teach what to do before you submit your manuscript. Carol teaches writing at the John C. Campbell Folk School. She is the author of The Habit of Mercy, Poems about Daughters and Mothers. Her essays and short stories have been published in numerous journals. She has been program coordinator for the annual Blue Ridge Writers’ Conference since its inception in 1996. 

Karen Paul Holmes, poet and teacher, will discuss Metaphors, Images and Similes. Holmes has two full-length poetry collections, No Such Thing as Distance (Terrapin, 2018) and Untying the Knot (Aldrich, 2014). She was chosen a Best Emerging Poet by Stay Thirsty Media and appeared in their 2019 collection of 22 poets including Billy Collins and Robert Pinsky. 

Karen Paul Holmes

Writers may join NCWN at the time of registration. 

Member fees for the conference are $65. 

Non-members pay $78.  Student fee is $35. 

Coffee, pastries, soft drinks, water and lunch are included.

Find the registration form on the sidebar at  www.netwestwriters.blogspot.com. Complete the  form and mail with your check to NCWN-West, %Glenda Beall, PO Box 843, Hayesville, NC 28904 or register online at www.ncwriters.org. 

Deadline for mail in and online registrations is August 19. Contact Glenda Beall, gcbmountaingirl@gmail.com for more information

C. Hope Clark, Keynote Speaker for A  Day for Writers  

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