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

Brenda Kay Ledford Published in Ave Astra Magazine

 Brenda Kay Ledford's story, "Jomo and the Polka-Dotted Zebra," was published in Ave Astra Magazine,

Volume 2, December 2025.

According to Kim Chua, editor of Ave Astra, Ledford's incredible contribution to the magazine added a distinctive perspective to Volume 2, and the editors were thrilled to share her story with the readers."

Ave Astra Magazine cultivates a bold and dynamic space where the stories and perspectives of disability unfold with nuance, depth, and authenticity.  The digital magazine curates and compelling blend of essays, research, and artistry, and personal narratives, each offering fresh insights that elevate and transform the conversation.

For information:  ave-astra.org/#vol-2

According to Editor Kim Chua, the magazine is now open to submissions from writers regarding the theme of "disability."

Love Poems & Stories at the John C. Campbell Folk School

A Christmas or Valentine’s gift for yourself or a loved one?  

Come join me for this class over Valentine’s weekend, 2026. We will have fun (and maybe some digging deep into feelings you’ve wanted to express) in this supportive, non-competitive, and pretty special environment. 

“Love Songs & Poetry” Weekend Class, Feb. 13-15, 2026

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? Your instructor 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 magic–whether you’re already writing or itching to begin. All levels, all genres welcome.

Here’s the link to the Folk School for more info and to register.

Instructor, Karen Paul Holmes, is a freelance writer and poet with two published poetry books, No Such Thing as Distance (Terrapin Books) and Untying the Knot (Aldrich Press). Her poems have been featured on Garrison Keillor’s The Writer's Almanac and several podcasts, as well as in magazines, anthologies, and literary journals such as The Southern Poetry Anthology, Vol 5: Georgia, Poet Lore, Plume, Tar River Poetry, and Prairie Schooner. She had a long career in corporate America, including her last position as an award-winning marketing communications executive at a global financial services company. She has an MA from the University of Michigan, has lived in the south for many years, and has been an active volunteer for the North Carolina Writers’ Network. karenpaulholmes.com

Brenda Kay Ledford Receives NC Society of Historians Award

 Brenda Kay Ledford received an award for her project, "Appalachian Heritage," from North Carolina Society of Historians.

The awards banquet and celebration were held at The Wilkes Heritage Museum, Home of the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame in Wilkesboro, North Carolina on Saturday, November 8, 2025.

A seventh-generation native of Clay County, North Carolina, Ledford is a retired educator, poet, award-winning author, blogger, and storyteller.  She holds a diploma of highest honors in "Creative Writing" from Stratford Career Institute and a Master of Arts in Education from Western Carolina University.  She studied "Journalism" at the University of Tennessee.

A former editor of "Tri-County Communicator" at Tri-County Community College, Ledford's work has appeared in many online and print journals.  The following journals featured her work:  "Our State," "Anthology of Appalachian Writers," "Appalachian Heritage," "Good Old Days Magazine," 58 Old Mountain Press anthologies and many other publications.  Ledford's poem, "Crepe Roses," was nominated for the "Best of the Net" by "The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature."

Ledford is a member of North Carolina Writer's Network, a charter member of Byron Herbert Reece Society, Georgia Mountain Writer's Club, and listed on the "North Carolina Literary Trail."  She has received a lifetime award in "Creative Writing" from Maquis Who's Who in America.

Her latest book, The Persistent Trillium, was released in 2025 by Finishing Line Press.  Ledford's books are available on Amazon.com and Chinquapins Gift Shop in Hayesville, NC. 

Mary Ricketson to read at Mountain Crowns Nov. 21

Mountain Crowns in Brasstown will feature local poet Mary Ricketson Friday, Nov. 21, from 3 to 5 p.m. Ricketson will be reading her beautiful and insightful poetry which artfully combines her love of writing, gifts of nature, and long career as a mental health counselor.

Take delight as Ricketson reads in the magical setting of Mountain Crowns a sampling of selected poems from several of her nine published books.  Register early via Jessica 404-292-3005 or just drop in and enjoy the reading and cookies homemade by Mary.

Mountain Crowns, 10950 Old Hwy 64, Brasstown NC 28902

Going Away Party for Glenda Beall

 

This delightful group of writers and friends held a party for me on Saturday in Hayesville, NC

My deepest appreciation to Joan Howard, Carroll Taylor, Marcia Barnes, and David Plunkett who brought so many friends together to honor me for my service to the writers of western North Carolina and bordering counties of Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee. My job was a labor of love. 

Thanks to Kanute Rarey, Richard Cary, Brenda Ledford, and others who spoke so kindly of me and even read some of my poetry. I was presented a beautiful bouquet of flowers, and Maren Mitchell gave me cuttings from her herb garden. 

I was gifted with books by several of them and look forward to reading the poetry and prose by my friends. I will write about the authors and the books in another blog post.

Thank you to all who came. You made my going away a little easier with your caring. 

Brenda Kay Ledford Featured on "Out on a Limb: Adventures in Storytelling"

 Brenda Kay Ledford's story, "Blue Ridge Mountain Grandma," is featured this week on:  "Out on a Limb:  Adventures in Storytelling."

Sandy Benson is the author of this storytelling site.  Writers are invited to submit and to subscribe to this substack.

https://sgb212739.substack.com/p/out-on-a-limb-adventures-in-storytelling-Od3

This is a great site that Sandy has launched.  I think it will be very successful. I am very grateful to be featured this week.  

Brenda Kay Ledford

http://blueridgepoet.blogspot.com

Celebrated Playwright and Poet Richard Cary to Speak Nov. 12 at Moss Memorial Library

by Joan M. Howard
Guest Writer

Coffee With Poets and Writers is delighted to welcome again distinguished writer Richard Montfort Cary, local playwright, poet and actor, and relative of Dame Olive Campbell. He will speak Wednesday, Nov. 12, at 10:30 a.m. at Moss Memorial Library. Richard is a prolific poet, who has also written plays, including one about the founding of John C. Campbell Folk School. He is also a popular actor at the Peacock Playhouse.

Coffee With Poets And Writers meets monthly at Hayesville’s Moss Memorial Library.

Richard will be reading from his recently published book of autobiographical poems "I Once Was a Man From Nantucket," a collection of autobiographical poems.

Richard Montfort Cary Photo by Lily Ponitz

The 750-page book is arranged in a chronological order covering poems he wrote on his 65-year journey from age 16 in 1959 to age 81 in the spring of 2024.  His wife, artist Cheryl Cary, designed the cover, incorporating a painting dated 1929 by his mother June Coolidge Cary.  The book is his dream come true.

Richard received his BFA in Theater Arts from Carnegie Mellon University in 1964, and spent six years in professional theaters before moving his young family to Nantucket Island, MA, where he became a sought-after designer/carpenter of custom homes.

In 1980, the local community theater asked him to step in as artistic director, which he did for four years.  Then in 1985 he founded Actors Theatre of Nantucket, the island’s own professional theater company, serving as producing artistic director for 20 years until retiring in 2004.

During those years, he was the harmonica-playing tenor of a popular blue grass band, The Fish Handlers, and also spent 12 years on stage in his one-man show "And Now, Mark Twain!"  After 34 magical years on Nantucket, he moved to Asheville, NC, then to West Asheville, and finally in 2017 to a new old home in Hayesville.

Richard’s claim to fame is that Olive Dame Campbell, founder of the John C. Campbell Folk School back in 1925, is his great aunt.  Honoring the Folk School’s 100th anniversary, Richard and his wife Cheryl composed a one-act narrative for four voices "The Birth of the John C. Campbell Folk School," which was recently performed to glowing reviews at the Folk School’s Fall Festival.  It’s slated to be presented again, Dec. 10 at 4:45 p.m.

His first collection of poems will be followed by a companion book "Sonnets & We Are... " sometime in 2026.

Coffee With Poets and Writers is sponsored by North Carolina Writers' Network West and meets every second Wednesday from March to December at 10:30 a.m. at Moss Memorial Library in Hayesville, N.C. The event is free and open to the public.  An open mike will follow the presentation.  If you would like to read, please bring a poem or prose work of about three minutes to participate.  There is no critique.

Photo by Lily Ponitz

Andrew K. Clark is Guest Reader at Oct. 23 Mountain Wordsmiths

Mountain Wordsmiths will have Andrew K. Clark as guest reader at the final gathering of the year Thursday, October 23, at 10:30 a.m.  Wordsmiths is a Zoom meeting.  Contact Carroll Taylor at vibiaperpetua@gmail.com for the Zoom link.

Andrew K. Clark

Andrew is from Western North Carolina. His debut novel, "Where Dark Things Grow," (Cowboy Jamboree Press, September 2024) was shortlisted for the Manly Wade Wellman Award and winner of an IPPY from the Independent Book Publishers Awards. 

The sequel, "Where Dark Things Rise," was published by Quill & Crow Publishing House in September of 2025. 

His poetry collection, Jesus in the Trailer (Main Street Rag Press) was shortlisted for the Able Muse Book Award. His work has appeared in The American Journal of Poetry, UCLA’s Out of Anonymity, Appalachian Review, Rappahannock Review, The Wrath Bearing Tree, and many other journals. He received his MFA from Converse University. Connect with him at andrewkclark.com. 

Please join us! Feel free to bring your coffee or tea—we’re informal. Bring along a poem or short excerpt if you would like to read at Open Mic (3-5 minutes).