COFFEE WITH THE POETS AND WRITERS

We had an interesting mix of writers and poets gather today at  Blue Mountain Coffee and Grill for our last meeting of the year. We don’t meet in January and February because the weather is questionable in this area during those winter months. We will begin in March on the second Wednesday, at 10:30 a.m. and our featured Netwest member will be Bob Grove, author of several books, including his memoir, Misadventures of an Only Child. Visit him online at bobgrove.org.

We had visitors today from Murphy, NC and from Blue Ridge, GA. I was happy to  see two writers from my classes at Tri-CountyCommunity College in Murphy, Kim Delaney and Larry Weas. I look forward to teaching again in March 2015 at TCCC. The title of the class is Write Your Life Stories. We will meet from 6 – 8 p.m. on Tuesday evenings. See www.glendacouncilbeall.blogspot.com for more description of the class.

We gave away five or six door prizes today – books and writing magazines. We talked about how, as writers, we bond when we share our poems and stories with each other. We get to know each other in a way that non-writers do not. Maren Mitchell said when she first read her work in public her knees were shaking but now she could read before a thousand people and it would not bother her. I hope all our beginning writers and poets hear that and know that one day all their fears will disappear, and they will enjoy sharing their work with others.

The program was all open mic today and we heard stories, poems and essays from those gathered around the table. I read a poem from Christmas Presence, an anthology edited by Celia Miles and Nancy Dillingham. The poem, Southside Diner by Cecily Wells, showed a glimpse of the loneliness of some people at Christmas time and made us all feel grateful.

Some photos of our day:

From left: Kim, Totsie, Maren, Joan, and Bill

Linda, Joan and Jim

Not pictured,  but present: Larry Weas and Louisa, Jim's wife.

Paul Schofield, novelist, reads at Coffee with the Poets and Writers

Coffee with the Poets and Writers meets the second Wednesday of each month. Murphy resident, Paul Schofield, novelist, is featured November 12 at 10:30 a.m. at Blue Mountain Coffee and Grill on the corner of Hwy 141 and Hwy 64 in Cherokee County, NC. This event is sponsored by the North Carolina Writers’ Network-West (Netwest), and the community is welcome. Visitors are invited to participate at open mic by signing up to read a short prose piece or a couple of poems. 

Paul’s vocation is architecture, but he is also a writer. He has written The Trophy Saga, an action-packed, pure science-fiction trilogy, in the classic style. The Saga features time-travel, chase and battle scenes, fusion powered star-ships, a computer-controlled society, tender moments and scary episodes. Exciting and refreshing to read, the Saga is free of explicit sex, profanity, graphic violence and paranormal themes.

Born and raised in Montana, immersion in the natural world around him was inevitable. As he grew up he learned the complexities of language, and the joy of humor, by the daily exchange of witty puns with his father. An avid reader, Paul’s favorite genre was science fiction.

His interest in the night skies sparked a love for amateur astronomy. Coming of age during the time of Star Trek, Star Wars, and Babylon V, his love of science fiction grew, and his desire to craft and share his own stories was ignited.

When he became chilled to the bone in Montana, he moved to Florida, where he became quite well done…seasoned. Now he and his wife Ellen live in western North Carolina with their highly intelligent cats, contentedly fulfilling their role as “halfbacks.” Learn more about Paul Schofield and his books at his website, http://www.paulmschofield.com/

For more information about Coffee with the Poets and Writers, call 828-389-4441. Visit the NCWN West website, www.ncwriters-west.org 

Staci Bell will read at Coffee with the Poets and Writers August 13

Each month the North Carolina Writers’ Network West sponsors Coffee with the Poets and Writers and invites the public to attend. Staci Lynn Bell, accomplished writer, will be featured on Wednesday, August 13, 10:30 a.m. at Blue Mountain Coffee and Grill located at the intersection of Highway 64 and Highway 141 in Cherokee County, NC.

Bell began writing commercials, editorials and public service announcements for TV and radio. In 1988 her environmental essay won statewide acclaim in Florida. More recently her short stories and nonfiction have been published in the online journal, 234, and in Show Dog Magazine. Her poetry has been published in Wild Goose Poetry Review, a popular online literary journal.

Staci Lynn Bell will read at Coffee with the Poets and Writers

For twenty-five years, Staci Bell worked in radio and television as a broadcaster, host and emcee for numerous events and concerts. Originally from Chicago, today Bell lives in Murphy, NC with her husband and three dogs. She is a member of NCWN West and the Ridgeline Literary Alliance.

An Open Mic session follows the featured reader, and anyone who brings an original short story or personal essay or poem, is invited to sign up to read. This event is open to all who like poetry and enjoy short prose whether or not they are a writer. Visitors are also invited to join the writers as they  pull tables together and eat lunch. A drawing is held for door prizes.

GlendaBeall, Clay County Representative for NCWN West, facilitates this event. Contact her at nightwriter0302@yahoo.com or call her at 828-389-4441 with any questions.

All Open Mic in December for Coffee with the Poets and Writers

Coffee with the Poets and Writers meets Wednesday, Dec. 11, 10:30 a.m. at Blue Mountain Coffee and Grill in Murphy, NC. 

This monthly reading series is sponsored by the North Carolina Writers’ Network West, and is open to interested writers and poets. The community is invited to participate.

Bring a poem or story, holiday theme if you have one. There will not be a featured reader this month. The program will be all Open Mic. Sign in for a chance to win a door prize. We will begin scheduling readers for next year.

Stay for our social time when we pull tables together and have lunch.

This event will not take place in January and February, but will resume in March, 2014. Contact Glenda Beall, Clay County Representative for NCWN West, 828-389-4441 or nightwriter0302@yahoo.com for information.

See some of the writers and poets who participated this year.

Lucy Cole Gratton

Eva Maiden from California

Joan Howard

Paul M. Schofield

Estelle Rice

Don Long

Brenda kay Ledford

Mary Mike Keller

Maren Mitchell

Bob Grove

Coffee with the Poets, Another Great Day for Writers

Once again we had a delightful poet featured at Coffee with the Poets Wednesday.
Carol Bjorlie brought her cello and honored us with two pieces played flawlessly. Her new poetry book The Poet Behind the Cello encompasses her love of music and writing. She gave us humor and a serious side as well.Our room at Blue Mountain restaurant filled completely with regular attendees plus four new guests. The waitresses at Blue Mountain took good care of us, serving coffee and sweets before we began.
 
The Poet Behind the Cello is a collection of poems for those who love the sound of words as much as the hum of a cello. In this collection is humor, love in abundance, attentiveness to sound, singing, and gratitude. Carol has been behind the cello since she was ten years old. She began writing when her father died days after her sixteenth birthday.

I appreciate those attending who buy a coffee or drink and leave the nice staff a tip. Eight of us stayed for lunch and had fun socializing. While waiting for our meals we used the time to – guess what? – write.
It looks like Coffee with the Poets has found a good home. Thank you Mary and staff at Blue Mountain.
April is poetry month. Brenda Kay Ledford will be the featured poet. She has another book, Beckoning, www.finishinglinepress.org, which I think is one of her best. I hope to see you there.

Glenda Beall