Writers and poets in the far western mountain area of North Carolina and bordering counties of South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee post announcements, original work and articles on the craft of writing.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
COFFEE WITH THE POETS
Monday, December 13, 2010
COFFEE WITH THE POETS: LAURA HOPE-GILL, DEC. 16, IN SYLVA, NC
Images and poems from The Soul Tree may be found at http://www.thsoultree.org/, along with ordering information and more about the two artists who have brought this lovely book into existence.
Here are two pages from the book.
Friday, August 13, 2010
SYLVA COFFEE WITH THE POETS FEATURES WILLIAM EVERETT
On Thursday, August 19, I will be reading and reflecting on my poetry at 10:30 am for the “Coffee with the Poets” group at City Lights Bookstore, Sylva, NC. The poet’s group is just one of several under the umbrella of the Netwest Mountain Writers, affiliated with the North Carolina Writers Network. (Check outwww.netwestwriters.blogspot.com.) We are convened by Kay Byer, a former NC Poet Laureate, who has graciously encouraged me to reflect on my thirty years of often hidden poetry writing. As I have been reflecting on this welcome task, two poems popped up that I thought I’d share with you. They both involve the quirky, unexpected way that poems elude our normal patterns of perception and expression. I thought you might enjoy them.
I Love That Poetry
Do you like poetry? I asked.
Oh yes, he said. Last year I went to see a poet
Maya Angelou and she was beautiful.
The curtain opened and the spotlight lit upon her hair,
not white, but lustrous gray.
She wore a long crushed velvet dress, much like a kaftan,
bell shaped sleeves descending to wide cuffs
embroidered with a band that looked like kinte cloth.
A long string of pearls draped down from her broad shoulders,
picking up the highlights in her hair.
She was surrounded by a bank of ferns that reached up to her waist
as she sat down among them.
The ferns were like extensions of the dress. They billowed like her hair.
Oh, it was gorgeous. I just love that poetry.
I’m glad you liked it, passed my lips. Perhaps you might cut off a little more
above my ears. I want to look my best tomorrow night.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Coffee With Poets: Jeannette Cabanis-Brewin
Thursday, June 10, 2010
COFFEE WITH THE POETS
Monday, May 3, 2010
Scott Owens to Visit Far Western NC and North Georgia
By Glenda C. Beall
I recently interviewed Scott Owens, well-published and highly acclaimed poet from Hickory, NC. In his book The Fractured World, Scott explores his childhood in which he suffered physical and emotional abuse and the impact this had on his life.
He says of this book, “I have found it very cathartic to write about the darker parts of my life, as you put it. I have used poetry for a long time as a sort of self-therapy, but I have also known that writing about these things was one way to help others who had been through similar experiences to know that they were not alone, and to help those guilty of the negative actions and attitudes portrayed in the book to understand that it's not okay, that what they do causes a lifetime of irreparable harm.”
In his book, Paternity, he writes about his relationship with his little daughter Sawyer.
“Sawyer is my only biological child. I have two stepsons who are both in college now, and I had a stepson with a previous wife for a few years as well.
The first new poem in this book was an occasional poem written for the Jewish ceremony of naming the new baby. The next one was written after holding her one night and crying as I realized the clichés about being willing to die for someone were not just clichés.”
He went on to say, “A lot of my poems are attempts to convey the emotional intensity of a particular moment. In a larger sense, I think I wanted to continue with these poems to finish what I had started in The Fractured World. That book ends with the disintegration of Norman, my alter ego who represents the fear and alienation that result from child abuse.
Scott grew up part of the time on his Papa's 7-acre farm, part of the time in various mill villages in a nearby small town, part of the time in trailer parks around military bases, and part of the time in military housing. His parents were married and divorced numerous times, including three times to each other.
“If I include all of my stepbrothers and sisters, then my family size would rival the Duggars, but most of the time my family was my mom, myself, my three brothers, and whatever "Daddy" happened to be around at the time,” Scott said.
I asked him how his childhood affected his writing as an adult and he said, “I suspect my writing is what allowed me to become an adult, both literally and figuratively. Life has not been great for my three brothers. They have all struggled to maintain sanity and security in their lives. On the other hand, I graduated, went to college, became a teacher, and pretty much stayed out of trouble. And the only real difference between me and them is that I read and started writing at a young age and frequently went to books when I needed to get away from a difficult reality. I would say my childhood gave me the motivation and the reason to write. I see my writing as my way of redeeming that childhood.
“Your poetry is accessible and can be understood by the average reader. Do you think our modern poets, like you, are bringing poetry back to the people?" I asked the poet.
" … I think with the proliferation of poetry readings there is a growing tendency to be a bit more accessible than a lot of poetry had been for the last 25 years or so. Personally, I don't see the attraction in being needlessly obscure. I have plenty of difficult poems, but I hope that even with the most difficult the poem achieves some level of emotional or intellectual effect upon a good reader.”
I asked Scott Owens to tell us why we should come to hear him read his poetry at Coffee With the Poets, Wednesday, May 12 at 10:30 a.m. and at Mountain Perk in Hiawassee, GA that evening at 7:00 p.m. I like his answer.
A big part of that connectedness, as you've alluded to in your questions, is the connectedness of one human life to another. This is what allows us to achieve catharsis by watching, listening to, or reading about someone else's experience. We recognize our own story in theirs and are able to learn from it. Then, of course, there is the best reason of all, because it will be fun.”
Phillips and Lloyd Books hosts a book signing for Scott from noon until 1:00 p.m. right after Coffee with the Poets on May 12.
Curiosity Shop Books in Murphy, NC will host Scott for a book signing at 2:00 p.m. May 12.
Stop in to meet him and pick up one of his books.
Contact Glenda at glendabeall@msn.com or 828-389-4441 for more information.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Nancy Simpson enjoys hearing poetry read at CWP last month and we were all happy to see her tear herself away from her writing desk to be with us.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
COFFEE WITH THE POETS FEATURES ELLEN ANDREWS
Ellen's poetry reflects the things that fill her day with delight and awe. I am not surprised she is a gifted writer. She is also an excellent photographer.
Daylillies by Ellen Andrews
Thursday, January 7, 2010
CLARENCE NEWTON WILL READ AT "COFFEE WITH THE POETS"
Friday, October 9, 2009
Coffee with the Poets features Maren O. Mitchell, poet
Maren's poetry has appeared in the Red Clay Reader, The Arts Journal, Applachian Journal, and Journal of Kentucky Studies. One of her poems is forthcoming in Southern Humanities Review. She has worked as a proof reader, was a house manager of a group home in Brevard NC, taught poetry at Blue Ridge Community College, Flat Rock, NC and catalogued at the Carl Sandburg Home National Historical Site. She teaches origami, the Japanese art of paper folding. A North Carolina native, she has lived in France and Germany and throughout the southeastern part of the United States. Presently, she lives with her husband and her two cats in Young Harris, GA.
Coffee with the Poets was begun in 2007 as a networking and reading event sponsored by North Carolina Writers Network West (Netwest) to promote poetry and poets in the mountain area. Anyone who writes poetry is invited to come and share their work at open mic. A delicious array of desserts is available from Crumpets Dessertery, along with numerous flavors of tea and a pot full of coffee.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Poets, Simpson and Moore, will read at Coffee with the Poets
Nancy Simpson and Janice Townley Moore are two of the NC poets who had poems included in the new bird anthology titled THE POETS GUIDE TO THE BIRDS. Both of these poets live and write in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. The anthology contains only bird poems, some of them by the most noted poets writing in America today. It was edited by Judith Kitchen and Ted Kooser and published at Anhinga Press, Tallahassee, Florida, 2009.
Janice Townley Moore's poem is "Teaching the Robins." This is the title poem of her chapbook Teaching the Robins published at Finishing Line Press, 2005.
Nancy Simpson's poem is a previously unpublished poem titled "Carolina Bluebirds."The Poets Guide to the Birds is available at http://www.anhingapress.com/, http://www.amazon.com/, and at Phillips and Lloyd bookstore on the square in Hayesville, NC.
Both Simpson and Moore are featured readers of their poetry at Coffee with the Poets in Hayesville, NC at Phillips and Lloyd bookstore on March 11, 10:30 AM.
Poets reading at open mic are invited to bring their poems about birds. Everyone is invited to come and listen or read while munching on delicacies from Crumpets Dessertery.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
CWP, March 11, is for the Birds
The Poets Guide to th Birds is available at http://www.anhingapress.com/, http://www.amazon.com/, and at Phillips and Lloyd bookstore on the square in Hayesville, NC.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Poet Laureate, Kathryn Stripling Byer visits CWP in Hayesville, NC
Kathryn answered questions, and then said she wanted to hear from the local poets who had brought poems to read at open mic.
Mary Mike Keller hosted the session and gave each person a chance to share a poem with the Poet Laureate of North Carolina. Elizabeth Rybicki, owner of Phillips and Lloyd Books, served a delicious cake and candies all in Valentine's Day colors.
We look forward to another great day of poetry in March, second Wednesday, at Coffee with the Poets when Janice Townley Moore and Nancy Simpson will read. Their poetry is published in a new anthology edited by Judith Kitchen and Ted Kooser. The theme of the book is Birds and Nancy asked everyone to bring poems about birds for open mic.
Look for more details on Kathryn Byer's blog and on Nancy Simpson's site.