Poets Joan Ellen Gage and Don Long to be featured at CWPW, Wednesday, November 14, 2018, at the Moss Memorial Library, Hayesville, NC

On Wednesday, November 14, 2018, at 10:30 AM, Coffee with the Poets and Writers (CWPW) will feature local poets Joan Ellen Gage, and Don Long. This event will be held at the Moss Memorial Library, 26 Anderson Street, Hayesville, NC. The readings are free and open to the public, and an open mic will follow the readings. CWPW is sponsored by the North Carolina Writers' Network-West.

Joan Ellen Gage is an author of humor and inspiration written from her own unique perspective. Her recipe for her writing focuses on staying upbeat and laughing at her own foibles. Joan’s photos are the spice in the mix that serve to punctuate the writing and add that special garnish to her creations. 

Joan has written and published five books: Water Running Downhill!, Embracing Your Inner Cheerleader!, A Redhead Looks At 60, Trinity's Adventures in Imagination, and a special edition of Water Running Downhill! the Rose Edition, as a tribute to her friend Rose Macedo Kull. All books are available as eBooks. Additionally, Ms. Gage has two blogs, Traveling at the Speed of Now, www.joanellengage.com/ and A redhead blogs at 60, at https://joans-zone.com/. Gage is working on a new book entitled, Words of Defiance and Empowerment.

Gage is a member of her area’s writing group, NC Writers’ Network-West, serving as the administrator for their blog. 

Donald Long is a retired army Lieutenant Colonel. He flew helicopters and airplanes, and had two tours in Vietnam. Upon retiring, he worked with the Federal Government as a Safety Professional. 

Starting in his teen years and all throughout his adult life Long has written poems, mostly for his consumption, but occasionally on request, for personnel at special occasions during his careers. For a short while after retiring from the Army he had a business called “People Poems” writing poems for others for a fee after they provided him with pertinent information. Although the business was doing well, his second career necessitated that he close it.

Long writes poems for personal reasons and likes to make them rhyme. One of his poems, “I’m Glad It’s Mine” has been used during citizenship swearing-in ceremonies in central Florida and for central Florida Flag Day ceremonies.  Another poem about being a Vietnam Veteran was featured at the 2013 Florida “Convention” for Vietnam Helicopter Pilots.  One story about his Vietnam Experience entitled “Combat in Chump Valley” has been published in two different military related anthologies, The Harsh and The Heart and Vietnam Helicopter Crew Member Stories, Volume 2.  The story has also been featured in the VHPA Aviator Magazine. Long’s other hobby is genealogy.

For more information, please contact Glenda Beall at glendabeall@msn.com.

NCWN-West's Coffee with the Poets and Writers will feature poet Don Long, on Wed., August 17, 2016 at the Moss Memorial Library, Hayesville, NC

Coffee with the Poets and Writers meets monthly at the Moss Memorial Library, 26 Anderson Street, Hayesville, NC. On Wednesday, August 17, 2016, Retired Lieutenant Colonel Don Long of Cherokee County will be the featured North Carolina Writers' Network-West member who will read his poetry.

Long was born and raised in Sebring, Florida even though his Mother’s family hails from West North Carolina, East Tennessee, and North Georgia. After two years of college, Don enlisted in the army as a private. He was later commissioned and earned the chance to fly helicopters in Vietnam for two one-year tours.

He was the recipient of numerous awards including the Silver Star, Meritorious Service Medal, three awards of the Bronze star, the Purple Heart, two awards of the Valorous Unit Award, three awards of the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry w/palm, the Expert Infantryman Badge, and Master Army Aviator Wings.

While work situations prevented participation, based on his aviation expertise, he was invited by the state department (People to People program) to go to China (1987) and later, Czechoslovakia (1988), to help those countries improve their air traffic control system.

After retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1988, Don worked with the Federal Government as a Safety Professional. He retired again in 2000 and began splitting his time between Winter Park, FL and Murphy, NC.

Starting in his teen years and all throughout his entire adult life Donald Long has written poems, mostly for his own enjoyment, but on request he sometimes wrote poems for special occasions. For a short while after retiring from the Army he had a business called “People Poems.” He wrote poems for others for a fee after they provided him pertinent information. The business was doing well, but he obtained a time-consuming position with the Government which necessitated closing the business.

Publication has not been his goal and he has made little effort to publish his poetry except in local newspapers. He writes poems for personal reasons and enjoys the challenge of using rhyme. One of his poems, “I’m Glad It’s Mine” has been used during citizenship swearing-in ceremonies in central Florida and for central Florida Flag Day ceremonies. Also, one of his combat stories was published in a compilation called “The Harsh and the Heart” and “Vietnam Helicopter Crew Member Stories, Volume 2”.

Don’s long and illustrious career includes earning a BA in Psychology, MS in Personnel Counseling and Human Development, and a Commercial Pilots license for airplanes and helicopters.

Recently, while in Washington, DC, his poem about Vietnam Veterans and the Flag was accepted for the Army Historical Archives. A veteran friend had told some at the Pentagon about the Vietnam Poem and the Pentagon asked for one. While at the Pentagon he also presented a copy of each to the Secretary of the Army.

Don Long has been married for 31 years to his wife Marti, and they have children and grandchildren spread out in Central Florida, California, Pennsylvania, and North Georgia.

Everyone is invited to hear this reading and to participate in the Open Microphone session that follows. A short discussion on publishing poetry will follow.

Writers and readers and those who like to listen to poetry will enjoy this program. Glenda Beall, a Clay County Representative for NCWN-West, facilitates this event each year from March – December. Join us for lunch after the meeting at Angelo’s on the square where we continue to socialize and talk about writing.

NCWN-West appreciates the Moss Library staff providing a room for us. Coffee with the Poets and Writers is sponsored by North Carolina Writers’ Network-West, is a program of the North Carolina Writers’ Network.

For more information contact Glenda Council Beall, 828-389-4441.

Coffee with the Poets and Writers in a new venue, Wed. Sept. 9, 2015, 10:30 AM at Moss Memorial Library in Hayesville, NC

Summer is winding down and there is no finer way to celebrate the beginning of fall than attending Coffee with the Poets and Writers, a monthly event that will be held Wednesday, September 9, 10:30 a.m. at Moss Memorial Library in Hayesville, NC. We will meet in the computer lab. The public is invited and there is no charge. Bring a poem or short prose, 1500 words or less, and read at Open Mic.

Our featured member of NCWN-West this month is Don Long who was born and raised in Sebring, Florida even though his mother’s family hails from Western North Carolina, East Tennessee, and North Georgia. After two years of college Don enlisted in the Army as a Private. He was later commissioned and earned his wings as a helicopter and airplane pilot. This earned him the chance to fly helicopters in Vietnam for two one-year tours. In 1980 he retired as Lieutenant Colonel.

After retiring he worked with the Federal Government as a Safety Professional specializing in Aviation Safety, Firing Range Safety, Office Safety, Explosive Safety, and Tactical Operations Safety in the United States and Germany with short forays into Bosnia, Croatia, and Macedonia.

After retiring a second time in 2000 he began splitting his time between Winter Park FL and Murphy, NC. The two professions allowed him to live in or visit over 20 countries.

Starting in his teen years and all throughout his entire adult life he wrote poetry, mostly for his consumption, but on request, he wrote poems for special occasions. For a short while after retiring from the Army he had a business called “People Poems” wherein he wrote poems for others for a fee after they provided him pertinent information. The business was doing well, Don says, but he obtained a time-consuming position with the government which necessitated closing the business.

Publishing poetry has never been one of his goals. Don’s poems have not been published because he does not submit them for publication, except for some local newspapers. He writes poems for personal reasons and he writes rhyming poetry which many people enjoy. Always quick with humor, Don says he must have missed the poetry “revolution” meaning the time when free-verse poetry became more accepted.

One of his poems, “I’m Glad It’s Mine” has been used during citizenship swearing-in ceremonies in central Florida and for central Florida Flag Day ceremonies. Also, one of his combat stories was published in a compilation called “The Harsh and the Heart” and “Vietnam Helicopter Crew Member Stories, Volume 2”.

He has a BA in Psychology, MS in Personnel Counseling and Human Development, and a Commercial Pilots license for airplanes and helicopters. He is a member of the International Society of Air Safety Investigators, (ISASI), Order of the Purple Heart, Vietnam Helicopter Pilot Association (VHPA), Army Aviation Association of America (AAAA) and others.

He and his wife, Marti, have been married for 31 years. Their 15 children and grandchildren live in central Florida, California and north Georgia.

Contact NCWN-West Representative, Glenda Beall, at 828-389-4441 or glendabeall@msn.com for more information. North Carolina Writers’ Network-West is a program of the North Carolina Writers’ Network