The Literary Hour will host local poets Linda G. Jones and Staci Lynn Bell on Thursday, November 16, 2017, at the John C. Campbell Folk School at Brasstown, NC

On Thursday, November 16, 2017, at 7:00 PM, John C. Campbell Folk School and NC Writers' Network-West will sponsor The Literary Hour, an hour of poetry reading held at Keith House on the JCCFS campus, in Brasstown, NC. This event is held on the third Thursday of the month unless otherwise indicated. The reading is free of charge and open to the public. This month's featured readers will be Staci Lyn Bell and Linda G. Jones.

Dr. Linda G. Jones joined the faculty of Young Harris College in 2009 and is currently an Associate Professor of Biology and Dean of the Division of Mathematics and Science. Most of her career was spent in biomedical research. She is now happy to be teaching students in the classroom and serving as a mentor for student research. One current research model is the Zebrafish embryo used for developmental and toxicological studies. She has a number of interests outside of the science classroom which include reading and writing poetry. Jones is a member of the North Carolina Writers' Network–West and a participant in the NetWest poetry critique group.

Staci Lynn Bell, a Chicago native, has lived in Western North Carolina for the past 5 years. She relocated to South Florida, gaining popularity as a 25 year radio and television personality and passionate animal advocate. In 1988 her environmental essay won statewide acclaim in Florida.  After retiring from broadcasting, Bell worked for many years training working dogs and rehabilitating rescues. Her poetry and prose have been published in several journals. Her short story “Cheyenne” took 2^nd place and her poem, “Time” took 3^rd place in the 2016 NC Cherokee/Clay Senior Games Sliver Arts. Bell is a member of the North Carolina Writer’s Network and Ridgeline Literary Alliance.  

Gratton & Jones Featured at Writers' Night, Blairsville, GA

NCWN-West Poets Dr. Linda G. Jones and Marcia Hawley Barnes to read at the Literary Hour at John C. Campbell Folk School, Aug. 17, 2016, 7:00 PM

On Wednesday evening, August 17, 2016 at 7:00 PM, John Campbell Folk School, in Brasstown, NC, and the North Carolina Writers' Network-West are sponsoring The Literary Hour, an hour of poetry and prose reading. The reading is free of charge and open to the public. Normally scheduled for the third Thursday of the month, this month the event will be on Wednesday. Poets Dr. Linda Jones and Marcia Hawley Barnes will be the featured readers, both of which are accomplished poets. This should be an excellent program and greatly anticipated by writers and poets in our area.

Dr. Linda G. Jones joined the faculty of Young Harris College in 2009 and is currently an Associate Professor of Biology and Dean of the Division of Mathematics and Science. She teaches courses in human anatomy and physiology, animal physiology, developmental biology, comparative anatomy, parasitology and neuropharmacology. She earned a B.S. in Biology from Stetson University, an M.A. in Biology and Ph.D. in Pathology from Vanderbilt University and completed postdoctoral studies in pharmacology at the University of California, San Diego. Most of her career was spent in biomedical research, primarily in the area of cell signaling of the cardiovascular system and more recently in neuroscience. She is now happy to be teaching students in the classroom and serving as a mentor for student research. One current research model is the Zebrafish embryo used for developmental and toxicological studies. She has a number of interests outside of the science classroom which include reading and writing poetry. She is a member of the North Carolina Writers' Network-West and a participant in the their poetry critique group.


Marcia Hawley Barnes is a Georgia writer and poet. She is a member of the North Carolina Writers’ Network-West, and Ridgeline Literary Alliance. Ms. Barnes celebrated the American family and cuisine in 2008, when she researched, illustrated, and published The Little Book of Secret Family Recipes. A heritage cookbook, the collection contains favorite recipes found in the archives of her family. In 2016, her first children’s book, Tobijah, illustrated by Doreyl Ammons Cain, was published by Catch the Spirit of Appalachia. Her poetry has been published in Stone, River, Sky, An Anthology of Georgia Poems. The author also writes a monthly book review for a local newspaper, Clay County Progress.

Dr. Linda G. Jones

Marcia Hawley Barnes