Netwest Members offered discount on classes before deadline

Netwest members - take advantage of this opportunity to attend a workshop with well-published Atlanta author, Patricia Sprinkle.

Saturday, June 14 - Take individual classes, 10 - 1:00 and 2 - 5:00 p.m.,  or take both classes for $60. This writer speaks to large groups, teaches workshops and we are fortunate to have her come to our area. If you write fiction or nonfiction, you don't want to miss out on this one-time opportunity. We will have lunch together and you will have the opportunity to network with other writers and with Patricia.


Each class fee is $45 or both classes for $60.00 Netwest members - $40 for individual classes. 

Light lunch included for those who register for all day session 

 Deadline for registration: Thursday, June 11

Call 828-389-4441 or email glendabeall@msn.com 

Visit www.glendacouncilbeall.blogspot.com for class description.

March Coffee With the Poets and Writers Features Deanna Klingel

On Wednesday, March 12, Coffee with the Poets and Writers features author Deanna Klingel, who lives in Sapphire Valley, NC. The literary event takes place the second Wednesday of each month at 10:30 am at Blue Mountain Coffee and Grill located at 30 Hwy 141 in Cherokee County, NC. 

The public is invited to come and enjoy the author of five novels including Cracks in the Ice and the young adult series, Avery's Battlefield and Avery's Crossroads, based on a fourteen year old boy who lives during the Civil War era. Deanna will read from her new book to be released in March, Rock and a Hard Place, a Lithuanian Love Story, based on real people living today and she will talk about the truth in fiction.

The NC Writers' Network West sponsors this gathering of writers and poets and welcomes those attending to participate in open mic and to stay after to have lunch together. 

Contact Glenda Beall at 828-389-4441 or nightwriter0302@yahoo.com

BRENDA KAY LEDFORD FEATURED AT JOHN C. CAMPBELL FOLK SCHOOL

Brenda Kay Ledford will read from her poetry chapbook, BECKONING, published by Finishing Line Press, at the John C. Campbell Folk School on Thursday, June 27 at 7:00 PM.  This event is sponsored by the North Carolina Writers’ Network West and the public is invited to this free event.

Clay County Native

A native of Clay County, NC, Ledford is a retired educator.  She received her Master of Arts in Education from Western Carolina University and studied Journalism at the University of Tennessee.

          She’s former editor of Tri-County Communicator at Tri-County Community College and previous reporter for the Smoky Mountain Sentinel. She received an award from North Carolina Press Association for her feature on the John C. Campbell Folk School.

         Ledford belongs to North Carolina Writers’ Network, North Carolina Poetry Society, Georgia Poetry Society, and a charter member of the Byron Herbert Reece Society.  She’s listed with A Directory of American Poets and Fiction Writers, North Carolina Literary Map, and Who’s Who in America.

Her work has appeared in many journals including “Lyricist,” “The Broad River Review,” “Pembroke Magazine,” “Asheville Poetry Review,” “Main Street Rag,” “Charlotte Poetry Review,” “Wild Goose Poetry Review,” “Town Creek  Poetry,” “Appalachian Heritage,” “Journal of Kentucky Studies,” “Our State,”  “Byron Herbert Reece Society Website,” and many anthologies.

Awards

Ledford received the Paul Green Award from North Carolina Society of Historians for her three poetry chapbooks and last year for her blog:  http://historicalhayesville.blogspot.com.  She won the 2012 Royce Ray Award from “Aires.”  Her poem, “Velma,” received the Editor’s Choice Award from “Reflections Literary Journal.”  Three of her poems won the 2012 Writers’ Ink Guild’s Poetry Contest and were published in Fields of Earth Anthology.

Her latest poetry chapbook, BECKONING, was endorsed by Glenda Beall, director of Writers Circle, and Robert King, publisher of FutureCycle Press.

Says Beall, “Brenda Kay Ledford’s collection sings with color and harmony.  She lets us take a peek into her world as she shares her Appalachian roots in verse. We relate to the constancy of seasons in nature and in our lives. Digging in the dirt as her mother does each spring preparing her garden, lifts the spirit, and decorating graves of loved ones on Memorial Day perpetuate the love of generations. Throughout the snow, first greening of spring, summer’s roses, autumn’s harvest, and star-studded asters, the images in the book offer the reader the opportunity to feel, see, hear, and taste the beauty as well as the inevitable sadness of life.”

Ledford’s book, BECKONING, is available at the Clay County Chamber of Commerce and online at:  www.finishinglinepress.com and www.amazon.com.

Thursday Night Reading at the John C. Campbell Folk School

Thursday night at the John C. Campbell Folk School we were entertained with poetry from Robert S. King and a funny, laugh out loud, piece from Bob Groves' memoir. Bob also read some of what he called "awful poetry" that was humorous as well.

Bob Grove

Robert King is one of the best poets around these parts and has published hundreds of poems in journals and anthologies. He has several collections published as well.
Tonight's work was from a yet-to-be published manuscript. I'm sure we will see it in print soon.

Robert S. King

Next month, May 16, featured writers for the Folk School Reading will be Glenda Beall and Carole Thompson.

Should We Just Read or Perform our Poetry?

Yesterday, after the monthly Coffee with the Poets event, I had a conversation with poet Glenda Beall and her sister, Gay, about the lack of “performance poetry” in our neck of the woods. This phrase is not to be confused with “poetry slam” or “rap poetry,” though it may be similar, depending on the one dramatizing the poetry.

In a nutshell, performance means dramatization in which an actor or reciter delivers (not reads) the verse as if on a stage. In fact, sometimes the presentation is physically on stage. In many larger cities, you will find poetry troupes that routinely put on poetry plays in theaters or other suitable venues. Very often, they will even build stage settings and props.

I know the very mention of acting gives stage fright to some folks who have never done anything like this before. It’s true that not everyone is suited to acting out poetry. It’s also my observation that most poets are not very good at reading their own poems, much less dramatizing them. I can name some poets in our area who might pull it off.  I have seen Karen Holmes, for example, perform some of her poems quite well. Years ago I also participated in performance poetry.

Simply having good poetry does not good drama make. Some words just don’t work when staged. Usually the best poems for this purpose are dramatic monologues or narratives. However, a good voice can bring out the drama in other poems we might have considered unsuitable for staged presentation. I would find it interesting to see what our area poets select for performance.

One of the main requirements for performing is energy, which is usually the domain of youth. Some of us old timers can still cut the mustard, though I don’t think I’m one of them anymore. My mouth still works okay, though. Older age does not shut down all the possibilities. Many arts organizations actually pair drama departments or theater companies with poets. In this case the actors perform the poetry, and the poet basically takes an appreciative seat in the audience, perhaps taking a bow at the end along with the actors. I’d like to see this scenario play out in our area. When good poetry is coupled with good dramatic presentation, the results can be magical.

In this article, I’m just trying to identify a need, not to make a proposal. Nevertheless, if anyone has any ideas on resources to make this happen or would like to see the idea pursued further, I would certainly volunteer to help out. I suppose I will know the interest level by the number of comments to this post!

A Walk Down Memory Lane

In my files, I have pictures taken at NCWN West events and photos used in articles I've written about our members. I thought I'd share some of them today.

Remember?

Glenda Barrett on right with her guest

Glenda, Wayne, Jayne, Lana, Nancy S, Nancy P, JC Walkup

Jo Carolyn Beebe 

Janice Moore, Karen Holmes, Brenda Ledford, Jo Carolyn Beebe, Carole Thompson

Lana Hendershott 

Paul Donovan, Karen Holmes, Glenda Beall

Gary Carden

Ed Southern, Executive Director of NCWN, at City Lights Books in Sylva

Leave a comment if you remember when or where the picture was taken.

Maren O. Mitchell reads this month at Coffee with the Poets

Maren O. Mitchell

A member of the North Carolina Writers’ Network West is featured each month at Coffee with the Poets. Maren Mitchell, outstanding poet and native of North Carolina, will read Wednesday, June 13, 10:30 a.m. at Café Touche, 82 Main Street in Hayesville, NC.
Anyone who enjoys writing and reading poetry is welcome to come and listen or read an original poem or short prose piece. The prose can be fiction or non-fiction of no more than 1000 words.

I’ve known Maren Mitchell for a number of years. We partnered in Nancy Simpson’s class on putting together a chapbook. Maren’s poetry makes us think about things we might have never thought about before. She has a unique way of seeing the world around her. While growing up, she lived in Bordeaux, France and Kaiserslautern, Germany. Presently she teaches origami, the Japanese art of paper folding, at the Moss Memorial Library in Hayesville, North Carolina. She lives nearby in Young Harris, Georgia with her husband and two cats.

Coffee with the Poets at Cafe Touche

Poet Nancy Simpson IN THE NEWS - ASHEVILLE CITIZEN - TIMES

Poet Nancy Simpson featured at Coffee With The Poets

9:17 AM, Jun. 3, 2011  |  

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The North Carolina Writers Network West (Netwest) will feature accomplished poet, Nancy Simpson of Hayesville, at Coffee with the Poets at 10:30 a.m. June 8 at Café Touché, 82 Main St., Hayesville.

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HAYESVILLE — The North Carolina Writers Network West (Netwest) will feature accomplished poet, Nancy Simpson of Hayesville, at Coffee with the Poets at 10:30 a.m. June 8 at Café Touché, 82 Main St.

Simpson’s most recent poetry collection, “Living above the Frost Line, New and Selected Poems,” was published by Carolina Wren Press in 2010. Her first books were “Night Student” and “Across Water.” She edited the recently published anthology “Echoes across the Blue Ridge.”

She holds an MFA from Warren Wilson College and a B.S. in education from Western Carolina University. She also received a North Carolina Arts Fellowship.

Known as a co-founder of N.C. Writers Network West, a non-profit, professional writing organization serving writers living in  the remote mountains west of Asheville, she is also known as teacher to poets and writers in this area.

Nancy Simpson's extensive body of poetry includes poems published in The Georgia Review, Southern Poetry Review, Seneca Review, New Virginia Review, Prairie Schooner and other literary magazines. 

Her poems are often chosen for anthologies. “Night Student” was reprinted in “Word and Wisdom, 100 Years of N.C. Poetry” and in “Literary Trails of N.C.” (2008). The Southern Poetry Review included one of her poems in their 50th Anniversary issue, “Don't Leave Hungry.” Her poem “Carolina Bluebirds” was chosen for The Poets Guide to Birds (Anhinga 2009), an anthology edited by Judith Kitchen and former Poet Laureate of the United States, Ted Kooser. Seven of her poems are featured in Southern Appalachian Poetry, a textbook anthology published at McFarland Press.

Her poetry is widely published in journals such as The Journal of Kentucky Studies, Cooweescoowee Reviewat Will Rogers University and Pisgah Review.

Through 2010 Simpson served as Resident Writer at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown. The literary community in Clay, Cherokee, Towns and Union Counties is largely made up of her students and students of writers she invited to teach at the Folk School. Presently she teaches at Institute for Continuing Learning at Young Harris College and continues to teach poetry writing at John C. Campbell Folk School.

Coffee with the Poets is open to all and any lover of writing is welcome to come listen or bring an original poem, short essay or story to read at open mic.

For more information,  Glenda Beall 389-4441.

www.nancysimpson.blogspot.com

Social Media? Who Needs It?

Ronda Birtha talks about her upcoming class on Social Media and its importance to writers.

A pre-class prep talk to ease the nerves of non-tech-savvy attendees. This is not a technology class!
Overview: 3 hours.
1. Introduction to Social Media for marketing (1 hr)
Why Social Media is Necessary for your Marketing Strategy?
What do you mean, ‘be social’?
2. What you need to Start and Maintain a Blog (1hr)
3. Getting started with Facebook (1hr)
What kind of writer are you? Is your satisfaction complete when you pen your last word, or make your final edit? Are you the kind of writer that is completely satisfied with having friends and family read your manuscript? Or do you want more? Do you want people to talk about your book (favorably, of course)? Word of mouth has always been a powerful tool, but let’s consider how it works today.
When someone has some juicy information, a valuable recommendation, meaningful insight (or, not so meaningful), even a scathing review, it is talked about, not just in someone’s ear, but online, in the powerful and pervasive social media context. If you want people to talk about your book then that is where you have to get the conversation going: in the social media pool.
If you are concerned about getting started because of having limited computer knowledge or experience, rest assured, the most difficult part of engaging in social media is the commitment you will need to stick with it. The first word in Social Media Marketing, is, indeed, Social, and that is where our classroom conversation will begin. What does it mean to be social, how does one become social? The answers to these often-neglected, yet highly important questions, will help fortify your nerve and strengthen your resolve to stick with your social media marketing efforts.
Technologically speaking, what do you need at minimum to start?
Access to a computer that has an internet connection (preferably more than dial-up). Computer access will not be needed for this class, however, so breath easy (at least for now).
I don’t want to oversimplify the process or the methods, especially since many aspects of social media marketing are still very much an art form and not a science (like medicine), and are prone to surprise and confound us. But if we remember that many things in life surprise and confound us, we will not inflate our expectations.

There is no magic button that will set everything up for us. There is no secret preference that we have to click on to make people visit our site, comment on our blog, respond to our Facebook status updates. It takes work, and effort … like most worthwhile things.
So bring a positive attitude and a pen to take notes.

Ronda L. Birtha is a freelance photographer, writer and social media consultant. She can be contacted at rbirtha@rondabirtha.com. Her photography can be viewed at www.rondabirtha.com

The class will be held at Writers Circle, 581 Chatuge Lane, Hayesville, NC
Contact glendabeall@msn.com for registration information or visit www.glendacouncilbeall.blogspot.com

Poets Meet for Lunch

The best  cure for cabin fever in the dead of winter is to meet for lunch with fellow poets. That is what some NC Writers Network Poets did today. They met at the Copper Door in Hayesville, NC, shared a delicious meal and shared some of their recent publications.

Rosemary Royston, NCWN West Program Coordinator (below)

Janice Townley Moore Leader of the Monthly Poetry

Critique Group, Nancy Simpson co founder of Netwest,

and Linda M. Smith Publicity Chairperson. (below)

 

Glenda Beall former Program Coordinator and 

Echoes Across the Blue Ridge Marketing Manager

(below)

Carole Thompson NCWN West Georgia Representative

(below)

Peg Russell monthly Prose Group leader and Linda M. Smith scheduling readers 

for Poets and Writers Reading Poems and Stories, at John C. Campbell Folk School

(below)

The poets passed around copies of their most recent poetry publications.

(below)

Maren Mitchell shared her recent publication in Southern Humanities Review.

(below)

More pictures www.nancysimpson.blogspot.com

COME CELEBRATE NATIONAL POETRY MONTH

6:30 April 6, 2010 EVENING OF ART AND POETRY

AT Hayesville High School Lecture Hall

sponsored by the Clay County Arts Council with a

poetry reading by the contest judge Glenda Beall.

Open to the public.

GLENDA C.BEALL: POET OF THE WEEK

                                            Photo by Valoree Luhr

GLENDA BEALL IS POET OF THE WEEK ON MY http:///site. Please drop by and enjoy the poems! K. Byer

BARRY AND GLENDA BEALL: A Celebration

Barry and Glenda Beall right away made me feel comforrtable in their presence. I can't recall which Netwest event it was. A reading? A picnic? No matter. I felt I'd known them all my life. When I found out they were originally from my childhood neck of the woods, SW Georgia, I counted them pretty close to family. Glenda's poems for Barry are among her best and made me like him all the more. He was what we call "salt of the earth," a person who was open to all sorts of things in the world around him, especially if his wife cared about those things. Consequently, Barry was a steadfast supporter of Netwest. I liked him tremendously, and I know all of us in the WNC literary community will feel his absence each time we come together. Glenda's new chapbbok will arrive a little too late for Barry to see, although he had already seen the poems and had celebrated their acceptance by Finishing Line Press. When at last we hold the book in our hands and read the poems, we will feel Barry's presence. He will be looking over our shoulders, giving the poems, and Glenda, a thumbs up!

Kay Byer

Candy Maier Scholarship Fund

Mary Ricketson, Netwest Rep for Cherokee County, Mary Jo Dyre, Netwest Representative on the Board for NCWN Board of Trustees, Glenda Beall, Program Coordinator for Netwest, Gwendie Camp, Chairman of the Candy Fund, Cheryl Dietrich, treasurer of the Candy Fund stand in front of a beautiful quilt at the Curiosity Shop Bookstore in Murphy. The quilt was raffled off and a name drawn the day of our visit.

Recently Gwendie Camp and Cheryl Dietrich drove down to join Mary Jo Dyre who acts as a liaison for the Candy Fund, and her guests, Mary Ricketson and Glenda Beall to discuss the future of the new non-profit charity over lunch at Shoebooties' restaurant in Murphy. In the three years this fund has been active, they have raised $11,000 and given out 50 scholarships totaling $8, 000.
They are ready now to develop a website, send out a newsletter and hold a series of fundraisers. Gwendie says they have volunteer positions available on the Board of Directors and for regional coordinators to reach out beyond the boundaries of Asheville to women south and north of Buncombe county.

We offered our support from Netwest because we believe this to be a needed organization. The Candy Maier Fund provided scholarships to several of our members in the past couple of years. The Fund is seeking donations to help meet the growing need for Candy Fund scholarships. Donations, any amount is appreciated, are tax-exempt.The Candy Fund is the only scholarship program of its type in this area.
You can reach the Candy Maier Scholarship Fund for Women Writers by email: thecandyfund@yahoo.com or by snail mail: 4B Long shoals Road #164, Arden, North Carolina, 28704-7781.

Ed Southern meets with writers in Sylva NC

Photos by Barry Beall

Ben Eller, author of Children of Sherlock Holmes and Gary Carden, Jackson County Representative for Netwest, meet with other writers at City Lights Books in Sylva to discuss how NCWN and Netwest can best serve members in the area.

On the right above, John Quinnett who writes haiku, lives in Bryson City, NC.

Meet Ed Southern in Netwest territory October 16

Anyone interested in writing is invited to meet Ed Southern, executive director of the North Carolina Writers' Network when he visits the Netwest area on Thursday, October 16. His first stop will be at City Lights bookstore at 2:00 PM in Sylva, NC.

Netwest county representatives and Glenda Beall, program coordinator for Netwest will also be there. Come out and learn what NCWN and Netwest can do for the literary community.

At 6:00 PM, Ed Southern will be at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC to meet with writers in Cherokee, Clay, Graham, and north Georgia. This is the first time a director for the NCWN has made the trip over this far west to speak with members and others interested in the writing community. Ed Southern has said Netwest is a model for what he'd like to see all over the state.

Tad, Jessica, Kathryn, Rebecca, Lynne, Lois, Paul and Pat at JCCFS

Lois Bertram to the right in photo.

Left: back row: Tad, Jessica, Kathryn, Rebecca, Lynne,

Front: Glenda, Lois, Paul and Pat

In March of 2008, eight students ranging in age from 25 to 66 plus, met each other for the first time in the new writing lab at JCCFS. I had expected older people to come to my class on writing your life stories, but to my surprise three of the students were young women 25 to 35 years old. I called them the young ones. Lois Bertram refers to them as The Girls in her essay below. To my surprise this class quickly bonded, and the older women and "The Girls" melded into a tight group with deep respect for each other. Paul and Tad, both men retired from successful careers, seemed to feel the same affection for the young women. Tad plans to write about "The Guys". All have kept in touch and shared writing by email for the past four months. Lois sent her essay for critique and I asked if I might share it with readers of this blog.



The Girls
Sixty-six years just flew by. How did I get to be so old – so fast? That reflection and question brought me to the realization that “this” was it: there would be no more “as soon as”. It was both a depressing thought and a liberating one. If “this” was it, what did I have to lose now? What had I not done because of so many foolish rules about failing or looking foolish or doing something non-productive – God forbid? What had I missed by following those rules? My creative soul had not been fed, I reasoned, that’s what I needed – to feed my creative soul.

I dabbled in various endeavors drawing, painting, photography but they were just appetizers. I wanted more. Then in North Carolina I found my entrée…writing. Your Life - Your Stories to be precise. Perhaps it was the timing - I needed to be sixty-six to understand my life in perspective and if I didn’t do it now - there was no “as soon as” any longer. For whatever reason or for all of them, here I was in a class of 8, a knowledgeable teacher and a beautiful environment.

As we met one another that first morning, I’m sure we all made assumptions and wondered if we would work well together. Our guard was up. Of the 8, two were men and I thought it great - to get a man’s perspective – life having already taught me that a man’s point of view would be different. But I questioned the three girls. If I thought anything in particular about their presence it was that they were so young to be writing about their lives. After all, you had to live it to write it…right?

Settling into our writing lab, our instructor Glenda, gave us our first assignment to write about some memento that we had brought with us. With little talk and heads down we began. Writing about the snapshot that I had brought was cathartic as I set down my deepest emotions on paper. It opened old wounds. It felt good, I thought, in re-reading what I had written but that was quickly changed as Glenda asked us to read them aloud to all the class. I had not anticipated this and I struggled to say aloud to strangers my painful private thoughts. The character of my classmates became instantly known as they created a safe haven for me with their patience and gentle attitude.
The girls impressed me as they each read their stories. All well educated, they wrote well, but it was the subjects and how they handled them – Kat’s sense of humor, Rebecca’s family memories and Jessica’s story of her father, which hinted at more. Perhaps these girls had lived more life than I would have thought or at least they recognized their lives in a way I hadn’t at that age. I seemed to have surged through my life. They appeared to have noticed theirs.
Days passed, and as we were given more prompts, read aloud, critiqued each other I found myself explaining to them my words and the past. It became obvious to me that one of life’s mysteries was being solved as I listened: How was the world going to survive with today’s young people in charge? Youth seemed to be so into themselves, didn’t take their jobs seriously, breaking rules, couldn’t count change! If they took over, the world would implode! For whatever reason, perhaps the setting and being so tuned in to really listening to the words and what was behind them, I began to see that it was no longer my world but theirs…it had already happened. I was free to enjoy what was left of my life; it was now their watch.
We had listed in class, world changing events in our lives, and they were missing wars, depression/recessions, Civil Rights, Watergate, Wounded Knee – even the atomic bomb! I worried, would they be able to lead without those lessons? The answer was yes, but in their own way and hopefully better. They seem to roll with life easier than we did. Rules are challenged, and their priorities seem different. And honestly, looking back at our world events list, it occurs to me that we didn’t do so well after all.
Free-spirited Rebecca who sees the world so unencumbered with “old people’s rules” anticipates the possibility, not the fear for what is to come, is in charge. Jessica, who was assigned to a prison for her first position, overcame her fear, discovered her strength and now leads others to a better life. And Kat, the young pastor who recognizes that old rules aren’t necessarily good rules, that goodness is better than righteousness, leads youth to a true understanding of “love one another”.
Today, I’m writing with the knowledge that I don’t have to please anyone and living an enlightened life with the knowledge that “the girls” and all like them are in charge. I wish them well.

Lois Bertram
29 June 2008

New Georgia Rep for Netwest

My name is Carole Thompson. I am pleased to be a member of the North Carolina Writers Network. My husband, Norm, and I moved to Blairsville, GA 18 years ago. Prior to that, we lived on St. Simons Island for 10 years, moving there after he retired as a career pilot in the US Air Force.
Network West Coordinator, Glenda Beall, asked me about becoming one of her GA Representatives. Glenda devotes so much of her own time working hard promoting programs and literary opportunities for writers in our area. I have accepted this opportunity to be of some assistance to her and her other representatives, as we work toward the goals laid down for this Network West chapter.

. Glenda thought I might tell you something about myself. If you were to ask me, “Who are you?” my first answer would have to be:”I am a wife, a mother of four children, a grandmother of five and great-grandmother of two.” Norm and I are celebrating our 56th anniversary this month. We wanted to do something special, so we’re visiting friends in England and then we’re all taking that train that zips under the English Channel and pops up somewhere near Paris! This is going to be a great adventure. I’m happy pursuing many interests right around my home, too. Most of my adult life I have worked in oil painting, particularly portraits. I also love to read, quilt and do crossword puzzles. Norm and I sing in the Mountain Community Chorus, and in our own church choir.

About 8 years ago, a friend invited me to take a writing class with her at Tri-County College in Murphy, N.C. I became a student in one of Nancy Simpson’s poetry classes. She totally liberated me by explaining the concept of free verse. I hung on her every word. In her next class, she pulled stories out of me like a painless dentist. The next year one of my poems was published in an anthology. After that, I submitted a short Christmas story to a well known Catholic magazine, and nearly had a heart attack when they bought it. Nancy Simpson was the first one I called. She continues to be my mentor and friend. Network West has so many wonderful, talented members!

COFFEE WITH THE POETS

Coffee with the Poets is held in Hayesville, NC
the 4th Wednesday of each month, on the town square
at Phillips and Lloyd’s Book Store.

On March 26th, Linda M. Smith was the featured reader.
Michelle Keller coordinated the event. The audience was
made of Hayesville folks and some visitors from
Andrews and from across the Georgia line. Coffee,
tea, pastry, and poems --all delicious.

During the open mic session, award winning poet
Brenda Kay Ledford read a newly completed poem.

NCWN West Consultant, Nancy Simpson
read her most recently published poem,
“ The Ghost of Candide” which is dedicated to former
Georgia Poet Laureate, Bettie M. Sellers. Simpson
said the poem was written in 1978 and finally, after
30 years, it has found it’s home in print at
Cooweescoowee Review at Will Rogers University
in Oklahoma.

Glenda Barrett, whose chapbook, WHEN THE SAP RISES,
is forthcoming in June 2008 from Finishing Line Press,
also read one poem in the open mic reading,
as did Maren O. Mitchell and others.

Mark your calendar on the 4th Wednesday in April,
and come enjoy Coffee with the Poets. All practicing poets
are welcome to read a poem in the open mic reading.
Glenda Beall. NCWN West Program Coordinator is the
founder of this innovative program.