Local Writers Calby and Jackson to Read at Campbell School

The next Literary Hour at the John C. Campbell Folk School will feature two talented North Carolina writers Kathleen Calby and Karen Luke Jackson.  The Literary Hour, sponsored by the North Carolina Writers’ Network-West, meets on campus in the Keith House at 7 p.m., Thursday, July 18.

Kathleen Calby

Poet Kathleen Calby lives in Hendersonville and hosts bi-weekly events for the North Carolina Writers Network.  Kelsay Books published her chapbook “Flirting with Owls” in 2023. A Rash Poetry Award Finalist in 2022, she has been published in Connecticut Review, New Plains Review, Heimat Review and other journals and is finishing a full-length poetry collection about a journey to Egypt.  Calby says she enjoys fried chicken and biscuits a bit too much and strenuous hikes not enough.

Karen Jackson

Karen Luke Jackson's stories, essays, and poems have appeared in numerous journals including the Atlanta Review, Susurrus, Reckon Review, Braided Way, and Nobody’s Home.  She has also authored three poetry collections.  A member of the North Carolina Writers’ Network and the North Carolina Poetry Society, Jackson draws inspiration from contemplative practices, clowning, family lore and the goats grazing beside her cottage in Flat Rock, NC.

The Literary Hour is free and open to everyone.  It is offered every third Thursday of the month through November and brings local writers to the campus to share their work with the community.  Students and faculty of the school are welcome to attend the readings.

The John C. Campbell Folk School offers classes in folk arts and crafts and storytelling.  For information about the school, you can find its webpage and contact information at https://www.folkschool.org/.

Karen Luke Jackson and Kathleen Calby Hold Dual Book Launch Event Feb. 1

Poets Karen Luke Jackson and Kathleen Calby will launch their new poetry books over Zoom Thursday, Feb. 1, at 7 p.m.  The event is open to anyone wishing to join over Zoom and is sponsored by Redheaded Stepchild Magazine.

They will be reading selections from "Flirting with Owls" and "If You Choose to Come."  An open mic will follow the reading.

Karen Luke Jackson

Jackson, winner of the Rash Poetry Award and a Pushcart Prize nominee, draws upon family lore, contemplative practices, and nature for inspiration. Her poems have appeared in "Atlanta Review," "EcoTheo," "Susurrus," "Salvation South," and "Friends Journal," among others. She has also authored three poetry collections: "If You Choose To Come," paying homage to the healing beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains; "The View Ever Changing," exploring the lifelong pull of one's homeplace and family ties; and "GRIT," chronicling her sister's adventures as an award-winning clown. Jackson is a facilitator with the Center for Courage & Renewal. She lives in a cottage on a goat pasture in western North Carolina. Her website is: karenlukejackson.com

Calby lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains and hosts writer events in Henderson County for the North Carolina Writers Network. Her work appears in "San Pedro River Review," "New Plains Review" and "The Orchards Poetry Journal." Named a 2022 Rash Award Poetry Finalist, Calby published "Flirting with Owls" (Kelsay Books) in 2023 and has just completed a full-length manuscript on an Egypt journey she took.  She enjoys fried chicken and biscuits a bit too much, and long, strenuous walks not enough.

Editor Malaika King Albrecht, who hosts these launches, is a wonderful supporter of the writing community. You can sign up on Facebook for the event https://fb.me/e/1zcm2xrvc or email Jackson  atkljluke@gmail.com.