Joan Howard and Gene Hirsch are featured at CWPW June 19

Coffee with the Poets and Writers (CWPW) will feature poets Joan M. Howard and Eugene Z. Hirsch, MD, on Wednesday, June 19, at 10:30 a.m. at the Moss Memorial Library in Hayesville, NC. The event is free and open to the public. An open mic will follow their presentations. Bring a poem or a short prose piece to participate. CWPW is sponsored by North Carolina Writers’ Network-West (NCWN-W) which also includes writers in Towns, Union, Fannin, and Rabun Counties in Georgia.

           

Howard's poetry has been published in POEM, The Road Not Taken: The Journal of Formal Poetry, the Aurorean, Lucid Rhythms, Victorian Violet, the Wayfarer and other literary journals.  She published the book Death and Empathy: My Sister Web in 2017. Her latest book is Jack, Love and the Daily Grail.

Howard is a former teacher with an MA in German and English literature.  She is a member of the North Carolina Writers' Network West and North Carolina Writers Network.  She enjoys birding and kayaking on the beautiful waters of Lake Chatuge near Hiawassee, Georgia.

           

Hirsch has taught clinical medicine for forty years. During his career he volunteered at the Cleveland Free Medical Clinic, conducted poetry workshops for health professionals as a way of dealing with emotional stresses of patient care, and lectured medical students on death and dying. He has published two poetry books and assembled six anthologies. Dr. Hirsch has been a valuable asset to the local writing community for twenty-five years. His poetry has appeared in medical and non-medical journals. He received First Prize in the 2019 Westmoreland Cultural Society He instituted and taught poetry at the John C. Campbell Folk School and co-founded the NCWN-West with poet Nancy Simpson with whom he was a close friend for many years. Hirsch professes that Murphy, North Carolina, is his second home (perhaps even his first).

            For more information about this event, please contact Glenda Beall at: glendabeall@msn.com.

POETS DRINK COFFEE AND READ POEMS AT PHILLIPS AND LLOYD BOOK STORE

Poets gathered at Phillips and Lloyd Book Shop today in the town of Hayesville, North Carolina for COFFEE WITH THE POETS, held monthly and sponsored by NC Writers Network West. Linda M. Smith welcomed all.

Nancy Simpson, the featured poet, read from her new book LIVING ABOVE THE FROST LINE, 
( Carolina Wren Press) and she discussed the meaning of "frost line." She also spoke about the theme behind much of her poetry, that we live "many lives in one life time." Simpson read five poems: "Living Above the Frost Line", "On A Mountain In An Unfinished Cabin, " Lives in One Lifetime", "Green Place", and "Frederick at the Piano". Her book is for sale at Phillips and Lloyd Book Shop, The Book Nook, and John C. Campbell Folk School.

Poet Gene Hirsch, of Pittsburgh, PA and Murphy, NC, a long time Netwest member, attended with students from his John C. Campbell Folk School Poetry Writing class. He read two poems in the open mic session and some of his students read poems.  Bob Grove also read two newly written poems.

Appalachian poet Brenda Kay Ledford of Hayesville read.

 (Brenda Kay Ledford and Blanche Ledford)

Appalachian poet Glenda Barrett of Hiawassee, Georgia read two poems.











Joan Ellen Gage, another Netwest member at large, who lives most of the year in Florida was in the neighborhood and read two poems.

Poet Maren O. Mitchell shared her delicious Nasturtium poem and gave positive energy and encouragement to all.