Novelist and Poet Andrew K. Clark to be Featured Reader for Sept. 26 Mountain Wordsmiths

         Novelist and poet Andrew K. Clark will be the featured reader at Mountain Wordsmiths' gathering on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024, from 10:30 a.m. until noon via Zoom. The event is sponsored by North Carolina Writers’ Network-West.

Andrew K. Clark

        Clark is a writer from Western North Carolina where his people settled before the Revolutionary War. His poetry collection, "Jesus in the Trailer," was published by Main Street Rag Press and was shortlisted for the Able Muse Book Award. His debut novel, "Where Dark Things Grow," is forthcoming from Cowboy Jamboree Press in September 2024. His work has appeared in The American Journal of Poetry, UCLA’s Out of Anonymity, Appalachian Review, Rappahannock Review, and The Wrath Bearing Tree. He received his MFA from Converse College. Connect with him at andrewkclark.com.

       "Where Dark Things Grow," is Southern Gothic horror set in 1930s Southern Appalachia. Fifteen-year-old Leo is watching the world crumble. His father is missing and his mother is slipping into madness as she cares for Leo, his sick sister Goldfish, and two useless brothers. Relatives are no help, and the church folk have turned their backs. 

        When he discovers an enchanted wulver that has stepped out of ancient folklore that will do his bidding, he decides to settle old scores. Revenge is sweet, but Leo soon learns he can’t control what he’s unleashed. It takes his spitfire best friend Lilyfax to help Leo overcome his anger and try to escape the wulver’s evil. As they search for his father, Leo, Lilyfax, and friends are pursued by dark forces and pulled into a rescue effort to find and save trafficked girls rumored to have been taken by the mysterious Blue Man.

        Featuring elements of folklore and magical realism, "Where Dark Things Grow" is a dark bildungsroman set squarely in the place and culture of the mountains.

        Mountain Wordsmiths’ gatherings take place each month on Zoom. NCWN-West is continuing to stay in touch by using technology to share our writing. We offer writing events and writing classes both online and in person. Writers are enjoying the convenience and flexibility of Zoom meetings because they can join our gatherings from distant locations. Attendees are welcome to bring a poem or short prose piece to read during Open Mic. Please limit the reading to 3-5 minutes.

        Those wishing to attend Mountain Wordsmiths may contact Carroll Taylor at vibiaperpetua@gmail.com or ncwngeorgiarep@gmail.com to receive the Zoom link. Our group is informal, and we welcome those who would simply like to listen to the beauty of wordsmithing. All who attend are encouraged to enjoy their morning cup of coffee or tea as we share our thoughts about writing.

Owens and Beal to Read at Literary Hour Sept. 19

  Poet Scott Owens and Author Donna Beal will be the featured readers at the next Literary Hour Thursday, Sept. 19, at 7 p.m. in the Open House on the John C. Campbell Folk School campus. The Literary Hour is sponsored by the North Carolina Writers’ Network-West and is free and open to everyone.

Scott Owens

        Scott Owens is the author of 22 collections of poetry and recipient of awards from the Academy of American Poets, the Pushcart Prize Anthology, the Next Generation/Indie Lit Awards, the NC Writers Network, the NC Poetry Society, and the Poetry Society of SC. His poems have been featured in The Writer’s Almanac eight times, and his articles about writing poetry have been used in Poet’s Market four times. He has twice been nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award and to be North Carolina Poet Laureate. Owens holds degrees from Ohio University, UNC Charlotte, and UNC Greensboro.  He is Professor of Poetry at Lenoir Rhyne University, and former editor of Wild Goose Poetry Review and Southern Poetry Review. He owns and operates Taste Full Beans Coffeehouse and Gallery and coordinates Poetry Hickory in Hickory, NC.

Western North Carolina writer, Donna Beal, was raised in Greensboro, NC, and has lived in various towns in the eastern states. She moved in June of 2023 to her husband’s hometown of Hayesville, NC, where they live the good life with their two Chinese Crested dogs Honey Bear and Gracie Bear, an unnamed visiting bear and a gang of turkeys.

Donna Beal

        Beal is a graduate of Winthrop University with a double major in philosophy and religion and concentrations in both technical and creative writing. After college she began working in a large financial institution where she became a senior vice president and director. After retiring she pursued her interest in writing.  She has been published in numerous journals and is a member of The North Carolina Writer’s Network-West and the sistaWRITE group founded by North Carolina Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green. She’s even been known to preach a few sermons.

Well known local author Mary Jo Dyre (“Springheads,” Redhawk Publications, 2023) will host the event.

The Literary Hour at the folk school is offered every third Thursday of the month through October 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/.

Carroll Taylor and Marcia Barnes to speak at the John C. Campbell Folk School

 Carroll S. Taylor, and Marcia Barnes, published writers, will appear at the John C. Campbell Folk School, 7:00 PM, August 15

Thursday evening, August 15, at the Literary Hour, Carroll S. Taylor, author of a new book, Facing Toward the East, will present her work at the John C. Campbell Folk School. Appearing with Taylor will be Marcia Hawley Barnes, author of Tobijah, chosen for Georgia's top literary award. A delightful children’s book which emphasizes that even though many of us are different, we are not alone.

Taylor's literary journey is a testament to her talent and dedication. With a remarkable portfolio that includes novels Chinaberry Summer (2013) and Chinaberry Summer: On the Other Side (2017), as well as the children’s books Ella’s Quilt (2023) and Feannag the Crow (2020), Taylor has firmly established herself as a prominent figure in contemporary Southern literature.

Renowned for her vivid storytelling and poignant reflections on Southern life, Carroll Taylor’s latest work, with its distinct themes of rebirth, redemption, and the enduring human spirit, is sure to captivate readers of all ages.

A retired educator with over forty years of experience teaching students from kindergarten through high school, Taylor continued to inspire young minds as a part-time instructor at Columbus State University, GA, where she taught essay writing, Freshman Seminar, and French. Now entirely devoted to her writing, Taylor channels her life experiences into her creative work, providing readers with a deeply personal and authentic literary journey.

Drawing inspiration from her upbringing in rural Georgia and her life in the Northeast Georgia mountains, Taylor weaves a rich tapestry of stories and emotions. The collection, her first venture into publishing a book of poetry, is a testament to her literary evolution and dedication to her craft.

"Many older cemeteries bury the dead facing toward the East for the Resurrection, but for the living, morning light represents a new day, a time for rebirth or redemption," says Taylor. "Who among the living will face the rising sun with fierce determination?"

Her poems resonate universally, appealing to readers young and old, especially those who cherish Southern literature.

Carroll Taylor serves as one of the NCWN-West Representative for the Georgia Counties that border North Carolina. She and her husband Hugh live in Hiawassee, GA. You can find her online at www.chinaberrysummer.com

 

Carroll S. Taylor

Writer, poet, and journalist Marcia Barnes stepped into the circle of writing in 2004 while living in Middle Georgia and never looked back. Her published books include “The Little Book of Secret Family Recipes” and two children’s books, “Tobijah” and “A Day with Tobijah.”  She also published a collection of poems, “Blackberry Winter.”

Marcia Barnes

Although research and writing occupied most of the day, moving to the mountains in the spring of 2009, to live on an isolated ridge opened up an opportunity to try new things like growing strawberries and an herb garden with a view.

     “And then there were the animals, the mountain lion I didn’t see, and the bears that were in view. It was always a gift to see deer, rabbits, a fox, groundhogs and many birds, even a resident whip-poor-will,” Barnes said.

     A member of North Carolina Writers’ Network-West, Barnes became intrigued when attending local poetry readings and began writing poetry. She has been published in Negative Capability Press, POEM, Slant, and Old Mountain Press.

     In 2016, Barnes began writing as a journalist for the Clay County Progress in Hayesville, North Carolina. Her columns include feature articles and reporting on local news.

     “Writing for the newspaper is never dull, never the same story twice. The best parts are the people I work with and writing for a publisher who considers integrity sacred,” she said.

     Barnes is co-host of Coffee with Poets and Writers, a monthly North Carolina Writers’ Network-West event. She lives in Clay County, North Carolina with her cat Celeste.

 

 

What do you think about the Good Old Days?

Many of our local poets are published in the latest anthology by Old Mountain Press, The Good Old Days. This book includes 69 poets and prose writers with the theme of anything about memories/events from the past good, bad, sad, or a funny take on the good old days, or of Summertime.

Cover photo by Carolyn York

Available in Kindle Format  for $2.99

FREE if you participate in the Kindle Unlimited and/or the Kindle Owners' Lending Library: NOTE Amazon Prime members who own a Kindle can choose one book from each month with no due dates.

One of my poems, If, is in this edition along with poems by some of my students, Donna Beal (with one L) and Alan Frutchey. This is Alan's first publication although he has been writing poetry for a long time. I am happy for both of them.  

When I send a poem to an anthology, I usually submit something I have already published in a literary magazine or a publication with a larger readership. But Tom Davis, publisher of Old Mountain Press, has a very wide audience. 

"The OMP Anthology Series consists of 55 volumes with contributions from 287 writers and poets from North America, Europe, and Africa and has sold 6812 copies. I assume that someone has read all or parts of the 6812 copies as the contributors read and gift copies to individuals who read at least parts of the anthologies. Gotta be some kind of a record," Tom tells me.

"Of note is that one person (me:-) does ALL the work (cover design---front, back, spine, interior formatting, author corrections, website design, advertising, sales, distribution of copies, I'm sure I've forgotten something...) except the printing." Tom adds, "Only those who have taken part in putting together an anthology project will appreciate this." :-)

I do appreciate this. A massive job well done by Tom Davis. I helped publish Echoes Across the Blue Ridge an anthology of work by mountain writers, with many NCWN-West members, but I did not do the technical parts as Tom does. My job was organizing sales, creating a marketing plan, and distributing the books to all Netwest county representatives and to retail outlets that sold books in my area. 

Some of our best NC poets publish in OMP anthologies, including former poet laureate, Shelby Stephenson. I know it is likely their way to support Old Mountain Press and many beginning poets, but Brenda Kay Ledford of Clay County, NC is widely published in poetry and other genres. Her work is included in every anthology Tom has published. If you like to read poetry, you will love poems by Carroll S. Taylor, YA novelist, and author of two children's books. She recently published her first poetry book, Facing Toward the East. 

I also enjoy the short prose pieces both fiction and nonfiction such as those by Celia Miles prolific mystery novelist from Asheville, NC.  Sandy Benson journalist is also the author of a memoir My Mother’s Keeper: One Family’s Journey Through Dementia. She submitted a short piece that I liked. 

Poetry by NCWN-West members, Mary Ricketson and David Plunkett, grace the pages of The Good Old Days. Many other excellent writers from our western North Carolina and north Georgia region can be found between the covers of this book. 

Only past contributors or someone recommended by a past contributor will be published in the Old Mountain Press. Beware, your work is not edited before it is published. Be sure you have had it edited or have had several pairs of eyes, knowledgeable eyes, on it before you send it to Tom. That is another reason to send something that was accepted elsewhere.

Be generous: If you read a poem or short prose piece that you think is extra good, that you relate to, or feel deserves recognition, take a minute and email or better, write a note to the author. 

It will make their day. We can do so much with so little effort. 

BOOK REVIEW: "Facing Toward the East, Poems of Redemption"

 

BOOK REVIEW:  Facing Toward the East

Taylor, Carroll S.  Facing Toward the East, Poems of Redemption, Redhawk Publications, 2024.  107 Pages.  Trade paperback.  $16.00.  redhawkpublications.com.

Author Carroll S. Taylor unflinchingly describes "death" in her new poetry book, Facing Toward the East, poems of Redemption.  Redhawk Publications, The Catawba Valley Community College Press, recently released this page-turning collection.

An underlying theme of Taylor's book is redemption. The poems resound with the hope of resurrection:

    Facing toward the East: 

    For the dead, hope for the resurrection.
    For the living, hope for a new beginning,
    rising each day with the morning sun.

Her book is character driven.  She gives rounded sketches of friends and family who have gone to glory.  The imagery is not morbid, but refreshing.  New beginnings.  Taylor describes loved ones who influenced her growing up in rural Georgia.  Black-and-white photographs sprinkled throughout the pages beg the reader to learn more about these people.

Taylor's poem, "Mama," is universal.  A reminder to everyone there / once she was young and beautiful /  with a smile that lit up a room / not with a lost look / her eyes filled with confusion.  Ella's Quilt was passed down to the poet's son Zach in 2013 and is now ninety years old.  Warp and Weft weaves the threads of Taylor's life.  When I am gone / what will be left of me? / What will I leave behind for my family?

You'll find poems about unique women in this collection.  "Miss Dorothy" had an air of being sad and out of place /like an old tinsel Christmas wreath / left hanging on a porch in March. "Miss Rose" buzzed down the dirt road / kicking up a  cloud of red dust. ...Was she marrying men  for love / or looking to fix the world /  one old drunk at a time?

Baby boomers who attended public schools will relate to "The Shot Lady."  Children lined up with fear to receive inoculations.  Clinical, almost soulless, / with a mission to complete / for the county health department / she must vaccinate them all.

As a retired educator, the poem, "Miss Blanche," intrigued me.  I could just see the teacher in her third grade classroom.  She spoke with a soft voice / yet raised it to a firmer pitch if need be. / Always positive, never degrading.  At her funeral, almost everyone taught by Miss Blanche stood.  She never married, or had children of her own.  It seems Miss Blanche had children after all.

Additionally, Taylor included poems about the men who crossed her path.  She describes in "Virgil's Hand" the painful abuse of his children and slapping his wife.  He raised his hand / to affirm his dominance / in a  house filled with rage.

Her prose poem gives an vivid description of her grandfather in "Conversations with a Storyteller."  You can see him rolling the Prince Albert cigarette, plowing the cotton field after the war, settling into marriage.  How many stories you reckon you've forgot?  Never could read much / Never wrote 'em down. / That's a shame, aint' it? / I would've liked to hear 'em. / Tell me one you remember, Grandpa. 

Southern writers often include religion in their work.  Taylor's poem, "The Preacher" portrays  a fiery evangelist pounding his hands on / the pulpit like he was / driving out the devil.  I've attended many revivals with the fire and brimstone messages.  

The author writes with knowledge about her Southern culture.  Taylor  grew up on a dirt road in rural Georgia.  A graduate of Tift College, she is a writer, poet, and playwright.  She is the author of two young adult novels, Chinaberry Summer and Chinaberry Summer:  On the Other Side as well as two children's books, Feannag the Crow and Ella's Quilt. Her poems and stories have appeared  in anthologies and online.  Her plays have been performed onstage at the Peacock Performing Arts Center in Hayesville, North Carolina.

A retired educator, Taylor is a member of North Carolina Writer's Network and the Georgia Poetry Society.  Snakes, turtles, lizards, and frogs often find their way into her writing.  She and her husband,  Hugh, live in Hiawassee, Georgia, where she feeds a visiting crow family whose antics inspire her to write every day.

Finally, despite the pain and death present in this patchwork of Southern memories, this book ends with redemption.  The stories of remarkable people still live in the heart of the author.  This poetry collection cries out to face the rising sun with fierce determination!

Facing Toward the East, Poems of Redemption, by:  Carroll S. Taylor is available at: redhawkpublications.com.

Book reviewed by:  Brenda Kay Ledford 

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/.

Literary Hour to Feature Poet Ledford and Novelist Lucas Thursday, June 13

The Literary Hour will feature readings from two award winning authors in June, poet and storyteller Brenda Kay Ledford, and crime and mystery novelist Meagan Lucas.  The readings will start at 7 p.m. in the Kieth House on the J.C. Campbell Folk School campus Thursday, June 13.  The Literary Hour is sponsored by the North Carolina Writers’ Network-West and is free and open to everyone.

Brenda Ledford

Well known author, poet, storyteller, and blogger Brenda Kay Ledford has won the Award of Excellence 13 times from North Carolina Society of Historians for her books, blogs, and collection of oral histories on Southern Appalachia.  She received the 2019 Marquis Who’s Who in America Lifetime Achievement Award for writing and received silver medals for her essay and short story writing, and a bronze medal for her poetry in this year’s Clay/Cherokee Senior Games Silver Arts Literary division.
Ledford’s work has appeared in many journals including “Asheville Poetry Review,” “Chicken Soup for the Soul,” “Guidepost Magazine,” and “Women’s World Magazine.”  Her new children’s picture book, “Christmas in the Matheson Cove,” was published this year by Catch the Spirit of Appalachia and is available at sharingspokenstories.com.

Meagan Lucas

Meagan Lucas is the author of the Anthony nominated collection, “Here in the Dark,” and has published over 40 short stories and been nominated for the Pushcart, Best of the Net, Derringer, and Canadian Crime Writer’s Award of Excellence multiple times.  Her short story “The Monster Beneath” was listed as Distinguished in “The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2023.”

Her novel “Songbirds and Stray Dogs” was chosen to represent North Carolina in the Library of Congress 2022 Route 1 Reads program and won Best Debut at the 2020 Indie Book Awards.  A creative writing teacher at Robert Morris University and the Great Smokies Writing Program at UNC Asheville, she is also editor in chief of Reckon Review.

Local novelist Mary Jo Dyre, author of “Springheads,” published in 2023 by Redhawk Publications, will host the event.

The Literary Hour features local writers each month who share their work with the community.

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

Ricketson to Read from "Stutters: A Book of Hope" Thursday, June 13

    Mary Ricketson will be reading from Stutters: A Book of Hope at Narrative Books and Records Records in Murphy Thursday, June 13, at 4:30 pm.

Mary Ricketson

   The North Carolina Literary Review calls Stutters "a poetry collection about struggle. It is a book about people’s cruelty to someone who is different. And yet it is ultimately a celebration of endurance, growth, and the ability to look beyond oneself to help others. 

    The poems flow from Ricketson's life.  From childhood teasing and shame to finding peace and success as a mental health counselor and poet.

    Speech and language pathologist Emory Prescott says, "Hearing Mary speak and recite her poetry is a time-stand-still kind of experience. Her canter draws you in, and though there is an occasional stutter or repetition, she has a bravery that elevates her through the moment and onto further words and prose."

    Ricketson has been writing poetry for over 25 years.  Her poems have been published in numerous poetry reviews, six other full-length poetry collections, and two chapbooks.  She won first place in the 2011 Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest 75th anniversary national poetry contest.  Inspired by nature and her role as a mental health counselor, her poems reflect the healing powers of nature, a path she follows from Appalachian tradition, with the surrounding mountains as midwife for her words.

Ricketson and Westwood to Read at May 16 Literary Hour

  Poet Mary Ricketson of Murphy, and writer David Andrew Westwood of Hayesville will be featured at the Thursday, May 16, Literary Hour at 7 p.m. in the Keith House library on the John C. Campbell Folk School campus in Brasstown, NC.  The Literary Hour is sponsored by the North Carolina Writers’ Network-West and is free and open to everyone.

Mary Ricketson

Ricketson has been writing poetry for over twenty-five years.  Her poems have been published in numerous poetry reviews and in her recent collection, “Stutters, A Book of Hope,” as well as five other full-length poetry collections and two chapbooks.  She won first place in the 2011 Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest 75th anniversary national poetry contest.  Inspired by nature and her role as a mental health counselor, her poems reflect the healing powers of nature, a path she follows from Appalachian tradition, with the surrounding mountains as midwife for her words.

David Andrew Westwood

Westwood was brought up in 1960s London, got stuck in Los Angeles for far too long, and is now happily settled in Hayesville.  He writes mostly historical fiction — 17 novels so far — but also the occasional short story and essay.  His novels have won three awards from the Military Writers Society of America, and a recent short story was a finalist for North Carolina’s Doris Betts Prize.  His latest novel, “Bitternut Creek,” will be released in August.

The Literary Hour at the folk school is offered every third Thursday of the month through October and brings local poets and writers to the campus to share their work with the community.  The public, and 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/.

NC Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green Featured in WNC

 North Carolina Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green and North Carolina Writer's Network-West member, Brenda Kay Ledford, at the Multicultural Women's Development Conference; Hinton Rural Life Center; Hayesville, NC; April 19, 2024.

Jaki was the keynote speaker at the MWDC on Friday, April 19th.  Her presentation was very impressive and we enjoyed her poetry.  It was an honor for our NC Poet Laureate to share her beautiful work with us here in Western North Carolina.  

Senior Games, Silver Arts Literary Division Winners

 Our NCWN-West members and Ridgeline Alliance writers, won several medals in the 2024 Clay/Cherokee County Senior Games; Silver Arts Literary Division:

Life Experience:

Sandy Benson                Silver     "Honoring and Honored at the Rosebud Wacipi

Shelia Queen                  Bronze   "Remembering Johnny"

Poem

Mary Ricketson              Gold         "Gone"

Brenda Kay Ledford      Bronze       "Counting my Blessings"

Short Story

Sandy Benson                Gold           "Mad Max"

Brenda Kay Ledford      Silver         "The Soldier"

Essay

Brenda Kay Ledford       Silver        "The Healing Power of Pets"

Congratulations to the writers who placed in the Silver Arts Literary Division!  😃

Owens and Beall to be Featured at April 18 Literary Hour

Poet Scott Owens of Hickory, NC, and writer Glenda Beall of Hayesville will be featured at the Thursday, April 18, Literary Hour at 7 p.m. in the Keith House library on the John C. Campbell Folk School campus in Brasstown.  The Literary Hour is sponsored by the North Carolina Writers’ Network-West and is free and open to everyone.

Scott Owens

Scott Owens is the author of 20 collections of poetry and recipient of numerous awards for his poetry.  His poems have been featured in national publications and he has twice been nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award and to be North Carolina Poet Laureate.

Owens is Professor of Poetry at Lenoir Rhyne University, and former editor of Wild Goose Poetry Review and Southern Poetry Review. He also owns and operates Taste Full Beans Coffeehouse and Gallery and coordinates Poetry Hickory in Hickory, NC. His 21st book, "An Augury of Birds," a collaboration with photographer, Clayton Joe Young, will be out in August. And his collection of haiku, illustrated by Missy Cleveland, will be out in December.

Glenda Beall

Glenda Council Beall has taught memoir writing at the folk school, Tri-County Community College and at the Institute of Continuing Learning (ICL) for many years. She became interested in Genealogy in the early 1990s and compiled a family history book, “Profiles and Pedigrees, Thomas C. Council, and his Descendants,” which chronicles the lives of her grandfather and his 10 children born in the late 19th century.

Beall’s short stories and personal essays have been published in online journals including “Muscadine Lines,” “A Southern Journal” and “Dead Mule School of Southern Literature.” Several of her poems and essays have appeared in “Living with Loss” magazine, “Breath and Shadow,” and “Reunions Magazine.”

She is currently the North Carolina Writers’ Network -West program director.  “Now Might as Well be Then,” her poetry chapbook was published in 2009.

The Literary Hour at the folk school is offered every third Thursday of the month through October and brings local poets and writers to the campus to share their work with the community.  The public, and 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/.

Brenda Kay Ledford' Story Published in "When Love Wags a Tail"

 

Brenda Kay Ledford's Feature in Grit Magazine

 Brenda Kay Ledford's feature, "Planting by the Signs," appeared in Grit Magazine, (March/April, 2024).

www.Grit.com

Chamblee Receives Western Heritage Poetry Book Award for Bierstadt Biography

NCWN-West member Kenneth Chamblee's biography in poems "The Best Material for the Artist in the World" has won the Western Heritage Poetry Book Award from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.

Ken Chamblee

The book is a collection of poems which follow the life of Albert Bierstadt, a 19th-century landscape painter of the American West.  The poems "celebrate the timeless spledor of Bierstadt's work through the witness of many voices and points of view... bringing us into intimate contact with the art," according to
New York Times bestselling author Robert Morgan.

"A work of brilliance and depth," Bob Ross, author of "Billy Above the Roofs" said of Chamblee's work, adding, the poems are sober, evocative, and respectful, and they overflow with their own penetrating light."

Bob Joly, director of St. Johnsbury Athenaeum says the poems bring Bierstadt, his contemporaries, the West, and our notions of the painter and his work to full illumination.

The Western Heritage Awards honors individuals who have made significant contributions to Western heritage through creative works in literature, music, television and film that share the great stories of the American West.  Honorees will be presented with a Wrangler award during the 63rd Western Heritage Awards dinner held at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum on April 13, 2024.

Ricketson and Dyre collaborate in powerful presentation of their original writing.

Poet Mary Ricketson and novelist Mary Jo Dyre will be the featured readers at Cherokee Cellars Winery's authors night Thursday, March 28.  Doors will open at 5 p.m. with the presentation begining at 6 p.m.   The address for the event is 45 Valley River Ave., Murphy, NC.

Mary Ricketson will read selections from her poetry collection, "Mississippi, The Story of Luke and Marian," about life with her parents, their belief that all people are equal, while Mississippi's time of segregation and the civil rights movement stirred pain and conflict.  Additionally, she read will from her newest collection, "Stutters, A Book of Hope," which delves into her lifelong struggle with stuttering.  The poems speak to the experience of many people- feeling different, challenged, and finding a way.

Mary Jo Dyre will read from "Dark Spot," a mystery novel started by her brother Arnold who died midway through the writing.  Dyre picked up his manuscript and found her own words to finish the "tangled, complex web of humanity that often results when man gives over to evil."  She will also read from "Springheads," which will take you to another time and still keep you wrapped in your own heart.  She weaves truth and tweaks it with what might be, ingrained with vibrant characters set in a world where all returns to two springheads.

 

Christmas in Matheson Cove

 Brenda Kay Ledford's new children's picture book, Christmas in Matheson Cove,  is upcoming with Catch the Spirit of Appalachia.

This is a heart-warming story how faith, love, and family made a meager holiday during the Great Depression in the Appalachian Mountains, to be a joyful Christmas.

Ordering information will be released soon!

Jeff Stewart Featured Reader at Mountain Wordsmiths Feb. 22

 Award-winning writer Jeff Stewart will be the featured reader at Mountain Wordsmiths’ gathering on Thursday, February 22, at 10:30 a.m. via Zoom. The monthly event is sponsored by North Carolina Writers’ Network-West.

Jeff Stewart

Stewart is a man of many gifts. He is a healthcare consultant, scientist, inventor, author, playwright, and father of seven. He was a Jeopardy! College Champion and runner-up in the Tournament of Champions. Stewart lives in Cary, NC..

Stewart’s book, "Living: Inspiration from a Father with Cancer," was named the best cancer book of 2023 at the 20th annual American BookFest awards. Their review states, “'Living' tells the story of a molecular biologist, Jeopardy! champion, and cancer patient. Cancer patients and their caregivers will find valuable insider advice… 'Living' is more than a book about cancer. 'Living' is a book about life.”

"Living" also received a “get it” rating from Kirkus Reviews, which called Stewart’s book “Complex and thoughtful, with a refreshingly upbeat attitude.” BookLife from Publisher's Weekly called "Living" a "remarkable memoir" and "a final and powerful act of love."

“So many cancer books are downers,” says Stewart. “I wanted my cancer book to be funny and helpful. I’m excited by the award and positive reviews, but it’s when someone tells me, ‘Your book helped me understand what my mother was going through’ that it all feels worth it.”

Ken Jennings—yes that Ken Jennings—blurbed Stewart’s book, calling it “a moving message-in-a-bottle from a great Jeopardy! champion—who also turns out to be a writer with a rare gift for aphorism and insight.”

To learn more about Jeff Stewart, you can watch his interviews on youtube.com.

Mountain Wordsmiths gatherings will always take place on Zoom. NCWN-West is also continuing to stay in touch by using technology to share our writing. We offer writing events and writing classes both online and in person. Writers are enjoying the convenience and flexibility of Zoom meetings because they can join our gatherings from other locations across America. Attendees are welcome to bring a poem or short prose piece to read during Open Mic. Please limit the reading to 3-5 minutes.

Those wishing to attend Mountain Wordsmiths may contact Carroll Taylor at vibiaperpetua@gmail.com or ncwngeorgiarep@gmail.com to receive the Zoom link. Our group is informal, and we We welcome those who would simply like to listen to the beauty of wordsmithing. All who attend are encouraged to enjoy their morning cup of coffee or tea as we share our thoughts about writing.

MaryJo Dyre is a Mississippi native, an author with an interesting story

I wanted to interview author Mary Jo Dyre, a member of NCWN-West, as soon as I heard her read and discuss her two books, Dark Spot and Springheads. 

GCB: MaryJo, I greatly appreciate you taking the time to talk with me about your recently published books. 

MaryJo Dyre writes and publishes novels. This Mississippi native uses the background of her rich environment and an obsession with reading as a child to enhance her imagination.

GCB: MaryJo, tell us where you were born. Describe your family—how many children and where do you fall on the list?

MJD: My birth took place in a hospital in Winona, MS. The family home was located near an even smaller Montgomery community, Kilmichael, MS. Our homeplace, as it is called in the South, was in an even more remote area called Poplar Creek Nations. I have three older sisters and one older brother. I was 16 years old before I took in the fact that I was obviously the surprise child. My parents had their daughters and then their son. Seven years later, I came along.

GCB: Did you grow up in the city or the country? What are some fond memories of your childhood?

MJD: I grew up Mississippi rural in the 50s. When I was not yet a year old, my family moved from the Poplar Creek Nations area to Gore Springs, another small, rural gathering of families near Grenada. My father initially managed a dairy farm. My fondest memories involve endless play in the great outdoors. Screen time did not enter my world until I was eight. Imagination was my constant companion. Kingdoms created under pine trees, mudpies decorated with wildflowers, hot summer afternoons cooled with play in nearby creeks were enjoyed barefooted with hands and clothing stained from blackberry or muscadine juice.
Many poignant childhood memories involve an elderly neighbor couple, Mr. Jim and Mrs. Willie. Their farm gave me the opportunity to gather fresh eggs, learn the art of churning butter, and discover the sheer magic of an earth-hewn root cellar. Little did I know that I was living the word “organic” and honing an approach to education that would serve my future career in strong ways.

Reading became a powerful force in my childhood as it merged with a very active imagination. The sheer joy of curling up with a good book for hours of reading, checking out as many books as my arms could carry from the Elizabeth Jones Library soon made a believer out of me -- a tale well told has the power to transport me into the realm of dreams and possibility.

GCB: What were your favorite subjects in school? Where did you go to college and what degrees do you have?
MJD: If reading and writing were at the core of the subjects, I enjoyed all. Hands-on science had my attention, but not the textbook version. Math did not resonate with me until I was introduced to Transformational Grammar in college. I attended Delta State University, a small college known for producing amazing teachers. I earned a BS in Education and an MA in Literature. The Delta itself, the diverse culture, the creativity that poured from backroads Blues establishments, brush strokes with artists and potters, and powerful words from writers, all provided an equally powerful source of education.

GCB: Mary Jo, you’ve had a very successful career in education. You started a private school in Murphy and directed it for 20 years.

MJD: In 1983, I founded a private school that became, in 1997, one of North Carolina’s first 33 charter schools. Except for a short year-and-a-half period in the early 1990s, I directed the school until 2019. I remained the Executive Director for another year as I trained and worked with my replacement. I continued to serve the school through May 2022, to find answers for the increased need for expanded and renovated facilities for the growing population of learners we attracted annually.
Working to provide a choice in education was passion work for me. It was a calling that I will forever treasure. The 38-year, rich legacy of students and their families we served will continue to touch and benefit our future.

GCB: Were there challenges that you faced in this process?

MJD: Please understand first, that numerous obstacles on many levels stood in my path, in the journey, the mission to bring a choice in education to this area of Western North Carolina. I have frequently said that building a choice in education was like swimming upstream with salmon. On some occasions, the obstacles came in the form of pointing to the fact that I was not a male and that a male was needed to break through the barriers that seemingly stood in the way of building strong educational choices for area youth.

I learned early in my education career to ask plenty of questions to people who had strengths I did not have. This habit served me well. Additionally, there are many strong examples of females who turned the world of education on its heels for improvement. Again, I “leaned in” to all that I could glean from these strong, innovative women leaders.

GCB: Your brother was an author and had published a series of legal thrillers. He was killed in an accident. Can you tell us about that and where was his unfinished novel at the time of his death?

MJD: Arnold Douglas Dyre published two memoir-style non-fiction collections first. He then moved to fiction with his Jake Baker Mystery series. Arnold died of a massive heart attack while driving back to his home near Jackson, MS. The vehicle wrecked totally without the aid of a driver. The partially completed Dark Spot, the fourth book in the series, was in his computer that was also in the destroyed truck. Recovering the file from a very damaged hard drive took time.

GCB: Had you read his books before he died? Were you and your brother close in age and did you see him often?

MJD: Yes, I read all my brother’s books before his death. I eventually read them countless times after I said yes to finishing the unfinished manuscript he left behind.
My brother was seven years older. He was a prime mover in my life through my teens. In many ways I idolized him. He, of course, spent a great deal of time with neighborhood boys near his age. I begged him to let me tag along with everything he did. My mother balanced that desire on my part by having my brother read to me. I was close to seven before I realized he was not reading. Instead, he was spinning a story as I sat spellbound. Even then he was teaching me the art of storytelling. I can still hear him telling me he would someday be an author. Of course, I began to say the same because I longed to be just like him. When my brother went to Ole Miss, then joined the Navy, did a tour in Vietnam, and married, the days of my childhood following in my brother’s footsteps seemed to fade into the past. Time constraints, family commitments on the part of both of us and living in different states kept us separated in many ways. My sisters and I still treasure the time, just months before his death, when all five of us were together in my home in North Carolina.

GCB: I imagine that you had reservations about writing the book he had started. How did you come to be the one to write the ending of his last book? 

MJD: Yes, I had reservations. Perhaps the strongest hesitation was the desire to make sure I remained true to how he would have “told the story.” At the same time, I knew that it was essential for me to have my own emotional connection to his plot and characters. When Arnold’s nephew sent the partial manuscript, I knew I had to feel the first read in my core. No question, I felt it and knew I could take on the project.
Because of my background in teaching literature and writing and the fact that I had my own proverbial dust-covered unfinished manuscript seemingly lost to a demanding career, family members asked if I would consider finishing Arnold’s work.

GCB: How did you continue with the same characters he had imagined? Did you change any of them?

MJD: I often answer this question of how I continued with Arnold’s same imagined characters in this simplistic way: I crawled into my brother’s imagination. The process of tapping into that sacred place began with re-reading the three published novels in his series, carefully creating character sketches and timelines of each. I researched and interviewed people that I felt certain were captured within his layers of fictional disguise. Patterns of awareness began to emerge. I more readily saw the development and growth of my brother’s writing. I became aware of topics being explored in the third novel that he seemed hesitant to include in his earlier writing. The unfinished manuscript convinced me that the horizons of his writing were broadening to yet more topics not yet explored. He had gone bolder with both characters and plot. No question I had to sustain the reach he seemed to prioritize in the fourth book.
The character of Kelly, introduced within the first couple of pages of Dark Spot, spoke to me in strong ways. I sensed my brother’s blessing, so to speak, to unleash my feminine intuition with this character. She offered so much undeveloped potential to bring a fresh approach to the stereotypical May-December wife, made wealthy through marriage.

GCB: You had been working on your own novel for several years but your work as a founder and director of a school kept you too busy to find time for writing. Did you decide to finish your and his novel after you retired from teaching?

MJD: I took on the completion of Dark Spot when I was still a full-time executive director in the field of education. Delay or hesitation was not in my vocabulary. When the voice in the mind refuses to go silent, the writer in me knows it’s time to write. My brother had a reading audience that was waiting for his next novel and many, many loved ones who were not ready for his voice to end.
When I decided to pick up my novel, Springheads, again, I still worked full-time in education, was involved in the early stages of the Blu Sky Initiative and would soon move into yet another work adventure. Retire is not a word that has any roots in my life as of the present. In my experience, the voice in the mind of the writer is the driver as opposed to waiting for the ideal free time to write.

GCB: I am a big John Grisham fan, and you say your brother’s book is similar to Grisham’s writing. Tell us your brother’s name and the title of his book that has both of you listed as authors. In what way is your brother’s book like Grisham’s?

MJD: Dark Spot, A Jake Baker Mystery by Arnold Dyre and Mary Jo Dyre
Grisham and my brother both write from the perspective of an attorney. Like Grisham, my brother was an attorney. I know that my brother’s writing was influenced by some of the hard facts that were presented in his career as a defense attorney. The pace, the intensity of character and plot are similar in both John Grisham and Arnold Dyre.

GCB: While you were writing your brother’s book did you feel him with you? What kind of mindset did it take to write what you thought your brother would write?

MJD: To say that I felt my brother with me as I wrote to complete his unfinished manuscript is an understatement. I have shared with many that I feel as if I got an extra year plus with my brother after his death. It was not a great leap to imagine his voice reading aloud his sentences. When I am in my writing zone, I feel the need to go inward. I listen much more than I talk. In fact, I become a bit of a recluse to get “far from the maddening crowd.” This approach was certainly true as I embraced my brother’s writing voice alongside my own.

GCB:   Most of us use some personal background in our novels. Did you do that? If so, what were some of the experiences or places you included?

MJD: A major influencer in Springheads is a specific peninsula of land that I know very intimately in real life. This setting becomes a sense of place, a driving force in the unfolding of the plot line. I strongly felt the need to balance the inexplicable introduction of time travel with characters within a real community. Indeed, the people and places that make up the fabric of my life provided a rich pallet of possible characters and settings. Fortunately, fiction allows hand-picking characteristics and combining them in creative ways to ultimately bring to life the strong characters who drive the Springheads’ story. One of my favorite combinations, Miss Sadie, the midwife/healer full of sage wisdom and visionary thinking, is created with character traits found in three women whose skills, physical appearance, and intuitive genius have spilled into my real life.
My basic rules of thumb with character development: Write about what I know best. Draw on a well-rounded combination of real-life people whose personalities get my attention. Aim for powerhouse characters remembered by readers. Remember that my medium is fictional writing.

GCB: Are there other writers in your family?
MJD: To my knowledge, my brother and I are the only two published literary authors.

GCB: Writing a book is not the hardest part of being an author. Now that your books are on the market, do you have a marketing plan in place?

MJD: Dark Spot was published in 2019. Springheads was published in July 2023. With the publication of Dark Spot, the marketing plan grew in momentum around a strong Mississippi reading audience already created by my brother. He had an established presence with several small Mississippi newspapers. I picked up his by-monthly publications with these papers. Invitations to do book events came as a result. Additionally, I created my website: www.maryjodyre.com inclusive of a blog and increased social media presence.
Covid-19 threw a curve ball in the plan to strengthen my audience into North Carolina in late March 2020. I am now making use of the July 2023 publication of Springheads to create a growing reading audience around both Dark Spot and Springheads in North Carolina and Mississippi. I make use of opportunities available through Red Hawk Publications, NC Writers’ Network West, NC Writers Network and increased social media presence. Additionally, I work to create a presence in local bookstores and shops. The next step in the marketing plan is to obtain an agent.

GCB: Your novel is published by Red Hawk Publications. How are they helping with marketing your book?
MJD: Red Hawk has been instrumental with press releases as well as some in-person opportunities in the Catawba County area for book sales. I link my own website www.maryjodyre.com to https://redhawkpublications.com/

GCB: Have you begun another novel or have one in mind?

MJD: Yes, Springheads will have a sequel. My life is busy, but the story does not quieten in my head. An early-stage manuscript is in the works.

Thank you Mary Jo, for your time to answer my questions. Good luck with both of these books.

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.