Writers Lucy Gratton Cole and Mary Michelle Keller to read at The Literary Hour October 19, 2017, at the John C. Campbell Folk School, in Brasstown, NC

On Thursday, October 19, 2017 at 7:00 PM, John C. Campbell Folk School and NC Writers' Network-West will sponsor The Literary Hour, an hour of poetry and prose reading held at Keith House on the JCFS campus, in Brasstown, NC. This is held on the third Thursday of the month unless otherwise indicated. The reading is free of charge and open to the public. Poets and writers Mary Michelle Keller and Lucy Cole Gratton will be the featured readers, returning to the Folk School as one of the more entertaining pair of readers.

Mary Michelle Keller has lived in Towns County 22 years. It is here that she began to write poetry followed by the natural progression into prose. She is a musician, artist and photographer. Keller says that all those loves give root to her poetry as inspiration.

Her poem, As The Deer, published in the anthology, Echoes Across the Blue Ridge, was inspired by an old hymn by the same name that she plays on the dulcimer. She enjoys words; moving them around on paper until a poem, short story or essay emerges.  Keller finds pleasure in reading to a few or many, be it her own words or those of others. She says reading at the Folk School is always a treat; to be able to read her pieces to locals and students of the school is a highlight.

Lucy Cole Gratton is a retired CPA who has lived in the Murphy area over 20 years. She is a graduate of Agnes Scot College and the University of Florida with degrees in mathematics..

Since her retirement Gratton served as Executive Director for the Hiawassee River Watershed Coalition, Inc for several years and continues to assist with the accounting and tax preparation for the Coalition as a volunteer. She is a member and serves as Treasurer of the Mountain Community Chorus, Inc. Gratton is a Cherokee County representative for NCWN and a member of NCWN-West. She coordinates the reading program at John C. Campbell Folk School and serves as moderator.

Gratton's  poems include various topics but predominantly center around her concern for the environments and her home in the woods of Lake Apalachia. Her writing has been published in a variety of venues but she writes predominantly for the love of writing, sharing it with family and friends.

Writers' Night Out Oct 13, Blairsville, GA

Mary Michelle Keller and Natalie Grant Featured
+ Open Mic

Please join us this Friday night at the Union County Community Center.

The next day, Oct 14, all are invited to the Georgia Poetry Society meeting at the Choestoe Schoolhouse in Blairsville, 9:30-3:30. See the GPS website for more info.

Moments from NCWN-West's Tribute to Kathryn Stripling Byer on October 1, 2017

On October 1, 2017, NCWN-West held a tribute for Kathryn Stripling Byer at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva, NC. The event was organized by Glenda Beall with the help of many others.

Newton Smith was Emcee. He gave the welcome and the introductions. Smith also read in place of Kevin Watson, who was unable to attend.

Featured readers were: Ed Southern, Shelby Stephenson, Mary Ricketson, William Everett, Susan Lefler, Brent Martin, Catherine Carter, Brenda Kay Ledford, and Glenda Council Beall. Beall, Program Director for NCWN-West, also gave the closing words.

Above, from the left, are featured readers Newton Smith, Ed Southern, Susan Lefler, NC's Poet Laureate, Shelby Stephenson, Mary Ricketson, and Catherine Carter.

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Above, from the left, are featured readers Brent Martin, Natalie Grant, Glenda Council Beall, William Everett, and Brenda Kay Ledford.

NCWN's Executive Director Ed Southern with Rosemary Royston

 The event hosted a lovely reception after the tribute.

Above from left, Kathy Knapp, Robert Knapp, and Katie Winkler

NCWN-West would like to thank all who contributed to the reception with cookies, etc. We would especially like to thank Kathy Knapp , Robert Knapp, Katie Winkler, Joan Howard, Deanna Klingel, Merry Elrick, Janice Moore, Karen Holmes, and Joan Gage. And a special thanks to Rosemary Royston, who was in charge of the video content of the program and to the head librarian of the Jackson County Library, Tracy Fitzmaurice.

Novelist Charles Baxter to read at Young Harris College on Tuesday, October 10, 2017,

Acclaimed novelist Charles Baxter will read at Young Harris College in Young Harris, Georgia, on Tuesday, October 10,2017, at 7 p.m. in the Rollins Campus Center. The reading is free and open to the public. Baxter is the author of five novels, including the best-seller The Feast of Love, which was named a finalist for the National Book Award, as well as the short story collection There’s Something I Want You to Do, which the New York Times Book Review dubbed “winning and ingenious.” Baxter, who teaches in the creative writing program at the University of Minnesota, has received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. 

 
https://www.yhc.edu/about/news-media/events

NCWN-West and Georgia Poetry Society Team Up for Two Events

An exciting weekend is in store in Blairsville, Georgia (a lovely mountain community on the border of NC)

October 13: Writers' Night Out, 7 pm

October 14: Georgia Poetry Society meeting (non-members welcome), 9:30 am-3 pm

Writers' Night Out features two local writers, Mary Michelle Keller and Natalie Grant.

Open mic follows - sign up at the door to read poetry or prose for 3 minutes. 

Union County Community Center in the heart of Blairsville, GA. Food and drink available (self-pay) at the View Grill - please arrive by 6 pm if you're having dinner. 

The Georgia Poetry Society quarterly meeting takes place at the Choestoe Schoolhouse, Blairsville. 

Featured presenters: Georgia poets Travis Denton and Katie Chaple. NC poets, Tina Barr and Brett Martin

The day includes presentations on craft, hands-on writing exercises, poetry contest announcements, and an open mic—plus the camaraderie and good spirits of fellow writers. Breakfast items will be provided, and lunch from G & G Bakery and Café will be available for purchase on site. While the meeting will be geared toward poetry enthusiasts, all writers are welcome. More info here: GPS Fall meeting. If you plan on having lunch, please RSVP to Lyn Hopper by Oct. 10 at gpstreas@gmail.com 

Were you there when Kathryn Byer held a party for NCWN West writers?

Linda Smith, Michelle Keller, Kathryn Byer at City Lights Books in Sylva, NC

We gathered at City Lights Books August 8, 2010 to launch Echoes Across the Blue Ridge. Kathryn Byer hosted the gathering of more than 100 writers and poets, most of whom were published in this anthology of mountain writers, edited by Nancy Simpson.

See many more photos and read more about this special time here.

We are honoring the late NC poet laureate, Kathryn Stripling Byer, on Sunday, October 1, 2017 at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva, NC. 
We will gather at 2:00 p.m. to hear her poems, to hear about her achievements, her caring and compassion for others, especially poets she helped on their way to becoming published. 
A reception will follow, a time to talk with others who knew and loved Kay.
Come and be with us.

Local poets Joan Ellen Gage and Mary A. Ricketson to read at The Literary Hour at John C. Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, NC, on Thursday, September 21, 2017, at 7:00 PM

The Literary Hour AT JOHN C. CAMPBELL FOLK SCHOOL

 On Thursday, September 21^st, 2017 at 7:00 PM, John C. Campbell Folk School and NC Writers Network-West are sponsoring The Literary Hour, an hour of poetry and prose reading held at Keith House on the JCCFS campus. This is usually held on the third Thursday of the month.  The reading is free of charge and open to the public.  Poet Mary A. Ricketson and writer/poet Joan Ellen Gage will be the featured readers. Both of these authors are residents of the area and published extensively.  It should be an entertaining evening.

Mary A. Ricketson

Mary A. Ricketson, Murphy NC, has been writing poetry 20 years.  She is inspired by nature and her work as a mental health counselor.  Her poetry has been published in Wild Goose Poetry Review, Future Cycle Press, Journal of Kentucky Studies, Lights in the Mountains, Echoes Across the Blue Ridge, Red Fox Run, It’s All Relative, Old Mountain Press, Whispers. Additionally, Ricketson has published a  chapbook, I Hear the River Call my Name, and a full length collection of poetry, Hanging Dog Creek, published by Future Cycle Press, both books are available on Amazon.com..  

 Currently Mary is using her own poetry to present empowerment workshops, combining roles as writer with her helping role as a therapist. Mary Ricketson’s poems and activities relate with nature, facilitate talk about a personal path and focus on growth in ordinary and unusual times.

Ricketson is Cherokee County representative to North Carolina Writers Network West, and president of Ridgeline Literary Alliance. She won first place in the 2011 Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest 75th Anniversary National Poetry Contest. This year she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Marquis Who’s Who. 

Mary A. Ricketson  writes a monthly column, Women to Women, for The Cherokee Scout.  She is a Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor and an organic blueberry farmer.

  

Joan Ellen Gage

Joan Ellen Gage is an author of humor and inspiration written from her own unique perspective. Her recipe for her writing focuses on staying upbeat and laughing at her own foibles. Joan’s photos are the spice in the mix that serve to punctuate the writing and add that special garnish to her creations.

Joan has written and published five books, Water Running Downhill!, Embracing Your Inner Cheerleader!, A Redhead Looks At 60, Trinity's Adventures in Imagination, and a special edition of Water Running Downhill! the Rose Edition as a tribute to her friend Rose Helena Macedo Kull. All her books are available on Amazon.com as regular books, and as ebooks. 

Gage has given several author talks, and had several radio interviews. She is a member of her area’s writing group, NC Writers’ Network-West, serving as an administrator for their blog. 

Additionally, Ms. Gage has two blogs, Traveling at the Speed of Now, www.joanellengage.com,and A Redhead Blogs at 60!, https://joanszoneblogalicious @wordpress.com.

Joan Ellen Gage lives in Western North Carolina with her husband and their Belgian Tervuren dog, Magnolia.