Gary Carden has a new DVD coming out

Congratulations to Gary Carden whose new DVD will be available at

http://twhistle.wordpress.com/ on October 6th.

Sheila Adams' blurb says it all. Gary is just the best storyteller around these parts.

Followers of Netwest Blog

We have our first "Follower" for this blog. Thanks, Alice Osborne, http://wildwomenswriting.blogspot.com/we are so glad you are following our writers and we are sure other viewers of Netwest Writers will check out your blog.

Many viewers of Netwest Writers don't leave comments but that doesn't mean they aren't counted. We know you are there. If you have a blog or website and follow our blog, add your site to our follower list.


I learned of another interesting site today. Have you seen http://www.wordsy.com/ ?

Comments on this blog

We are happy you are reading this blog and that you care enough to let the writer know you read his/her work by email or by leaving a comment at the end of the post.

As requested, the following is to help those who are unfamiliar with the comment process which we've tried to simplify:

At the bottom of a post is a line of type showing the name of the person who posted the article or story or poem. This may not be the writer. It might be me, writerlady, or Glenda.
Next to my name and the date you will see a line that looks like this.
'0 comments' or it may have a number before the word comment:
'2 comments '

Click on comments. A window opens for you to write your comment. You may sign your name in the same window if you want.
If you don't want to sign in with your yahoo address, just click on anonymous at the bottom and the comment will be posted with no name at the top. If you want to sign your name in the comment window, that will show.

You will be asked to use your yahoo address if you have one or you will be asked to open a "google account" by completing the information asked for.
To make it simple, just post as anonymous and sign your name inside the comment window.
Click on preview and see your comment as it will appear. If your comment needs to be edited, you have the opportunity to edit.
When you have it like you want it, click on Publish.
A Message will appear at the top of the page saying that your comment will appear later. To protect the blog from SPAM, we must moderate the comments. Your comment comes to my email address where I will read it and approve it when I check my email.
If you are a member of Netwest and have contacted me saying you want to be on the contributer's list, and you have been sent an invitation to post on www.netwestwriters.blogspot.com your comments will appear right away without moderation.

You can also email me if you have any questions or suggestions regarding the blog. I don't have all the answers but continue to learn, and blogger continues to offer new options.

Serena by Ron Rash - Reviewed by Gary Carden

Serena by Ron Rash
New York: HarperCollins Publishers
$24.95 – 371 pages 2008

There is no animal more invincible than a woman,
Nor fire either, nor any wildcat so ruthless.
-Aristophanes, “Lysistrata”

In graduate school I once enrolled in a literature course devoted to “evil women.” It was a daunting collection of demonic and murderous ladies and I still carry some vivid memories of their notable acts: Lillith, the sensual demon that tormented Adam, defied God and refused to accept her “secondary” role in Adam’s Eden; Medea whose love turned to merciless rage when she was betrayed; Lady Macbeth, who shared her husband’s vaulting ambition and readily murdered anyone who became a hindrance to their wishes; and finally Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler, a barren woman who plots to destroy fertility/creativity in others.

In his remarkable novel, Serena, (also the name of the book’s “anti-heroine,”) Ron Rash has created a dark and pitiless sorceress who deserves to take an honored place in the pantheon wicked women. In fact, Selena Pemberton embodies the vices of all of her predecessors. Let’s set the stage for a drama that unfolds with all the intrigue and bloodletting of a 17th century Jacobean revenge tragedy.

The setting of Serena is western North Carolina in the turbulent decade following the 1929 stock market crash. While Horace Kephart struggles to save the region’s diminishing wilderness, a half-dozen timber barons are intent on reducing the same area to an immense, stump-studded wilderness. When the Pemberton Lumber Company with George and Serena Pemberton at the helm, arrive in Waynesville, they quickly demonstrate that they embody the essence of timber baron morality: arrogance, greed, an immense hunger to subdue and destroy the natural world – all of which is forged into a ruthless single-mindedness, a desire to succeed at all cost.

Horace Kephart makes an eerie prediction regarding the tragic consequences of lumber mills when he witnesses the arrival of the “mindless machines” on the slopes near Hazel Creek in Our Southern Highlanders:

“(Every tree, plant, beast and fish) will be swept away. Fire will blacken the earth; flood will swallow and spew forth the soil. The simple-hearted native men and women will scatter and disappear. In their stead will come slaves
speaking strange tongues to toil in darkness under rocks.
Soot will rise and foul gases; the streams will run murky death.”

Although George Pemberton quickly demonstrates that he is a brutal, selfish and arrogant beast in his own right, he is a pale presence when compared to Serena. Within days of her arrival, she takes control of the camp. Clad in jodhpurs and riding an Arabian stallion, she oversees the camp’s daily operation with a cool confidence that is disturbing. In short order, the work crew learns to both fear and revere Selena. With brutal efficiency she solves problems as diverse as George’s illegitimate child by a local girl, the fates of disruptive employees and untrustworthy investors and a troublesome local sheriff. Some merely vanish, but the mutilated remains of others (found in hotel rooms or train stations) suggest that for those who defy Serena, the consequences are often fatal!

When the timber workers complain of rattlesnakes in the woods (a problem that affects their efficiency), Serena acquires a Persian eagle (it perches on the pommel of her saddle). The bird soars above the work crew as it advances into the forest and occasionally streaks down like a divine force, snatching rattlers from the undergrowth, shredding them and bearing their remains aloft.

Serena has a rich diversity of sub-plots, including the travail of Rachael Harmon who bears Pemberton’s child and attracts Serena’s enmity (that intensifies after Serena miscarries); Sheriff McDowell who defies Serena; a knife-wielding killer who becomes Serena’s disciple and a colorful collection of timber workers who function as a kind of Greek chorus commenting on the daily life of the camp. In addition, Serena contains an impressive collection of Appalachian folklore ranging from the existence of mountain painters (panthers). the potency of herbal remedies, the belief in madstones and the means of invoking “blood stoppers.” (The mountain natives who are employed by Pemberton are given to lively discussions of folk remedies, superstitions and lore.)

At times, Serena Pemberton is in danger of morphing into a near- supernatural being – a kind of blond Viking warrior who leaves a wake of broken and/or quaking victims behind her. However, she is also a vibrant character in an historic drama. She moves, breathes and speaks from a period of memorable Appalachian history and her presence adds depth and dimension to our perception of that time. Personages such as Horace Kephart, the Vanderbilts (who come to dinner) and a host of adversaries - all confront Serena and the meetings invariably strike sparks. These encounters (real and imagined) give us vivid glimpses into the issues that were at stake when the fate of our shrinking wilderness hung in the balance.

Finally, it seems appropriate to comment on Serena’s fate. Given the immensity of her crime, it may be that no agent or method will satisfy the reader’s need for some special (terrible) customized punishment that suits Serena’s crimes. Even so, the “agent” that finally arrives to extract a kind of “poetic justice” from this evil bitch seems perversely apt. I’ll say no more.

Food Journalism - Is it for you?

Sam Hoffer, http://cherokeescout.com/ writes food column

Peg Russell

Sam Hoffer who writes "From My Carolina Kitchen," a food column for the Cherokee Scout which emphasizes casual yet elegant recipes and "how to tips," sent a newsletter with the following recommendation:
"This is an interesting newsletter I subscribe to from a food writer. Even though it is about food, it has some very good points for everyone.

The lesson about querying gives some good ideas about different kinds of publications to send queries to. In the section about Oprah, the quote, last paragraph, last sentence says it all. News you can use, third paragraph, talks about blogs and making money."

This is a market some of our members might find interesting to try. http://www.diannej.com/ Click this site and see what think. To read the newsletter Sam Hoffer refers to, you must sign up on the website. This latest newsletter is not on the site yet.
Dianne's research finds that women read and prefer food blogs over print journalism.
For some time I subscribed to Recipes.com and it was great fun to read a recipe and then read the comments from those who had tried it already. Some made a few changes and liked the recipe better than the original.

On the subject of food, I want to share Peg Russell's marvelous recipe for the Rum Cake she brought to the Netwest picnic this year.

BACARDI GOLD RUM CAKE
1/2 cup Bacardi Gold Rum
1 cup ch pecans
1 pk yellow cake mix
1 pk instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan. Preheat oven to 300. Sprinkle nuts in bottom of pan. Mix rest of ingredients; beat at high speed for two minutes. Pour over nuts. Bake one hour. Cool 15 minutes. Invert over a serving plate.

GLAZE
1/2 cup Bacardi Gold Rum
1/2 stick of butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water (I omit)
Melt butter. Stir in sugar, water, rum. Boil five minutes, stirring constantly. Prick top of cake with a fork and brush glaze evenly over top and sides.

Note: Can gently shake cake loose in pan, and pour glaze in sides of cake while in the pan. Leave in pan for transport.



Peg gives some history and interesting anecdotes on this recipe.

"The recipe came from a free Bacardi Rum booklet from years ago. The special gold rum (Bacardi Gold)has a strong flavor, and is best for cooking. Three years ago, my only baking pan was a bundt cake pan, and for that year I found many good recipes for bundt cakes. Last year I added tiny tart pans to make pecan tassies, and this year at a local church rummage sale, I bought a cookie press. I've already mastered the little flower press cookies (it said to put the cookie sheets in the freezer so dough would stick and it worked).

I would advise other wives not to send their husbands shopping with a list if it can be avoided. If I want something, by golly, Mike makes sure I have lots of it. The above cake recipe calls for a total of one cup of gold rum. Last fall Mike came home with a big bottle of Bacardi Gold. I took rum cakes to church luncheons, library pot-luck, Senior Games/SilverArts dinner, Marine Corps League dinner, served it for company... I think I made at least seven cakes to use all the gold rum."

Let us know when you try this Rum Cake recipe if you like it. Thanks Peg Russell and Sam Hoffer for sharing with our Netwest Mountain Writers and Poets readers.

Mountain Writers Award Winners in Short Story contest

Awards to Winners
Mountain Writers' Short Story Contest
Free and Open to the Public
Sunday afternoon, September 28 at 2:30 PM in the Waynesville Library Auditorium, Mountain Writers will present the winners of their Short Story Contest. Winning entries will be read and awards will be presented to winners. The high quality entries made the judges work difficult. Everyone is invited to come hear the winning stories read and to enjoy light refreshments.

Mountain Writers use the entry fees from the contest for a scholarship fund, and workshops for local writers.
Mountain Writers of North Carolina (MWNC) is a Waynesville-based non-profit organization dedicated to furthering all literary ventures. Their regular meeting is the second Tuesday of each month, at 6:00 PM in Osondu Booksellers Tea Room on Main Street in Waynesville. If you are interested in the craft of writing, they invite you to join them.

Submitted to this blog by JC Walkup of Haywood County, NC

Have you seen this interview on youtube?

I ran across this video on youtube and wanted to share the site with our readers and members. This is Ed Southern, Exe. Director of NCWN in an interview.
Ed will be visiting the far southwestern part of the state of NC in October.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y99XlxFlCsU

Lace Shawl by Michelle Keller

LACE SHAWL

The sign says Estate Sale, code words,
someone died, usually a grandmother,
mother or elderly aunt, the men already gone.

Two great nieces sit in overstuffed chairs
drawn to an early American table, topped
with Japanese Hummels and sandwiches
on waxpaper, potato chips and half full cola cans.

This is part of the ritual of letting go,
after all no one wants Aunt Mae’s old things.
The great nieces live in new vinyl houses,
decorated with designer furniture of pressed wood,
poly-acrylic protected, permanent press Pricillas,
and rent to own.

Put up that sign and strangers rush
in where family fears to tread.
I confess, I am one of those strangers,
I walk reverently through the house, after all
she well could have passed in this room.
Not wanting to appear insensitive, a vulture,
I examine, measure with care the leavings,
those in sight of the great nieces… mourners.

In the bedroom I quickly sum up a life’s accumulation,
unused gifts from sons and daughters, worn quilts
pieced by her mother, polyester dresses and slips,
straps pinned shorter with safety pins. I untangle
a lace shawl tossed on the floor in a cardboard box.
Aunt Mae had run a string through the top cupping
it to fit around her frail shoulders. I hold it up,
admire the flower tracings tatted into the triangle
of silky fringe. It cannot be much,
an old woman’s shawl.


Michelle Keller, a member of Netwest and hostess for Coffee With the Poets, also submits announcements to newspapers about Netwest events. Contact her about reading at John Campbell Folk School in 2009 if you are a NCWN West member. mmkeller@brmemc.net

Christmas Anthology by WNC women

Thanks to editors Celia Miles and Nancy Dillingham, forty-five western North Carolina women writers have had their Christmas stories, poetry, essays, or memoirs, published in an anthology titled "Christmas Presence." It is a beautifully bound book "filled with the unique voices of women writers who have roots in and connections to western North Carolina. These works add seasoning to the cultural landscape of a region already rich in custom and lore. Most of the writers are members of the NCWN and include Glenda Barrett, Celia Miles, Nancy Dillingham, Dee Dee Parker, Nancy Purcell, Susan Snowden, Barbara Ledford Wright, Lana Hendershott, to name a few. The book, "Christmas Presence," can be ordered from Catawba Publishing Company at (704) 717-8452 or http://www.catawbapublishing.com/. It will be available in local book stores and if not, they can get it for you. ISBN #: 978-1-59712-259-7. The stories will bring back fond holiday memories and the book would make a fine gift for a reading friend.

Editor Celia Miles and Nancy Purcell will be reading stories from "Christmas Presence" at Highland Book Store in Brevard, across the street from the college, between 10am and 12 noon on October 25. Please join us for this early touch of holiday spirit. The event will be in conjunction with Brevard College's Homecoming Weekend. Books will be available for sale.

Nancy Purcell will teach Brevard College's Creekside creative writing program

Nancy Purcell, Netwest Transylvania County Representative, will be teaching a creative writing program for Brevard College's Creekside community education series. The program, "ABC's of Creative Writing," will begin Oct. 16 and continue every Thursday evening, from 6:30-8:30pm in the college's McLarty Building. Fee- $60.
Learn the ABC's of creative writing in an interactive setting. Designed for beginners and intermediate writers, these comprehensive basics will develop your writing skills through class exercise and craft interpretation. One-on-one critiques will be offered. Maximum enrollment: 8

For registration contact: Carol Persek, Coordinator of Community Education, Brevard College. Phone (828) 884-8251 or email: persekca@brevard.edu

AFTER A WEEK OF HEARING THE WORD

Hello Friends of Netwest,

Something is happening. The seasons are changing. It's difficult to keep my feet on the ground. I'm telling you. I'm flying off the earth. It started last Sunday at Koneheta Park in Cherokee County at our 17th annual picnic. There have been a lot of good Netwest picnics over the years.

I've missed only one. The Cherokee County members out-did themselves. They welcomed writers as far away as Jackson and Haywood. There were also writers from Clay,Cherokee and some from Georgia. The food was the best ever. I didn't see one Ingles cake on the table.

Playwright, Gary Carden was the featured writer. He was born to entertain. He paid homage to Appalachian poet, Jim Wayne Miller who exhorted in his poem: "Come home to your father's house."

There were at the same time, near us, some boys practicing baseball with their coach. The boys could not keep their minds on the game. Every time Gary Carden raised his voice, shouting, "Come home to your father's house," a boy would miss hitting the ball or would miss the catch. The louder Gary Carden read Jim Wayne Miller's famous words, the more the boys missed the ball and the louder and the meaner their coach yelled insulting words at them.

Sitting between Gary Carden, who was telling his heart out and between the boys who wanted to drop the ball and come over to see who was talking, drawn to poetry I believe, and sitting there in hearing distance of their mean-mouthed coach, who needed someone to gag him, I almost lost my way for a moment. What a presentation from our special guest! The readings continued with old favorites such as poets Brenda Kay Ledford and Mary Ricketson reading their newest poems. You must know, my ears also love to hear those new and younger voices and there were some of those. As it turned out, it was the best NCWN West annual picnic ever.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, I tried to get my feet back on Terra Firma. On Thursday evening I went to John C. Campbell Folk School to our scheduled monthly reading. Each month two of our members read there to a captive audience. By that I mean, they read to the folk school students who have come from all over America to learn a craft. In the audience we also have local writers and Netwest members who come to support the program.

The featured writers were two of Netwest's most accomplished: fiction writer Jo Carolyn Beebe from Hiawassee, Georgia and poet, Michael Beadle from Canton, N.C. Oops. I started losing traction, floating. What a show! I enjoyed Jo Carolyn's stories. They were filled with vivid imagery. As she read, I felt as if I were turning the pages of a book with colorful illustrations.

Michael Beadle is a performance poet. He started reciting loudly, pacing, looking at me. I lost myself. What a joy to remember that there are different kinds of poetry. He recited free verse and read haiku to the beat of a drum. It was inspiring. His best was a free verse poem about a boy wanting his estranged parents to kiss again, so he creates a kiss by taking his father's coffee mug and without washing it, pours his mother a drink. Where their lips touched the mug, he had their kiss. It's the kind of lyric poem I long to hear.

On Friday, (just yesterday) all I wanted to do all day was write. I wondered if my life could get better. I reheard poems and phrases in my head. I floated on joy.

But the week wasn't over yet. Netwest had scheduled the award winning play, Birdell, by Gary Carden. Gary had donated the play to Netwest for a fundraiser. It was to be performed in Murphy. I went out into my garden to gather flowers to be used as props, got dressed and went to help set up for the play.

I knew I would enjoy this play written my our own Gary Carden. But, I was not prepared for this moving story, set in Appalachia long ago. I was not prepared for the professional, outstanding performance of Bobbie Curtis, who took me back to that time in the mountains. She made me laugh and she made me cry, the emotions that remind me I am human. Oops.

Up, up again.

Yes, after a full week of taking in the word, the word itself, I am still floating. My thanks to all of you who are responsible for my elevated condition. Don't worry about me. Don't call my doctor. I'm fine. I'm alive, healthy and happy.

Nancy Simpson

Consultant, NCWN West

Gary Carden's play, Birdell, a smashing success for Netwest

Live theater came to Murphy, NC last night with Bobbie Curtis, actress from Lenoir, NC emerging from behind a black curtin as Birdell Tolley, octogenarian, outside her mountain cabin. At first she seemed a bit nutty, but in moments the audience was enamured with this small woman with the long white hair, telling in her delightful mountain twang, the story of her life beginning as a young girl falling in love with the man she married when she was an innocent fifteen.
Although we lacked a professional stage setup and had no back drop, Bobbie's props were perfectly placed for her act. Once Birdell was on stage and speaking, the missing set was forgotten and the listeners were caught up in the spell that is Birdell.
We learned about the early 20th century history of western North Carolina in that hour with Birdell.
I was asked after the play, "How did he know this woman? Did he interview her to know so many details about her life?"
Bobbie Curtis made the woman come alive on the stage and some thought she had to have been a real person, not a character made up in Carden's mind.
Others said, "It is hard to think a man can write about a woman and understand how she would have these deep feelings."
When my eyes filled and spilled, I thought it had to be because I'm an emotional mess these days, but I glanced around and saw others mopping away their tears as well. Within minutes, Bobbie Curtis changed the mood and had us laughing over some wild tale Birdy's husband used to tell. My favorite was the swinette he described to the TVA man.
We are all sorry Gary couldn't be with us last night. That would have been icing on the cake -- to hear how he came to write this play. Maybe we can persuade Gary to give us some background here on the blog.
Thank you, Gary and thank you Bobbie Curtis.
And many thanks to our Cherokee County Netwest members.
We'd love to hear from anyone who has seen Birdell. Please comment and tell us what you think.

My Dogs, My Friends reviewed by Peg Russell

Shirley and Fanci

Joe, Fanci's pup

In her book, My Dogs, My Friends, Shirley Uphouse writes short chapters about her dogs and their adventures together. Pictures of the dogs illustrate the book.
Often she prefaces a chapter with interesting factual information about the breed. The chapter about Yogi, the Old English Sheepdog, for example, tells us that their nickname, Bobtails, came about because in England, the dogs' tails were bobbed to show they were working dogs and free from taxation. Docking or bobbing of tails is no longer legal in England or much of Europe.
Shirley's humor threads through the stories, as illustrated by her training of Fanci not to dig up her garden. When she found plants flattened with stems broken, she realizes, 'I warned her about digging in the garden. We hadn't discussed rolling in the garden.' Appreciation of each dog's personality, the joy of working with dogs so they achieve recognition, and stories about patient rehabilitation of an abused or neglected dog and its response are entertaining and moving chapters.
Perhaps the most moving chapter was 'Paws Up' which describes Fanci's visit to a nursing home and the response from the residents to the friendly dog. A nurse said, after a woman in the Alzheimer's Unit smiled and reached out to Fanci, that it had been a long time since the woman had acknowledged anything or smiled.
This upbeat book would be a good companion for trips, a cheerful gift for friends in the hospital, and even for younger readers.
Shirley Uphouse teaches writing at Tri County Community College in Murphy, and is active in North Carolina Writers Network West, editing the Lights in the Mountains anthology and organizing and holding two writer's conferences.
This week she held a benefit book signing at the Humane Society Thrift Shop, donating a portion of each sale to the society. Fanci was a special attraction at her table.

Peg Russell writes short stories, articles and essays published in e-zines, newspapers, and magazines. She lives in Murphy, NC

Richard Argo's winning poem

Ode to Rock and Roll

On a cool morning I helped my friend Bob collect rocks for his garden. We drove his pick-up to a rain-rutted road off the highway and rode a quarter mile, sheer wall on one side, sheer drop on the other, to the top of a mountain.

First we huffed and hefted, stumbled and cursed the two-man rocks. Then we hugged the one-man rocks to our chests like teddy bears. Finally, we filled the gaps with one-hand rocks until the bed sagged as if the truck would tip up on its tailgate.

No room to turn around, Bob, eyes flitting side-mirror to side-mirror, backed the truck down that rutted road. The radio blared rock-and-roll, blared the Rolling Stones. Oh, children. It’s just a kiss away, kiss away, kiss away.

I knew what the song said. The precipice is a kiss away. Death is a kiss away. It’s always just a kiss away. In the seat, eyes closed, dust and sweat coated my arms and chest, seatbelt flapped against my shoulder, I smiled. Oh, children. I was not afraid.

Richard Argo leads the Netwest prose group every second Thursday evening, 7:00 pm at Tri-County College in Murphy, NC.

NCWN West 17th Annual Picnic a Big Success

If you were not able to attend the 17th annual NCWN West picnic held Sunday in Murphy NC , I’m sorry you missed it.

Writers from Haywood County, Jackson County, Cherokee and Clay Counties, from Georgia and one visitor from Buncombe County came down.
Gary Carden, playwright, storyteller and writer, held us rapt with his talk, his reading of poetry by Jim Wayne Miller and a great story about a fish that drowned because he forgot where he came from.

Fantastic dishes of all kinds, including Peg Russell’s rum cake, a popular pumpkin pie, salads and desserts and vegetables like new potatoes and fresh green beans loaded the table.

A long list for open mic kept us later than we had planned but almost everyone who signed up had the opportunity to read. We were happy to have those who came for the first time and even happier to have those new writers and poets join Netwest.

We’re pleased to see so many attending who had first come to one of our workshops. I see future Netwest leaders in the women and men who joined us for the picnic.

As always we are pleased when our former Program Coordinators, Nancy Simpson and Shirley Uphouse are present. The Netwest Representative for the Board of Trustees of NCWN, Al Manning came and brought several people with him. JC Walkup from Canton also brought writers from her area.

My photographer was not able to come today, but Peg Russell made several pictures and I will share them on the blog as soon as I can find an easy way to do so.

As many of you know, I will be resigning as PC at the end of this year. To my surprise I was acknowledged by JC Walkup and Peggy Morse with a lovely card and gift certificate to my favorite local restaurant. They expressed appreciation for making the writers in their area feel more a part of Netwest. I am happy that our 80 members feel closer to each other and hopefully in the years to come we will share readings between counties and teachers between counties. And I hope every one of the members of Netwest will support each other and promote each other in any way possible.

Thanks to Mary Ricketson and Jerry Hobbs, Netwest representatives for Cherokee County, for hosting this year’s picnic. They deserve the appreciation of all of us. I look forward to next year’s picnic wherever it will be.