Staci Bell will read at Coffee with the Poets and Writers August 13

Each month the North Carolina Writers’ Network West sponsors Coffee with the Poets and Writers and invites the public to attend. Staci Lynn Bell, accomplished writer, will be featured on Wednesday, August 13, 10:30 a.m. at Blue Mountain Coffee and Grill located at the intersection of Highway 64 and Highway 141 in Cherokee County, NC.

Bell began writing commercials, editorials and public service announcements for TV and radio. In 1988 her environmental essay won statewide acclaim in Florida. More recently her short stories and nonfiction have been published in the online journal, 234, and in Show Dog Magazine. Her poetry has been published in Wild Goose Poetry Review, a popular online literary journal.

Staci Lynn Bell will read at Coffee with the Poets and Writers

For twenty-five years, Staci Bell worked in radio and television as a broadcaster, host and emcee for numerous events and concerts. Originally from Chicago, today Bell lives in Murphy, NC with her husband and three dogs. She is a member of NCWN West and the Ridgeline Literary Alliance.

An Open Mic session follows the featured reader, and anyone who brings an original short story or personal essay or poem, is invited to sign up to read. This event is open to all who like poetry and enjoy short prose whether or not they are a writer. Visitors are also invited to join the writers as they  pull tables together and eat lunch. A drawing is held for door prizes.

GlendaBeall, Clay County Representative for NCWN West, facilitates this event. Contact her at nightwriter0302@yahoo.com or call her at 828-389-4441 with any questions.

Davis Short Story Collection For Nook and Kindle

From NCWN/NetWest member Tom Davis comes this information:

"Just posted my collection of short stories about a boy growing up in the south in the 50s for your Kindle and Nook. Check out Growing Up in Vienna, Georgia. Guaranteed make you laugh out three times or you have no sense of humor. And it’s only $2.99."

To see more eBooks published by Old Mountain Press, click here.

Who is Patricia Vestal?

  

One of the NC Writers' Network Regional Representatives,  Patricia Vestal, of Hendersonville, will be teaching a NetWest sponsored workshop titled "Elements of Storytelling", on Saturday, August 2, at the Grove Enterprises building, 7540 Hwy 64 West, Brasstown, NC.

  

Recently, I asked Patricia for an interview, and she graciously answered some questions.

   Glenda: Patricia, you are a native of Winston-Salem. Did you grow up there and go to school there?

   Patricia: I lived in Winston-Salem until I was 13, when my parents moved us to Jacksonville, Fl.  Every year we visited our close knit extended family back in NC and worked in a mountain visit.  I went to high school in Jacksonville and took some college classes, but got most of my undergrad and grad education after I moved to New York at age 24.

Glenda: Tell us about your early years. When did you develop an interest in writing?

Patricia: My parents took me to movies from an early age, and I developed a vivid imagination.  I recall playing “movies” and directing brother, cousins and friends in fantasy adventures.  Once I discovered books, I devoured as many as I could.  I wove stories in my mind, including what seemed then like a complex world of fairies led by a queen whose name has stayed with me and now populates a novella I’ve just finished.  I have absolutely no idea how that strange name originated in my young imagination.  So I always have been “writing.” In school I became interested in journalism, but I didn’t get the “yen” to really be a writer until I was in my early twenties.

Glenda: You have an extensive resume as an editor, writer and researcher for publishers in New York City. What were your career plans when you were growing up?

Patricia: My family was very traditional Southern.  I was expected to simply get married, have children and be a housewife. That’s what women did. I was sent into the business world to aid in the search for Mr. Right.  I always knew that I wouldn’t be content settling down early into a housewife routine.  A job with a big insurance company could have grown into an interesting and lucrative career, but I hatched another plan to save my money and move to New York, use my business experience to earn a living while I finished my education and pursued writing.  

Glenda: When did your interest in theater develop?

Patricia: My family didn’t attend theater, but I was enchanted by elementary school field trips to plays.  My real interest in drama came from TV: the golden age of drama like Studio One and other shows written by playwrights and from performances of international plays on PBS, including some New York experimental theater that opened my eyes to the possibilities of live theater. 

Glenda: You are a playwright, and earned your M.A. in Drama. Did you perform on the stage as an actor?

Patricia: In childhood, all I knew about drama was what I saw on screen, so I wanted to be an actress; but as I matured, I realized that my interest was really in creating the characters the actors portrayed and the stories they told. I did take acting lessons, but only to help me better work with performers as a writer and director.

Glenda: Your plays have been produced in Off-Off Broadway theaters. Can you tell us something about that? How did you feel when your first play was performed in NYC?

Patricia: I had the good fortune to live in New York in the late 1960’s and 1970’s when Off-Off-Broadway was blossoming.  Many plays were done in “found” spaces that brought small audiences close to the action where they could actually see the actors’ faces and feel the electricity in sharing a one-time performance experience.  I found that very exciting and it motivated my creative and educational direction.  I took classes in playwriting and screenwriting and was in a couple of valuable playwriting workshops where actors read our works-in-progress, and produced staged readings.  My first actual production was in a small theater space in the back of an East Village tavern. I felt it verified my ambition, that I really did have the ability to write plays that would be produced; and it motivated me to continue studying and writing. 

Glenda: It is obvious you are an accomplished writer and storyteller with lots of experience in this field. When and why did you become a writing and playwriting teacher?

Patricia: I got my higher education mostly in NYC while working, so it took years. In grad school at NYU I studied with professors who were involved in experimental theater, but also read the best examples of plays ever written and looked at not only how they represented excellent storytelling but also how they reflected their culture and time.  By the time I got my M.A. I was ready to leave New York.  An offer from a textbook publisher that was relocating to Florida took me closer to my aging parents and into a stable position with benefits, including a much needed retirement plan. 

When I moved to Orlando from NYC, I wanted to maintain a theater connection and was just fortunate to find a group that developed new plays that welcomed me. Theater is very collaborative and I am stimulated by the creative process.  I enjoy working with other writers.  When I got the opportunity to teach various forms of writing to college students it was a privilege to pass along the skills and knowledge I had learned from others. I was encouraged by their enthusiasm and still find nothing more rewarding than discovering  and/or helping to develop writing talent. 
After I retired to Hendersonville, I developed my Elements of Writing Workshop.

Glenda: You also write poetry. Have you always written poetry or did that come along later?

Patricia: I always wrote a little poetry, but didn't focus on it until I was living in Orlando.   The dual lives of my responsible day job and the late night hours of theater began to take a toll and I had to cut back. A friend who was in a poetry group suggested I try that genre, and I began attending their sessions and learning from them, and participated in public readings.   

When I started teaching, I had to brush up on my knowledge of the nuts and bolts of poetry for my Comp II and Creative Writing classes. I formed a school creative writing club and joined my students in reading our work at the school’s student-faculty art shows. I enjoy the discipline of compressing words into imagery that carries some resonance and find it hones my writing skills for all genres.  

Glenda: What inspires you? Where do your stories come from?

Patricia: I have a vivid and weird imagination.  I’m not particularly inspired by everyday problems.  I like to just sit in front of a blank screen, write whatever comes in my mind and go from there.  Sometimes it’s a poem.  Other times stories arise that tend to come from the broad issues that concern me; but they often come alive in a world of magical realism or satire. The novella I just finished fuses fantasy and science, hopefully told through believable, complex characters. 

Glenda: Your forthcoming workshop on August 2, "Elements of Storytelling" covers all genres. Can you help a poet as well as a fiction writer in this workshop?

Patricia: Yes. Poems use imagery, which is an essential element in bringing prose to life.  Poetry may or may not tell a story, but it can have characters, setting, voice and point of view, among others of the elements covered in my workshop.  I edit my own poetry within the context of these elements. 

Glenda: Tell us something personal about yourself that your students might find interesting to know.

Patricia: I am a nature and animal lover. I consider it a blessing to be able to live in these mountains with my cat, Tigress. 

Glenda: Thank you, Patricia, for taking time for this interview. I’m sure our readers will be glad to know you better when they take this class and will have confidence that they will learn valuable information to help them reach their goals as writers.

Glenda Council Beall, is a writer, poet and teacher. She is Owner/Director of Writers Circle Studio in Hayesville, NC.  

www.glendacouncilbeall.blogspot.com

She serves as Clay County Representative for NCWN West, and is former Program Coordinator 2007-2009

One Year Anniversary

Congratulations to Lana Hendershott and Patricia Vestal. They combined their creative talents and have grown the Open Mic night poetry and prose reading held at the Hendersonville Public Library held on the third Monday evening of each month at 5:30 PM. This month, almost forty people were inspired and entertained by about 15 writers who gave brief readings of their work. The public is invited to join the fun. We thank Lana and Pat for the effort they made to make this work. 

To tell a friend about the Open Mic, click here.

Sent to us by Bill Ramsey, co-author of Me Now, Who Next, who was featured at the recent Blue Ridge Bookfest.

Naming of new poet laureate stirred up controversy this week

The literary world of North Carolina has been buzzing the past week with the appointment of a poet laureate by Governor McCrory who did not go through the normal process of working with the NC Arts Council to selectthe best person for this important post.

Our own Netwest member and first woman poet laureate of North Carolina, Kathryn Stripling Byer spoke out online in numerous Facebook posts about the selection of Valerie Macon, poet from Fuquay-Varina whose literary credits seem to be two self-published books of poetry. 

Byer along with three other past poets laureate issued a statement criticizing the process used by the governor.
"Instituted and administered expertly and transparently by the North Carolina Arts Council - which has our unqualified support and loyalty - the process insured that the poet laureate, ultimately appointed by the governor, was indeed a poet and educator of singular accomplishment, someone not only with a literary reputation in North Carolina, but beyond," their statement said. "The fact that that process was not recognized in the most recent appointment has resulted in disaster."

Although Macon is an advocate for the homeless and writes about their plight, she is not considered by most poets yet worthy to hold this honor. Those who struggle to perfect verse that is accepted and published by highly respected presses, who win awards for their work and who are recognized as leaders in their arts community were shocked to see that someone who was relatively an unknown, had been chosen over more qualified people.

A great example of what a poet laureate should be is Kathryn Byer who is recognized nationally and internationally for her work. FredChapell, former Poet Laureate has been published far and wide and is known throughout the literary world. Cathy SmithBowers and Joseph Bathanti, two recent poets laureate, also have outstanding resumes.

Some wonder, was the selection of Ms. Macon, who has now resigned, a deliberate poke at the literary community at large or was it complete ignorance as the governor has claimed. He indicated he did not know about the protocol whereby poets are recommended through the Arts Council and their works carefully examined before any of their names reach the governor’s desk. He said it was not written on the walls, so how was he to know? 

I was told that the Arts Council sent the governor a packet of information informing him of the credentials of past laureates and the manner in which they were chosen. I assume he will be forced to follow protocol now that Valerie Macon has resigned. 

It has certainly stirred up the poetry community and made North Carolina look inept to those in the country who follow such things. I received calls from Netwest members and from the local newspapers with questions about the botched appointment. The larger newspapers in this state have carried articles on the subject.

 Below are some links you might want to read for more information.

Charlotte Observer,   Raleigh News and Observer

News Observer, July 14 

One of the best articles was by our Executive Director, Ed Southern on the White Cross School blog.

What do you think? Leave your comments at the bottom of this post.

Brenda Kay Ledford's Poetry Published

Brenda Kay Ledford's poem, "Homecoming," appeared in the July/August, 2014 issue of West End Poet's Newsletter, www.westendpoetsweekend.com.  Her poem, "Blue Ridge Woman," was published in Farming Magazine, summer, 2014, www.farmingmagazine.net.

Sylva, NC, July 17: Karen Paul Holmes reads from her new book

"A courageous, deeply human book"

-- Poet Tom Lux regarding Untying the Knot by Karen Paul Holmes

The poems in this collection are written "with grace, humor and without a dollop of self pity," according to well-known poet and teacher Tom Lux. Come hear Karen Paul Holmes read from her first book, which recounts the very personal story of her divorce after 31 years of marriage, and the ensuing healing.

"This is a work anyone who suffers loss can cherish." (from a reader review on Amazon)

Coffee with the Poet

Thursday, July 17

10:30 a.m.

City Lights Bookstore

Sylva, NC

City Lights web site for more information

The book is also available on Amazon.com

 

 

 

 

No JC Campbell Folk School Reading in July

The Folk School’s schedule is extremely crowded every July, so our readers will take a break. However, the readings will resume in August, with featured readers Glenda Beall and Estelle Rice. 

Me Now - Who Next, the inspiring story of Angela Leigh Tucker's recovery from a traumatic brain injury is now available in audio, here. 

Scott R. Pollak is the professional narrator whose voice brings the book alive. Notice that you can hear a sample of his reading after opening the link. Bill and Angela were inspired to offer the book in audio because so many who have suffered traumatic brain injuries or strokes can find reading a printed book difficult or even impossible.

On July 31, 2008, Angela and her husband were in an auto accident that left her a young widow. She continues to amaze all who know her with her recovery success. The work she put into recovering is ongoing and lots of support is still being provided by doctors, therapists, family and friends. She was just elected President of New York City chapter of the Brain Injury Association of New York YC and also to the Board of the BIA of the state of New York. 

See her in action on her website, www.AngelaLeighTucker.com and click on "talks" for videos.

From Bill Ramsey, who blogs at:  www.billramseyblog.wordpress.com.

For information about his books:  www.LifesWrite.com

Aug 1 "Your Write Time" at the Folk School

Karen Paul Holmes to Teach Weekend All-Genre Writing Class

Your Write Time
Itching to write, but can't find time? Or do you need a jumpstart to get you going? Give yourself the gift of a weekend devoted to writing. The instructor will provide inspiration, encouragement, writing prompts, editing tips, and one-on-one coaching. The Folk School provides the creative energy. Write here, then go home motivated to write more! For prose (fiction, non-fiction, memoir, blogging) or poetry. All levels welcome.

Ask the Folk School about 1/2 price tuition if you live in a near-by county.

Aug 1-Aug 3
For more info on the Folk School website, click here.  
or email kpaulholmesATgmailDOTCOM

Don't Miss This Workshop

What: Workshop, "Elements of Storytelling"

Where:  7540 Hwy 64 West (Grove Enterprise Building), Brasstown, NC 

When: Saturday, August 2, 10:00 am -12:30 pm

Have you ever agonized over a plot? Or wondered what difference choosing the correct tense or point of view will make to your story? Or maybe you know your characters, but have struggled with bringing them to life for your readers.

The workshop, "Elements of Storytelling", has been designed to help writers at all stages of development in creating and editing fiction, nonfiction, drama and narrative poetry. 

The workshop provides exercises that review the definitions and uses of basic elements of storytelling, such as story and plot, theme, character, setting, tense, voice and point-of-view, imagery, dialogue, and pacing. Participants are asked to bring examples of their work for use in these exercises. Course content materials will be provided. 

The instructor is one of the NC Writers' Network's Regional Representatives, Patricia Vestal, a retired publisher and educator, who has developed a writing course and workshop which she has presented at Hendersonville’s Opportunity House and other western NC locations. During her career, Patricia taught playwriting, film & game scripting, poetry, prose and journalism through theater groups and IADT (International Academy of Design & Technology) in Orlando, Florida. She also worked in New York City as an editor, writer and editorial and image researcher for major encyclopedia, textbook and newspaper publishers and earned her B.A. in Media Communications and her M.A. in Drama. 

Fees for the workshop, sponsored by NC Writers' Network-West, are $15 for NCWN/NetWest members and $25 for non-members. It will be held at the Grove Enterprise building at 7540 Hwy 64 West, between Murphy and Hayesville, on Saturday, August 2, from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm. Although fees will be payable at the door, and walk-ins will be welcome, pre-registration is requested. To register, please contact the instructor, Patricia, at patriciavestal@gmail.com.

Come Hear Lucy Cole Gratton, July 12 Writers' Night Out

Don't miss Lucy!

She writes poetry and short essays of interest and misadventures about activities around her property on Lake Apalachia. The program begins with a social hour at 6 p.m. (dinner available for purchase) and reading following at 7 p.m.. There’s also an open microphone for those who’d like to read their own writing (limit 3 minutes of prose or poetry).

Union County Community Center

129 Union County Recreation Rd., Blairsville, Georgia 30512 

Behind Holiday Inn Express near the intersection of US 76 and Highway 129
phone (706) 439-6092

We usually meet in the upstairs ballroom (alternate location is A-B conference room on first floor). Click here for the map.

Is Hubris a Bad Thing?

By Bob Grove, NetWest Prose Critique Group Facilitator

I’m proud to be a writer and I enjoy reading my works to an audience; I think most of us do. That subject came up recently at my prose critique group, and the question arose, “Why is public display of our talent so important to us?” Without a moment’s hesitation, I impulsively answered, “Hubris!” Now that’s an interesting word, and I have no idea why it came out so abruptly. In retrospect, I was somewhat surprised by my spontaneous reply, so I decided to look it up. 

Webster defines hubris as “excessive self-pride; arrogance,” and Greek etymology refines its origin as “an excess of ambition.” But this sounds more like narcissism.

If admiration, or even adulation, is a requisite, am I a narcissist? I pondered that for a while until a psychoanalytical reference informed me that narcissism is “erotic gratification derived from admiration of one’s own physical or mental attributes.” I must admit that I am gratified by applause at a reading, but not that gratified.

There is, however, a more comfortable label. Egoism (not egotism) “emphasizes the importance of oneself in reference to other things...to understand one’s central place in the universe.” Now that sounds pretty good. 

Perhaps writers do share this very useful mechanism in an age of global disharmony. We have the ability to express ourselves and understand our place among our fellows. I like that. It’s a sign of contentment, reflection and introspection; all positive, beneficial characteristics. With this in perspective, egoism seems to be an admirable aspect of hubris. 

Reading our works in front of an audience is a performance art. Perhaps the Greeks were too critical in their disdain for ambition. As writers, we don’t expect to receive lavish monetary rewards. Appreciation is enough, and hubris may be the drive we need to get there.

Ridgeline Literary Alliance Announces the Winners of the 2014 Young Writers Contest

Ridgeline Literary Alliance (RLA), a newly organized association to encourage writers in Western North Carolina and North Georgia, is proud to announce the winners of the 2014 Young Writers contest, which was sponsored by RLA and the Young Writers of Western North Carolina. 

Winners have been invited to read their work at the RLA/North Carolina Poetry Society (NCPS) reading in Franklin, NC, on July 19, beginning at 2:00 p.m. The event will be held at the Community Facilities Building, 2:00 p.m., July 19. In addition to the winning students, North Carolina poets Glenda Beall and Susan Lefler will read. 

Directions are as follows: From Hwy 64 in Franklin, exit at Hwy 441, go south about 1 mile, see facility on left across from Whistle Stop Mall. This event is free and open to the public.

All the winning prose and poetry from the contest will be published on RLA's website, and as a special student section in a printed anthology that RLA is planning. More details on the anthology will be available on the website soon.

Mary Ricketson, President, of Ridgeline Literary Alliance, said she hoped that all who entered, will enter their submissions again next year. “Not every entry can win, but every entry was a privilege to read. Keep writing.” was her advice to the students.

Winners of the 2014 RIDGELINE LITERARY ALLIANCE Student Writing Contest

Poetry High School winners:

1st Place: Misty Morin, Hayesville High School, "Silence"
2nd Place: Stephanie Howe, Murphy High School, "Senses"

Poetry Middle School winners:
1st Place: Skyler Crubaugh, The Learning Center!, untitled “the early year celery . . .”

2nd Place: Nolan McRae, The Learning Center!, untitled “I work so hard . . .”

3rd Place: Sydney Bolyard, The Learning Center!, “The Girl I Am”

Prose High School winners:

1st place: Kenyon Marasco, Tri-County Early College, “My Proving Ground”

2nd place: Morgan Yigdal , Northwood High School, “Saying Goodbye” 

3rd: Haley Garrett, Hayesville High School, “The Way to Hayesville”

Prose Middle School winners:

1st place: Lucille Crayton, The Learning Center!, “Finding Home”

2nd place: Katelyn Jones, Murphy Middle School, also entitled “Finding Home”

3rd place: Brie Dube, The Learning Center!, “A Journey Out of My World”

North Carolina Writer Announces New Book

Wayne Adams announces his fictional book titled: The Universe Wept. American astronomers discover an asteroid made entirely of gold. Thus begins a tale of international intrigue. Published by Publish America of Frederick, Maryland.

CONTACT: Wayne Adams

TEL: 910-428-9779

EMAIL: tipper1234@embarqmail.com

July's Coffee With the Poets and Writers

Coffee with the Poets and Writers meets Wednesday, July 9, at 10:30 a.m. at Blue Mountain Coffee and Grill on the corner of Hwy 141 and Hwy 64 in Cherokee County, NC. The community is welcome and visitors are invited to participate at open mic by signing up to read a short prose piece or a couple of poems.

Featured this month is Glenda C. Beall, poet and writer from Hayesville, NC. Beall's poems have appeared for the past nineteen years in literary journals and magazines such as Main Street Rag, Appalachian Heritage and Journal of Kentucky Studies. Her work can be found online in Wild Goose Poetry Review, Dead Mule School of Southern Literature, and Your Daily Poem as well as in anthologies, Kakalak, Carolina Poets 2009 and On Our Own, Widowhood for Smarties. Recently a poem was selected for the Reach of Song anthology published by the Georgia Poetry Society, and another is forthcoming in The Southern Poetry Review VII, North Carolina.

She is author of Now Might as Well be Then, a poetry chapbook, published by Finishing Line Press. Her nonfiction has been published in Reunion Magazine, Bereavement magazine, and in several anthologies including Echoes Across the Blue Ridge, and Cup of Comfort for Horse Lovers.

Beall's writing is influenced by her rural upbringing with six brothers and sisters. Like most poets and writers she observes people, nature, and happenings around her. She uses these observations to create images in her poems, stories and essays. She says she writes to communicate her thoughts and feelings with her readers. She believes poetry should be accessible to the non-writer as well as to other poets. 

A former Program Coordinator for the NC Writers' Network-West, she continues to volunteer as Clay County Representative and facilitator of Coffee with the Poets and Writers. For the past five years she has been owner/director of Writers Circle around the Table, where she has brought outstanding writers and poets from Atlanta, Charlotte, and Hickory, NC as well as the best local writers to teach at her studio. Beall will teach a writing class in August at Tri-County Community College.

For more information about Coffee with the Poets and Writers, call 828-389-4441.

HERE, WHERE I AM

HERE, WHERE I AM

Janice Moore, Patricia Spinkle at Writers' Night June 14

for directions, see http://www.uccommunitycenter.com/location.html

Netwest Members offered discount on classes before deadline

Netwest members - take advantage of this opportunity to attend a workshop with well-published Atlanta author, Patricia Sprinkle.

Saturday, June 14 - Take individual classes, 10 - 1:00 and 2 - 5:00 p.m.,  or take both classes for $60. This writer speaks to large groups, teaches workshops and we are fortunate to have her come to our area. If you write fiction or nonfiction, you don't want to miss out on this one-time opportunity. We will have lunch together and you will have the opportunity to network with other writers and with Patricia.


Each class fee is $45 or both classes for $60.00 Netwest members - $40 for individual classes. 

Light lunch included for those who register for all day session 

 Deadline for registration: Thursday, June 11

Call 828-389-4441 or email glendabeall@msn.com 

Visit www.glendacouncilbeall.blogspot.com for class description.

The Literary Hour at JC Campbell Folk School

On Thursday, June 26, 2014 at 7:00 PM, John C. Campbell Folk School and N.C. Writers Network-West are sponsoring The Literary Hour, a monthly hour of poetry and prose reading held at Keith House on the JCCFS campus. The reading is free of charge and open to the public. 

This month presents an exceptional opportunity to meet and listen to the featured readers, Nancy Simpson and Brenda Kay Ledford, whose poetry mostly centers around the mountains.

NANCY SIMPSON

 

Nancy Simpson is the author of three poetry collections: Across Water, Night Student, and most recently Living Above the Frost Line, New and Selected Poems (Carolina Wren Press, 2010). She also edited Echoes Across the Blue Ridge (anthology 2010). She holds an MFA from Warren Wilson College and a BS in education from Western Carolina University. She received a NC Arts Fellowship and co-founded NC Writers Network-West. For more than 30 years, young writers have known her as “beloved teacher.” Simpson’s poems have been published in The Georgia Review, Southern Poetry Review, Seneca Review, New Virginia Review, Prairie Schooner and others. Her poems have been included in anthologies, Word and Wisdom, 100 Years of N.C. Poetry and Literary Trails of N.C. (2008). Her poems have also been featured in Southern Appalachian Poetry, a textbook anthology published at McFarland Press.

Nancy lives in Hayesville, NC. Through 2010 she served as Resident Writer at the John C. Campbell Folk School. Presently she teaches Poetry Writing at the Institute for Continued Learning at Young Harris College.

BRENDA KAY LEDFORD

Brenda Kay Ledford is a seventh generational native of Clay County, NC, and holds a Master of Arts in Education from Western Carolina University.

She writes about her heritage and has done post-graduate work in Appalachian studies. Brenda received the Paul Green Multimedia Award from North Carolina Society of Historians seven times for her books, collecting oral history, and blog, Historical Hayesville.

Her work has appeared in Our State, Carolina Country Magazine, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Appalachian Heritage, Wild Goose Poetry Review, Journal of Kentucky Studies, Asheville Poetry Review, Country Extra Magazine, Blue Ridge Parkway Silver Anniversary Edition Celebration, and many other journals.

Finishing Line Press published Brenda’s award-winning poetry books: Shewbird Mountain, Sacred Fire, and Beckoning. She co-authored Simplicity with Blanche L. Ledford. These books are available at the John C. Campbell Folk School Craft Shop.