Enter a contest in November - forty-four

 Attention all writers

Want to enter a contest? How about 44 contests in November? Prose, poetry, short story, memoir,  - 

some thing for all of us. Check them out at the link below.

https://publishedtodeath.blogspot.com/2020/10/35-writing-contests-in-november-2020-no.html?fbclid=IwAR2gC-zrqxkSxKypklM5sZKrUGSS8qSIrfm2o9ZFT-vLjZ5q-Tjr6dHJ41c

Shout Out Atlanta features poet, Karen Paul Holmes

 

We are thrilled to see an interview with Karen Paul Holmes in an Atlanta publication, Shout Out Atlanta.

Karen came to success in writing poetry when she took a poetry class sponsored by NCWN-West. The late Nancy Simpson, co-founder of the mountain program, taught the all day workshop in Blairsville, GA. Many of our members live in North Georgia. Karen has a vacation home on Lake Chatuge where she spends much of her time. She attended our poetry critique meetings at Tri-County Community College where she honed her skills with published writers like Janice Moore and Nancy.

This is the link to this outstanding interview.

https://shoutoutatlanta.com/meet-karen-paul-holmes-poet-freelance-writer/?fbclid=IwAR0zbA8fG8OW1ZkiM_8QIzdou7aptsRN2zOyKxo65mF4Luzrm07xOCnU7RU

Leave a comment below, please. Support your fellow writers with you words.

 

Book by Glenda C. Beall review in Clay County Progress

 Marcia Hawley Barnes writes reviews for the Clay County Progress Newspaper. Recently she has been reading and writing books by local writers. 

I was delighted when she chose my poetry book, Now Might as Well be Then, published by Finishing Line Press for her October choice. Thanks to Marcia for this wonderful review.

I want to thank those who wrote such nice reviews on Finishing Line site for my poetry book. This book was available on Amazon.com but is no longer available there. The book can be ordered from Finishing Line Press or from me, Glenda Beall.

The true story of a miracle in an African slum: Writers' Night November 13 via Zoom

Special Guest Paul Higdon
Hope and a Future:
Life, Survival, and Renewal on the Streets of an African Slum

Writers' Night Out
November 13, 7 pm
Reading & Discussion
+ 
Open Mic

Join us on Zoom
You do not need a Zoom account nor a Zoom app.
Netwest members, check your email for the Zoom link and login. 

You may wish to purchase a copy of this fascinating book ahead of time.
All proceeds go to charity. 

During Paul Higdon’s 36-year career in international finance, he had the honor of serving for six years as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of a children’s welfare operation in central Kenya. Based on that work, he was presented a Global Volunteer Award by Bank of America.

Since retiring from his banking career, he says the most rewarding endeavor has been composing his first book, Hope and a Future: Life, Survival, and Renewal on the Streets of an African Slum, which chronicles the true story of a street boy, John Maina, who lived in the slums of Nairobi. Eventually, John and Higdon became so close that in an African sense, they are now father and son. In conjunction with the book’s publication, Higdon created a public charity, Little Boost Children’s Fund, whose mission is “Giving vulnerable kids a little boost.” All proceeds from the book go directly to the fund.
 
Higdon holds degrees in philosophy, politics, and economics from Cornell, Oxford, and Johns Hopkins, and he continues to enjoy a wide range of intellectual pursuits, especially early Christianity, and modern history.
 
His wife, Linda, is a classical pianist, an award-winning filmmaker, and now runs a tour company offering a unique “Women’s Journey to Kenya.” They live on the edge of the Kettle Moraine forest in the southern lakes region of Wisconsin.

Netwest members, check your email for the Zoom link and login. 

Betty Jamerson Reed Interview

 Congratulations to Betty Jamerson Reed. She was interviewed for  Nonfiction Authors Association. 

Betty's book Soldier's in Petticoats can be found on Amazon

Betty Jamerson Reed unfolds the pioneer experiences of influential educational leaders, especially women and minorities. She leads readers on journeys into unnoticed Appalachian communities and shows how it takes a trailblazing visionary to create a village of successful learners.

Website URL:
www.bettyjamersonreed.com

https://nonfictionauthorsassociation.com/author-interview-betty-jamerson-reed-author-of-soldiers-in-petticoats/

Brenda Kay Ledford's Poem Published

 Brenda Kay Ledford's poem, "Fall Festival," appeared on "Your Daily Poem," October 25, 2020.

www.yourdailypoem.com

NEW BOOK RELEASE

 

TWENTY-FIVE ANGELS

by Tom Hooker

The crew of the Reba Jean, a B-17 bomber in the U.S. Eighth Army Air Corps, take to the skies above WWII Europe. Flying at an altitude of twenty-five thousand feet (twenty-five angels), the crew, including a pilot with an overly acute sense of responsibility for his men, a Jewish officer, and an anti-Semitic non-com, strive to achieve victory over the elite German Luftwaffe, and survive. The events that occur along the way make for a compelling story, culminating in a breathtaking ending sure to leave you on the edge of your seat.

Tom Hooker 

            Tom Hooker was born and raised in North Mississippi, receiving a degree from the University of Mississippi. He and his family have lived in Hendersonville, North Carolina since 1988. Tom has had short stories and poems published in a number of literary journals across the nation. He and Gary Ader co-authored a novel entitled, THE WAR NEVER ENDS, and he has also written a non-fiction work entitled, CALVARY’S CHILD: THE LIFE OF AMANDA CAROL HOOKER.

            

• Paperback : $14.95
• Kindle E-Book: $4.99
• ISBN-10 : 1734675047
• ISBN-13 : 978-1734675047
• Product Dimensions : 6 x 0.77 x 9 inches
• Publisher : Escarpment Press (October 18, 2020)
• Language: : English
•  

 

Writers' Night Out for November and December

 

Writers' Night Out - 7:00 pm 2nd Friday of each month - Join us on Zoom

October – Scott Owens -  Host Glenda Beall

November - Paul Higdon - Host Karen Holmes

December – Joseph Bathanti – Host Carroll Taylor

Congrats to Maren Mitchell

 Maren O. Mitchell has two poems, "Pale first cousin to red," and "Gray," appearing in The Antigonish Review, Volume 50, Numbers 201-02, Spring/Summer 2020. The editorial office of The Antigonish Review is located at St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada.

From "Untying the Knot" to Happily Ever After

 Good News for a Netwest County Rep and Poet

Hi, this is Karen Paul Holmes. Anyone who has read my poetry probably feels like they know me, and so Glenda Beall has asked me to post this. When we all get to meet in person again and you see me beaming, you'll know why. 

My first poetry collection, Untying the Knot, is like a memoir of experiencing and healing from the trauma of divorce after 32 years of marriage. At the end are poems of finding happiness with a new man. But that ended with his sudden death after six years together. Those of you who attended Writers' Night Out several years ago in Towns County, GA met that wonderful man. 

Now there's a very special person in my life, whom some of you had the pleasure of meeting at WNO last season. My new husband Mark Shaver is a lover of poetry, opera, and BBQ in the mountains, just like me! We married last Sunday in an intimate ceremony, having had to cancel our bigger wedding due to COVID. And yes, I am writing poems about him. I even read one at our wedding. I am now a big believer in late-life marriages. 

By the way, my second book, No Such Thing As Distance continues the story in poetry of my family and me, including Macedonian recipes. I was lucky enough to have poems from it read by Garrison Keillor on The Writer's Almanac and by former U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith on her insightful podcast, The Slowdown. Take a listen if you're so inclined! 

FYI: My addresses in the mountains and the city are the same, and I'm keeping my last name. 

ANTHONY ABBOT - January 7, 1935 – October 3, 2020

 We have lost an important North Carolina literary figure, Anthony Abbot. He was winner of the 2015 NC Award for Literature from the State of North Carolina. Anthony S. Abbott is the author of seven books of poetry, two novels, and four books of literary criticism. He was a 2020 Inductee to the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame.  nclhof.org

Tonight I am listening to a podcast interview done recently on Charlotte Readers Podcast.

I did not know Tony Abbot well, but will always remember the NCWN Fall Conference when we Netwest writers sat at a table with Tony. This is a photo Barry, my husband, made that evening.

Left: Nancy Sales Cash, Mary Jo Dyer, Lana Hendershott, on right side from back, Glenda Beall, Tony Abbott, Pat Davis.

After reading more about this man and listening to him speak on the podcast, I wanted to know him better. On his website I found his About page and learned his history. I love life stories and his is one of the most interesting I've read.

https://anthonysabbott.com/anthony-s-abbott-in-his-own-words/

Congratulations to Carroll S. Taylor, novelist and poet

Carroll's poem, Linguistic Perspective, was published in the popular online journal, Your Daily Poem.

 

Carroll S. Taylor

Read Carroll's poem here.   http://yourdailypoem.com/

Read more:   https://profilesandpedigrees.blogspot.com/2020/10/your-daily-poem-accepts-carroll-taylors.html

Caldwell Arts Council Announces Winners of the Western NC Regional Poetry Competition

The Caldwell Arts Council is pleased to announce the winners of the inaugural Western NC Regional Poetry Competition. Seventy-nine poets submitted a total of 145 poems for this competition. All poems were reviewed by preliminary judge, David B. Prather of Parkersburg, West Virginia, and award selections were made by Kari Gunter-Seymour, Poet Laureate of Ohio. Both award winners and judges will read their works during a live Zoom presentation on Thursday, October 22, 2020 at 7:00 p.m.

 $500 First Place:      “When you tell me I’m being racist” by Catherine Carter, Cullowhee, NC
$250 Second:           “The Ottoman Empire” by Elizabeth Brandes, Hickory, NC
$150 Third:              “The River at World’s End” by Benjamin Cutler, Whittier, NC
$100 Fourth:            “Lessons from the Field” by Anne Maren-Hogan, Burnsville, NC
$75   Fifth:               “Figs” by Joyce Compton Brown, Troutman, NC
$25 Honorable Mention Awards:

“Nocturnal Howl Before Compline” by Jenny Bates, Germanton, NC

“Old Barn” by Les Brown, Troutman, NC

“Bluegills Take Part in the Creation of the World” by Catherine Carter, Cullowhee, NC

“Prayer for a New Trail” by Bill Griffin, Elkin, NC

“September Sunset” by Benjamin Cutler, Whittier, NC

 Competition awards were made possible by a contribution from Blue Ridge Energy.
The live online poetry reading will take place on Thursday, October 22, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom.  This event is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required. Email the Caldwell Arts Council at WNCPoetryCompetition@caldwellarts.com for the link to the zoom event.

Jackson rep's poem in Southern Humanities Review

NCWN-West Jackson County representative Catherine Carter's poem "Lactobacilli" appeared this spring in Southern Humanities Review and can be read online at the SHR site, http://www.southernhumanitiesreview.com/531-catherine-carters-lactobacilli.html

Join us on Zoom for this popular writing event.

 

Scott Owens, Featured on Writers' Night Out - Friday, October 9, 7:00 PM.  

Award-winning poet, editor, reviewer columnist, community organizer, and instructor of English, literature, and creative writing with 15 published books, more than 1400 published poems and 500 published essays, articles, and reviews.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/cc/e6/98/cce6985214c14098f4ab37040bcb098a.jpg

We will send the Zoom invitation to all on the membership list. Contact us if you want to read at open mic.

Congratulations to Karen Luke Jackson

 

 

GRIT by Karen Luke Jackson

Finishing Line Press, 2020

 

Thursday, October 8, from 7 – 8 p.m. Redheaded Stepchild will feature Karen Luke Jackson’s debut poetry chapbook GRIT which chronicles the life of Janis Luke Roberts and her alter ego Clancey the Clown. The online event will be hosted by Malaiki King Albrecht, the journal’s founder and editor and current president of the North Carolina Poetry Society. Karen's reading will be followed by an open mic.

 

            To access the program through Facebook, go to Redheaded Stepchild’s page here.

 

To access the program directly through Zoom, click here.

The book can be ordered from Finishing Line Press

 

 

Robert Lee Kendrick Published with Main Street Rag

Writers’ Night Out had a good attendance tonight with participants from Atlanta area up to Hendersonville, NC. Although we can’t hold our face to face meetings, it is fun to get together online and share our writing.

Robert Lee Kendrick presented us with a most interesting program talking about his writing technique and answering my questions. His latest book Shape the Bent Straight was published by Main Street Rag Publishing company. It can be ordered from Scott Douglas at Main Street Rag or from Robert. 

He said he has a number of books on hand because he had planned to be doing readings and book signings at this time. To order from Robert, send him an email at robertleekendrick@gmail.com He will get your mailing address and you can send him a small fee plus shipping cost. It is well worth the effort and the fee. I plan to order tonight.

If you have not joined our Writers’ Night Out Zoom meeting on the second Friday of each month, be sure to Zoom with us October 9. The name of the guest presenter will be sent out with our invitation to all members of NCWN-West and to the mailing list of those who have attended WNO in the past.

The Open Mic readers are introduced and some conversation takes place with each of them. Join us in October.

Poet, Dr. Eugene Z. Hirsch, 12/18/31 -- 9/3/20

This post written by Mary Ricketson

Gene Hirsch, MD, a poet of our mountains, died September 3, 2020, after a long struggle with cancer.  

He was a well-known writer in western North Carolina.  He taught poetry at John C. Campbell Folk School for many years, and helped Nancy Simpson start North Carolina Writers Network West 25 years ago or more.  He regularly attended critique groups, read at organized events, and taught small groups of poets at his home in Murphy.  Gene was teacher and mentor to be remembered.  He lived in Pittsburgh PA and in Murphy NC, and visited Murphy often, until May 2019.

Gene was known as a loving man who listened deeply to every poem from any kind of writer, rustic beginner to polished expert.  He cared about the craft of writing and also cared about the person writing the poem.  As a physician, he had a long career practicing medicine.  In later years he taught doctors and medical students to provide the best of medical and human help to dying patients.  The following is a quote, introduction to his long essay, Intimacy and Dying, written earlier this year, unpublished.

I am a retired geriatrician who, for thirty five years, taught humanistic values in Clinical Medicine to medical students and doctors. From 2000 to 2010, at Forbes Hospice in Pittsburgh, I guided students through the ancient clinical art of responding to struggles and needs of dying people. Among other curricular activities, with permission, we (2 -4 students and I) visited patients in their homes, not to learn procedures for obtaining medical histories, but for the specific purpose of listening to their thoughts, feelings, ordeals and supports. They understood that they were being placed in the role of teachers rather than patients. This proved to be important to all.

Gene kept his illness private, made no apology for that request.  He asked me to talk with him late in his dying process, asked me to be “ears to listen, for some day my dying to be worth my life.”  I will have more to say about that after I have settled enough to review the scratchy notes I kept of this time.  He also asked me to organize a memorial after his death. He said he wants to be remembered in our mountains.  Once the world is safe to gather in person, when the pandemic is over, we will have a memorial for memory, poems, and a celebration of his life.

His body has been cremated.  At some time, in respect for his request, his family will spread his ashes privately at his former home in Murphy.  He gave that home to his wife’s son and family, a family who loves the mountains and the privilege to vacation there. 

During the final months of Gene’s illness, he engaged the help of a friend and poet in Pittsburgh, Judy Robinson, to organize and seek publication of his poems.  The result of that effort is indeed a book, published 7-15-20, available from Amazon, details below.

Cards and words of sympathy may be sent to Gene's wife, Virginia Spangler, 139 Overlook Drive, Verona PA 15147.

In fond memory of Gene Hirsch,  

Mary Ricketson

Speak, Speak, pub July 15, 2020
Paperback $30, Amazon

Dr. Eugene Hirsch, Gene, to all who know him, has extended to me the privilege of editing his poetry, an assignment I accepted with pleasure. This collection, “Speak, Speak,” is the culmination of Gene’s long career of writing, and reflects the complexity of his mind and experience. As a physician/writer he joins a distinguished list, and in my opinion as a reader/editor, he earns his place among the others, notably Maugham, Chekhov, William Carlos Williams.

Judith R Robinson, editor

https://www.amazon.com/Speak-Gene-Hirsch/dp/939020240X/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=gene+hirsch&qid=1598800059&sr=8-1

Zoom along with Writers' Night Out!

 Robert Lee Kendrick 

in Conversation with Glenda Beall

Friday, September 11

7 pm

Open Mic Follows

NCWN members will received the Zoom link via email 

Join us for this month's Writers' Night Out featuring South Carolina poet, Robert Lee Kendrick. His third book, which is a novel in verse, is Shape the Bent Straight, recently published by Main Street Rag.  

Of Kendrick's first full-length collection, What Once Burst with Brilliance, former NC Poet Laureate, Joseph Bathanti, said, "These poems are achingly elegiac – a deep, unslaked yearn for a past not vanished but resurrected through the time-honored autobiographical ‘I’ of the eye-witness dutifully chained to memory. Kendrick’s poems are at once documentary and unforgettably imagined.”

Kendrick grew up in Illinois and Iowa, but now lives in Clemson with his wife and dog. After earning his M.A. from Illinois State University and his Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina, he held a number of jobs, ranging from house painter to pizza driver to grocery store worker to line cook. Main Street Rag also published his second poetry book Winter Skin. His poems appear in Birmingham Poetry Review, Valparaiso Poetry Review, Atlanta Review, Tar River Poetry, Louisiana Literature, and elsewhere. 

Open microphone will follow for those who’d like to read their own poetry or prose with a time limit of three minutes. 

Those wishing to participate in the open mic can sign up to read by emailing Glenda Beall, glendabeall@msn.com.

Zoom invitations will be sent out again to NCWN-West members before the event. For more information, please contact Glenda Beall.

Maureen Ryan Griffin interviewed on Podcast

Many of us in western NC and north Georgia have had the pleasure of taking workshops and classes with Maureen Ryan Griffin either through Netwest or John C. Campbell Folk School. Her business, WordPlay is thriving from her home in Charlotte, NC.

I have subscribed to her newsletter for many years, and today learned she was recently a guest on a podcast. You can listen to Maureen talk about her journey that led her to writing, teaching and creating her own business. You get to know the person as well as the writer.
Click on this link:  https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/rose-cast-with-dr-sara-rose/e/65202933

Visit Maureen's website: https://www.wordplaynow.com to see how you can take classes online at this time when she can't meet with you face to face. 
She is the best teacher, and she inspired me and encouraged me when I took her classes years ago. She is a generous person with her students and in her personal life. I recommend beginning writers get to know Maureen.