Weekend Writing Classes at JC Campbell Folk School this summer and fall

The John C. Campbell Folk School is holding classes. The following are weekend writing classes scheduled.

SUBJECT INSTRUCTOR	CLASS TITLE	DATE
Writing Carol Crawford	Writers' Retreat	Friday, Aug 20 - Sunday, Aug 22, 2021
Writing Darnell Arnoult	Creative Nonfiction in a Flash	Friday, Nov 19 - Sunday, Nov 21, 2021

Writers' Night Out is Zooming along

 

Please join us for  Sally Stewart Mohney prose & poetry Writers' Night Out via Zoom March 12, 7 pm Reading & Discussion + Open Mic An award-winner writer and NC native, Sally Mohney will read and then discuss poetry's influence on prose and vice versa.    Sally majored in fiction writing at UNC-Chapel Hill and has taken graduate fiction classes at the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop as well as the University of Florida. She has published short stories in journals such as the Boston Literary Review, and she is the recipient of the Jesse Rehder Writing Prize from UNC-Chapel Hill. Currently, she is searching for a home for her full-length literary manuscript, Migratory Spirits, set in North Carolina and Cumberland Island. Sally was invited to read an excerpt of Migratory Spirits at the Southern Women Writers Conference.    Her new poetry book is eventide (Kelsay Books) -- see the quote next to the book cover below. Her previous book, Low Country, High Water, (Texas Review Press) won the Southern Poetry Anthology Prize: North Carolina. Other publications include A Piece of Calm (Finishing Line Press) and pale blue mercy, (Main Street Rag, Author’s Choice Series). Sally's poems have appeared in the Broad River Review, Charlotte Observer, Cortland Review, James Dickey Review, North Carolina Literary Review, Poetry Daily, Verse Daily and elsewhere. A North Carolina native, she now lives a thousand feet from the Chattahoochee River in Georgia.   "From the low country to the Appalachians, to the River Thames and the North Sea, Sally Stewart Mohney seeks solace and bears witness to water—from wetlands to dry waterfall during her intriguing journey."  - NC Writers' Network If you are not a member of NCWN, contact Karen Holmes or Glenda Beall and we will  send your invitation to join us on Friday night. Members should have received the link to the Zoom program. Open Mic 3-4 minute maximum of poetry or prose (2 poems only, please) To sign up for Open Mic, please send Glenda an email (with a sentence she can use to introduce you) by clicking here: glendabeall@msn.com  ZOOM Helpful Hints: You can join Writers' Night Out by cell phone, notebook, laptop, or computer and use audio only or audio and video. You can do a test for yourself anytime at zoom.us, where you'll see yourself on video and be able to test your audio too.  The night of WNO, try to get on before 7 pm to make sure everything is working on your end. You will be in a waiting room until the host opens the door. Sign up for Open Mic by clicking here: glendabeall@msn.com

Writers' Night Out is the second Friday of every month. We will continue via Zoom for now.  April 9: Annette Clapsaddle, novelist, Even as We Breathe   The North Carolina Writers' Network is not allowing in-person events right now. Some time In 2021, we hope to continue in person at our new location: The Ridges Resort on Lake Chatuge  but please check your email.   But don't wait, join the fun and camaraderie on Zoom!    Stay well, friends,  - Karen Karen Paul Holmes www.karenpaulholmes.com www.simplycommunicated.com www.facebook.com/karenholmespoetry www.instagram.com/sharing_poems/

Fiction Writers - opportunities

 If you like to write short fiction, and if you like to take classes by excellent writers, you will find this most interesting, I believe.

https://www.scuppernongbooks.com/5-ways-looking-short-fiction

Scuppernong Books is offering five classes in writing short fiction. 

Each online class is only twenty-five dollars, and you receive a book by the author who is your instructor.

They are on Thursday evenings, 7:00 PM. I have signed up for two of them and hope they will help me improve my short stories and make them good enough to publish.

March 11: “In Praise of Unlikeable Characters” with Clifford Garstang

March 18: “It’s All in the Details” with Shuly Xóchitl Cawood

March 25: “Dos and Don’ts of Submitting to Literary Journals” with publisher Kevin Morgan Watson

April 1: “ReVISION” with Clint McCown

Brenda Kay Ledford Appeared on Clay County Chamber of Commerce Show

 Brenda Kay Ledford appeared on the Clay County, NC Chamber of Commerce Show on WKRK Christian Radio 105 FM, February 24, 2021 in Murphy, NC.  Pam Roman, director of Clay County Chamber of Commerce, interviewed Ledford about her new children's poetry book, Reagan's Romps.

Kelsay Books printed this book in January, 2021.  It was endorsed by NC Poet Laureate, Jake Shelton Green, Michael Beadle, and Peggy French.  Reagan's Romps is available at Chinquapins in Hayesville, NC, amazon.com, and www.kelsaybook.com.

You may view the video of Ledford's interview on WKRK Facebook at:

facebook.com/CountryGold/videos/466725167710851

Old Mountain Press Anthologies online now

 Tom Davis, owner and publisher of Old Mountain Press, has put his anthologies, filled with so many poets and writers from the mountains, on Kindle now. 

So for a couple of dollars or less, you can read work by former NC Poet Laureate Shelby Stephenson, novelist Celia Miles, writer and editor, Nancy Dillingham, Glenda Beall, Brenda Kay Ledford, Mary Ricketson, and many more.

Find the books here. You can see a sample of each book on Amazon.com.

The next anthology he publishes will be The Unforgettables, A Poetry and Prose Anthology.

The Unforgettables A Poetry and Prose Anthology Estimated: 50 to 90 pages perfect bound 1--31March 2021. Old Mountain Press   will publish a collection of poetry/short stories by a number of writers.  Our goal is to gather enough quality poems and short shorts for an estimated 50 to 90 page book with the theme:  The theme is anything about (primarily) an unforgettable or unusual person you have known OR an unforgettable character you have created in your writing. Would like to have as many poets involved as possible.  Requirements are below. Authors receive publishing credit and retain all rights to their work but agree to the inclusion of their poems in this collection of poetry. The author must have rights to the poem (previously published OK).  A poem may not exceed 36 lines -  short short may not exceed 325 words (this includes title, spaces, and author's name).  Poetry lines that exceed 45 letters and spaces will wrap and count as two lines. Must be a former contributor or recommended by a former contributor to submit. Only one poem/short short per writer, so give it your best shot:-)

Tom Davis is also an author and has several books published. His wife, Polly, has written a memoir about living with Tom while he was in the military. It is filled with humor but gives a good look at what the wife of a military man endures while he is gone away and when he is at home again.   http://www.oldmp.com/davismemoirs/Polly/

Available to Order: Tom Davis' Memoir, The Most Fun I Ever Had With My Clothes On: A March from Private to Colonel.   http://www.oldmp.com/davismemoirs

You won't meet more hospitable and friendly people than Tom and Polly. Tom was helpful and patient with Estelle Rice and me as he helped us with publishing Paws, Claws, Hooves, Feathers and Fins. 

Many writers are using Old Mountain Press for the books they want to self-publish. Tom holds your hand as you make the decisions about what your book should look like, the paper it should be printed on, your cover, etc.  When I thought I was ready to give up on setting up the format for the photographs in our book, Tom calmed me down and helped me work things out. 

I sent in a poem tonight for the next anthology. Since I am cutting back on buying books because I am running out of room for them in my house, I will order the Kindle version of some of my favorite anthologies.

Introducing Matt, the new Jackson County rep

 Netwest members, we'd like to introduce you to a new NCWN-West representative:  Matt Nelson is the new second representative for Jackson County.  Matt has written a piece about humor, which I’m posting here to give you some sense of your new rep.  Matt writes:

“Even as a child, I loved jokes because a good laugh made the pain of normal life go away for a little while. Seeing others smile when it was difficult for me do the same is amazing, especially if those who received joy were serious people with little time for humor. Another reason I like to make people laugh is that I suffer from anxiety, so it’s difficult for me to join a crowd. A quick joke is often enough for me to put on a brave face that doesn’t go away very easily.

 “Two jokes I like came from preachers; if a member of the cloth can make a crowd laugh, then it has to be good. Sermons can be a little dry once the handshaking is finished, but a few tears of joy have their  own charms.  The first one:  a man goes to the doctor and says he can’t taste anything because of his allergies. The doctor tells the nurse to bring Jar 23 from the back and she does. The doctor gives his patient a spoonful of the strange liquid; he immediately gags, but he is cured. A few weeks later, though, the patient comes back and tells his doctor that he can’t remember anything. The doctor asks how the patient knew where to go and the patient said a friend brought him and told him who to see for treatment. With a smile, the doctor tells the nurse to bring Jar 23; the patient runs for his life.

“An elderly man decides to move himself and his wife down to Florida. The husband takes care of everything while his wife packs up the old home. Sadly, the husband passes away before the big move. The poor widow is beside herself and does barely anything until after the funeral. Upon a check of the computer, the wife finds an email from her late husband and it’s dated the day of the funeral. The wife opens the email and it says “I’ve got everything waiting that a woman like you has deserved for your entire life. There are plenty of people to meet and there are also a few that we know from back home. I do admit that it sure is hot down here.”

“Other jokes come to me on the road or when I see something on TV that sets off my humor power. I often send these jokes out to friends, but sometimes I don’t get much of a response; while people have their own lives, I find it sad that not many can take a moment to say if they liked what I created. Since I don’t use most other forms of social media, I need some proof of life every now and then to make sure that everything is good elsewhere.

 “Jokes are my way to let people know how I feel; the more people laugh, the better I feel about doing anything. I’m sure that I’ll find plenty of new jokes in the future and would be glad to share them with anyone willing to lend an ear.”

Welcome to NCWN-West, Matt!

Jackon County NCWN-West Virtual Open Mic Night, Friday, March 5, 7:30

 We waited for the pandemic to ease up; it hasn't eased up.  We hoped for vaccinations; most of us aren't vaccinated yet.  So we really think it's time for the Jackson County branch of NCWN-West and City Lights Bookstore of Sylva to give in and try for a virtual Open Mic.  The date is Friday, March 5th; the time is 7:30 (half an hour later than our in-person Open Mics).  If you're interested in joining us, please e-mail either more@citylightsnc.com; Catherine Carter at ccarter@email.wcu.edu; or Matt Nelson at mattnelson.poet01@gmail.com for the Zoom link.  Come on out--or in--and join us!