Tuesday, June 28, 2016

The Blue Ridge Bookfest 2016 featured author Sara Gruen; you can watch her interview with Bill Ramsy, here.

Sara Gruen is the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of At the Water’s Edge, Water for Elephants, Ape House, Riding Lessons, and Flying Changes. Her works have been translated into forty-three languages, and have sold more than ten million copies worldwide. Water for Elephants was adapted into a major motion picture starring Reese Witherspoon, Rob Pattinson, and Christoph Waltz in 2011.

She lives in Western North Carolina with her husband and three sons, along with their dogs, cats, horses, birds, and the world’s fussiest goat.

Sara was the featured author at the 2016 Blue Ridge Bookfest. You can watch her video where she was interviewed by Bill Ramsey, who is on the board of North Carolina Writers' Network, here:

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Nancy Simpson's poem "Lingering at the Edge," published in Kudzu Literary Magazine's 2016 publication, "Women in Appalachia"

Poet Nancy Simpson has had a poem published in Kudzu Literary Magazine's 2016 issue. The theme of this year's magazine was Women in Appalachia. Simpson's poem was Lingering at the Edge.

Nancy Simpson is the author of three poetry collections: Across Water, Night Student and Living Above the Frost Line, New and Selected Poems published at Carolina Wren Press. She holds an MFA from Warren Wilson College and a B.S. in Education from Western Carolina University. She received a N.C. Arts Fellowship and co founded NC Writers Network-West, a non profit, professional writing organization serving writers living in the remote mountains west of Asheville. For more than thirty years she has been known as “beloved teacher” to thousands of young writers.

Simpson’s poems have been published in The Georgia Review, Southern Poetry Review, Seneca Review, New Virginia Review, Prairie Schooner and in other literary magazines. Her poem, “Night Student” was reprinted in the anthology Word and Wisdom, 100 Years of North Carolina Poetry and in Literary Trails of North Carolina. Seven of her poems are featured in Southern Appalachian Poetry, a textbook anthology published at McFarland Press. The Southern Poetry Review, Armstrong College in Savannah, Georgia included one of her poems in their 50th Anniversary issue, Don't Leave Hungry and a new poem in their recent issue featuring Georgia poets. Her poem “Carolina Bluebirds” was included in The Poets Guide to Birds, an anthology edited by Judith Kitchen and Ted Kooser, and her poem “Pink Pantsuit” was featured recently in Ted Kooser’s widely read “American Life in Poetry” newspaper column.


http://hazard.kctcs.edu/en/Student_Life/Kudzu.aspx
https://kudzu.submittable.com/submit

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Authors' Fair in Murphy, NC on Saturday, June 25, 2016, to feature local writers Wally Avett, Amanda Beavers, Roy Pipes, and Ann Miller Woodford


Authors Fair Saturday, June 25th, 2016 Features Four Local Writers

Four local authors will present their books Saturday, June 25, in the Fellowship Hall of the First United Methodist Church in downtown Murphy. The Authors' Fair will be held from 10 a.m. until 12 Noon, free admission, free refreshments, all readers cordially invited. 


Writers scheduled to appear are Wally Avett, Amanda Beavers,Roy Pipes, and Ann Miller Woodford. Their titles include both fiction and non-fiction. Authors will be available to sign their books after short individual presentations on their respective works.

Wally Avett writes the HILLBILLY RANGER column for the CHEROKEE SCOUT, where he was editor during the 1970’s. His four books are fiction, inspired by true stories from countless interviews here in the mountains.

Amanda Beavers,daughter of a local pastor, wrote a heartfelt memoir of the months of anguish she and her family endured after her father was nearly killed by a drunken driver.

Roy Pipes, former Superintendent of Schools for Cherokee County, in retirement has proved to be a prolific writer. He currently has five novels in print and two more awaiting publication.

Ann Miller Woodford, native of Andrews, has written a scholarly 600-plus page history of the black communities in Andrews,Murphy and Hayesville. The late Purel Miller, her father, was a noted oral historian and her best source.


For more information, contact Wally Avett at: 

wallyavett@gmail.com

Sunday, June 19, 2016

In case you missed Karen Paul Holmes & Bill Ramsey at Coffee with the Poets and Writers on June 15, 2016, enjoy some video excerpts

 
 Karen Paul Holmes reading at CWTP&W on June 15, 2016


 
Bill Ramsey reading at CWTP&W on June 15, 2016 

You can find other videos of these writers, and other NCWN'West writers, on the network's YouTube page, at: 

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Ronald Moran and Jonathan Rice entertained at Writers' Night Out, NCWN-West event, June 10, 2016, at Blairsville, Georgia


Ronald Moran
Jonathan K. Rice
Ronald Moran, former Clemson professor, dean, and a Fulbright
Lecturer, joined Editor Jonathan K. Rice at Writers’ Night Out on Friday, June 10 at the Union County Community Center in the heart of Blairsville. Moran read first, not only featuring published poems from Eye of the World, but also recently written ones. Quite a bit of his work was witty and met with laughter and acknowledgment. Rice followed and read from Shooting Pool with a Cellist (Main Street Rag), and Killing Time (Main Street Rag). Rice’s love of music was apparent in his poems, as was his keen eye. The poets were followed by open mic, where several writers in attendance shared both poetry and prose.

Writers’ Night Out is sponsored by NC Writers' Network-West and takes place on the second Friday of the month. Prose writers or poets wishing to participate in the open mic can sign up at the door to read for three minutes. The Union County Community Center hosts the event at 129 Union County Recreation Rd., Blairsville, Georgia 30512, off Highway 129 near the intersection of US 76, phone (706) 439-6092. Food is available for purchase in The View Grill, but please arrive by 6 pm to get served.
Rosemary Royston

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