The Loss of North Georgia Poet, Bettie Sellers

It is with deepest regret we learned of the passing on May 17, of Bettie Sellers, former Poet Laureate of Georgia.
Read more about Bettie Sellers here.

I met Bettie, loved her poetry and bought her books when I first came to Hayesville, NC in 1995. She was a wonderful speaker and an avid supporter of the Byron Herbert Reece Society in north Georgia. Her voice can be heard on the video played at the Reece center in Union County.

Our condolences to her family.

Great opportunity for Mountain Writers

If you don't know about the Squire Summer Residency at Western Carolina University sponsored by your NCWN, please click on the link below and see what is offered. You can apply for a scholarship to this exciting and interesting weekend with three of the best writers in their field.

"Those fifteen hours of workshop time will create a community of common ground, a safe place to refine and polish your work, and maybe the opportunity and inspiration to try something new. Morning and afternoon breaks between workshop sessions give writers a leisurely writing period." 

http://www.ncwriters.org/squire-summer-residency

Netwest member, Kathryn Stripling Byer, elected to NCWN Board of Directors

NCWN West member Kathryn Stripling Byer has been elected to the Board of Trustees of the North Carolina Writers' Network along with a writer from the far eastern part of the state and one from the Raleigh area. Read more here.

http://www.ncwriters.org/news/network-news/3567-three-elected-to-ncwn-board-of-trustees

Classes by Tracy Ruckman, editor and publisher of Write Integrity Press

Workshops - June 1 (fiction) and June 8 (nonfiction) at Unicoi State Park in Helen, GA. 

If you've been considering publishing your own books, these workshops are for you. A completed manuscript is not required, but we'll be looking at the publishing process from completed manuscript to publication. This is a hands-on one-day workshop, and it comes with 30 days of free coaching after the class is over (doesn't have to be the 30 days after the class, it can be any 30 day period within the next year - whenever you get ready to publish your book!)

June 1st: Unicoi State Park, logo room A, 9-5. How to self publish a novel

June 8th: Unicoi State Park, logo room A, 9-5. How to self publish your nonfiction

Classes are taught by Tracy Ruckman, editor and publisher at Write Integrity Press.

Each writer's how-to class is only $99. Register now at http://www.writeintegrity.com/

Early bird registration is $99. On Wednesday, the price goes to $119. 

Register now at http://www.writeintegrity.com/.

http://www.writeintegrity.blogspot.com/2013/04/summer-workshops-for-writers.html

Writing Is Good for your Health

Glenda Beall, owner and director of the Writers' Circle, will teach a series of classes entitled "Healing Through Writing." Classes will be held on Tuesdays, 2:00 to 4:00 pm, from May 14 to June 18.

Research from James W. Pennebaker, author of Opening Up, has proven that writing is good for your health. Evidence shows that writing, particularly about critical events in one's life, enhances the immune system.

For more information, including how to enroll in the course, see the Writers' Circle Schedule page.

Western Carolina University in Cullowhee hosts this year's Squire Summer Writing Residency

2013 Squire Summer Writing Residency will be July 11–14 on the campus of Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.

The Squire Summer Writing Residency is the Network’s smallest and most intensive conference. Admission is limited to the first fifty registrants who sign up for one of three three-day workshops:

• Poetry with Kathryn Stripling Byer, North Carolina’s first woman Poet Laureate. Byer has published six full-length collections of poetry, including Descent (LSU Press, 2012), her most recent. A re-print of her first, the AWP Award-winning The Girl in the Midst of the Harvest, is forthcoming from Press 53. Her work has appeared in many journals and newspapers, including The Atlantic, Hudson Review, Boston Globe, and Georgia Review.

• Fiction with Elizabeth Lutyens. Lutyens returned to her native North Carolina after a career in the Boston area as a journalist in print and television. Her novel-in-progress, Medicine Island, was a semi-finalist in the 2011 William Faulkner – Wisdom Competition. A faculty member of the Great Smokies Writing Program at UNC Asheville since 2006, she currently teaches its by-invitation Prose Master Class and is editor-in-chief of its online literary magazine, The Great Smokies Review.

• Creative Nonfiction with Catherine Reid. Reid is the author of Coyote: Seeking the Hunter in Our Midst (Houghton Mifflin) and Falling into Place (forthcoming from Beacon Press); she has also edited two anthologies and served as editor of nonfiction for a literary journal. Her essays have appeared in such journals as Georgia Review, Massachusetts Review, Fourth Genre, and Bellevue Literary Review. She is currently the director of creative writing at Warren Wilson College, where she specializes in literary nonfiction and environmental writing.

The Residency will begin on Thursday evening, July 11, with registration and check-in. Workshops begin on Friday morning, July 12, and continue until the early afternoon of July 14. The Residency will also feature panel discussions and readings by faculty and attendees.

Registrants also will enjoy meals together and have the option of staying overnight in on-campus accommodations.

“The small class sizes and extended, intensive format of the Squire Summer Writing Residency makes it especially safe for writers to share their work, get to know other writers, and find inspiration,” NCWN executive director Ed Southern said.

Registration is available online at www.ncwriters.org or by calling 336-293-8844.

The nonprofit North Carolina Writers’ Network is the state’s oldest and largest literary arts services organization devoted to writers at all stages of development. For additional information, visit www.ncwriters.org.

RADIO INTERVIEW THIS WEEKEND WITH MAREN O. MITCHELL

RADIO INTERVIEW THIS WEEKEND

WITH MAREN O. MITCHELL,

AUTHOR OF BEAT CHRONIC PAIN, AN INSIDER’S GUIDE

This coming weekend, Saturday, May 4, 2013, and Sunday, May 5, 2013, Maren O. Mitchell will be interviewed by Robin Watts of Regency Hospice in Hiawassee, Georgia, on WJRB FM, 95.1, during the Silver Linings Show. The subject is dealing with chronic pain, and methods other than drugs that can be used to cope with pain.

The broadcast times for the Silver Linings shows have changed, and are now aired on WJRB FM, 95.1. They are: Saturday: 6:30 am; 8:00 pm, and 10:30 pm. Sunday: 6:30 am.

All shows are available on podcast during the broadcast on the website of WJRB (see below). On the Home Page in the upper right corner, click on “Weekends” for the schedule and the live podcast. Click on “Listen Live WJRB” in the upper right corner to activate the LIVE podcast. The interview is not archived online and has to be heard online at the times of airing.

Beat Chronic Pain, An Insider’s Guide is available directly through Amazon, and through Line of Sight Press, http://www.lineofsightpress.com/.

WJRB FM website, http://www.wjulradio.com/.

BOOK REVIEW of BEAT CHRONIC PAIN by Maren O. Mitchell

Maren O. Mitchell’s Beat Chronic Pain -- An Insider’s Guide offers her reader this specific hope -- Return to Your Life: Ways to Confront and Relieve Pain Through Avenues Other Than Drugs. Another title for this book could have been How To Ignore Pain.

  

The book spoke strongest to me when I read these words:  “How to deal with the 

enemy--(Pain) Ignore him--write him out of your life.”  Maren O. Mitchell‘s positive approach is practical as well as intensely personal. She promises, “Pain does not take well to being laughed at.  When ignored, “It sort of shrinks up and slowly slinks away.” 

There are in this book a number of specific activities for beating pain. One suggestion

is to practice an imaging exercise. You are told to remember “a place and a time when you were stress free, pain free, healthy and strong, safe, loved, happy. Go there and gather images, colors, textures, movement” and more. “Savor the pleasure of being there” and “let your time there give you happiness right now.” See exact instructions on pages 67-71.  The author admits her “favorite place to imagine and travel to is “a two room cabin....that my father built beside a stream in North Carolina.”

I enjoyed reading this book and liked knowing Maren O. Mitchell is a writer and a practicing poet who writes to ignore her pain. A number of her poems are sprinkled throughout the book. Her poems have been also published in some of the best American literary magazines such as Southern Humanities Review, Journal of Kentucky Studies, Wild Goose Poetry Review, and in the anthologies, Echoes Across the Blue Ridge and Sunrise From Blue Thunder.

The different approaches that this author offers to help you ignore pain are valuable.  I understand that a person who wants to beat chronic pain does not have to write poems to get relief. That is not the point. Practicing imagery,(which is a technique of poetry)  going back in memory to a favorite place, has been proven to relieve pain, even if you do not write it. During imagery, your mind stays busy for a period of time, for minutes even hours, allowing you to ignore your pain.

If you suffer from chronic pain or you love someone who does, I encourage you to buy this book, read it, find solutions to use and to share.

Book Review by Nancy Simpson

How to order

http://www.amazon.com/Beat-Chronic-Pain-Insiders-Guide/dp/0985311908

Line of Sight Press

PO Box 1103 

Young Harris, Georgia 30582

More Poems by Maren O. Mitchell

http://nancysimpson.blogspot.com/2009/08/three-poems-by-maren-omitchell.html

Macon County meeting for Wordsmiths May 2

Shirley Cole the Representative for Macon County, NC is reaching out to the writers there.

The Wordsmiths of Macon will meet on Thursday, May 2nd, 6 p.m. at 81 Great Oak Drive.
A small supper will be served and the group is getting organized on a writing project.
"We are looking to write poems about all the fruit stands in Macon County as our first writing project."

Shirley encourages all those who write and live in Macon County to participate and take advantage of knowing and sharing with like minded people. Experienced writers can help beginning writers and that is what makes good writers even better. Working together helps everyone involved.

Other posts you might like to read:
http://netwestwriters.blogspot.com/2013/03/why-netwest-jc-walkup-tells-us.html

MADISON: A Gary Carden Monologue Celebrating the Life of Dr. Robert Lee Madison

Once again it is our pleasure to announce the performance of a Gary Carden Monologue.  On Friday, April 26, at 7:00 PM, Gary, assisted by  Pam Meister, Curator of the Mountain Heritage Center at WCU, will present “Madison,” on the stage of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Franklin, 89 Sierra Drive.

This is the life story of Dr. Robert Lee Madison, as told by folklorist Gary Carden.  Dr. Madison  in the 1880’s promoted the idea of a school that would train teachers for the mountain schools. There were no public schools, only family schools or subscription schools. Subscription schools required teacher payment up front from families or the schools could not be convened. At best a student’s schooling was sporadic.

Cullowhee Academy was a subscription, elementary school when  Dr. Madison came to the area to finish out the school year for his brother. He found that he liked teaching very much even though it paid very little.   He added to his income by writing for the local paper. His dream of a school that would train teachers began to look more promising when nine successful farmers from the area, later known as the Noble Nine, looked for a school and teachers to educate their school age children. Their funding launched a renewed interest in acquiring land and constructing housing for a new school.

This presentation will honor two important men in our intellectual life.  Gary Carden, who is a member of  the Franklin UU Fellowship, holds degrees including an  Honorary Doctorate, from Western Carolina University.  In 2012 he received the highest honor the Governor and the State of North Carolina can bestow in the Literary Arts.

Gary wrote this monologue to celebrate the life of Dr. Robert Lee Madison, the first President of  WCU, whose guidance and persistence, made possible a university education for himself and for the Appalachian Mountain population.

Tickets for “Madison” are available:

Franklin Chamber of Commerce.               828/524-3161, 

UU Fellowship of Franklin, 89 Sierra Dr.  828/524-6777

At the door the night of the performance   

Event Co-ordinator: Virginia Wilson          828/369-8658    

Thursday Night Reading at the John C. Campbell Folk School

Thursday night at the John C. Campbell Folk School we were entertained with poetry from Robert S. King and a funny, laugh out loud, piece from Bob Groves' memoir. Bob also read some of what he called "awful poetry" that was humorous as well.

Bob Grove

Robert King is one of the best poets around these parts and has published hundreds of poems in journals and anthologies. He has several collections published as well.
Tonight's work was from a yet-to-be published manuscript. I'm sure we will see it in print soon.

Robert S. King

Next month, May 16, featured writers for the Folk School Reading will be Glenda Beall and Carole Thompson.

Deanna Klingel's mini blog, Selling Books

Deanna Klingel, from Transylvania County, NC, is author of a number of YA books. Her books sell and she knows what to do to reach her audience.

Beginning Monday, Deanna Klingel's 30-second mini blog http://www.booksbydeanna.com will start a new mini series called "Selling Books." 

Deanna says, "Some of the posts will take more than 30 seconds, maybe a minute, but they are all taken from my journal, two years and 40,000 miles selling books. 

I've learned a lot about more than just selling books. Come join me. I'll post Mondays and Thursdays."   Deanna

A Quick Reminder from Scott Owens about Poetry Day

Some of us from NCWN West went to Poetry Day at Catawba Valley college a couple of years ago and had a good time. I recommend it to anyone who wants to spend the day listening to good poetry. The Poetry Slam was fun, too. It is only a couple of hours from Hayesville, I think. See Scott's announcement below.

 Poetry Day is this Saturday from 9:30 to 3:00 at the Catawba Valley Community College Student Center in Hickory.

Maureen Sherbondy, Beth Copeland, and Malaika King Albrecht will each read from their Oscar Arnold Young Award winning books.  Other contest winners reading their work will include Tony Abbott, Coyla Barry, Carolyn York, and many more.  

Lenard Moore will be honored as the dedicatee of this year's Bay Leaves awards anthology, and the NC Poetry Society will be recognized for their contributions to the NC poetry community.

There will also be a live poetry slam with just a $5 entry fee and cash prizes.  Bring a poem of your own and join in.

I hope you can join us, and please let me know if you have any questions.

 

Scott Owens
www.scottowenspoet.com
www.scottowensmusings.blogspot.com
www.poetryhickory.com
www.wildgoosepoetryreview.com
www.234journal.com
www.poetrycouncilofnc.wordpress.com

A word about editing from Bill Ramsey

A recent conversation with a forty year veteran of independent book store
ownership focused upon the difference between books from publishers versus
those from  self-published authors. I started the conversation by telling
him that I was trying to force myself to finish reading a new book about our
thirtieth president, Calvin Coolidge. The book was written by a
well-regarded author of history and published by a well-recognized name in
the publishing business.

This book appears to have had no real editing. Spelling and punctuation
mistakes were not the issue. However, long and awkward sentences made the
reading a chore. Inclusion of historic facts that had nothing to do with
Coolidge made the book 500 pages instead of the 300 pages that would have
given it focus and pace.

Narrow Gap Now

My book seller friend observed that the wide gap between high quality
self-published books and books from publishers has grown narrow. Even major
publishers are not providing the quality of editing they once did.

Let the writer beware. Using a publisher does not assure that quality
editing is going to be a part of the package. Of course, if the writer
decides to self-publish, the writer must pay for a quality editing. Editing
really makes a difference in the reading experience. We should not let our
hard work be hurt by failing to get a proper editing.

Bill Ramsey 
Bill heads up the Blue Ridge Bookfest in Henderson County, NC at Flat Rock Community College. 

Blue Ridge Writers Conference in Blue Ridge Georgia - Friday Night Reception

Tonight I sat with Robert S. King and Carole Thompson at a book table upstairs in the Blue Ridge Mountain Arts Center in Blue Ridge, Georgia. The room was small, but besides our long table loaded with Robert's many poetry books, copies of Echoes Across the Blue Ridge, Now Might as Well be Then, my poetry chapbook and Carole’s new book, I think 8 other writers were displaying their novels.

Glenda Beall, Scott Owens (standing in back) Robert S. King

I found that several of them were new in the area. I used this opportunity to tell them about NCWN and NCWN West. I gave out brochures with the application form on them, but the phone number for NCWN on the brochure is incorrect. We need to update our literature.

I feel sure we will soon have three new members. One of them is an author who lives in Macon County NC. I had friended her on Facebook. (Friended- what a weird word) Her name is Linda Rue Quinn, author of The Cyrano Game and another book soon to be in bookstores. She is trying to get some writing events started in Macon County, and I hope she will soon be a member of NCWN West.

Linda Rue Quinn and her husband

Another lovely author who is new to our region, only been here a few weeks, is Sharon. She has a novel and I’ll tell more about it tomorrow.

Meanwhile, I am in bed trying to get rid of the terrible headache I developed from sitting near someone who wore perfume. Having MCS makes it very difficult to attend writing conferences.

I am also ready to get back to Southern Fried Lies by Susan Snowden. So far, I am really enjoying this novel.

FOUR MONTHLY RADIO INTERVIEWS WITH MAREN O. MITCHELL, AUTHOR OF BEAT CHRONIC PAIN, AN INSIDER’S GUIDE

This coming weekend, Saturday, April 6, 2013, and Sunday, April 7, 2013, Maren O. Mitchell will be interviewed by Robin Watts of Regency Hospice in Hiawassee, Georgia, on WJUL FM, 97.5, during the Silver Linings Show. The first show aired March 23th and 24^th. There will be a series of programs over the next three months, all airing on weekends, discussing chronic pain, and methods other than drugs that can be used to cope with pain.

The broadcast times for all the Silver Linings shows are: Saturdays: 6:30 am; 10:00 am; 12:30 pm; 8:00 pm, 10:30 pm. Sundays: 6:30 am; 10:00 am. All shows are available on podcast on the website of WJUL (see below). On the Home Page click on “Weekends” for the schedule and the live podcast. Click on “WJUL Live” to activate the podcast. Each show will address different problems and solutions.

Beat Chronic Pain, An Insider’s Guide is available on Amazon through Line of Sight Press, http://www.lineofsightpress.com/.

For confirmation of air times, check online with WJUL at their website,http://www.wjulradio.com/.

COMMON CUP PROGRAM

Jim Geer, host of "The Common Cup," interviewed Brenda Kay Ledford about her new poetry chapbook, BECKONING, that was recently released by Finishing Line Press.

The program will air over Windstream Communications Channel 4 Cable TV on:

Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at:  9:30 AM, 4:00 PM and 7:30 PM

Friday, April 5, 2013 at:  9:30 AM, 4:00 PM and 7:30 PM

Brenda's book is available online:  www.finishinglinepress and www.amazon.com
and locally at:  Clay County Chamber of Commerce.

Brenda Kay Ledford, Featured at Coffee with the Poets at Blue Mountain Restaurant

Join us for Coffee with the Poets, 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 10. Blue Mountain Restaurant on the corner of Hwy 141 and Old Hwy 64 hosts this event each month. The restaurant is between Murphy and Hayesville, NC. The public is invited to attend.

Brenda Kay Ledford, author of Beckoning

Our featured reader for the month of April is Brenda Kay Ledford, author of a new poetry book, Beckoning, published by Finishing Line Press. 
Her book is available locally at the Clay County Chamber of Commerce; Hayesville, NC; and online: www.amazon.com and www.finishinglinepress.com
Brenda Kay’s work has appeared in many publications including Yesterday’s Magazette, Our State, Pembroke Magazine, Appalachian Heritage, Broad River Review (Gardner-Webb University), Echoes Across the Blue Ridge, The Reach of Song, and other journals and anthologies. Ledford co-authored the book, Simplicity, with her mother, Blanche L. Ledford.

She’s listed with A Directory of American Poets and Fiction Writers and is a member of North Carolina Writers’ Network West, North Carolina Poetry Society, Georgia Poetry Society, and Byron Herbert Reece Society.

Ledford received the Paul Green Award from North Carolina Society of Historians for her three poetry chapbooks.

April is poetry month and there is no finer way to celebrate than attending Coffee with the Poets, now in its seventh year. Open Mic is for anyone who brings a poem or short prose piece.

This program is sponsored by NCWN West. For more information contact Glenda Beall, 828-389-4441.

Local Writer Featured At Writers’ Night Out 3rd Anniversary

This month, Writers’ Night Out celebrates its third anniversary of drawing audiences from five counties. On April 12, Jo Carolyn Beebe will share her delightful words with the always appreciative crowd. The event takes place at 7 p.m. at Brother’s Willow Ranch Restaurant in Young Harris, GA, and is open to the public. As usual, area writers will participate in the open microphone that follows the reading. There will also be a drawing for free books.

Now living in Towns County, GA, Beebe was born at the tip of the Appalachian Mountains in northeast Mississippi where oral family history was handed down to her by her grandparents and great-grandfather -- history rich in tales of the early settlers, Civil War encounters, and the hard life of the rural south. While studying creative writing at Miami University, she discovered those family legends provided material for short stories and poetry.

Beebe’s other passion is genealogy. She says, “Colorful information about ancestors has made for some ‘wow’ anecdotes which have found their way into my stories and essays.” Her Pieces Of Yesterday, a genealogy mystery and “waiting-to-be-published” novella, combines these elements. Her publication credits include Main Street Rag, Lonzie’s Fried Chicken, Lights in the Mountains, Heroes of Hackland, Echoes Across the Blue Ridge, Clothes Lines, Women’s Spaces Women’s Places, View from the Top, and Abingdon Press.

Beebe has been married to husband, John, for almost fifty-seven years. They have three daughters and six grandchildren. Hobbs, their cat, is nearly seventeen.

For open microphone, readers of prose or poetry can sign up at the door, and each person has three minutes. Writers’ Night Out takes place the second Friday of every month at Brother’s Willow Ranch Restaurant, 6223 Hwy 76 West, across from Brasstown Valley Resort, phone 706-379-1272. The event is in the upstairs room, accessible via stairs inside the restaurant or the ramp (no stairs) from the upper parking lot. Food and beverages will be available for purchase; please come by 6:15 pm to order.

For more information, please contact Karen Holmes at (404) 316-8466 or kpaulholmes@gmail.com.

Poetry Day

Double click on image to enlarge

Glenda C. Beall Interviews Robert S. King, Poet, Editor and former Director of FutureCycle Press

GCB: I met you in Dahlonega, GA a few years ago, Robert, when you had just taken over as President of the Georgia Poetry Society. Then you came to Writers Night Out in Hiawassee, GA.  We were happy to find you had moved to the mountains and lived in NCWN West territory.

GCB: You were director of FutureCycle Press at that time.

Robert: FutureCycle Press began in 2007. However, I have also been editor or co-editor of several other presses, dating back to the mid-1970s.

GCB; How many books have been published by FutureCycle Press?

Robert: So far, 50 titles (books, chapbooks, anthologies), with 10 more in production

GCB: When did you begin publishing your poetry? Tell me again, how many of your own books have been published?

Robert: The first poem I published was in 1974, unless you count a short one printed in the church bulletin when I could barely write my name.
I have published six collections of poetry (three chapbooks and three full-length titles), with another full-length manuscript ready to seek a publisher.

Online Submissions Systems and Market Lists for Writers

GCB: On April 20, you will teach a workshop on the Nuts and Bolts Guide to Online Submission Systems and Market Lists for Writers 
Why is it important for writers to learn how to submit online and what will they learn in your class that they can't pick up on the Internet?

Robert:  Online submission is now the standard, no longer an exception to the rule. More and more publications are not only allowing electronic submissions but also requiring it.
Snail-mail submissions will be obsolete before too many years pass.

My class will not teach you anything that you couldn't learn on your own, but it will prevent you from having to go through the School of Hard Knocks, wasting your time.
It takes quite awhile to discover all the resources for submissions and no small amount of time learning how to use them. My class will jump-start your proficiency at selecting suitable publishers and sending according to their guidelines.

GCB: Is this class for experienced writers and poets or for beginners?

Robert: It's for any level of writer. Even many advanced writers don't know the resources available. However, beginning to intermediate writers will benefit most.

GCB: People know you as a poet. Is the class at Moss Memorial Library for poets only or for any writer?

Robert: The class is geared toward literary genres, including poetry, fiction, and essays. However, the resources discussed are comprehensive and suitable for any kind of writing, except perhaps cookbooks.

GCB: Thank you, Robert. You are always generous about giving of your time to help other writers. We all appreciate you.


To register for Robert's class contact Glenda Beall at nightwriter0302@yahoo.com 
or rsking@futurecycle.org


Glenda Council Beall (GCB) is an administrator of this blog, a poet and writer. See other interviews with Nancy Simpson, Scott Owens.
Visit Robert King's website to learn more about him and his poetry.

LIARS BENCH, MARCH 28, PERFORMS AT WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY'S MOUNTAIN HERITAGE CENTER

THE LIARS BENCH which has been called “an Appalachian variety show” will kick off its third season with guest appearances by two of Appalachia’s most gifted talents:  Shelia Kay Adams, a seventh generation ballad singer from Madison County and Marvin Cole, noted throughout this region for his depiction of Mark Twain. 

In addition to these two remarkable performers, Gary Carden, the founder of the Liars Bench, intends to introduce a few samples of his latest project, “An Appalachian Bestiary” which is a collection of “whimsical and imaginary critters.”  

Carden notes, “I have about 48 now, and they range from birds that fly backwards to snakes that milk cows.”



Shelia Kay taught school for 17 years before she became a full-time performer. She is the author of two remarkable books:  Come Go Home With Me, which is a collection of community stories from Madison County, and My Old True Love, which is called “a Civil War love story.” Since she is also a gifted storyteller, she has a collection of tales called “Don’t Get Above Your Raising.” 

For more than 40 years, she has been nationally known and sought after by the country’s colleges and universities for her ability to combine exceptional musical skills (banjo) and traditional ballad singing...and, as Daniel Patterson says, “for good reason.  She is North Carolina’s greatest musical treasure.”



Many people in this region have had the pleasure of seeing Marvin Cole do “An Evening With Mark Twain.” Dr. Cole has performed throughout the United States ...especially on Mississippi river boats.  However, Marvin is leaving his trademark “ice cream suit” at home, and he intends to explore new territory.  When asked about his topic for his Liars Bench performance, Marvin said he wanted to perform a “meditation on outhouses.”



The Liars Bench show is scheduled for March 28th at 7:00 in the Mountain Heritage Center at WCU.  Other scheduled performers will include Paul Iarussi (claw hammer guitar) and William Ritter, a Liars Bench regular (and gifted fiddler) who is scheduled to play “The Belled Buzzard.”  
The audience is advised to come early as this will be a popular show.

Gary Carden
gcarden498@aol.com

Beat Chronic Pain, An Insider's Guide by Maren O Mitchell is on the air

Maren O. Mitchell, author

FOUR MONTHLY RADIO INTERVIEWS

WITH MAREN O. MITCHELL,

AUTHOR OF BEAT CHRONIC PAIN, AN INSIDER’S GUIDE

Beginning this weekend, March 23th and 24^th, Maren O. Mitchell will be interviewed by Robin Watts of Regency Hospice in Hiawassee, Georgia, on WJUL FM, 97.5, during the Silver Linings Show. There will be a series of programs over the next four months, discussing chronic pain, and methods other than drugs that can be used to cope with pain.

The broadcast times for the first show are: 

Saturday, March 23th: 6:30 am; 10:00 am; 12:30 pm; 8:00 pm, 10:30 pm. Sunday, March 24^th: 6:30 am; 10:00 am. 

All shows are available on podcast on the website of WJUL (see below). Each show will address different problems and solutions. The shows air at the same times each month.

Beat Chronic Pain, An Insider’s Guide is available on Amazon through Line of Sight Press, http://www.lineofsightpress.com/.

For confirmation of air times, check online with WJUL at their website, http://www.wjulradio.com/.

JACK PRATHER FEATURES NOTABLE NORTH CAROLINIANS

May Book Events for Netwest member, Jack J. Prather, author of Twelve Notables in Western North Carolina -

2 p.m. Saturday, May 4th, Osher Lifelong Learning Center, Reuter Center, UNCA, with three 'Notable' authors: Joe Epley, Revolutionary War novelist; Dr. Olson Huff, children's books; and Doug Orr, Appalachian music book (2014) with co-author Fiona Ritchie.

 

8:45 a.m. Saturday, May 18th, as an author-presenter and exhibitor at the Fifth Annual Blue Ridge Bookfest,Tech Center, Blue Ridge Community College, Flat Rock, NC.

Jack will be announcing at the Blue Ridge Bookfest the identities of the exemplars who will be featured in his new book of comprehensive condensed biographies tentatively scheduled for release later this year: Seven Notable Women of North Carolina. (Two of the Notables are very well-known and respected within the writing community. The third book in this series will be about 'Young Notables', as he seeks to become a major chronicler of exemplary North Carolinians.

Jack J. Prather
prathergroup@aol.com

COFFEE WITH THE POETS

Brenda Kay Ledford will be featured during "Coffee With the Poets" at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva, NC; 10:30 a.m., on Thursday, March 21, 2013.

She will read from her poetry chapbook, BECKONING, that was released last month by Finishing Line Press.

Her book is available locally at the Clay County Chamber of Commerce; Hayesville, NC; and online:  www.finishinglinepress.com, www.amazon.com.

Coffee With the Poets is sponsored by North Carolina Writers' Network West.

Coffee with the Poets, Another Great Day for Writers

Once again we had a delightful poet featured at Coffee with the Poets Wednesday.
Carol Bjorlie brought her cello and honored us with two pieces played flawlessly. Her new poetry book The Poet Behind the Cello encompasses her love of music and writing. She gave us humor and a serious side as well.Our room at Blue Mountain restaurant filled completely with regular attendees plus four new guests. The waitresses at Blue Mountain took good care of us, serving coffee and sweets before we began.
 
The Poet Behind the Cello is a collection of poems for those who love the sound of words as much as the hum of a cello. In this collection is humor, love in abundance, attentiveness to sound, singing, and gratitude. Carol has been behind the cello since she was ten years old. She began writing when her father died days after her sixteenth birthday.

I appreciate those attending who buy a coffee or drink and leave the nice staff a tip. Eight of us stayed for lunch and had fun socializing. While waiting for our meals we used the time to – guess what? – write.
It looks like Coffee with the Poets has found a good home. Thank you Mary and staff at Blue Mountain.
April is poetry month. Brenda Kay Ledford will be the featured poet. She has another book, Beckoning, www.finishinglinepress.org, which I think is one of her best. I hope to see you there.

Glenda Beall

Should We Just Read or Perform our Poetry?

Yesterday, after the monthly Coffee with the Poets event, I had a conversation with poet Glenda Beall and her sister, Gay, about the lack of “performance poetry” in our neck of the woods. This phrase is not to be confused with “poetry slam” or “rap poetry,” though it may be similar, depending on the one dramatizing the poetry.

In a nutshell, performance means dramatization in which an actor or reciter delivers (not reads) the verse as if on a stage. In fact, sometimes the presentation is physically on stage. In many larger cities, you will find poetry troupes that routinely put on poetry plays in theaters or other suitable venues. Very often, they will even build stage settings and props.

I know the very mention of acting gives stage fright to some folks who have never done anything like this before. It’s true that not everyone is suited to acting out poetry. It’s also my observation that most poets are not very good at reading their own poems, much less dramatizing them. I can name some poets in our area who might pull it off.  I have seen Karen Holmes, for example, perform some of her poems quite well. Years ago I also participated in performance poetry.

Simply having good poetry does not good drama make. Some words just don’t work when staged. Usually the best poems for this purpose are dramatic monologues or narratives. However, a good voice can bring out the drama in other poems we might have considered unsuitable for staged presentation. I would find it interesting to see what our area poets select for performance.

One of the main requirements for performing is energy, which is usually the domain of youth. Some of us old timers can still cut the mustard, though I don’t think I’m one of them anymore. My mouth still works okay, though. Older age does not shut down all the possibilities. Many arts organizations actually pair drama departments or theater companies with poets. In this case the actors perform the poetry, and the poet basically takes an appreciative seat in the audience, perhaps taking a bow at the end along with the actors. I’d like to see this scenario play out in our area. When good poetry is coupled with good dramatic presentation, the results can be magical.

In this article, I’m just trying to identify a need, not to make a proposal. Nevertheless, if anyone has any ideas on resources to make this happen or would like to see the idea pursued further, I would certainly volunteer to help out. I suppose I will know the interest level by the number of comments to this post!

Can Writing Be Taught?

I have spent a lot of time in the past trying to figure out why some very intelligent people cannot write very well, whether we refer to poetry or prose. On the other hand, I’ve met a lot of poorly educated people who shine as wordsmiths.

Obviously, “writing talent” is the first criterion for determining whether one can write effectively. But what does that mean? I’ve met some people who seem to have substantial talent, but they have never learned to harness it in order to write well. I suggest that those folks are the ones who can be taught to write.

What are some of the elements of writing talent? Not necessarily in this order or all-inclusive, I’d say 1. A way with words; 2. A sense of humor and irony; 3. A sense of and skill at using metaphors, including the vision to see connections between unlike things; 4. Enough experience with life to have something to write about; 5. The ability to improve what you’ve already written (revision); and 6. Curiosity.

You may be able to add other elements as well. I think curiosity is most important of all because it is the catalyst for the other elements. Contrary to the popular axiom, curiosity does not kill the cat. It is a vital organ for a writer.

There are many permutations of curiosity (you can fill in any blanks): 1. Interest; 2. Studiousness; 3. Compassion; and 4. The courage and desire to know truth, even if it hurts. In my experience with classes and workshops, and with one-on-one interaction with others who consider themselves writers, I observe that lacking a significant number of these elements and/or permutations renders you ineffective as a writer. I say that if you inherently lack enough of these, you will never be a writer of any note.

Admittedly, some skills can be taught. You can teach someone to make subjects and verbs agree, but these are mechanical devices, not talent. It is true, however, that mastery of the mechanical skills can aid in developing more advanced skills. You may even be able to teach someone how to use metaphors, but I’d say only if that person possesses the appropriate sensitivity (i.e., talent).  To be a writer, there has to be more power under the hood than just a mechanical engine.

I could blame a lot of things on our societal lack of communication skills and growing illiteracy: 1. Terrible and decaying public schools; 2. The greater prevalence of broken homes; 3. The cost of living that favors the rich, in that more and more only they can afford an education. These are largely factors that have impeded our growth, even as writers, but they don’t address the key issue. That is, a writer must possess a certain spirit, perhaps his/her unique spirit, that goes far beyond knowing when to use a comma or a semicolon. The same is true for artists, musicians, or anyone creating what we recognize as art.

Perhaps we could label the list of elements and permutations collectively as “power.” Sometimes the power to write is there, and the owner of that power does not know it. Someone may recognize potential in that person but could not honestly label him/her as a good writer. Maybe that person will never develop further. Or maybe the light will go on. I have seen this happen. Thankfully, it happened to me as well.

Even at a young age, I was always interested in words and exercised that interest at least on an occasional basis until I got out of the Navy and went back to college. I took a creative writing course and quickly discovered that my puny attempts at poetry did not see the world as others saw it. I recognized that I did not know how to communicate through poetry. Thankfully, the professor did not try to dictate how I should write. He did not suggest that I go to an MFA factory. Instead, he gave me a reading list, at the top of which was W. S. Merwin’s Writings to an Unfinished Accompaniment. After reading this book, the light went on. I understood the compactness of poetic language, the subtlety of metaphor, and the unique voice that every worthy poet must eventually develop. This book did not make me a good poet, but it made me want to write and read. It turned on the power switch within me and allowed my skills to develop around that power. I knew then who I was and that I could do it.

So, if the power is already there, one can become a writer. I won’t speculate on the possibility of the power coming in to where it did not exist before. Perhaps such miracles do happen, but you don’t have to wait for a miracle. Instead, read and write long enough to see if the light comes on. The light is an awareness of one’s talents. It’s the knowledge where you feel certain that “I can do this.” It’s also the eagerness to do it, the curiosity that gives a cat new life.

One Man's Profit

Tonight I ventured out after being shut in for a few days of bad weather. Robert S. King, poet and member of NCWN West, was featured at Writers Night Out, a monthly event facilitated by poet, Karen Holmes.

Robert has recently published a poetry collection, One Man’s Profit, and in this book is one of my favorite poems, In Flight, originally published in The Bookends Review. It deals with the way we want to die.

Robert admits that his poetry lends itself to the darker side. Perhaps that is why I find this book appealing. The darker side has shadowed my own life in recent years.

Another of his poems in this book touches me as he writes about land. The poem is Grandmother. She works the land, sees it for how it fills her needs and doesn’t appreciate what the poet sees – the ancient trees, “the tall green grass stalks dancing like soulmates of the wind.” While her roots run deep, his seed is in the wind. Yet she teaches him the important things that make him “one not afraid to get his hands dirty.”

On Mother’s Day lets us see the devastation of his mother’s memory loss, the pain he felt, “I hurt that in the end you did not know me or yourself.” The poet continues with the pain she endured at her death. Anyone who has loved his mother will feel the depth of emotion in this poem.

Senior Moments is one of the poems Robert read tonight. Those of us near his age can relate.
…“I’ve got some sit- around friends,
all with that faraway look in their eyes.
Always nodding, one calls herself Dementia.

Is oblivion better than needles of worry?
Dementia knows, but she’s not saying.
Pain is not my friend, but so far
I can talk him down from the ledge.”

While I am certainly not a poetry critic, I know what I like. I like this book, One Man’s Profit, published by Sweatshoppe Publications. I enjoy the poems more with each reading.

Why should authors participate in book festivals?

At the risk of stating the obvious, if a book is to sell, the author needs to effectively promote it.
The question is how and where to do it. Does one hit the road and make individual appearances at book stores and coffee shops? Even a recognized author may find ten people in the audience and sell only a couple of books.
The disappointed author may have driven many miles and spent money on food and a motel. The host of the book-signing event offers all the usual excuses. "We don't know why people did not show up. We had a poster on the bulletin board for weeks and told lots of people about your coming."

There is an alternative to individual book-signing tours.
An author can participate in a book festival and share the large stage with dozens of other authors? Perhaps a shared stage is better than a tiny, empty one. There is the related opportunity to meet editors, reviewers, publishers and other authors making  it an enriching experience. Writers can attend free presentations on a variety of things like marketing, e-books trends and the effective use of industry professionals.  Mix with and talk to readers to see what they are reading and how they discover what they read. Ask questions that can guide both your writing and the most effective ways you can promote it.
There are about six active book festivals across North Carolina and others in adjacent states.  The closest to those living in western NC is the Blue Ridge Bookfest.

Fifth Annual Blue Ridge Bookfest

Your friends at the 5th annual Blue Ridge Bookfest invite you to attend on May 17 and 18, 2013 in the Technology Building on the Blue Ridge Community College campus in Flat Rock/ Hendersonville, North Carolina. Visit our website www.BlueRidgeBookfest.org and click on "Contact Us" to sign-up for our newsletter. Interested authors can request a table at a future festival by clicking on the drop down menu "Interested In".

Consider coming this year even if you are not exhibiting your latest book. Or you could just stay home and wonder why your books are not selling and why your writing is becoming more a task than a joy. What fun is writing if nobody seems to be reading what you write? Come play in our writer's sandbox; our book festival.


Bill Ramsey

Why Netwest? JC Walkup tells us.

Why?

 by JC Walkup

March 4, 2013

 

Competition. Among writers of NC Writers Network West members, there doesn’t seem to be any. Why do writers help their competitors? After twelve years in this group, I still can’t find an answer to that.

         Having trouble with an ending? There’s a writer who can help with that.

         Want to inject humor in a story too dark for its own good? There’s a writer who can help with that.

         Need to polish a novel to a blinding shine? There’s a writer/editor who can help with that.

         The magical thing about all of the above resources and more is that all those writers will do their best for you. True, a good editor costs a few bucks but those advertised in the blog and NCWN newsletters have proven value added to manuscripts.

         I challenge you to find another business where there is this much cooperation and support among those competing for the same recognition and dollars (as few of those there be). This phenomenon is like a warm blanket thrown over the shoulders of every shivering newcomer to the field.

Of course, as a writer or wannabe one, you have to put yourself out there. Risk? Yes, but not of failure. Never that. Pride can take a beating if yours is of the hubris variety. But honest, energetic efforts to learn the craft will always find support in this group.

 

JC Walkup
Wordslinger

Editors, Publishers
Writers checkout check us at
www.mountainwritersnc.com

Table Rock Writers Workshop at Wildacres

Children’s Writing Added to Table Rock Workshop: Piedmont Laureate John Claude Bemis Will Teach

Johnclaudebemis.com

For more information on the Table Rock Writers Workshop, held September 9-13, 2013 at Wildacres Retreat in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, please visit http://tablerockwriters.com.  Classes are small, register early.  All meals and accommodations are included.

Former student Bradley Scheel says, “John is the rare artist who is so passionate about the craft that he is willing to share everything he has on the subject freely and without reserve. Every moment was fun, every class inspirational. No time will be more wisely spent.”

I had the good fortune to attend the Table Rock Writers Workshop last year. My teacher was Darnell Arnault, a wonderful writer. Other excellent instructors are Abigail DeWitt, fiction writer, Joseph Bathanti, poetry, Judy Goldman, memoir and personal essays. The classes are filled with writers who give good feedback. I thoroughly enjoyed my week there.

It is held at Wildacres Retreat, one of my very favorite places. Check it out here.