City Lights Books in Sylva

While book stores across the country try to hold on in this tough economy, one of our favorite western NC book stores is changing ownership. As writers we should support these independent bookstores where we can meet the owner and staff and they can learn about us and our books. City Lights Books has always supported artists of all kinds, and we hope they will continue to do so for a long, long time.
Click here to read Joyce Moore's letter and announcement.

WORDS SHINING IN THE NIGHT

This is a LANGUAGE MATTERS column I wrote in the winter of 2006 as part of my Laureate duties. As our country becomes more and more diverse, this season invites us to celebrate these "holy days" in many ways and in many languages, and to carry what Native Americans call the ever-widening hoop of understanding into the New Year. I wish all of you a joyful holiday and a restorative New Year.

Words Shining in the Night


By Kathryn Stripling Byer



Nothing brings our language into brighter focus than religious holidays. As we gather to
hear the words of this holiday season, we have lately become more aware of how those
words can both bind us together and push us apart. Just last Christmas, there was an
uproar over greeters at various stores using Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas,
as if the former somehow diminished the latter. Yet, many Americans do not celebrate a
traditional Christmas and many others do not celebrate it at all. Some, like certain Native
American tribes, never have, welcoming the solstice instead with their age-old earth-
based rituals.

So, what to do in our increasingly pluralistic society, where Latino, Arabic, Jewish, African, and
Asian voices are joining our own? Can we agree at least on the meaning of this yearly
turning, that it pulls us back into the light, if we let it? And that the light can bring us
together, if we let it?

Perhaps learning some new words for light would be a good place to start. Tara, for
example. We English speakers think of Ireland and Scarlett O’Hara’s plantation. But the
word is also Urdu/Hindi for star, descended from the Sanskrit for “shining.” And this
time of year the star shining in the night carries special significance. In Spanish it is the
beautiful word estrella, and in French, etoile. The German star rings in the season as
stern, whose light cuts through the darkness and leads the way to revelation. In Arabic,
the haunting word shihab means flame. How can we deny this light shining in the
darkness, regardless of which word a culture uses to say it? We all light our candles this
time of year and watch the flames dance in the night.

I like the word shihab because it is the given name of a poet I admire, Naomi Shihab
Nye, American-born daughter of a Palestinian journalist and an American Montessori
teacher. For years she has worked to bridge cultural and religious differences, to heal the
divide that keeps us from being able to communicate with one another. Her voice shines
like a candle flame in this season’s dark night of suffering and war.

Her poem “Red Brocade,” begins: The Arabs used to say,/When a stranger appears at
your door,/feed him for three days/before asking who he is,/where he’s come from,
/where he’s headed./That way he’ll have strength/enough to answer./Or, by then you’ll be
/such good friends/you don’t care.

Let’s go back to that, she pleads in the line that follows. No matter the language used, this
time of year we call out to light, not only to the flame of the sun returning to our
hemisphere, but also to the light of understanding. This season challenges us to believe
that our words for that light matter. Call it luz, lumiere, shihab, or tara, it means the same
thing: the realization that we are called by the light to live together in peace.

Which Writers Have Writing in the Forthcoming Anthology ECHOES ACROSS THE BLUE RIDGE?

Hello Fellow NCWN West Members and Friends. I have been working as the editor on Netwest’s forthcoming anthology for about one year now, with the work arriving in my mailbox from December 1, 2008 to February 28, 2009. Getting a book published is a long process. Sometimes things move along like clockwork, but time stalled due to circumstances beyond our control. Still, I am happy to announce we are making progress and seeing our way clear to publish the anthology, titled Echoes Across the Blue Ridge: Stories, Essays and Poems by Writers Living in and Inspired by the Southern Appalachian Mountains. In fact, we have completed the proofreading process. The galley copy is being made at this time. We plan for publication in the new year.

An Introduction to Echoes Across the Blue Ridge has been written for us by Robert Morgan.

Other North Carolina authors have endorsed the collection including Lee Smith and more comments are forthcoming.

These authors, who live within the Netwest area, were invited to contribute their work and they did so with generosity: Our Program Coordinator Kathryn Stripling Byer, Thomas Rain Crowe, Steven Harvey and Bettie M. Sellers. The anthology is dedicated to the memory of our Appalachian ballad poet Byron Herbert Reece.

Check the list below of other contributors who have work forthcoming in Echoes Across the Blue Ridge:

Ellen Andrews

Richard Argo

Glenda Barrett

Glenda Beall

Jo Carolyn Beebe

Janet Benway

Joan Thiel Blessing

Rachel T. Bronnum

John T. Campbell

Gary Carden

Nancy Sales Cash

James M. Cox

Paul Donovan

Robert Edward Fahey

Jayne Jaudon Ferrer

Debora Kinsland Foerst

Joyce Foster

Karen Gilfillan

Gerri Wolfe Grady

Lana Hendershott

Eugene Hirsch

Sam Hoffer

Karen Paul Holmes

Tom Hooker

Kitty Inman

Carl Iobst

George Ivey

Mary Michelle Brodine Keller

Eileen Lampe

Blanche Ledford

Brenda Kay Ledford

Susan Lefler

StarShield Lortie

John Malone

Gail Maye

Marshall McClung

Jennifer McGaha

Mary Lou McKillip

Dick Michener

Maren O. Mitchell

Janice Townley Moore

Clarence Lee Newton

Arnie Nielson

Nancy Purcell

Betty Jameron Reed

William V. Reynolds

Estelle Rice

Mary Ricketson

Judy Roney

Rosemary Royston

Peg Russell

Linda M. Smith

Susan Snowden

Dorothea Spiegel

Wendy Richard Tanner

Carole Richard Thompson

Shirley Uphouse

J.C. Walkup

Cecily Hamlin Wells

Eleanor Lambert Wilson

Charlotte Wolf

Jane J. Young

Congratulations to Philip Sampson of Young Harris, Georgia

whose photograph was chosen for the cover.

Congratulations to Katja Holmes for her cover and book design

and for formatting the galley manuscript .

MORE NEWS WILL COME . STAY POSTED,

Cover for Echoes Across the Blue Ridge

After many hours spent pouring over the photos submitted for the cover of the NCWN West anthology, this photo by Philip Sampson of Young Harris, Georgia fits the recommendations of our book sellers and others who insist this book will jump right off the shelves into hands of readers when they spy this cover. The reflection of the mountains in the lake echoes the scene and fits the title ECHOES ACROSS THE BLUE RIDGE, Stories, Essays and Poems by Writers Living in and Inspired by the Southern Appalachian Mountains.
The book was titled by the editor Nancy Simpson. The cover design is by Katja Holmes.
Glenda Beall is marketing manager and is already promoting the book. A list of contributors will be posted here very soon. Read poems from the book on the blog of Nancy Simpson.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the book will not be released until after the first of the year. Continue to watch this site for more information.

Coffee With the Poets at Phillips and Lloyd Book Store on the square in Hayesville

Poet Dorothea Spiegel was featured and honored with a fond farewell at NC Writers' Network West's Coffee With the Poets on Dec. 9, 2009. She is leaving the area to live with a daughter in Tennessee.

Someone asked her, "How long have you been a member of N C Writers' Network West?"

Since the beginning." she answered.

It's true that Dorothea Spiegel was the first Georgia representative back during the founding days of the writing program that was established by N.C. W.N. to help the isolated, mountain writers of North Carolina and the north Georgia mountains.

Part of Coffee With the Poets also featured an open mic reading.

Karn Holmes reads a new poem

Blue Ridge Poet Brenda Kay Ledford read a poem.

Founder of Coffee With the Poets, former Program Coordinator, read poems from her recently published poetry collection Now Might as Well Be Then, Finishing Line Press.

ANNUAL READING AT MOSS LIBRARY IN HAYESVILLE, NC

Glenda Barrett

Writers and Poets Reading Holiday Stories takes place Thursday evening, December 17, 7:00 p.m. at Moss Memorial Library in Hayesville, NC.
Featured writers for the evening are NCWN West members, Estelle Rice, Carole Thompson, and Glenda Barrett.

The mic is open to guests after a short break to partake of the delicious buffet of finger food served by the library staff.

Left:Estelle Rice

          Right:  Carole Thompson

The reading is an annual event begun by Nancy Simpson, and is sponsored by Friends of the Library.

         

                                                                         

MAIDEN RUN by Joan L. Cannon is published and available from book stores

My friend, Joan L. Cannon, who lives in Morganton, NC is the author of two novels, SETTLING and MAIDEN RUN. She tells me that Maiden Run which was first an E-book, has now been published in paper. As anyone who has written a novel knows, the writing is just the beginning of having your book reach the reading public.
Joan says on , Hilltop Notes,
When you love your story as it unfolds under your fingers, completing it feels like a mixed blessing. When you then wonder whether it will ever see the light of day, you can begin to regard it as a curse. Nobody who writes for publication will fail to understand what I mean.


When the Adams family is approached on an ordinary summer day in 1935 by a pair of representatives of a mining company about investigating the family farm for deposits of natural gas or oil, none of them suspect this will be the pivotal summer of their lives, as they strive to save the land and its heritage.



A second theme is that of the destruction of beauty in nature, of tradition and history in the name of "progress."


Filled with a cast of colorful characters surrounded by the beauty that is rural America, written with the engaging style of a natural storyteller, Maiden Run will call to your own story of roots that can't be pulled thoughtlessly from the ground, and the love between siblings.

Three members of the same family with three vastly different views of their places at Maiden Run and just as varied views on life, find themselves changed over thirty years. Each must find a way to continue without the home to which they have always been able to return.

You can find Cannon's book, MAIDEN RUN, and excerpts from the book on the website of the publisher, Write Words, Inc
ISBN 1-59431-801-8 Fiction / Women's Contemporary as well as on http://www.amazon.com/.  It can be read on Kindle. Local book sellers can order it.

GLENDA C.BEALL: POET OF THE WEEK

                                            Photo by Valoree Luhr

GLENDA BEALL IS POET OF THE WEEK ON MY http:///site. Please drop by and enjoy the poems! K. Byer

Byer, Duncan, and Woloch at Malaprop's Bookstore this Sunday

Two reading/signing events are scheduled for this weekend, both featuring Cecilia Woloch and Kathryn Stripling Byer. On Saturday Night, Byer, Woloch, and Mary Adams will read from their new books at Cith Lights Bookstore at 7:00. Mary Adams chapbook Commandment was recently published in the Spring Street Editions Chapbook Series.

On Sunday, December 6, 2009, Malaprop's Bookstore/Café (55 HaywoodStreet in downtown Asheville, NC) will host poets Kathryn StriplingByer reading from ARETHA'S HAT: INAUGURATION DAY, 2009; Julia NunnallyDuncan with AN ENDLESS TAPESTRY and new, unpublished poems; andCecilia Woloch, author of CARPATHIA.

Kathryn Stripling Byer, poet laureate of North Carolina from 2005through June 30, 2009, was born in Southwest Georgia but moved to NorthCarolina in 1968 and has lived in the Blue Ridge Mountains ever since.She is the author of five poetry books, including COMING TO REST(2006), and most recently (in collaboration with Penelope ScamblySchott) of the chapbook ARETHA'S HAT: INAUGURATION DAY, 2009. Writingon the topic "Why We Love North Carolina" for the February 2009 issueof Our State magazine, Kathryn Stripling Byer noted these particularhighlights of her term as Poet Laureate: the "generous community of[North Carolina] writers . . . who continue to amaze me with theirtalent and energy" and most of all, "the students I've met in ourschools . . . these young faces looking back at me, ready to say whothey are. May we all listen well to them." As poet laureate, KathrynStripling Byer's primary goal was to "help make poetry accessible in asmany ways as I could," through frequent visits to schools and withwriting groups; appearances at bookstores, literary events, and avariety of public celebrations; a regularly updated poetry page on theNorth Carolina Arts Council web site; and her own generous laureateblog -- as well as by continuing to write and give public readings of herown poetry. In the process, she has demonstrated the perseverance andconstant delicate balance of energies required to lead a very publiclife as a dedicated writer. Asked why she writes poetry, she recentlyreplied, "It's the best way I know to sing with the world" (Writer'sDigest interview with Robert Lee Brewer, July 2009). We are very happyto welcome Kathryn Stripling Byer back to "sing" her poetry at Malaprop's.

Julia Nunnally Duncan writes both poetry and fiction. She haspreviously published two collections of stories and a novel, and hersecond novel, WHEN DAY IS DONE, is just out from March Street Press.Her Appalachian poems have appeared in scores of literary journals,and her first published collection of poetry, AN ENDLESS TAPESTRY(2007), was named a finalist for the 2008 Roanoke-Chowan Award forPoetry. She recently completed the manuscript for a second collectionof poems, AT DUSK. Rob Neufeld, book columnist for The AshevilleCitizen-Times, wrote of Julia Nunnally Duncan that she is one of fourWestern North Carolina "poets to watch." He remarked that her poems"make the greatest possible use of line breaks, so that individualphrases glow like haiku observations. Metaphors develop naturally and emotionally." In a recent article in North Carolina Literary Review, Jeffrey Franklin observed of AN ENDLESS TAPESTRY, "Duncan always makes the place solid, the people real, the situation, in all its emotional complexity and perilousness, rendered with a deceptive simplicity that quietly resonates. . . .[Her] people are as recognizably human as any in Shakespeare[.]" Like our other readers for December 6, Julia Nunnally Duncan is at once a dedicated writer and an experienced teacher; she has served as a full-time English instructor at McDowell Community College for nearly two and a half decades. At Malaprop's, she will read selections from AN ENDLESS TAPESTRY and from her manuscript, AT DUSK.

CARPATHIA is Cecilia Woloch's fifth poetry collection. Published in2009, it went into a second printing about two months after itsofficial publication date. Natasha Trethewey, Pulitzer Prize-winningpoet, has written of CARPATHIA, "The poems . . . are guided by anexquisite lyricism and heartbreaking emotional honesty. . . . This isa gorgeous book by a poet who is passionately alive in the world."Cecilia Woloch has traveled widely and taught just as widely, offeringpoetry workshops for children and adults across the United States andin several locations abroad. She serves as a lecturer in creativewriting at the University of Southern California and is foundingdirector of the Paris Poetry Workshop. The recipient of numerousawards for her writing, teaching and theatre work, in 2009 alone,Cecilia Woloch has been recognized as a finalist in the CaliforniaBook Awards of The Commonwealth Club of California for her 2008chapbook, NARCISSUS; as a finalist for the Pablo Neruda Prize inPoetry at Nimrod; as the first prize winner of the New Ohio ReviewPrize in Poetry; and as a Fellow at the Center for InternationalTheatre Development/US Artists Initiative in Poland.

Please join us in welcoming three distinguished poets on December 6,and begin your holiday season with poetry!Poetrio: Kathryn Stripling Byer, Julia Nunnally Duncan, Celia WolochSunday, December 6, 2009, 3:00 p.m.Malaprop's Bookstore/Café55 Haywood StreetAsheville, NC 28801(828) 254-6734www.malaprops.com

Fathers and Daughters, PATERNITY By Scott Owens

Tonight I ordered from Main Street Rag, a poetry book by Scott Owens.

The cover and the title, PATERNITY, intrigue me. I always get a bit misty when I see a loving father with his daughter. Scott will be in Hayesville and Murphy in May and will be reading and signing this book at Coffee with the Poets at Phillips and Lloyd books.

Poems of aching tenderness. PATERNITY explores with a discerning, clear-eyed sensitivity the daily small delights, frustrations, and purely unexpected miracles that, taken together, make up the building blocks of one father's personal salvation.
--Joanna Catherine Scott, author of Night Huntress and Fainting at the Uffizi

In Scott Owens' lovely book of poems, PATERNITY, we have a remarkable account of how his very special relationship with his young daughter, Sawyer, has saved him from the darkness of his own childhood. The poems are engaging in the deepest sense--funny, touching, and full of the kind of wisdom we all need as parents and family members to sustain the balance of daily life. How can anyone resist a girl who makes up the word, "effluctress," to describe what only a four-year old can see.
                                           --Anthony S. Abbott, author of The Man Who.

APPALACHIAN HERITAGE: CHEROKEE ISSUE

The new issue of APPLACHIAN HERITAGE has arrived. A special issue devoted to Cherokee culture and literature, it features Robert Conley, now Sequoyah Professor of Cherokee Studies at WCU, Debora Kinsland Foerst, MariJo Moore, and the striking paintings of Sean Ross.

Go to my www.ncpoetlaureate.blogspot.com to read more about this issue.

CLOTHES LINE BOOK SIGNING

Celia H. Miles, Joan Medlicott, and Barbara Ledford Wright, attended a CLOTHES LINES book signing at the Fire Side Books in Shelby, NC on Saturday, November 21st.

These three women contributed stories to CLOTHES LINE. This anthology includes work by 75 western North Carolina women. The volume covers a gamut of women's fashion.

Joan Medlicott also signed copies of her new Covington Holiday novel, A BLUE AND GRAY CHRISTMAS, at the Fire Side Books.

Take a look at Wrightsville Beach. Were you there this weekend?

Thanksgiving is approaching this week. The feverish shopping frenzy will begin on Friday, and I hope all the shoppers in the Murphy, Hayesville, Robbinsville, and surrounding area will stop in at Curiosity Shop Books at the Shoppes of Murphy for my book signing of NOW MIGHT AS WELL BE THEN, poetry by Glenda Council Beall.
Some comments about the book from Scott Owens:
Beall begins the collection with a love poem that celebrates the timelessness of a relationship. The speaker in the title poems says, “You brought me spring in winter // youth when I was old, / you found my childhood self.” If not for the dedication of the poem which announces who is intended by the indefinite second person pronoun, one could easily read this as a celebration of many things--god, nature, the mountains of North Carolina—and interestingly, any of these meanings would fit for the poems that follow as these poems celebrate the presence and influence of all of these elements.

     We would love to have you come in and vist a few minutes with me and Linda Ray, owner of the bookstore. 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. If you have a favorite poem in the book, I'll be most happy to discuss it and read it for you. Pick up a few books for Christmas gifts.
Scott Owens in his review that will be posted online in mid-February likes the poem, Roosevelt, and this Roosevelt is not a president. I'd like to know your favorite.

FRESH: A new literary magazine flies its colors

Fresh magazine's first issue features Robert Morgan with three poems, a story by Kathryn Magendie, and, among many other pieces, a poem by Keith Flynn, Editor of The Asheville Poetry Review, just off the presses. The deadline for the next issue is Dec. 1st, so consider submitting some Winter related work right away. The address is fresh, LLC, P.O. Box 107, Canton, NC 28716.



Why a new literary magazine? Publisher JC Walkup explains below. Please click on the image for better reading.



Fresh offers a literary contest for fiction and non-fiction. Not much time left to enter it, so brush off your manuscripts!

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS BOOKFAIR STUDENT POETRY CONTEST WINNERS

FOR YOUR READING ENJOYMENT, PLEASE GO TO "MY LAUREATE'S LASSO" TO READ THE POEMS BY STUDENTS FROM MACON, SWAIN, HAYWOOD, AND JACKSON COUNTY. THEY ARE A DELIGHT. THANK YOU TO THE TEACHERS AND PARENTS WHO ENCOURAGED THESE YOUNG POETS TO SUBMIT THEIR WORK.

Susan Snowden's Guidelines for Critique Groups

Guidelines for Writers’ Critique Groups

Susan Snowden has participated in writing critique groups since 1994. Her fiction, nonfiction, and poems have been published in numerous literary journals and anthologies. Susan offers these tips for Netwest members interested in forming a critique group.

Participants - It’s important to limit the group to people who have a similar amount of writing experience. It’s also beneficial if they have the same goals. In my group, we all want to improve our writing and to submit our work for publication.

Size of group - No more than six or seven is best, so that everyone can get feedback. Usually someone is on vacation, sick, at a doctor’s appointment, etc., but when just four or five show up, you will still have plenty to do.

Focus on one genre - Don’t try to mix poetry and prose, unless every member writes both. I belong to a poetry critique group and a separate prose group (fiction, creative nonfiction, personal essays).

Where to meet - If you meet in a public place, such as a library or book store, you may be required to open the group to the public, which rarely works. Writers need to feel safe when they receive critique, and someone wandering in from the street may not be “diplomatic” in delivering criticism. Fire departments in some small towns have community rooms you can sign up for. Janisse Ray, prize-winning author and sought-after speaker, met for years with several like-minded writers in the back room of a hardware store! Avoid restaurants. They’re messy, noisy, and don’t feel safe. My group meets in our homes. We rotate and provide tea, coffee, etc., and sometimes a plate of cookies to munch while critiquing. (If you have six members and meet monthly, you will have to host only twice a year.)

How often to meet - If everyone is retired and has plenty of time to write, twice monthly may work. Most groups meet once a month, which allows members plenty of time between meetings to write.

Length of sessions - One hour is not long enough for everyone to get feedback. Two hours seems just right for many groups.

Format - For poets, a couple of short poems each is about all you can cover. For prose writers, limit your piece to no more than 2500 words (10 pages, 250 words per page, double-spaced copy). At least 24 hours in advance, e-mail your work to all members. They print out and read the piece and make notes on the pages. In this way, you’re ready to discuss the work at the meeting. It takes far too long to read the work out loud at the meeting; it’s also hard for people to deliver thoughtful critique on a piece they’ve just heard.

– Go around the circle. Members should make comments one at a time. Tell the writer what you liked about the piece (praise first!). Then tell her/him if there was something you weren’t clear on, if a character didn’t seem believable, if dialog sounded stilted, etc. Be honest but kind; this is valuable feedback for the writer. (If someone has joined the group just to receive praise, he/she will drop out quickly.)

– Don’t use valuable time telling the person about misspellings or punctuation errors. Simply mark those corrections on the copy and give the person the pages at the end of the session.

– Set aside a time at the beginning or end of the session to share leads about places to publish, or about journals or magazines that are hard to deal with. Recently one of our members heard about an editor who was calling for stories for an anthology. Six of us submitted and four had their work accepted and published in the book. (This information sharing is very helpful.)

– If you have not written something to be critiqued, don’t skip the meeting. Attend in order to give others the benefit of your input. (In my group, if someone can’t come, she e-mails her comments to the others on their work for that month.)

Spirit of the group - The group should provide a “safe container” in which to share your work, learn from others, grow as a writer. Competition should not be a factor. Don’t compare yourself to others. Don’t put yourself down. Celebrate each other’s successes. Offer praise when you really like a piece; don’t praise it simply to stroke someone’s ego. It’s not helpful to them; writing is a craft that takes practice. In my group members listen openly to comments; we revise our work in response to suggestions that resonate with us. We almost always acknowledge that the final product (sometimes revised numerous times) is better—more powerful, clearer, funnier, whatever!

Comments, suggestions, criticism should be offered in a kind, gentle manner. Harsh, mean-spirited criticism should not be tolerated. When you receive critique, don’t argue or defend your work. Receive the criticism with an open mind. You don’t have to accept suggestions. On the other hand, if no one in the group “gets” what you were trying to convey, you may want to go back to the drawing board!

Susan Snowden
Snowden Editorial Services
©2009

Susan Snowden’s work has appeared in numerous anthologies and literary journals, including New Orleans Review, Pisgah Review, Now and Then, Emrys Journal, Aries, and moonShine review. She has received awards from Writer’s Digest magazine, Appalachian Writers’ Association, the NC Writers’ Network, and others. Susan is a book editor based in Hendersonville, NC. (SnowdenEditorial.com)

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS BOOKFAIR

(City Lights Bookstore, along with The Friends of the Jackson County Library and numerous other volunteers, helped make the Bookfair a reality.)

This year's Great Smoky Mountains Bookfair was a smash hit! We had more people come to visit than ever before, and our authors on display were busier than I've ever seen them. I can vouch for that! I hardly had time to look at the book displays or to visit with friends like Kerry Madden, Pam Duncan, Vicki Lane, Allan Wolf, Fred Chappell--well, the list could go on. The event was held once again at the First United Methodist Church in Sylva, an ideal facility that feels both welcoming and capacious enough for a bunch of writers and readers to hang out for a day, indulging their love of books. We appreciate the church for opening its lovely downstairs rooms to us.

Alas, I forgot to bring new batteries for my camera, so I don't have photos of my own to share, but I do have one, taken in my kitchen, of the beautiful wall sconce, with an ear of corn on it (of course!), by my dear friend Gayle Woody, the one who created the gorgeous corn batik that I featured a few weeks back. Gayle teaches art at Smoky Mountain High School now, and her energy and spirit always makes me feel more alive.

>

(Sconce hand-made by artist and friend Gayle Woody)

I wrote a lot of poems for both children and adults, including a couple for babies named Eason and Sean Adam. I had a lot of fun writing one for a woman who rescues St. Bernard's, the breed of dog I've always wanted! With four "mutts" living with me these days, I'm glad I don't have the dog of my dreams, though a keg of brandy around his neck would be welcome on cold nights.
The highlight of my day was Allan Wolf's Poetry Alive performance and the readings by our student poetry contest winners. More about that tomorrow. They were fabulous. What poise they all had! I could never had stood up to read my own poem when I was in the second grade. Or the twelfth!

(Photo from Allan's website, http://www.allanwolf.com. )

And yes, I bought books, so many that my friends Harold and Jane Schiffman had to help me carry them out to the car!

Then we joined Fred and Susan Chappell for a glass of wine at Mill and Main, http://www.historicdowntownsylva.com/rest.html, basking in the afternoon light on the restaurant deck.

All in all, a great day for writers, readers, and our region.

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS BOOKFAIR

ARCHITECT'S RENDERINGS OF THE NEW JACKSON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY:



TOMORROW IS THE BIG DAY, SO PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDAR! I'M HOPING NETWEST MEMBERS WILL COME OVER TO SYLVA TO ENJOY THE LITERARY FELLOWSHIP AND BUY BOOKS. (WWW.gsmbookfair.org) THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS ALMOST HERE, SO THINK ABOUT YOUR GIFT LISTS AND REMEMBER THAT BOOKS MAKE THE BEST GIFTS, ESPECIALLY THOSE PURCHASED FROM INDIE BOOKSTORES LIKE CITY LIGHTS. AND IF YOU BUY BOOKS AT THE BOOKFAIR, A PORTION OF THE PROCEEDS WILL GO TOWARD BUILDING THE NEW LIBRARY IN SYLVA, A FACILITY THAT WILL SERVE NOT ONLY JACKSON COUNTY BUT THE REGION, AS WELL. IT'S GOING TO BE BEAUTIFUL, SET ATOP COURTHOUSE HILL.

CLICK ON THE POST LINK TO GO TO SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS'S FEATURE THIS WEEK ON THE FAIR.

CLOTHES LINES - BOOK SIGNING AT HIGHLAND BOOKS

From left: Betsy Craig; Peggy Bresnahan; Janet Sloane Benway; Nancy Purcell, Transylvania Rep for Netwest;Alexandra Burroughs;

Celia Miles, editor, seated.

 
These writers signed the anthology, Clothes Lines, edited by Celia Miles and Nancy Dillingham, at Highlands Books. From Birkenstocks to bras, red shoes to pink pants suits, prom dresses to funeral gown, our garments, our mother's closet, 75 women writers from western NC reflect in poetry, memoir, story, and essay on their fascination and feeling for the clothes they wear, remember, revere, or reject.

MEOW POETRY

Brenda Kay Ledford's poem, "Sonja," appeared in the anthology, MEOW POETRY. She is a member of North Carolina Writers' Network-West. http://www.brendakayledford.com/; http://blueridgepoet.blogspot.com/.

Winkle, Jeffrey. MEOW POETRY. Denver, CO: Outskirts Press, Inc., 2009. 74 pages, trade paperback. $11.95. http://www.outskirtspress.com/.

MEOW POETRY is a collection of fun, fabulous, feline verse by 51 poets. Some of the poems are written by established poets such as Larry Thomas, the 2008 Texas Poet Laureate; Lana Hechtman Ayers, poetry editor of Crab Creek Review; Judith Kerman, publisher of Mayapple Press; and Dr. John Achorn, associate professor of English at New England College. Other contributors are regular folk, who have published for the first time. There is authenticity throughout the book.

In this excellent anthology, you’ll be entertained and gain insight into cats. They are a mysterious lot. Fur-covered enigmas. They are quirky. The delightful, mercurial nature of cats makes them difficult to describe—a challenge for poets.

You’ll find all kinds of cats in this collection: cunning cats, curious cats, cuddly cats, cute cats, clean cats, confrontational cats, companionable cats, courageous cats, and country cats. A patchwork of cats cross your path in this book: Persian, Abyssinian, Himalayan, Tabby, Siamese, Calico; all kinds with magical glowing eyes; fluffy and short tails Pur-r-r-r-r for affection.

Finally, MEOW POETRY is the perfect, present for every member on your Christmas list who loves felines. This anthology also would make a great gift for your veterinarian. To order: ww.outskirtspress.com; http://www.amazon.com/.

Book reviewed by: Brenda Kay Ledford, author of, Sacred Fire, 2009 Paul Green Award recipient.

SALE OF FABRIC ART BENEFITS SCHOLARSHIP FUND

About the Candy Maier Scholarship Fund for Women Writers

The Candy Maier Scholarship Fund for Women Writers supports participation in shared writing experiences. It provides scholarship assistance to women living in Western North Carolina for workshops, classes, program and retreats located in Western North Carolina or in nearby areas of contiguous states.

Writing friends of Candy Maier established The Candy Fund (TCF) in 2006, after her unexpected death in November of 2005, to honor her life and the kind of writing experiences she found fun and meaningful.

In TCF’s first three award years, more than fifty women received scholarships. These women are already giving back to the community of writers. Awards are made each month, year-round, as funds permit.

Sales of the fabric art will be important in our current funding, and we invite you to consider a purchase of one of these beautiful pieces. Please contact Cheryl Dietrich, 828-277-1757, cheryldietrich@bellsouth.net, for further information or to see the any of the fabric art.

About the Fabric Art
The one-of-a-kind pieces marry traditional quilting techniques with layers of landscape, figures and words. The varied and vibrant colors originate from hand preparation/dying of the fabrics.

“Park Scene II”

From a drawing by Kimberly at the Morikami Japanese museum.

13” x 15”

$ 80

“Plentissa—Kitchen Goddess”

24 ½” x 25 ½”

$ 350

“Sweet Abundance”

Candy and sweets (and soft photos of Kimberly as a child)

50” x 69”

$ 900

“Homage to Monet”

Water lilies

52” x 70”

$ 900

Words, Words, Words

Inspired by, and containing words

51” x 51”

$ 750



About the Artist, Kimberly Childs



Kimberly Childs is nationally known for her quilted fabric art and garments. Her themes range from personal serendipity to Florida (“Park Scene II”) and the Southwest. After many years as a fabric artist, health challenges now prevent her from executing further pieces. She now uses her writing and watercolor painting to express herself.

Kimberly lives in Asheville where she is an active member of the community of women writers. Her donation of fabric art for the support of the scholarship program has been greatly appreciated by The Candy Fund Board.

For more information on Kimberly, please see her web site: http://www.kimberlychilds.net/

CREATIVE NONFICTION CONTEST

THE ROSE POST CREATIVE NONFICTION CONTEST

DEADLINE: NOVEMBER 18, 2009

The Rose Post Creative Nonfiction Competition encourages the creation of lasting nonfiction work that is outside the realm of conventional journalism. Subjects may include traditional categories such as reviews, travel articles, profiles or interviews, place/history pieces, or culture criticism.

The first-, second- and third-place winners will receive $300, $200 and $100, respectively. Additionally, Southern Cultures magazine will consider the winner for publication. The final judge is Pushcart Prize-winner Virginia Holman, author of Rescuing Patty Hearst.

Questions may be directed to Virginia Freedman at mail@ncwriters.org This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

                           Eligibility and Guidelines

The competition is open to any writer who is a legal resident of North Carolina or a member of NCWN.

Submit two copies of an original and previously unpublished manuscript of no more than 2,000 words, typed (12-point font) and double-spaced.

• The author's name should not appear on the manuscript.
• Multiple submissions accepted, one manuscript per entry fee:
•  $10/NCWN members,
• $15/nonmembers. (You may pay member entry fee if you join NCWN with your submission.)

• Entries will not be returned.
• Include a SASE for a list of winners.
• Send submissions, indicating name of competition, to:

Ed Southern, Executive Director
PO Box 21591
Winston Salem, NC 27120-1591

Moss Library and NCWN West hold holiday readings

Photos made in December 2006. Carole Thompson, has a story in the anthology edited by Celia Miles, Clothes Lines. (Center)Nancy Gadsby, facilitor of Writing for Children group. Estelle Rice has published numerous short stories, essays and poems. She also has a poetry chapbook published.

Estelle Rice

Dorothea Spiegel

Carole Thompson, Georgia Representative for Netwest

This year, Thursday evening, December 17, at 7:00 p.m. our readers will be Glenda Barrett, Estelle Rice, and Carole Thompson. All stories must have a holiday theme. Open mic is held after the readings and refreshments are served.

THE SOUL TREE: POEMS AND PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS

Published and printed in Asheville, North Carolina by Grateful Steps Publishing.

The poet and photographer will be at the Great Smoky Mountains Book fair. The Soul Tree would make a perfect Christmas Gift. Or several.

To say that Laura Hope-Gill and John Fletcher, Jr. have put together one of the most beautiful books I've ever seen would be an understatement. Here is a collaboration that expands the definition of that word. It's a seamlessly interwoven collection of words and images that invite and inspire, in the the original meaning of that over-used term. Laura's poems show the depths of her poetic "inseeing, " Rilke calls it, and Fletcher's photographs open up the landscape that Laura sings into being with her words. The Soul Tree speaks to the landscapes of internal and exterior reality. In this collection those two landscapes have found harmony through two artists working together in celebration of what they love.


Laura Hope-Gill is in the process of being certified as a Certified Applied Poetry Facilitator by the National Federation for Poetry Therapy, working under the mentorship of poet and psychotherapist Perie Longo. The Director of Asheville Wordfest, a free poetry festival which presents poetry as Citizen Journalism, she consciously pursues ways of revealing poetry’s relevance to every-day life and not merely an “art form” whose only use is to beautiful. The Soul Tree: Poems and Photographs of the Southern Appalachians (Grateful Steps, Asheville) is a collaboration with local photographer John Fletcher, Jr. and is an application of her vision of poetry as a conversation between inner and outer worlds.



Renowned photographer John Fletcher has this to say about the beginnings of their collaboration.

"After visiting my landscapes website in the spring of 2008, Laura replied with an email containing an attachment titled, 'The Soul Tree.' I was stunned after reading the poem, then I noticed that there were 35 more pages to the document. My jaw dropped a little lower each time I scrolled to the next poem…36 in all. I was speechless.Not only was her writing beautiful and poignant, but her poetry brought new life to the photographs. I was also quite overwhelmed by her choice of photos…not the pretty sunset pictures that most people like. She was inspired by the photos that were my favorites…the mysterious and more abstract images that I feel personify my experience and observations.



Today I continue this pursuit by working as a staff
photographer for the Asheville Citizen-Times, shooting
weddings, and freelancing for regional and national
clients including, USA Today, The Associated Press,
MSNBC, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and
the Asheville Chamber of Commerce."

Images and poems from The Soul Tree may be found at http://www.thsoultree.com/, along with ordering information and more about the two artists who have brought this lovely book into existence.

Here are two pages from the book.