Learning Center Kids in Bay Leaves

We learned that some of The Learning Center's students who submitted poems for the contests of the Poetry Society of North Carolina will have their poems published in Bay Leaves, the annual anthology with the winning poems in the annual contests held by the Poetry Society of NC.

In the Charlotte Young Contest for Elementary School Students Eli Sellers won third place and Jade Shelton received an honorable mention. The other contest was called “Carol Bessent Hayman Contest for Middle School Students” and Sam Davidson received honorable mention for his poem.
The names of the poems are:
Eli Sellers- “Dragon!”
Jade Shelton- “Fat Boy”
Samuel Davidson- “WAR”

The Learning Center in Murphy, NC is a charter school headed by Netwest member, Mary Jo Dyre.

Writing in Brevard/Transylvania County

Brevard Writers/Transylvania Writers Alliance Group meets first and third Tuesday of every month at First Presbyterian Church on Main Street at 3:00 PM. County-wide writers group for writers of all genre

In cooperation with local arts “Writing As Art” continues to be hosted by Wayne Drumheller through February, 2011. They meet at 1:30-3:00 PM on third Tuesday of month in reading room at Quotations. This is for writers of all ages who want to go beyond reading and produce, in the short term, their short stories, essay, memoirs and poetry works using illustrations, art and photography.
Limited to eight to ten members. Contact for more details. Minimal cost.

Wayne Drumheller,Writer, Photographer, Storyteller
260 Frank's Cove Road
Brevard, NC 28712

Phone 704-287-9806 cell
Phone 828-877-5133 home office
Email mystory@citcom.net

NANCY SIMPSON'S BOOK LAUNCH AT CITY LIGHTS

Nancy Simpson's long awaited collection of poems, LIVING ABOVE THE FROST LINE, had its official "launch" last Sunday afternoon at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva, North Carolina. Yes, we had champagne, and we toasted Nancy and her book before she began her reading. On hand was her editor Andrea Selch, all the way from Carolina Wren Press in Durham. Spring Street Cafe offered up a great spread of reception food after the reading. Below are assorted photos from the event.

Nancy chats with novelist Sue Ellen Bridgers at the signing table.

Nancy signs a book for Dick Michener.

Andrea Selch and City Lights owner Chris Wilcox confer beside the reception table.

Gary Carden's painting, "Preaching to the Chickens" displayed above one of the reception tables.

Andrea Selch talks with Rosemary Royston.

Nancy brings intensity to her reading! Rose, sitting next to me, remarked that it was the most moving poetry she had heard in a good while.

Andrea and I join Nancy for a photo op. Nancy will be reading at Campbell Folk School on November 4.

Book Launch for Living Above the Frost Line

The book launch party for Nancy Simpson's Living Above the Frost Line, New and Collected Poems, was fun and the audience enjoyed Nancy's reading and her Q & A after. I commented on how well the poems from her first books melded with the new poetry to unfold her life on the page.
We gathered at City Lights Books in Sylva last Sunday afternoon to honor Nancy and to celebrate the book.
I enjoyed talking with Gene Hirsch who was riding with Linda Kane a former Netwest member and poet. Dick Michner and Sandy were present, as was Rosemary Royston. The room was full of people that I didn't get to speak to, but was so happy to see purchasing Nancy's book as I know they will enjoy every word.
I took some pictures I will share.

A long line formed after Nancy read and talked about her writing

Many of our Netwest Poetry Group will remember Linda and her exquisite poetry.

Dr. Gene Hirsch always supports our writers when and where he can. We appreciate him.

Contact Carolina Wren Press to order Living Above the Frost Line or check your local Independent Book Store.

POETS DRINK COFFEE AND READ POEMS AT PHILLIPS AND LLOYD BOOK STORE

Poets gathered at Phillips and Lloyd Book Shop today in the town of Hayesville, North Carolina for COFFEE WITH THE POETS, held monthly and sponsored by NC Writers Network West. Linda M. Smith welcomed all.

Nancy Simpson, the featured poet, read from her new book LIVING ABOVE THE FROST LINE, 
( Carolina Wren Press) and she discussed the meaning of "frost line." She also spoke about the theme behind much of her poetry, that we live "many lives in one life time." Simpson read five poems: "Living Above the Frost Line", "On A Mountain In An Unfinished Cabin, " Lives in One Lifetime", "Green Place", and "Frederick at the Piano". Her book is for sale at Phillips and Lloyd Book Shop, The Book Nook, and John C. Campbell Folk School.

Poet Gene Hirsch, of Pittsburgh, PA and Murphy, NC, a long time Netwest member, attended with students from his John C. Campbell Folk School Poetry Writing class. He read two poems in the open mic session and some of his students read poems.  Bob Grove also read two newly written poems.

Appalachian poet Brenda Kay Ledford of Hayesville read.

 (Brenda Kay Ledford and Blanche Ledford)

Appalachian poet Glenda Barrett of Hiawassee, Georgia read two poems.











Joan Ellen Gage, another Netwest member at large, who lives most of the year in Florida was in the neighborhood and read two poems.

Poet Maren O. Mitchell shared her delicious Nasturtium poem and gave positive energy and encouragement to all.

NC Writers Network West Monthly Prose Writing Group Will Meet

On Oct 12, 2010, at 9:23 AM, Peg Russell wrote:

Thursday at 7PM the NetWest Prose Critique Group will meet at Tri-County Community College, in the Enloe Building small conference room, #108.

 At entrance of Enloe Building, turn right, go through doors, and #108 is on right after the bathroom.

   This is the perfect place for our group:  smaller room with window wall,  large conference table, comfortable chairs. Bring Copies of your work to share.

 Let me know if you will be able to come.  Thanks.   Peg  e mail -  pegrussell@hotmail.com

On Jayne Jaudon Ferrer's Your Daily Poem.com, I clicked on her Poetry News page where I found this article.



Poetry doesn't come out so well on an e-reader, it seems. I finally succumbed and bought a Kindle when they came down to a more reasonable price. So far, I'm not impressed, but then I've done very little with it. Now I read that Billy Collins was less than impressed with the way the e-reader destroyed the forms of his poetry.



"I found that even in a very small font that if the original line is beyond a certain length, they will take the extra word and have it flush left on the screen, so that instead of a three-line stanza you actually have a four-line stanza. And that screws everything up," said Collins, a former U.S. poet laureate whose "Ballistics" came out in February.



Now, I wonder if we want Echoes Across the Blue Ridge, Stories, Essays and Poems by Writers Living in and Inspired by the Southern Appalachian Mountains, on Kindle after all. We have excellent poetry from numerous poets in this anthology. How will they feel if their poems are changed due to the inability of the technology to hold the words on the proper lines, keep punctuation in place and keep the integrity of the poem intact?



What do you think? If you are a poet, please let us know by leaving a comment.



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/19/BUN21EFS7H.DTL#ixzz126qxVEOz