COFFEE WITH THE POETS AND WRITERS

We had an interesting mix of writers and poets gather today at  Blue Mountain Coffee and Grill for our last meeting of the year. We don’t meet in January and February because the weather is questionable in this area during those winter months. We will begin in March on the second Wednesday, at 10:30 a.m. and our featured Netwest member will be Bob Grove, author of several books, including his memoir, Misadventures of an Only Child. Visit him online at bobgrove.org.

We had visitors today from Murphy, NC and from Blue Ridge, GA. I was happy to  see two writers from my classes at Tri-CountyCommunity College in Murphy, Kim Delaney and Larry Weas. I look forward to teaching again in March 2015 at TCCC. The title of the class is Write Your Life Stories. We will meet from 6 – 8 p.m. on Tuesday evenings. See www.glendacouncilbeall.blogspot.com for more description of the class.

We gave away five or six door prizes today – books and writing magazines. We talked about how, as writers, we bond when we share our poems and stories with each other. We get to know each other in a way that non-writers do not. Maren Mitchell said when she first read her work in public her knees were shaking but now she could read before a thousand people and it would not bother her. I hope all our beginning writers and poets hear that and know that one day all their fears will disappear, and they will enjoy sharing their work with others.

The program was all open mic today and we heard stories, poems and essays from those gathered around the table. I read a poem from Christmas Presence, an anthology edited by Celia Miles and Nancy Dillingham. The poem, Southside Diner by Cecily Wells, showed a glimpse of the loneliness of some people at Christmas time and made us all feel grateful.

Some photos of our day:

From left: Kim, Totsie, Maren, Joan, and Bill

Linda, Joan and Jim

Not pictured,  but present: Larry Weas and Louisa, Jim's wife.

Guest Post by Deanna Klingel

Deanna Klingel, author from Sapphire Valley, NC has sent, from her own blog, this post on Trees. 

Tree of the Month          

When I’m driving along on my book selling trips and suddenly burst out singing “How Great Thou Art,” it’s usually in response to a tree. Trees are the most amazing things! In early spring driving through middle Georgia there are more shades of green than one can imagine. Shortly after, Tennessee highways are lined with red buds blooming their little hearts out. When summer comes I hate to leave my street where the rhododenrons and laurel are so heavy with blooms the branches bend. And of course, there’s the autumn trees. The Blue Ridge all the way to New England is breathtaking. But this month, ladies and gentlemen, it’s all about the tree of the month, the North Carolina Fraser Fir.

Here in the mountains of western North Carolina we begin to see “our” trees coming down the mountain on big trucks in November heading for the Northeast, the southern coasts, south as far as Miami and as far west as Texas. Thanksgiving weekend tree lots pop up in cities everywhere with 2 X 4s stobbed into the ground to support the trees that will stand under overhead lines of light bulbs. Most of these lots will announce the arrival of the North Carolina Fraser, America’s ideal Christmas tree.

Named for John Fraser, a Scottish botanist, the trees were discovered in the 1700s growing only in five places in the world:  Richland Balsam, Grandfather Mountain, Clingmans Dome, Mt. Mitchell, and Mt. Rogers; indigenous here in western NC. The tree is now widely cultivated above 3000 feet where the cool temperatures and high rainfall allow the tree to retain its needles throughout the season. Because of the glossy needles, intense fragrance, and the natural “Christmas tree” shape, the tree is the number one choice in America.

 At any time there are 50 million of these trees in the ground here in NC, on about 33,300 acres of Christmas tree farms, 1500 trees to an acre. Every tree farm has seven stands of trees, as it takes seven years before the tree is ready to harvest. I visited with one of our local growers, Jerry McAbee, at Hutch’s Mountain Trees, not far from my home. He has a website www.hutchsmoutaintrees.com where we can see beautiful pictures of his trees from planting to harvesting. Share it with your kids; they’ll find it interesting.

I learned that both Jerry and his employee Sherry are writers and are considering joining our local writers’ group. They understand patience and waiting, and appreciate how long it takes to nurture a book-or a tree-to harvest. We laughed about how a Christmas tree farmer and an author are alike in that it takes passion, hard work, patience and determination.

Thanks Jerry, and our other Tar Heel Tree Farmers whose trees make Christmas special.

Visit Deanna's mini blog: http://www.booksbydeanna.com/12/post/2014/12/welcome-to-my-mini-blog-selling-books36.html

Shirley Cole's company appreciated by Reece Farm in North Georgia

Shirley Cole, Netwest member from Jackson County, was recently applauded in the Byron Herbert Reece Society newsletter. Shirley served as a representative for NCWN in Jackson County recently, but is now busy writing a novel. 

Changes in the Landscape 
Thanks to the ongoing contributions of Shirley Cole and her son Shannon of COLE  AND  COMPANY, MASTER LANDSCAPE GARDENERS, INC., visitors to the Reece Farm will notice another landscape change in and around the light pole in the parking area.  Three golden Hinoke Cypress trees have been planted there along with the placement of small boulders from other Farm locations.  Other plantings in this area are underway.  

Also, Shirley and Shannon found an ancient “cemetery rose” growing along the railroad tracks in Marietta.  The rose is pale pink and very hardy and has been planted behind the split rail fence at the end of the parking lot.  It should bloom in the spring and hopefully will help replace the lost rose so treasured by Reece’s mother Emma.   

Brent Martin will read at Malaprops this Sunday, December 7

Brent Martin has news for us.

If you are in the area of Asheville, NC on Sunday between 3 p.m. and 4, stop by the book store that we all know and love, Malaprops, for their Poetrio series. Brent will be reading from his new collection of poems, Staring the Red Earth Down (Red Bird Press).

Support the writers and the bookstores by attending the literary events. 
Contact Malaprops at http://www.malaprops.com/

Jack Prather's news

It is good to hear from Jack Prather who lives in Henderson County NC. He is an author we are proud to have as a member. I have read some of his forthcoming book about notable women of NC and I recommend it highly. See his news below:


Despite a tough personal and health year punctuated by a lengthy recuperative sabbatical, I'm now in very good condition and spirits, thanks to turning lemons into a pitcher of lemonade.

My latest (seventh) book and the second in a series about 'Notable' North Carolinians will be out in January (yippee!). My editor Rick Rickerson, author of The Five-Minute Linguist and former chair of the Linguistics Department at the College of Charleston, completed his work on the manuscript yesterday; and it's now in the hands of my designer, Chris Condrey.

More on Six Notable Women of North Carolina will be forthcoming following publication.

Jack J. Prather
prathergroup@aol.com
828-808-0660
www.futurenowpublishing.com

Kind of a Hurricane Press accepts Poem by Nancy Purcell

Nancy Purcell, writer and former Netwest Rep from Transylvania County in North Carolina sent her news.

I have always dabbled in Poetry but worked mainly on the Short Story. I recently submitted a poem to Kind of a Hurricane Press, kindofahurricanepress@yahoo.com, and my poem, Hard Frost, was accepted. It will be included the their anthology, Life is a Roller Coaster.

Sometimes you just get brave and send out work and get an acceptance! They're hard to come by but worth the effort.

Nancy is right. They won't be published if no one sees them. Congratulations to Nancy. 

Bob Grove, author of several books and Netwest member from Clay County, will perform his annual reading of Dickens' A Christmas Carol on Wednesday, December 10 at 7:00 p.m. This takes place at the John C. Campbell Folk School which will be decorated for Christmas. Bob dresses in period costume. Put this date on your calendar and plan to stay for the Folk School dance teams that perform after the reading.

Representatives for Netwest do a great job

The goal of the NC Writers Network West is to have at least one representative in each county of our region which includes nine counties south and west of Asheville. That person is given free membership in NCWN as long as they hold an event in their county – an open mic, critique, Writers Night Out, or some kind of gathering for writers and poets that is open to the public. 

Janice Moore and I (Glenda Beall) are reps for Clay County. Janice facilitates the monthly poetry critique group. I facilitate Coffee with the Poets and Writers which meets once each month on Wednesday morning. We have featured readers and open mic followed by a social time.

LUCY COLE GRATTON

KAREN HOLMES

Karen Holmes and Rosemary Royston are reps for the Georgia counties that border North Carolina. Writers Night Out, a monthly reading, has been a successful venture for several years hosted by Karen Holmes. 

Lucy Cole Gratton and Mary Ricketson are representatives for Cherokee County. Lucy does an excellent job of hosting monthly readings at the John C. Campbell Folk School. The monthly Netwest prose critique group is also held in Cherokee County at the Tri-County Community College.

NEWT SMITH

In Jackson County, Newt Smith and Kathryn Byer share the rep duties

and hold Coffee with a Poet each month at City Lights Book Store.

PATRICIA VESTAL

Henderson County representatives, Lana Hendershott and Patricia Vestal, hold a monthly open mic night that has become very popular with writers there. Having two reps work together and share the responsibility of the event eliminates pressure to always be present. Of course our members are usually happy to be the emcee if the representatives cannot attend. Staci Lynn Bell has volunteered to help with hosting Coffee with the Poets and Writers. She does a great job.

STACI LYNN BELL

It is not difficult to begin an open mic or other event for writers in your area. Find a coffee shop, restaurant, book store, or any place that will open their doors to the group for an hour. Send out word to all the writers in your area either by contacting NCWN or other writers you know in your county. Post a few flyers at the local library or other writerly places in the area.

LANA HENDERSHOTT

Those of us who have been doing this for many years will be very happy to help you get the event off the ground and going strong. An NCWN or Netwest sponsored group has the advantage of being a non-profit and that often eliminates having to pay for a venue.

If a group meets in a coffee house or restaurant, they should all purchase something to eat or drink. That is the courteous thing to do and builds a good relationship with the owner of the shop. Also, tipping the waitress goes a long way in making your group welcome at the restaurant.

We sit and write alone but we need community. We need to be with like-minded people to talk about our craft, to discuss our work and learn from each other. An open mic event might be the first time a budding writer gets up enough nerve to read his/her work out loud to an audience.

There are rules for open mic events and for critique groups that will ensure success. The representative in charge sets these rules and makes them known to anyone who participates. A time limit or word limit has to be set to give all those who sign up an opportunity to read.

A good critique group adheres to certain rules to keep writers from becoming defensive or from being too critical and losing members. We have a set of rules for critique that has worked for twenty years and has enabled local poets to help each other and become published.

Our representatives have done a great job for years. We need more people who will take a lead in their counties and promote the literary arts with an event for poets or writers or both.

We invite our representatives to leave a comment here and tell us what you do and why your events are successful.

KATHRYN BYER

Email www.gcbmountaingirl@gmail.com if you are interested in becoming a rep in a mountain county that doesn't presently have one. We will be happy to help you get started. 

Laurence Holden wins Honorable Mention for his poem

Congratulations to Netwest member, Laurence Holden who received an Honorable Mention for his illustrated poem "This Line Drawn" from the C.J. Jung Society of St. Louis, “The Altar of the Earth: Essays Exploring the Intersection of Jungian Thought and Ecology."  To read more visit here. Whole Terrain Journal: "Trust the Process: a conversation with artist & poet Laurence Holden" Whole Terrain Journal, a nationally acclaimed journal of reflective environmental practice, features an interview with Laurence Holden on their blog November 25, 2014: