The Literary Hour on August 22, 2018, at the JCCFS, Brasstown, NC, will feature NCWN-West's writers Catherine Carter, Joan Howard, and Karen Luke Jackson

On Wednesday, August 22, 2018, at 7:00 PM, John C. Campbell Folk School (JCCFS) and NC Writers' Network-West (NCWN-West) will sponsor The Literary Hour at the JCCFS, Brasstown, NC. The Literary Hour is usually held on the third Thursday of the month unless otherwise indicated. This reading is free of charge and open to the public. This month's featured readers will be Catherine Carter, Joan Howard, and Karen Luke Jackson.

Catherine Carter lives with her husband in Cullowhee, near Western Carolina University, where she teaches in the English Education and Professional Writing programs. Her full-length collections of poetry include The Swamp Monster at Home (LSU Press, 2012) The Memory of Gills (LSU, 2006), and Larvae of the Nearest Stars (forthcoming from LSU, fall 2019.  The Memory of Gills received the 2007 Roanoke-Chowan Award from the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association; her chapbook Marks of the Witch won Jacar Press’ 2014 chapbook contest; other awards include the 2018 James Applewhite Poetry Award from the North Carolina Literary Review, the 2014 Poet Laureate’s award from the North Carolina Poetry Society, the 2013 poetry award from Still: The Journal, and numerous Pushcart nominations.  Her work has also appeared in Best American Poetry 2009, Orion, Poetry, Asheville Poetry Review, Tar River Review, and Ploughshares, among others.

Carter is assistant poetry editor at Cider Press Review and the Jackson County regional representative for NCWN-West. Carter blogs at: https://catherinecarterpoetry.com/.

Joan M. Howard's poetry has been published in POEM, The Road Not Taken:The Journal of Formal Poetry, the Aurorean, Lucid Rhythms, Victorian Violet, the Wayfarer and other literary journals.  She published the book Death and Empathy: My Sister Web, in 2017, available on Amazon.com.  Her latest book, Jack, Love and the Daily Grail, is available from Kelsay publications and Amazon.com. 

Howard is a former teacher with an MA in German and English literature and member of the North Carolina Writers' Network West and North Carolina Writers Network.  She enjoys birding and kayaking on the beautiful waters of Lake Chatuge near Hiawassee, Georgia.

Karen Luke Jackson’s oral history background and contemplative practices provide a latticework for her writing.  Her poems and stories have appeared or are forthcoming in Kakalak, Alive Now, Ruminate, moonShine review, Emrys, TOWN Magazine, The Great Smokies Review, Broad River Review, Presence: An International Journal of Spiritual Direction, and two anthologies featuring western North Carolina writers. 

Jackson lives in Flat Rock, North Carolina, holds a doctorate in education from North Carolina State University, and is a retreat leader with the Center for Courage & Renewal.

More Good News about our Members

Please not this correction on our Newsletter:
The correct email for Charley Pearson is this:  www.charleypearson.com


Maren O. Mitchell’s two poems, “L” and “P, the arm and hand pose,” appear in Chiron Review, Issue #111, Spring 2018, and her poem, “Stitching Dollars Together,” appears in The Cortland Review, Issue 80, online currently with audio, http://www.cortlandreview.com/issue/80/mitchell.php.

I enjoyed hearing Maren Mitchell read her powerful poem in The Cortland Review.

The Good News from NCWN-West members

Kudos to our great storyteller, Gary Carden

He says: "My good news is that plans are underway to film my play "Birdell." Hopefully, the actress, Bobbie Curtis will be able to come to Cullowhee and perform in the Mountain Heritage theater. Neal Hutcheson will make the film.  At the same time, Neal is working on a new DVD of my life which will probably be entitled, "Storyteller."  Finally, I have been asked to perform for the Smithsonian Institute when it visits WCU this fall."

Let's all send our congratulations to Gary!
Gary Carden     gcarden498@aol.com

Congratulations to Carol Crawford for her published essay, Deliveries, in Adelaide Magazine. The perfect piece for empty-nesters, for mothers who know they must let their fledglings fly. Carol writes an excellent literary essay.     http://adelaidemagazine.org/nf_ccrawford.html

Publications where Karen Paul Holmes’  poems have appeared since this spring include:Verse Daily,  Valparaiso Review, Emrys Journal,  Anesthesia Magazine (American Society of Anesthesiologists)

And her book No Such Thing as Distance (Terrapin, 2018) was reviewed in Main Street Rag, Broadkill Review, Tweetspeak Poetry. In The Washington Independent Review of Books, the reviewer said, "I’ll take this book on vacation with me. It’s that entertaining and moving; it wants to be read twice."


Lisa Turner has been busy and will continue to be busy it seems:
Just got an article on whole plane parachutes published in KITPLANES magazine!  http://www.kitplanes.com/issues/      
http://www.kitplanes.com/issues/35_9/builder_spotlight/Whole-Airplane-Parachutes_22174-1.html

And she will begin writing for them regularly. Lisa is currently a monthly columnist for Sport Aviation.She is still writing monthly columns for the Clay County Progress. Sales are brisk on the articles compendium, House Keys. https://housekeysbylisaturner.com/

Available on amazon.  Lisa is working on a flying adventures memoir, expected to publish in 2019.

Catherine Carter has something to crow about:      https://catherinecarterpoetry.com/

--My poem "Womb-room" recently won the 2018 James Applewhite poetry contest from North Carolina Literary Review.  It'll be out in summer 2019.
--My poem "Billy Collins Pours Me a Beer" appeared last month in the 2018 edition of North Carolina Literary Review (it took third place in last year's Applewhite contest.) 
--My poem "Hornets' Nest" came out in Ecotone this past spring. 

Catherine is one of our Jackson County Reps. She hosts an Open Mic each month. Hat's Off for Catherine.

 Adair Sanders is traveling. She says:

I will be the speaker at Appalachian State's Library Advisory Board Fundraiser Dinner on 9/13 in Blowing Rock, NC; I will be speaking at Burlingame Country Club in Sapphire, NC on 9/11, and doing a reading and signing at Lemuria Bookstore in Jackson,MS on 9/22.  At App State and Burlingame I have been asked to talk about the Allison Parker series and how it came to be. At Lemuria I will be reading from the 4th book in the mystery series, Suffer the Children, and giving a sneak preview of Wolf, book 5 in the series which will be out later this year.   adairsanders@gmail.com   http://adairsanders.com/

Diane C.  McPhail has earned our congratulations:
 My novel, THE ABOLITIONIST’S DAUGHTER, will be released in hardback from Kensington the end of April, 2019. Yesterday I received word that sale of the audio has been contracted. The novel is one of 25 debut accepted ab SIBA, so I will have my inaugural appearance and signing there in Tampa in September. I and the novel were recently featured in an article in The Laurel Magazine. You can find Diane on Facebook as Diane Cox McPhail.
 
Bob Grove, our Goodwill Ambassador has been teaching a weekly writing class entitled "Prose for the Pros" at Young Harris College's Institute for Continued Learning (ICL) program. He emphasizes variety in writing, and the students have honed their skills in fiction and non-fiction. Bob has distributed NCWN-West brochures, and several students have expressed interest in attending critique sessions. Bob was second place winner in the NCWN-West Flash Fiction contest.  Find Bob’s publications at http://www.bobgrove.org/ 

Our oldest NCWN –West member, Estelle Darrow Rice, is looking forward to meeting and greeting people when she and her co-author, Glenda Beall, read and sign Paws, Claws, Hooves, Feathers and Fins, a collection of their stories and poems to be published in September. Discounted pre-publication orders are being taken now. Contact Glenda Beall, gcbmountaingirl@gmail.com for ordering information.This book will make an excellent Christmas gift.

Tom Davis of Old Mountain Press is pleased to announce the publication of its 36th anthology in its series of poetry and prose anthologies. Fun in the Surf http://www.oldmp.com/anthology/funinthesurf.htm contains the writings (poetry 38 lines or less and short-shorts 325 words or less) of 50 authors from around the country. Its theme is anything about rivers, oceans, lakes, water activities, costal people, the coast, etc. or summer in general. To View OMP eBooks for Kindle and NOOK visit http://www.oldmp.com/e-book

Loren Leith tells us, "I've just been informed that my short, nonfiction story, "The Go-Girl", has made it through to the Semi-finals in the 2018 Royal Palm Literary Award Competition, a large, national contest with thousands of entries." We are happy for Loren and wish her the best of luck in this contest.

Brenda Kay Ledford's poem, "Fractured," will appear in Samsara Magazine, Issue No. 21, August 2018.
Website:  http://samsaramagazine.net
Congratulations, Brenda! 

Nancy Janes Zelman sent this good news:

"One of my books, The Boy Who Walked A Way won an Indie Brag Award.

A coveted award for those who independently publish." 

       Thank you, Nancy for letting us know about this award. Great news for Indie authors.

Katie Winkler sent us this: "An excerpt from my novel "Flood" was published in a special edition of The Pisgah Review in May. Authors highlighted in the special edition include Jane Smiley, Robert Morgan and Sy Montgomery, the illustrious faculty of the 2017 Looking Glass Rock Writers' Conference in Brevard, North Carolina.

My short story entitled "Pilgrimage" is forthcoming in the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable (October)."  Tip of the hat to Katie.

Charley Pearson:  My medical thriller SCOURGE is due to release on Tuesday, August 14, from Fiery Seas Publishing. They distribute through Ingram so bookstores can easily order it. Find Charley at : www.Charleypearson.com 

Here's a quote from Kirkus:  “Imaginative and full of action...continually shifting the quirky plot into places that are both surprising and fantastical.”

- Kirkus Reviews

     This makes me want to read  this book. How about you?

Kanute Rary is a story teller and a writer: "In July I wrote a 1500 word story titled, Money is a Mystery to Me! The story summaries what I learned about money growing up and some surprises I learned along the way. I was able to tell the story on stage in Asheville at the monthly StorySlam Storytelling event sponsored and produced by The Moth and National Public Radio."

Carolyn Bennett Fraiser  - carolynbfraiser@gmail.com sent a listing of her recent publications:

"Planting Blessings", a non-fiction articles for children in Clubhouse Magazine (May 2018) https://www.clubhousemagazine.com/

"No Fear," a devotional for teens published in DevoZine (May/June 2018)https://devozine.upperroom.org/

"I Will Follow You," a devotional for adults published on  http://www.christiandevotions.us/(June 2018)

"Roller Coaster Faith," a devotional for adults published in The Secret Place (Fall 2018) -- It just arrived in my mailbox! 

Good Sites to See
http://www.brooks-authors.com/blog  Robert Brooks tells about how writers of two different generations collaborate to write a book. This might give you ideas on how to work with younger people to produce an interesting book of your own.

Alarka Expeditions owned and operated by NCWN-West Member, poet,  Brent Martin and his wife, Angela, has been quite busy all summer. This is his latest news:

"We are hosting a writers workshop here (Franklin, Macon County) on October 20th with Paul Kvinta, who is an environmental journalist.  It's titled "Ink for the Environment."  It's an all day workshop starting at 9 and running until 4.  More at our website www.alarkaexpeditions.com or  email me at alarkaexpeditions@gmail.com for more info.  Thanks!

Brent  

www.netwestwriters.blogspot.com  - This is your blog, Members, and we want you to subscribe to it or follow it. 

Just put your email address in the box on the sidebar that says subscribe or follow. 

Use this online network to help publicize your writing. Tell us what is happening in your county that you enjoy and why.

Leave comments on the posts. Did you know the Search Engines pick up your comments so they become a part of your reputation.  
Build your "tribe" by meeting writers whose work appears on this blog. We need your support to continue to keep this site going.

Did you know that one of the recommended ways to market your writing is to guest post on another's blog? Think how many more people you can reach.

You can guest post on Netwest Writers blog by sending your short post(article) about 400 - 500 words to glendabeall@msn.com or to Joan Gage or you can use the contact form on the sidebar. 

LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF THIS NEWSLETTER AND SHOULD WE MAKE IT A MONTHLY THING?

Poets Catherine Carter and Mary Ricketson to read at CWPW, August 15, 2018, at the Moss Memorial Library, Hayesville, NC

On Wednesday, August 15, 2018, at 10:30 AM, Western North Carolina poets Catherine Carter and Mary Ricketson will read at Coffee with the Poets and Writers at the Moss Memorial Library, 26 Anderson Street, Hayesville, NC. The reading is free and open to the public, and an open mic will follow the reading.

Born on the eastern shore of Maryland and raised there by wolves and vultures, Catherine Carter lives with her husband in Cullowhee, near Western Carolina University, where she teaches in the English Education and Professional Writing programs. Her full-length collections of poetry include The Swamp Monster at Home (LSU Press, 2012) The Memory of Gills (LSU, 2006), and Larvae of the Nearest Stars (forthcoming from LSU, fall 2019.  The Memory of Gills received the 2007 Roanoke-Chowan Award from the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association; her chapbook Marks of the Witch won Jacar Press’ 2014 chapbook contest; other awards include the 2018 James Applewhite Poetry Award from the North Carolina Literary Review, the 2014 Poet Laureate’s award from the North Carolina Poetry Society, the 2013 poetry award from Still: The Journal, and numerous Pushcart nominations.  Her work has also appeared in Best American Poetry 2009, Orion, Poetry, Asheville Poetry Review, Tar River Review, and Ploughshares, among others; she is assistant poetry editor at Cider Press Review and the Jackson County regional representative for NCWN-West.Her website is:

 https://catherinecarterpoetry.com/

Mary Ricketson, Murphy NC, has been writing poetry 20 years. She is inspired by nature and her work as a mental health counselor.  Her poetry has been published in Wild Goose Poetry Review, Future Cycle Press, Journal of Kentucky Studies, Lights in the Mountains, Echoes Across the Blue Ridge, Red Fox Run, It’s All Relative, Old Mountain Press, and Whispers. Poetry books include, her chapbook, I Hear the River Call my Name, and two full length poetry collections, Hanging Dog Creek, and Shade and Shelter. Mary won first place in the 2011 Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest 75th anniversary national poetry contest.

Currently Ricketson is using her own poetry to present empowerment workshops, combining roles as writer and her helping role as a therapist. Her poems and activities relate with nature, facilitate talk about a personal path and focus on growth in ordinary and unusual times.

Mary writes a monthly column, Women to Women, for The Cherokee Scout.  She is a Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor and an organic blueberry farmer.

Ricketson is Cherokee County representative to North Carolina Writers Network West, and president of Ridgeline Literary Alliance. 

CWPW is sponsored by the North Carolina Writers’ Network-West, which is a program of the North Carolina Writers’ Network. For more information, please contact Glenda Beall at: 828-389-4447.

Poetry and Short Fiction festival in 2019 - plan now to attend

The Press 53 Gathering of Poets is now . . . The High Road Festival of Poetry and Short Fiction Saturday, March 23, 2019 Embassy Suites, downtown Winston-Salem, NC   Since October 2005, Press 53 has been finding and sharing remarkable voices in poetry and short fiction, and now after eight years of hosting the Press 53 Gathering of Poets, we are extending an invitation to short fiction writers to join us for a weekend of learning, writing, and sharing.  Why poetry and short fiction? These two disciplines sometimes overlap and are often overlooked by bookstores and other publishers, but writers of poetry and short fiction know these communities are vast and supportive, and The High Road Festival celebrates this as the first festival in the United States devoted exclusively to poetry and short fiction. Workshop offerings: We will have several one-hour and fifteen-minute workshops for poetry and short fiction and a small number of three-hour master classes. Workshops are $25 each to attend and limited to twenty participants; master classes are $100 each and limited to nine participants. We will also offer twenty-five-minute One-on-One Critique Sessions by experienced writers and editors of poetry and short fiction for personal feedback and instruction at a cost of $30 each. Free to the Public: Besides our workshop rooms, we have a large vendor room for journal, magazine, and book publishers of poetry and short fiction, and a large reading room featuring two open mic sessions and faculty readings throughout the day. The vendor room and reading room are open at no cost to the general public. Register for all workshops, master classes, and critique sessions à la carte and design your own day! Our website will be up for early registration in September! Location: We have secured the lower level of the Embassy Suites (across the street from the downtown Marriott) with plenty of space and privacy. Hotel Rooms: We have rooms at a special rate at the Marriott for $129 per night and at the Embassy Suites for $149 per night. There is more to come, including a Friday night event for those arriving early, and our Sunday Morning Seminar with Tom Lombardo from 10 a.m. till noon. Please contact Kevin Watson (kevin@press53.com or 336-770-5353) for vendor information or with suggestions, comments, or questions.  We are looking forward to seeing you at The High Road Festival of Poetry and Short Fiction!

Mitchell & Ricketson at Writers' Night, August 10

Come join us to hear these highly published local poets.  Participate in open mic too! 

Union County Community Center, Blairsville,  GA    

Winner of the 2018 Flash Fiction Contest for NCWN West Members

                   

The Gift

by Lorraine Bennett

           The small plane spiraled out of the sky and blasted through a row of palm trees near the street behind Pat Steven’s cottage. The nightmare unfolded as she was having one of her own – riding a heaving deck, bracing against slippery planks.

           She awoke to a flash, no ocean, no rocking boat, just a dresser, a chair beside her bed, proof she was conscious. The throbbing glow outside was real.
           She struggled into her robe and opened her front door. The usual muggy South Miami night was filled with acrid smoke.
           In the street the air was so thick she could hardly see. Someone was crying.  Pat turned toward the sobs.
          “Come here, sweetheart. Come to me.” Her own voice seemed to originate from outside her body. I’m not dreaming, she thought.
           A toddler, pink dress blackened, eyes wild with fear, was crawling from underneath a charred bush.
           Pat gathered the shivering child, feeling warmth through her robe. She smelled smoke and fuel in the little girl’s hair.
           A fire truck careened by, followed by two police cars. Someone shouted, “Here’s one. She’s alive!”
           A burly uniformed man reached for the child, who reinforced her hold on Pat’s neck and would not let go.
          “Ma’am, do you know this child?” Uniformed man’s tone was sharp. “Is she injured?”
        “She doesn’t seem to be. She came from under that bush,” Pat heard her own voice again. I must be awake in the middle of this madness, she thought. She was aware the man was staring at her.
        The officer pried the child’s arms from Pat’s neck and handed her to ambulance attendants. Red emergency lights flared as the vehicle disappeared down the street. Pat could still hear sobs on her shoulder, see fear-filled eyes. A familiar feeling washed over her. Brushing away tears, she turned toward her cottage.
       A few hours later her bungalow seemed too quiet after last night’s chaos. Many Saturdays began this way, over coffee and newspapers, since Charlie died.
       Weekend mornings, their special togetherness time to play and plan, were hardest to endure. They were two dreamers with schooling behind, shining futures ahead. Charlie had opened his law practice. She had nailed a coveted job with the city’s largest accounting firm. They celebrated with a new sedan for her, sailboat for him.
        The sudden appearance of two friends at the front door had changed everything, including the shape of her dreams.  An unexpected squall and a sailboat shattered on rocks left her with nightmares of capsized boats. A vacant space at the breakfast table greeted her mornings.
         She read the newspaper’s recap of last night’s events: a 12-seat commuter plane, ten  bodies recovered, one survivor, a girl, about two, bruised, unidentified and unable to tell anyone even her name. Authorities were seeking passenger identities, the plane’s origin and destination. No aircraft was reported missing. No flight plan had been filed.
          Pat’s television blared to life with video of charred and twisted wreckage. A police officer, Sgt. Scott Morris, told an insistent reporter no further details were available.
          Pat could see the child’s frightened face. She and Charlie hadn’t had time for children. What might happen to that child now? The officer speculated the plane might have carried drugs. A “suspicious substance” had been found.
          “Maybe I can help find out who she is!” Pat sprang from her table. Half an hour later she was in Mercy General’s lobby.
           “You don’t understand. I found her after the crash!” In frustration, Pat was trying to pass an iron-jawed volunteer at the hospital’s front desk. A family of six descended, distracting the volunteer.  Pat backed away, tears stinging her eyes, and bumped into an immovable object.
            “Nice to see you again.”
            The voice, gruff with a hint of kindness, belonged to wide shoulders, denim jacket, khaki pants, dark brown hair, brown eyes.
            He nodded to the desk volunteer, then offered Pat a quirky smile.
            Flustered, she stammered, “Excuse me. Do I know you?”
             “I could never forget a face like yours." He smiled again.  Coming from him it didn’t sound like such a line.
             “You’re the officer from last night.” Pat felt herself relax. “I’m trying to find her. Do you know where she is?”
             ‘Third floor. Children’s ward. I’m headed there myself.” They fell into step toward lobby elevators.
             “Are you the officer I was reading about in the morning paper?”
             “Misquoted,” he frowned, but his eyes were merry. “We’re not supposed to mention drugs until the investigation’s complete. Not much doubt about this one.”
            “Suppose they’re all dead? Her whole family.” A crazy, against-all-logic idea was forming in Pat’s head. She’s alone. I’m alone. Why can’t two people who find each other in the night…
             The elevator doors opened. Pat heard howling.
             “That’s her. I know it.” She hurried down the hall, Scott Morris right behind her.
             A nurse with stethoscope hovered over the crib. The child was sitting up, rigid, red-faced, tears rolling from blue eyes. She saw Pat and stopped crying.
            The nurse turned. The child reached for Pat with chubby arms.
            “Can I pick her up?”
            “I don’t think so,” the nurse began, but the child’s arms were tight around Pat’s neck. Scott Morris’ quirky smile spread to a large grin.
             “Hey, you’ve got a way with kids,” he said admiringly. “You must have some of your own.”
              Pat blushed. That had been a touchy topic around her parents’ dinner table.
              “We’ll find her next-of-kin. Just a matter of time,” he predicted, unzipping a plastic tote. The brown teddy bear looked small in his large hands.
              The child gave a squeal of joy. The bear disappeared into chubby arms.
                “It’s a miracle she’s alive,” the nurse offered, checking vital signs now that the child was occupied with the toy.
                “That wasn’t the only miracle last night.”
                He said the words lightly. Pat blushed again. She had a crazy, against-all-logic thought. Why can’t two people who find each other in the night…
                                            

 I apologize for the format of this story. Copying it into the blog created some problems. Glenda Beall                                               

Admin for NCWN-West is looking for a replacement; could that be you?

Hello, my name is Joan Ellen Gage. I serve as your Admin for the NCWN-West's blog.

I am searching for a replacement for my Admin position. What we need is someone who can post articles for the NCWN-West that relate to events or to member reading or news.

Some familiarity with Google blogger is helpful, but not necessary. The position requires some basic computer skills, and blogging skills.

This is a volunteer position and does not pay a salary.

Please contact me at iamjellen1953@gmail.com or Glenda Beall, at: glendabeall@msn.com