NCWN-West Jackson County is hosting its monthly Open Mic night, courtesy of Jackson rep Matt Nelson, via Zoom on Friday, August 20th, beginning at 7:15 p.m. It's a supportive and friendly group which has kept in touch through 2021. Writers from beyond Jackson County are welcome to join us! Length of readings will be determined by number of readers; if there are only a few, readings can go to ten minutes, but if we have more than six, we'll ask writers to keep their readings to five minutes. For the link, please e-mail Matt at mattnelson.poet01@gmail.com, or City Lights Bookstore in Sylva at more@citylightsnc.com.
Writers and poets in the far western mountain area of North Carolina and bordering counties of South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee post announcements, original work and articles on the craft of writing.
Monday, August 9, 2021
Virtual Open Mic Night, NCWN-West, Jackson County, Friday, August 20th, 7:15 PM
Monday, August 2, 2021
Anthology of Poems from Jayne Jaudon Ferrer
Jayne Jaudon Ferrer, founder and host of YourDailyPoem.com, which has featured a number of North Carolina poets through the years, has just published an anthology featuring 100 classic and contemporary poems entitled Poems to Lift You Up and Make You Smile. Featuring the work of poets from across the U.S., Canada, England, and Ireland, the collection offers upbeat perspectives, positive outlooks, feel-good scenarios, and smiles galore—“exactly what we need after this past year and a half,” says Jayne.
Published by Parson’s Porch & Company, part of the proceeds from the book will go to support a food ministry program. Poems to Lift You Up and Make You Smile is available upon request from booksellers and on Amazon.
ISBN 978-1-955581-09-7
$18.95 Retail
Saturday, July 31, 2021
Brenda Kay Ledford Featured in The Laurel of Asheville
Brenda Kay Ledford's book, "The Singing Convention," is featured in "The Laurel of Asheville," August, 2021 issue.
Her book is available at the Shelton House Museum; Waynesville, NC and The Beal Center; Hayesville, NC.
Friday, July 30, 2021
Awesome Open Mic 7 30 21
Thursday, July 29, 2021
Have you taken an online writing course?
If you have not taken an online writing course, I suggest you read this post on the NCWN blog.
http://www.ncwriters.org/whitecross/2021/07/27/pandemic-jones/
Jeremy B. Jones, a professor at Western Carolina University and author of Bearwallow: A Personal History of a Mountain Homeland (Blair, 2014), was interviewed by Gretchen Thomas. She asked him about teaching online during the pandemic and asked for good advice for writers. As writers, we all have judged ourselves on whether our work was accepted or rejected. I like Jones' comment on this and found it to be my philosophy as well.
What do you think?
If you have taken an online course, please tell us about it. You can email or leave a comment below.
We have been asked to do a poetry online course. Would you be interested? Catherine Carter would be the instructor.
Sunday, July 25, 2021
Your Correct Email Address
To all members of NCWN-West,
Please be sure you update your email address with the Network if you have made a change recently or if you have recently renewed your membership.
Some complain that they do not get reminders to renew membership, and I find that often the emails I send are not opened or delivered due to a wrong email address.
To get the full benefit of your membership in both NCWN and NCWN-West, we need your current email address.
Visit charles@ncwriters.org or Deonna@ncwriters.org to be sure your membership is up to date and your information is all correct.
Don't be left out
Some of you who have been members for a long time are no longer on the list I receive from NCWN because you have not renewed. If you are not on the list, you will not receive emails from Netwest nor the Network.
I am deleting old membership lists so only the latest lists will be in my computer and only those people will get the news about events that are local as well as those that are statewide.
If you subscribe to this site, you can see most of what is offered each month. Take a minute to do that.
See you on Zoom for Writers Night Out in August when our guest will be Kanute Rarey, storyteller, writer, and man of many talents. Members will be sent the link to attend.
Glenda Beall
Program Coordinator for NCWN-West
Saturday, July 17, 2021
Carroll S. Taylor to be Featured Reader at Mountain Wordsmiths
Carroll S. Taylor |
Taylor is a member of North Carolina Writers’ Network-West and the Georgia Poetry Society. Readers may find her journal blog at chinaberrysummer.com and follow her at Facebook/chinaberrysummer.
Mountain Wordsmiths meets on the fourth Thursday of each month. We welcome those who were regulars at Coffee with the Poets and Writers which met at Moss Memorial Library prior to COVID-19 restrictions.
Those wishing to attend Mountain Wordsmiths may contact Carroll Taylor at vibiaperpetua@gmail.com to receive the Zoom link. Anyone who wishes to participate in Open Mic may sign up upon entering the meeting, and we welcome those who would simply like to listen to the beauty of wordsmithing.
Friday, July 16, 2021
Jackson County (virtual) Open Mic night July 30th
The Jackson County branch of NCWN-West, in partnership with City Lights Bookstore, will host the monthly Open Mic night via Zoom on Friday, July 30th. The link will open at 7:00 p.m., but the reading will probably start after 7:15. For the link, please e-mail Jackson County reps Matt Nelson (mattnelson.poet01@gmail.com), Catherine Carter (ccarter@email.wcu.edu), or City Lights Bookstore in Sylva (more@citylightsnc.com). We hope to see some of you there and hear your new work!
Sunday, July 11, 2021
FESTIVAL ON THE SQUARE 2021
Brenda Kay Ledford and Carroll Taylor ready to meet festival-goers |
Our poster, Books by Local Authors, drew attention from the passersby |
Caesar Campana and Raven Chiong work the Sunday afternoon shift |
Photos by Glenda Beall, Carroll Taylor and Raven Chiong.
Glenda Beall and Raven Chiong |
Thursday, July 1, 2021
Dr. Bill Everett Featured at Writers' Night Out, July 9 ZOOM
Bill Everett
Writer, Woodworker & Former Ethics Professor
Writers' Night Out via Zoom
Reading & Discussion + Open Mic
This fall Everett’s “expository memoir” Making My Way in Ethics, Worship, and Wood is forthcoming. He frames the book around the cultural contexts that have shaped his life. In Red Clay, Blood River (2008), Everett put his inter-continental experience into a wide-ranging historical novel about connections between America’s “Trail of Tears” and South Africa’s “Great Trek.” The book is written from an ecological standpoint, in which Earth is the narrator. Everett’s poetry collection is Turnings: Poems of Transformation (2013). Both his ethics and his poetry explore the ways we give shape and meaning to our thoughts, feelings, and actions within the mysterious powers of creativity and love that undergird our existence. He also co-authored with his friend John de Gruchy, Sawdust and Soul: A Conversation about Woodworking and Spirituality. For more of his writing, you can follow Everett's blog, www.WilliamEverett.com.
Everett also creates furniture for worship settings, focusing on round communion tables that symbolize circle dynamics of reconciliation. Visit www.WisdomsTable.net for more information and to see photos of his work and also the textiles and mosaics of his wife Sylvia, who uses these media to explore spiritual, religious, and feminist themes. He and Sylvia live in Waynesville, NC.
3-4 minute maximum of poetry or prose (2 poems only, please)
so please check your email.
Upcoming guests:
Aug 13: Kanute Rarey
September 10: Michael Diebert
Oct 8: John Clarke (from England!)