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Monday, October 4, 2021
Oct 8 Seattle Poet: Online Reading, Discussion, and Open Mic
Sunday, October 3, 2021
Poet Pat Revere-Seel launches new book
Pat Riviere-Seel recently appeared as a guest on Mountain Wordsmiths on Zoom. We enjoyed her talk and enjoyed her poetry. She has invited us to join her on Zoom for the launch of her new book on October 7.
Come celebrate with me at my virtual
book launch for When There Were Horses - on October 7, 7-8
pm Check my website - http://www.patriviereseel.com on the Events page for
the invitation.
Isn't it wonderful? No matter where you live, you can attend online, meet writers and poets from other parts of our state and out of state.
Saturday, October 2, 2021
Mary Ricketson's new book, Lira, poems of a Woodland Woman
Lira wakes to a day unrevealed, listens, reaches, sets the tempo.
Spirits invite her to live like last night’s doe, dance a jig through tall field grass, be the wind.”
Mary says, "This collection of poems centers around a fictional character who may be a little bit like me, and definitely very much a fantasy, an escape into the reality of life entwined with the natural world."
Order from Redhawk Publications:
https://redhawkpublications.company.site/Lira-Poems-of-a-Woodland-Woman-p393672533
Also available at Curiosity Bookstore in Murphy NC or City Lights Bookstore in Sylva NC.
The Lira Poems, Mary Ricketson’s latest book, certainly speaks toward enchantment. The poems enrapture ethereally with the little natural creatures on the ground – the deer, the rabbit, squirrel, the turkey and the dove – and the birds circling high over Lira’s garden, especially the red-tailed hawk. To see and imagine this “ceremony of embrace” tunes one to Nature, to the fairies, the weather changes, even as we feel ourselves participate, without intrusion, in the routine beauty of the lines, the daily walks with doggies and each of these lovely creatures. The book triumphs in that very special way of seeing a there there, and, then, again, inside the heart. The news? How marvelous to be alive! --Shelby Stephenson was poet laureate of North Carolina from 2015-2018. For thirty-two years he was editor of Pembroke Magazine. His recent books are More and Shelby's Lady: The Hog Poems.
In Lira, Ricketson steps into a world of magic; magic made possible by Nature. Lira, who early on wishes for everything “pink,” meets her prince, and after the two kiss, “pink roses still bloom.” But this collection is much more than a young girl’s typical dream. Instead, it’s a fairytale where Mother Nature is a Godmother, teaching Lira how to live through her interaction with trees, seedlings, deer, and fox -- all who become her family. These family members help her “weave a life of purpose,” where “bites of misunderstanding resolve” by Rose Creek. Both hardship and beauty befall Lira, who, by virtue of keen eye and imagination, wins the respect of the Red-Tailed Hawk. A must-read, full of sounds, imagery, and flat-out magic. -- Rosemary Royston, author of Second Sight, and Splitting the Soil
While reading Mary Ricketson's, Lira, I felt I was an innocent, care-free young girl in some sort of fairy tale world wondering along in the forest. The book is filled with exquisite images, which Mary so easily reveals because she has a deep, personal knowledge of the mountains. However, if you read it closely, you will see there is a deeper, more serious meaning to these poems. To me, this is where the true beauty lies in this bittersweet book so well written. I can promise you this will be a special
and lovely read. --Glenda Barrett, author of, When the Sap Rises, and The Beauty of Silence
Take an enchanting journey in Mary Ricketson’s latest poetry book, Lira. Magic tumbles over changing seasons at Cherry Cove Creek. Lira befriends trees, makes family with animals, rambles in wildflower rapture. Gnomes and fairies are her playmates. Butterflies and bluebirds dance and a red tailed hawk hovers. Ricketson is an award-winning wordsmith inspired by the healing power of nature. This book is a delightful read!
Wednesday, September 29, 2021
Grants available for writers and other artists
NC Arts offers grants of 500 -2000 dollars.
See their information on the site below.
https://www.ncarts.org/opportunities/grants/grants-artists/artist-support-grants
Saturday, September 25, 2021
The Big Share: Alternative Forms of Publication in a Digital Age
On Tuesday, October 21, at 7:00 pm EST, writer, editor, and teacher Katie Winkler will lead the online class "The Big Share: Alternative Forms of Publication in a Digital Age."
If you are enjoying the online classes available to writers, as I am, you can check out this one by Katie Winkler. The fee is only $35 for NCWN members. If you are a member of Netwest (NCWN-West) you are also a member of NCWN, so you get the discounted price.
We all want to know the best ways to reach readers of our work and this workshop is designed to help us.
https://www.ncwriters.org/index.php/our-members/network-news/12288-online-winkler
Sunday, September 19, 2021
Poet Pat Riviere-Seel to be Featured Reader for Mountain Wordsmiths
Noted poet and writer Pat Riviere-Seel will be the featured reader for Mountain Wordsmiths on Thursday morning, September 23, at 10:30 a.m. This event, sponsored by North Carolina Writers’ Network-West, is being held via Zoom because of COVID concerns. We hope to meet again in person soon; however, we are happy that not only local writers are attending our meetings but writers outside our state as well.
Riviere-Seel’s most recent poetry collection, When There Were Horses, is scheduled for release in the fall of 2021. Her previous collections include Nothing Below but Air, The Serial Killer’s Daughter, and No Turning Back Now.
The Serial Killer’s Daughter won the North Carolina Literary and Historical Society’s Roanoke Chowan Book Award and Nothing Below but Air was a semifinalist for the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award. The Serial Killer’s Daughter has been staged by Shared Radiance Performing Arts Company and performed as a one-act play.
Riviere-Seel taught poetry classes for UNC Asheville’s Great Smokies Writing Program for 15 years. She served as the North Carolina Poetry Society’s Distinguished Poet in the Western Region from 2016-2018. The program pairs student poets with an established poet for one-on-one mentoring.
In 2017 she received the “Charlie Award” from the Carolina Mountains Literary Festival held in Burnsville, NC. The annual award recognizes a writer who has made significant contributions as a writer and a community builder. In 2012 she held a unique position as poet-in-residence at the North Carolina Zoo. As part of the residency, she wrote a poem for the zoo. Her poem “Summer Solstice” is on display at the black bear exhibit.
Her poems were first published when she was an undergraduate at North Carolina State University. After graduation, Riviere-Seel worked as a newspaper journalist, publicist, and as lobbyist for nonprofit organizations in the Maryland State House.
She and her husband live in the woods and tend to two black cats they adopted from Brother Wolf, a no-kill animal shelter in Asheville.
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.
Members of NCWN-West will receive the Zoom link in an email before the meeting.
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.
Wednesday, September 15, 2021
Celebrating Writers in Hiawassee, GA with the Appalachian Mural Trail
Library Mural Unveiling
"Storybook Lane," a new outdoor Postage Stamp Mural produced by the Appalachian Mural Trail, is scheduled for unveiling at 2:00 in the afternoon on Friday, September 24, 2021. The public is invited. The event takes place outside the Towns County Library, at 99 South Berrong Street Hiawassee, Georgia, telephone: 706-896-6169.
The colorful 7 feet high "Storybook Lane" mural creates a fantasy world of children's book characters from local children's book authors Marcia Hawley Barnes, Brenda Kay Ledford, Amy Ammons Garza and Carroll S. Taylor. The mural is designed to 'save the books.'
"Created to encourage children to actually pick up a book and read, the mural will help return children's interest towards books," says Artist & Appalachian Mural Trail Director, Doreyl Ammons Cain. "The mural should last for decades."
Cain painted the mural and also illustrated the four children's books included in the mural. The mural is painted on MDO art board using mural paint that will last for decades with a protective clear coat that ensures longevity.
The Towns County Library is hosting the outside mural unveiling, which includes outside storytelling, refreshments and meet & greet the Artist & Authors. Both the artist and the authors are displaying books and art to view and purchase safely.
The Towns County Library is scheduled to be featured on the Appalachian Mural Trail where the mural is showcased so that folks can read about and find directions to the mural. Check out muraltrail.com where over 125 murals are featured for people to visit and view 24 hours a day.
Image Attached, a small detail of "Storybook Lane" art by Doreyl Ammons Cain Director, Appalachian Mural Trail.
Tuesday, September 14, 2021
Call for Submissions from Old Mountain Press
Old Mountain Press (OMP) is accepting submissions for Holiday Cheer PREVIOUS CONTRIBUTORS ONLY OR SOMEONE RECOMMENDED BY A PREVIOUS CONTRIBUTOR. Previously published okay. Each contributor whose work will appear in this anthology can recommend TWO writers to submit to this anthology. Someone whose work you would like included with yours–maybe right beside yours:-).
See http://www.oldmp.com/anthology/holiday-cheer.htm here you will also find guidelines and the link to an online submission form.
To indicate text to be put in italics use <your text>. To indicate bold use [your text]
View camera-ready copy of all submissions accepted so far at: http://www.oldmp.com/anthology/review/holiday-cheer.pdf
Holiday Cheer’s THEME: Anything relating to the holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Years, Valentine's Day or fall/autumn or winter.
I will accept submissions until noon on 15 October or when I have 70 contributors.
There is no reading fee, no entry fee, and no requirement for a contributor to purchase this anthology. As always, contributors will be able to purchase copies at a reduced rate. Previously published okay if you have retained rights.
Of interest to writers:
The Punctuation Guide. An excellent reference site! When to use em and en dashes and more!
https://www.thepunctuationguide.com/
ALL past OMP Anthologies are now available as Kindle and/or Nook. See http://www.oldmp.com/e-book/#anthologies Feel free to pass the link to your friends and family!
Publisher
Old Mountain Press
910-476-2542
Wednesday, September 8, 2021
Jackson NCWN-West Open Mic, Friday, September 17th, 7:00 p.m.
Fellow writers, the Jackson County branch of NCWN-West is holding its monthly online Open Mic on Friday, September 17th, at 7:00 pm (half an hour earlier than last month.) Length of time for each reader depends on how many readers we get. The Open Mic is organized and hosted by Jackson County co-rep Matt Nelson; if you want to join us, please e-mail Matt at mattnelson.poet01@gmail.com for the Zoom link, or Catherine Carter at ccarter@email.wcu.edu. Western-region writers from beyond Jackson are welcome. We hope to see you there!
Tuesday, September 7, 2021
The Backstory of a Poem
First conceived in a workshop with poets Dorianne Laux and Joseph Millar, the poem, "A White Room, A Piano," then went on a journey.
Wednesday, August 25, 2021
Mary Ricketson's latest poetry book is here
Keeping in Place, a chapbook of poems by Mary Ricketson, Murphy NC, published by Finishing Line Press: This collection of poems chronicles the author’s experience, isolated at home in the Appalachian mountains during the first several months of the current Covid 19 pandemic.
“Keeping in Place,” says author and Young Harris College professor Rosemary Royston, “is a collection of poems where the speaker, stricken by COVID, turns her focus to nature, drinks in the magic of the mountains, and absorbs the wisdom of walnuts.”
Shelby Stephenson, former Poet Laureate of North Carolina, says Ricketson “pays homage to the natural world she loves, securing emotions she treasures… On her walks, she salutes the cow, the mule, the plants, and a hemlock she tunes to survival.”
Ricketson’s poems often reflect the healing power of nature, surrounding mountains as a midwife for her words. Her published collections are I Hear the River Call My Name, Hanging Dog Creek, Shade and Shelter, and Mississippi: The Story of Luke and Marian. She writes a column, Woman to Woman, for The Cherokee Scout in Murphy NC.
Keeping in Place is available from Curiosity Bookstore in Murphy, City Lights in Sylva, the author, or www.finishinglinepress.com.
Monday, August 23, 2021
Your Manuscript: To Resubmit or Not to Resubmit?
That is a good question.
My publisher, Diane Lockward of Terrapin Books, did an interview with me in 2018 that helps to answer the question. She recently re-posted it on social media, so I thought I'd share here too. You might find some helpful hints in preparing a manuscript for submission to publishers. Read the whole interview here.
Terrapin Books has an open reading period now through August 31 for poetry manuscripts. Detailed guidelines are available on the website.
Diane is a caring editor who publishes gorgeous books and really supports her poets. If you'd like to see a sample of her finished product, my book No Such Thing as Distance is available on Amazon (currently on sale!) and Barnes & Noble.
Happy Submitting!
Saturday, August 21, 2021
Thursday, August 19, 2021
Congrats, Maren Mitchell
Poet, Maren Mitchell is published in Cider Press Review, Volume 23, Issue 3.
Read about her and read two of her poems here.
Sam Uhl to be Featured Reader at Mountain Wordsmiths
This event, sponsored by North Carolina Writers’ Network-West, is being held via Zoom because of COVID concerns. We hope to meet again in person in the months ahead; however, we are happy that not only local writers are attending our meetings but writers outside our state are also joining us.
 |
| Sam Uhl |
Uhl helps people write their memoirs through ghostwriting, book coaching, retreats, workshops, manuscript editing, and book printing. She believes that everyone’s life is a story worth telling.
Born to older parents, she grew up at the feet of elders. Their friendly and patient storytelling kindled her lifelong passion for helping others preserve their life stories. Everyday people have extraordinary stories if one asks them the right questions. She discovered that universal truths are the stuff of great stories—love, survival, overcoming adversity, inspiration, adventure, and honor. It is her mission to give voice to the lives of everyday people, honoring and encouraging them today and helping them leave a legacy of inspiration for generations to come.
Sam has published more than 100 memoirs including limited printings for families and Amazon Bestsellers. Her passion for helping people explore and share their stories is most evident in her workshops, classes, and retreats. Through colleges, community organizations, and even the USO, Sam helps people find their voice and tell their truth to honor who they have become through life’s twists and turns and determine who they want to be for their remaining tomorrows.
Sam is a Birren Institute Certified Guided Autobiographical Instructor and is the author of How to Survive Dying: A Journal of Hope for Family Caregivers.
Mountain Wordsmiths meets on the fourth Thursday of each month. We welcome those who were regulars at Coffee with the Poets and Writers, a monthly meeting held at Moss Memorial Library in Hayesville, NC prior to COVID-19 restrictions.
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.lives in Hiawassee, GA and is an active member of NCWN-West
Thursday, August 12, 2021
Zoom Writer's Night Out & Open Mic, August 13
Kanute Rarey
Storyteller, Poet, Writer, Teacher
Writers' Night Out via Zoom
Reading & Discussion + Open Mic
Rarey’s personal goals are to write and perform stories, to promote the storytelling revival in America, and to work with and support aspiring storytellers, writers, poets, and singer-songwriters to encourage and create opportunities and audiences for the performance of their arts.
He is the founder and producer of a weekly Zoom-based TELL IT LIKE IT IS Story Swap and STORIES ON THE SQUARE, a monthly open mic night at a coffee and wine shop in his hometown in historic Hayesville, NC. He also founded FRESH AIR Stories and Music – a four-concert series at the gazebo on the Courthouse Square in Hayesville.
Rarey is currently working with a small group of leading prose and poetry writers, authors, storytellers, and singer-songwriters to produce a new, yearlong four-performance series for 2022, SCRIBES ON STAGE, with the regional theater, Peacock Playhouse, in Hayesvile, NC.
He is a member of the Board of Directors of John C. Campbell Folk School and the southeastern regional organization, Southern Order of Storytellers, and a member of the North Carolina Writers' Network. His wife Kathy and he have lived in the mountains, including Georgia, Alaska and North Carolina, for over thirty years. Visit his website for more info.
3-4 minute maximum of poetry or prose (2 poems only, please)
Wednesday, August 11, 2021
Poetry Workshop with Catherine Carter
Poetry Workshop on Zoom
Saturday, September 11th, 1:30-3:30 PM
Poet and professor, Catherine Carter offers a a two-hour workshop for NCWN-West via Zoom from 1:30-3:30 on Saturday, September 11th. The workshop focuses on using adding of internal slant rhyme to poems to echo off existing keywords and increase poems’ music, along with close attention to the impact of lines’ end words. For the first hour, poets will look at published poems and the ways in which their sounds enhance their content; for the second hour, participants will work on enhancing the sounds in a short poem of their own and, if they like, share the results with the group.
Participants are asked to have on hand a HARD COPY of a draft of a short poem of their own, less than one page long, for this activity.
Beginners and more experienced poets are all welcome.
Registration: Send a check or money order for $25 made to NCWN-West, %Glenda Beall, 581 Chatuge Lane, Hayesville, NC 28904. We need to receive the fee by September 6, and we will then send you the link to the class.
Tuesday, August 10, 2021
Lisa Turner, Congratulations!
Congratulations to Netwest member, author Lisa Turner, on her latest book. You can get the paperback or order on Kindle. We all need to have this book if we own a home or plan to own a home one day.
It is a handbook on home inspections for home buyers, sellers, homeowners, and real estate professionals.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09BMG7GCP
I purchased Lisa's book, House Keys, The Essential Homeowner's Guide, and also gave it to friends and family. Lisa intersperses facts with stories of challenges she faced as she crawled under houses with only a flashlight. She writes from her experiences as a female home inspector, just one of the many positions she has held in her life. She also built her own airplane and flew it. She tells that story in Dream Take Flight.
One reviewer said she never would have thought she would find a book on home inspections so entertaining she didn't want to put it down.
I plan to read the new book tonight.
My friends who received the book, House Keys, were delighted to find the answers to many of their concerns and questions about their homes. I'm sure the new book will be packed with more relevant information.
https://dreamtakeflight.com/blog/f/self-publishing-the-secret-to-the-blurb