Moss Memorial Library

 Great things are happening at Moss Memorial Library in Hayesville, North Carolina.  Branch Manager, Griff Anderson, has been so kind to allow the North Carolina Writer's Network-West to meet in the conference room for poetry readings and critique groups.

The first thing that amazed me about the updates at Moss Memorial Library, was the instillation of automatic sliding doors.  How awesome!  What a great thing for folks with disabilities.

Another improvement was the beautiful large windows to view the Tusquitte Mountains and the lovely scenery of our town.

But what excited me most was... 

I could hardly believe it when I noticed Mr. Ben Love, the library assistant, today making an owl on the 3 D  printer!  We have really arrived in Hayesville to have a "Science  Fiction" 3 D printer.  I've seen those on documentaries, read about them, but we actually have one at Moss Memorial Library.  Ben said the public may use it to print files if they will contact the library.

Great things are happening at Moss Memorial Library.  As the clique goes, "We've come a long way, baby!"  I  recall years ago our small library was housed in the damp, musty, old red courthouse.  It was a small collection of books, but served our community well.  I recall  Mama brought my siblings and me to town every Saturday to check out arm full of books.  That's when I savored all the "Little House on the Prairie" books.

When you see the staff at Moss Memorial Library, you might want to thank them for doing such a splendid job serving our community and our writers.

Festival on the Square was successful thanks to all of our writers and poets who volunteered

 For several years NCWN-West has rented a booth at the festival on the square in the beautiful downtown area of Hayesville, NC. 

The festival is sponsored by the Clay County Historical and Arts Council. Their volunteers led by Joan Joppie do a fabulous job and work hard during the weekend hosting around 80 vendors. We are the only booth where books are sold and we are fortunate to be included.

Thousands of people come each year from faraway places to spend the weekend in the mountains. We talked with people from Texas, South Carolina, Florida and other states. Local authors, Lorraine Bennett, Carroll Taylor, Marcia Barnes, Raven Chiong, Glenda Beall, Joan Howard, David Plunkett, Lynda Farrell, and Sandy Benson staffed the booth for the two days. 

Kanute Rarey and David Plunkett set up the booth with a tent and tables on Friday afternoon and they took down the booth on Sunday afternoon.

When we work together we can do so much. Many books were sold, but we were there to explain who we are and what we do. Our banner caught the eyes of passersby who were curious and stopped to talk. Some of our best writers and volunteers found us at this festival, picked up a brochure, and joined NCWN.

 Joan Howard, poet in pink, Carroll Taylor, novelist and poet sitting behind her.

Lorraine Bennett and Marcia Barnes, Glenda Beall, waiting her turn at the table

CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER Rarey and Raven Chiong to Read at July 20 Literary Hour

Kanute 

CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER

  Local storyteller Kanute Rarey and poet Raven Chiong will read from their work at the Literary Hour Thursday, July 20, at 7 p.m. in the Open House of the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC.  The Literary Hour is sponsored by the North Carolina Writers’ Network-West and is free and open to everyone.

Kanute is well-known for his storytelling at house concerts, community events, schools, libraries, festivals and on stages in Georgia, North Carolina and other states as far afield as Ohio and Texas.  Chiong, whose poetry and prose has appeared in publications from coast-to-coast, will be reading from her recently published book, “Ode to the Still Small Voice—A Memoir of Listening.”

Raven and Dulce

Kanute took his first official step to the storytelling stage eight years ago after he retired to the mountains of North Carolina. His family and friends would say he has been a storyteller all of his life. He claims to come by his talent honestly. Growing up on a farm in Ohio his dad made life sound like a tall tale “holding court”at the breakfast table, he said. 

Today, in addition to performing at various venues, he works with the Georgia Storytelling Network, and the annual Georgia Mountain Storytelling Festival.  He founded the Mountain Area Storytellers serving western North Carolina and north Georgia and produces a monthly Open Mic Night – Stories on the Square and a monthly Evening of Appalachian Stories at the John C. Campbell Folk School. He also produces a four-performance series, Scribes on Stage at the Peacock Playhouse. 

Kanute actively supports local and regional storytellers, writers, poets and singer-song writers. He attributes his early beginning to the generosity of members of the North Carolina Writers Network and to John C. Campbell Folk School and national storyteller Elizabeth Ellis. 

Raven’s writing career began at five years of age when she became a loyal pen pal to her absent mother. She earned her Master of Arts in Exercise and Sport Science from the University of Florida.

A lifelong student, life coach, and educator, her career includes qualifying for the First Ever 1984 Women’s Olympic Marathon Trials and paying it forward with her 19-year cross country coaching career at DePauw University, Florida Atlantic University, Pine Crest Prep School, and Mills College. After a long competitive running and coaching career, she now runs her pen across the pages of this life.

Raven is a member of the North Carolina Writers Network, North Carolina Poetry Society, Utah State Poetry Society, Florida State Poetry Association, and National Federation of State Poetry Societies. 

She has also been working with Best Friends Animal Society since 2008. Above all, she is the proud and devoted mama of four rescue dogs who found her wandering in the high desert of Southern Utah. They are her ongoing source of inspiration, a-“muse”-ment, and her greatest teachers, she said.

Local author Bob Grove of Brasstown, NC, will serve as host for the Literary Hour.

The John C. Campbell Folk School offers classes in folk arts and crafts and storytelling.  For information about the school, you can find its webpage and contact information at https://www.folkschool.org/.  Students and faculty of the school are welcome to attend the readings.

Ricketson and Ledford Appearing on Clay Chamber Connection Show

                                                    Author and Poet Mary Ricketson

                                                       Author and Poet Brenda Kay Ledford

Jim Rich, director of the Clay County Chamber of Commerce, will interview Mary Ricketson and Brenda Kay Ledford, on Friday, July 14, 2023 at 2:00 PM, on the "Clay County Chamber Show," WKRK Radio  Facebook live. They will also read poetry from their books.  

Al Manning

 I found today that an old friend of Netwest, Al Manning, died in March 2023. Al was serving as county Rep in Haywood County when I became Program Coordinator in 2007. He was an active member and an active writer. He published some books, I remember, and one of them was very humorous. He and his wife moved to the flatlands a few years ago and he began working with writers in that area. We stayed in touch for a while, but eventually, I lost touch with Al. Al served on the Board of Trustees for the Network for many years. 

Ed Southern wrote a nice tribute to Al on the Network Blog.

https://www.ncwriters.org/news/blog/remembering-longtime-ncwn-member-and-trustee-al-manning/

Ricketson and Ledford to read at Cherokee County Arts Council July 18

Mary Ricketson and Brenda Kay Ledford, poets from Murphy and Hayesville, will read selected poems from their published collections on Tuesday, July 18, 5:30-7:00 pm at Cherokee County Arts Council, 33 Valley River Ave, Murphy NC, across from the Mason Jar and Curiosity Bookstore. 

Mary Ricketson

Brenda Kay Ledford

Refreshments will be served and there will be time for discussion.  This event takes place in the gallery, where the paintings of Pam Strawn of Murphy will be on display. 

Everyone is invited.  Please join us.  No admission charge. 

Literary Hour at Campell School Features Beall and Owens

  Local memoirist Glenda Beall and poet Scott Owens are the featured authors for the Literary Hour on Thursday, June 15, at 7 pm in the Keith House Living Room of the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC.  The Literary Hour is sponsored by the North Carolina Writers’ Network-West and is free and open to everyone.

Scott Owens

Scott Owens of Hickory, NC, writes poetry as if he were a painter. Painters see more than other people see. They look beyond the obvious. Owens sees and invites the reader to visualize images, actions, beliefs, purposes, and motives. His books cover a wide range of topics including a love of nature, surviving an abusive childhood, growing up on a farm, writing, religion, dreams and nightmares, parenting, politics, philosophy, existentialism, and, of course, love.

A professor of poetry at Lenoir-Rhyne University, Owens is the author of 19 collections of poetry, and more than 1,200 published poems. He has received awards from the Academy of American Poets, the Pushcart Prize Anthology, the NC Writers' Network, the NC Poetry Society, the Poetry Society of SC, and many others.

Glenda Council Beall lives in the mountains of western North Carolina with her dog, Lexie. Since 1996, her work has been widely published in numerous journals, magazines and online reviews. 

Glenda Council Beall

In 2009, her poetry chapbook “Now Might as Well Be Then,” was published by Finishing Line Press. In 1998, she published a family history book, “Profiles and Pedigrees, The Descendants of Thomas Charles Council (1888 - 1911).” She co-authored, with Estelle Rice, “Paws, Claws, Hooves, Feathers, and Fins; Family Pets and God’s Other Creatures,” an anthology of stories, nonfiction, and poetry with beautiful color photos.

For 10 years she owned and directed Writers Circle Around the Table where she brought outstanding poetry and prose writers to Clay County, NC, to teach local writers. She has taught memoir writing classes at John C. Campbell Folk School, Tri-County College, and ICL at Young Harris College.

Beall is program coordinator for the North Carolina Writers’ Network-West.

CarolLynn Jones, author of “Danya,” a novel about a family surviving the Russian revolution, will host the Literary Hour.

The Literary Hour at the folk school started in 1995 and is offered every third Thursday of the month through November.

Brenda Kay Ledford Gives Program at Towns County Historical Society

 Brenda Kay Ledford also will be the featured reader at "Coffee With the Poets," Wednesday, June 14, 2023 at Moss Memorial Library; Hayesville, NC at 10:30 AM.

She will read from her new poetry book, Leatherwood Falls, Blue Ridge Mountain Poems, published by Kelsay Books this year.

This event is free and open to the public.  An open mic will follow Ledford's reading at "Coffee With the Poets."  North Carolina Writer's Network- West will sponsor this reading.

Lorraine Bennett Book Signing is June 3 at Clay County Progress

Lorraine Bennett

           Lorraine Bennett’s first novel, a psychological thriller titled "Cat on a Black Moon," has been published by Austin Macauley (London, Cambridge, New York) and is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kindle.  She will be selling and signing copies of her book in Hayesville at the Clay County Progress from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 3.

          The 236-page novel revolves around protagonist Garner Olsen, Atlanta’s number one television anchorwoman who becomes the target of brilliant and deranged ex-flower child Darla Dare when the anchorwoman’s husband, a federal prosecutor, prepares to take Darla’s lover to trial for drug trafficking.

           When the anchorwoman’s life is upended by vandalism, stalking, kidnapping and murder, she vows to track down the responsible party.

            Bennett drew on her years in television to create protagonist Garner Olsen.  Her time as a print reporter was helpful in the development of antagonist Darla Dare. Also useful was the time she resided in Atlanta during the early years of the counter-culture takeover of parts of Peachtree Street.

        The genesis of the story is a piece of jewelry Bennett purchased at an auction house in Atlanta. In the book, the jewelry plays a major role.

  

Farewell to Writers’ Night Out Features Georgia Poets

Writers' Night Out will bid farewell to its followers Friday, June 9, at 7 pm.  WNO has been a well-attended event since 2010, but is ending its run, a victim in part of the pandemic.  For the last three years it has continued virtually, which enabled it to draw a broader range of featured readers and audiences but at the cost of the personal interactions between audience and writer.

The event will feature poets Michael Diebert and Michael Walls who will read from their works followed by an open mic session for anyone wishing to read from their own works or simply bid the popular program goodbye.

        The final WNO, fittingly perhaps, will be a Zoom meeting.  Anyone wishing to join should contact Glenda Beall at glendabeall@msn.com.

Michael Diebert

Its organizers will continue to support other in-person and virtual writing events in Western North Carolina and the Georgia mountain counties of Union and Towns.

        All that being said, the featured writers for the final event are excellent examples of the talent the program was able to attract to this area.

Michael Diebert is the author of the collections “Thrash” (Brick Road, 2022) and “Life Outside the Set” (Sweatshoppe, 2013).  He has served as poetry editor for “The Chattahoochee Review,” led workshops for the Chattahoochee Valley Writers' Conference and the Blue Ridge Writers' Conference, and served as president of the Georgia Poetry Society.

Michael Walls

Diebert teaches writing and literature at Perimeter College, Georgia State University.  Recent poems have appeared in “EcoTheo Collective,” “Book of Matches,” “Anti-Heroin Chic,” and “River Teeth.”  A two-time cancer survivor, he lives in Avondale Estates, Georgia, with his wife and dogs.

Michael Walls is a retired labor lawyer who lives in Atlanta.  He represented workers and labor unions for over 40 years.  He has also been a lifetime activist and sometime voluntary attorney for peace, justice and environmental organizations.  His new book is “Climbing an Unnamed Mountain” (Kelsay Books).

        His poems have appeared in a variety of literary journals and magazines including “The South Carolina Review,” “The Midwest Quarterly,” “Poet Lore,” “Poetry East,” “San Pedro River Review,” “ISLE (Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment),” “South Florida Poetry Journal,” and “Atlanta Review.”  His chapbook “The Blues Singer” was published by The Frank Cat Press in 2003, and his first full-length collection “Stacking Winter Wood” was published by Kelsay Books/Aldrich Press in 2017.

In addition to poetry, Wall's published work includes articles in law reviews and bar publications.  Four years ago, he was diagnosed with Erythromelalgia, a rare neuro-vascular condition characterized by chronic pain and loss of mobility that has no known cure.  He is starting to write about the ways the illness and the host of autoimmune conditions that travel with it have changed and continue to change his life.

In addition to the speakers, the event will close with an open mic session during which anyone wishing to will have 3 to 4 minutes to read their own poetry or prose.  Persons attending the event can sign up for open mic by emailing glendabeall@msn.com with a sentence she can use to introduce them.

Writers’ Night Out is a North Carolina Writers' Network-West event.

Poet Scott Owens to Teach Workshop at Moss Memorial Library June 16

We are fortunate to have Scott Owens teach a workshop for us at the Moss Memorial Library in Hayesville, NC, Friday, June 16, 2:00-4:45 PM.

Scott Owens writes poetry as if he were a painter. Painters see more than other people see. They look beyond the obvious. Scott sees and invites the reader to visualize images, actions, beliefs, purposes, motives, and results of what he has gleaned from his life as a child, a husband, a father, a teacher, a human being who took notice.

Workshop Title: Inspiration Surrounds Us: How to Have Enough to Write About for at Least 4 Lifetimes.

Fee: $45.00 A portion of the fee goes to NCWN-West.

Send a check before June 10, made to Glenda Beall, and mail to 581 Chatuge Lane, Hayesville, NC 28904

Scott Owens

Scott is the author of 19 collections of poetry, and more than 1200 published poems. He has received awards from the Academy of American Poets, the Pushcart Prize Anthology, the NC Writers' Network, the NC Poetry Society, the Poetry Society of SC, and many others.

His poems have been featured on "The Writers' Almanac" 7 times, "Poetry in Plain Sight" 4 times, and "Your Daily Poem" 13 times.

He is Professor of Poetry at Lenoir Rhyne University and has taught creative writing for more than 20 years, including in excess of 40 community or conference workshops.

His books cover a wide range of topics including a love of nature, surviving an abusive childhood, growing up on a farm, writing, religion, dreams and nightmares, parenting, politics, philosophy, existentialism, and of course, love.

He has collaborated with poet, Pris Campbell, on two novels in poetry; with artist, Missy Cleveland, on an illustrated collection of poems for children; and with photographer, Clayton Joe Young, on two collections featuring images of the North Carolina Piedmont. 

In his spare time, Scott owns and operates a successful coffee shop in downtown Hickory. He serves as President of the Hickory Downtown Development Association. He has hosted Poetry Hickory at his coffee shop for 17 years. Several of our NCWN-West poets have read there.

Scott has always loved the NC mountains. In his younger days he was an avid hiker, who spent one summer hiking the mountains to more than 100 waterfalls. He is also an avid birdwatcher, and on a recent weeklong visit to the Smokies, saw 23 bald eagles.

Born and raised on farms and in mill villages in and around Greenwood, SC, he now lives on an acre near downtown Hickory where he constantly weeds his garden, prunes his trees, and tends his flock of 8 egg-producing chickens.

He says you can take the boy off the farm, but you can never take the farm out of the boy.

Bill Lightle is Featured Speaker at May 25 Mountain Wordsmiths

             Writer Bill Lightle will be the featured reader for the May gathering of Mountain Wordsmiths. The group will meet Thursday morning, May 25, at 10:30 via Zoom. Lightle is the author of "Race & Politics in the American South: A Personal History."

Bill Lightle

              Lightle lives and writes, both nonfiction and fiction, in Georgia. One reviewer said this of Lightle’s Southern fiction: “Readers everywhere will be captured by his new mystery series.” Another reviewer said his stories are “told with grace and understanding.” 

             In 1966, when he was nine, his family moved from Gas City, Indiana, to Albany, Georgia, where his father had accepted a job building aircraft. Lightle came of age reading newspapers and hearing stories, including those of The Great Depression and World War II, from his father and his friends. It was through these stories that he developed an appreciation for history and politics. 

             After graduating from Georgia Southwestern College in Americus in 1980 with a degree in political science, Lightle was hired as a general assignment reporter for the Albany Herald and went on to write for three other newspapers in the southeast in the 1980s, including the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He began a 29-year teaching career in the late 1980s and retired in 2017. But throughout that time, he continued to write for newspapers and publish books.

             For most of his adult life, he has been a political activist, which he chronicles in his latest book, "Race &Politics in the American South: A Personal History." 

             Lightle lives in the country in south Fayette County, Georgia, with his wife Phyllis, their two dogs, Mercy and Levi, and their cat Nigel. His wife has published a book of poetry, "Chasing Hemingway."
 

CarolLynn Jones and Mary Ricketson Reading at Literary Hour

  Local writers CarolLynn Jones and Mary Ricketson will read from their work at the Literary Hour Thursday, May 18, at 7 pm in the Keith House Living Room of the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC.  The Literary Hour is sponsored by the North Carolina Writers’ Network-West and is free and open to everyone.

CarolLynn Jones

CarolLynn Jones is the author of “Danya,” a historical novel.  It is a fictionalized account, based on memoirs by survivors of the Russian communist revolution, which follows the lives of two families struggling in a world going mad with sweeping cultural, religious, and political upheaval.  The novel is available on Amazon.  Jones studied art and illustration at Syracuse University and started a greeting card business which supplied cards to stores throughout the country.  She has traveled in Russia and spent two weeks living with a Russian family.  She will be reading from a true story of hope and redemption.

Mary Ricketson

Mary Ricketson is an award-winning poet, mental health counselor, and blueberry farmer who lives in Murphy.  Her published collections are “I Hear the River Call My Name,” “Hanging Dog Creek,” “Shade and Shelter,” “Mississippi: The Story of Luke and Marian,” “Keeping in Place,” and “Lira, Poems of a Woodland Woman,” and “Precious the Mule.”  Ricketson won first place in the 2011 Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest 75th anniversary national poetry contest.  Inspired by nature and her role as a mental health counselor, her poems reflect the healing powers of nature, a path she follows from Appalachian tradition, with the surrounding mountains as midwife for her words.  She is also known for her monthly column, “Woman to Woman,” which runs in “The Cherokee Scout.”

Writer and poet Glenda Beall, coordinator for NCWN-West, will host the
event.  The Literary Hour at the folk school started in 1995 and is offered every third Thursday of the month through November.  “Our goals for the Literary Hour at the folk school are to bring local writers and any member of NCWN who is in the area to the campus to share their work,” Beall said.

The John C. Campbell Folk School offers classes in folk arts and crafts and storytelling.  For information about the school, you can find its webpage and contact information at https://www.folkschool.org/.  Students and faculty of the school are welcome to attend the readings.

Netwest Writers Win Medals in the 2023 Silver Arts Literary Contest

 North Carolina Writers Netwest Writers won medals in the 2023 Cherokee/Clay Senior Games Silver Arts Literary Contest.

Back row:  Raven Chiong, Sandy Benson, Lorraine Bennett, and front row, Brenda Kay Ledford

Raven Chiong won the Silver Medal for her Essay, "After the Storm-The Great Blizzard of 1960"

She also received a Gold Medal for her Life Experiences:  "One Teacher's Legacy of Love"

Sandy Benson won the Gold Medal for her Short Story, "Crawford's Ghost"

Lorraine Bennett won the Silver Medal for her Life Experiences:  "Unanswered Prayers"

Brenda Kay Ledford won the Gold Medal for her Essay:  "Art Therapy"

She also received the Silver Medal for her poem, "Homeplace"

She got a Bonze Medal for her Short Story, "The Case of the Missing Purse"

Poet and Writer Kory Wells Featured at Writers' Night Out May 12

    Kory Wells will be the featured reader at Writers' Night Out on Friday, May 12, at 7 p.m. EST.  This is a Zoom meeting.

Kory Wells

    Wells is a poet and writer, storyteller, and arts advocate from Tennessee. She is the author of two poetry collections, most recently Sugar Fix from Terrapin Books. Her writing has been featured on The Slowdown podcast from American Public Media and appears in The Strategic Poet, Christian Science Monitor, and many other publications.

    In 2017 Kory was selected the inaugural Poet Laureate of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where she nurtures creative community through arts and literature initiatives. She also mentors poets from across the nation through MTSU Write, a from-home creative writing program. Find her online at https://korywells.com.

    Her reading will be followed by an Open Mic session during which anyone joining the Zoom meeting may have 3 to 4 minutes to read poetry or prose (2 poems only, please).

    To sign up for Open Mic, please send Glenda Beall an email (with a sentence she can use to introduce you) by clicking here: glendabeall@msn.com.

Brenda Kay Ledford Published in Ink Babies Literary Magazine

 Brenda Kay Ledford's poetry, "Ambidextrous," "Discards," "Broken," "The Rock," and  "Snowstorm," appeared in "Ink Babies Literary Magazine," issue 3.

www.inkbabies.com

Mary Ricketson and Brenda Kay Ledford Will Read at Corner Coffee and Wine Shop

                                                        Mary Ricketson, author

                                                        "Precious, the Mule"

                                                              Brenda Kay Ledford, author

                                                    "Leatherwood Falls, Blue Ridge Mountain Poems"

                                                                     

Mary Ricketson and Brenda Kay Ledford will be reading from their new books at the Corner Coffee and Wine Shop, Friday, April 21, 2023; 6:00-7:30 PM. They will also have books available for sale.

This event is sponsored by the Mountain Area Storytellers.  Additionally, Ricketson and Ledford will be joined during the Open Mic Night by writers, storytellers, and music makers who will take stage.

Stories on the Square - Hayesville, North Carolina

Friday, April 21, 2023

6:00-7:30 PM EDT

Corner Coffee and Wine Shop

Free Event with an Open Mic Night

Author Sandy Benson and Poet Richard Cary to Read at Campbell School

Author Sandy Benson and Poet Richard Montfort Cary will read from their work at the Literary Hour Thursday, April 20, at 7 pm in the Keith House Living Room of the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC.  The Literary Hour is sponsored by the North Carolina Writers’ Network-West and is free and open to everyone.

Benson will read selections from her first book, “My Mother’s Keeper: One Family’s Journey Through Dementia,” and the book she is currently working on, “Girls Can’t Do That,” a collection of

Sandy Benson

mostly humorous short stories about her life as one of America’s first female foresters.  Cary will read selections from his forthcoming chronological autobiography of his poetry.

Benson is a soon-to-be-retired professional forester with a background in journalism.  She has worked as a forester in Arizona, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, and Nebraska, while moonlighting as a reporter, editor, publisher, and freelance non-fiction writer.  Numerous newspapers and magazines have published her articles, and she received several awards from the Nebraska Press Women’s organization.

She has lived with her husband, Barry, in Warne, NC, since 2018 and enjoys sharing tales at local storyteller gatherings and writing publicity releases for the Peacock Performing Arts Center in Hayesville.

Cary began writing poetry in high school and continues to this day.  He graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 1964 with a BFA in Theatre Arts, and spent six years in regional theatres, before moving year-round to Nantucket Island, MA, where he became a designer and builder of custom

Richard Cary

homes.  In 1985, he founded Actors Theatre of Nantucket, the island’s professional theatre company, and served as Artistic Director for twenty years.

His claim to local fame is that his great aunt, Olive Dame Campbell, founded the Campbell Folk School.  In April 2022, he wrote and directed “The Birth Of The John C Campbell Folk School” which received generous praise when it was performed at the Peacock.  The theatre hosted an encore production this year.  He and his wife Cheryl moved to Hayesville NC in 2017.

Local poet and author Joan Howard will host the event.

The John C. Campbell Folk School offers classes in folk arts and crafts and storytelling.  For information about the school, you can find its webpage and contact information at https://www.folkschool.org/.  Students and faculty of the school are welcome to attend the readings.

Poet Jill Jennings to be Featured Reader for Mountain Wordsmiths

By Carroll S. Taylor

Jill Jennings

       Poet Jill Jennings will be the featured reader for April’s gathering of Mountain Wordsmiths. The group will meet Thursday morning, April 27, at 10:30 via Zoom. One of the benefits of meeting online is the ability to host writers from all areas of the country. 

       Jennings, a retired teacher, linguist and journalist, is the author of three full-length poetry books, The Poetry Alarm Clock (2008); Dead Man’s Flower (2012); and Pineapple Wine: Poems of Maui (2019). Her poems have been published in in The Atlanta Review,  Oberon Poetry Magazine, Calamaro, Reach of Song (Georgia Poetry Society); Encore (The National Federation of State Poetry Societies);  Cadence  (Anthology of the Florida State Poets Association); Poetry of the Golden Generation (Kennesaw State University), and is a frequent contributor to Please See Me Literary Journal.

       Her work has been featured on Kinver Radio in the U.K.  In 2013, Jennings was awarded a U.S. Congressional Commendation for her career as an author and teacher of  Latin and English. She has served as Vice President, and Secretary of the Georgia Poetry Society and as Co-Coordinator of the Johns Creek Poetry Group.  She received her B.A. in Classics in 1969, followed by an M.A. in Classics in 1975, both from the University of Georgia. Since retiring she has kept busy teaching writing classes and setting up poetry slams for high school students. Originally from Georgia, she now lives with her husband in Fort Myers, Florida.  Follow her at www.jilljennings.org.

        NCWN-West is continuing to stay in touch by using technology to share our writing. We offer writing events and writing classes both online and in person. Many writers are enjoying the convenience and flexibility of Zoom meetings because of the ability to join our gatherings from other locations across America.       

        Those wishing to attend Mountain Wordsmiths may contact Carroll Taylor at vibiaperpetua@gmail.com to receive the Zoom link. Our group is informal, and we welcome those who would simply like to listen to the beauty of wordsmithing. All who attend are encouraged to enjoy their morning cup of coffee or tea as we share our thoughts about writing.

                                         

Writers Night Out Resumes April 14 with poet, teacher, cancer survivor Michael Diebert

Michael Diebert

      Update: Please note that due to technical difficulties with Zoom on April 14, Michael Diebert has been rescheduled for June 9. Details will be posted at at a later date. We apologize to those who tried to tune in for the April event. 

Writers Night Out via Zoom resumes Friday, April 14, at 7 pm featuring poet, editor, teacher, and cancer survivor Michael Diebert.  The reading and discussion will be followed by an open mic session.  Writers Night Out is a North Carolina Writers' Network-West event.

    Michael Diebert, a native of Kingsport, Tennessee, is the author of the collections Thrash (Brick Road, 2022) and Life Outside the Set (Sweatshoppe, 2013). He has served as poetry editor for The Chattahoochee Review, led workshops for the Chattahoochee Valley Writers' Conference and the Blue Ridge Writers' Conference, and served as president of Georgia Poetry Society. 

    Micheal teaches writing and literature at Perimeter College, Georgia State University. Recent poems have appeared in EcoTheo Collective, Book of Matches, Anti-Heroin Chic, and River Teeth. A two-time cancer survivor, Michael lives in Avondale Estates, Georgia with his wife and dogs.

    An Open Mic session will follow Diebert's reading, offering anyone joining over Zoom an opportunity to read their own works.  Please plan for a 3-4 minute maximum time for poetry or prose and limit reading to two poems only, please.

    To sign up for Open Mic, please send Glenda an email (with a sentence she can use to introduce you) by clicking here: glendabeall@msn.com.  To get the Zoom link email Glenda.