Tag Archives: events

A Tale of Two Readings

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It was the best of readings, it was the worst of readings . . . Well, not really that extreme but nice to play off of some Charles DIckens.

On Sunday June 10th, Maureen Sherbondy and I had a reading scheduled at Park Road Books in Charlotte from 2-3. We had a 3rd reader scheduled but she had to cancel. Guess it was one of those kind of days because even though Maureen and I both know a lot of writers in the Charlotte area there were no attendees at the reading :( This happens. But, at least Maureen and I had a chance to talk and our books are still in the store for sale if you want to point anyone in the direction of a long standing independent bookstore.

Now how about a very different reading? And, one I wasn’t even reading at? I haven’t been to Poetry Hickory in a while but I had a chance to go and not only did I get to go to one of my favorite events, but I had a chance to finally meet Robert Lee and Tammy Foster Brewer in person! Robert led a workshop first about finding a poetry audience and then he and Tammy were the featured readers. Before they read there was also a great set of three people for the open mike portion.

I love that I sold a book at a reading I wasn’t reading at versus the reading I mentioned first. LOL!

Such is the poetry biz. Both events, ultimately, were still good for me because I had a chance to see people I enjoy being around and I had a chance to celebrate being a poet.

What more could I ask?

Upcoming Events

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I knew I had quite a few things to do this summer but as I start actually working on them I realized I should share a few events with you guys in case you may be able to attend – or in case you know someone who is in the area who can attend. I also welcome any topics you think should be covered in any of these events.

  • May 23 2012 – Penning Poems and Forms – Workshop – Barnhill’s Books – Winston-Salem, NC – 6pm – This is the one I’m working on the most right now. My initial plans are to have a writing prompt as well as time to discuss some specific forms. The fee for this workshop is $10. I might decide to do a book raffle as well . . .
  • May 30 2012 – Finding Your Audience: Inspiring Students and Teachers Towards Publication – RCCC Summer Institute – 1-2:15pm – This is a free event that I am doing for the school, but I’ve been told that it can be open to the public if you register. There may be a small fee. It will be held in Kannapolis. I’m hoping to gear this event towards the participants so I’ll be looking for what type of resources the participants need for their publication dreams or those of their students. These events could be terrific for teachers who need their continuing education credits.
  • June 1 2012 – Thee Poets Reading – City Light Books – Sylva, NC – This event is listed as being from 6-7pm. I’m to read with Maureen Sherbondy and Ann Barnhill. I need to check this one because I don’t see it on their calendar yet.
  • June 2 2012 – NC Charlotte Metro-South Writer’s Event: 1, 2, 3 Submit! Hosting with Annie Maier about fiction, non-fiction, poetry etc that you think might be ready to submit but where? And how do you get started? 2-4pm Location TBA. Free but register with Annie at WordJunkiesPress(at)gmail.com. Speaking of the NCWN they are now taking registration for the Summer Writing Residency that is in Charlotte again this year. Oh that is tempting because I’d love to work with Morri Creech although it may conflict with my family trip . . .
  • June 10 2012 – Three Poets Reading – Park Road Books – Charlotte, NC – with Maureen Sherbondy and Anne Barnhill – 2pm – I dropped off copies of “Fat Girl” to them recently and  hope to bring “An Amateur Marriage” with me.
  • October 2013 – Poetry Hickory – well that is FAR in the future, but really one of my favorite places to read. Looking closer though I am really excited about going up to visit for June 12 because Robert Lee Brewer (yep that one!) and his wife will be reading and teaching a workshop!

Such a busy summer! I am trying to decide how much more to book for myself. In July I’ll be at the NC Writer’s Conference but I won’t be doing a reading or anything there. That is a different type of event, but I will have a night class in the fall that may continue to keep me from some events. I like the outlet, however, of getting a chance to read from time and especially to teach creative writing once in a while since that isn’t a part of my teaching day job :) I’m out there for hire! Or, as we well know, doing most of these for free.

Still considering teaching an online class this summer. Wonder if I’d have any takers for say $10? Hmmm

Make Friday Write

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The RCCC Literary & Fine Arts Festival is now complete, and I’m hoping to do a post about it soon. I, however, need to first find my way back something called TIME.

  • Here is the most interesting post I have read yet about the current Ghost Writing debate. It reminds me of that old question about authorship and editorship. Where does the line go?
  • I recently (how recent is recent at this point!) watched a documentary titled Vietnam’s Unseen War where an American photographer visited Vietnamese photographers from war time (on both sides of the war). Fascinating to see that view. A while back I reviewed the Vietnam War memoir Two of the Missing and the photographer they follow in the documentary is one of the photographer’s also mentioned in that memoir. That’s always the fascinating thing to me about research and/or study of one subject: when things start to connect.
  • Tomorrow in Charlotte there is a NCWN meet-up at Julia’s Coffee from 3-5. The idea is to bring a book and/or an idea you want to swap with other writers. If I get caught up on grading I just might have to stop by there because, speaking of connections, my spouse has to work tomorrow because of the Vietnam War Remembered parade tomorrow
  • And, of course, it is almost NaPoWriMo. Is anyone diving in to do 30 poems in 30 days? I’m undecided at this point.

Now do I have a poem this week? Hmmm. I actually scribbled this down during a directed free write at one of the LitFest sessions. I will note the poem (as always, without a form yet) that I typed up from my notes but that hasn’t been revised in anyway. I’ll tell you more about the free-write exercise itself if you’d like later. Below it are some notes to myself about where I could go with this.

–going to take my notes, and your notes and see what I can do with this :)  

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As always feel free to post your work in progress in comments and I will take your work and my work down one week from today.

Looking forward to chatting with you and I have several great blog topics that I want to post when I get a free moment :)

A Pair of Poetry Events

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Sorry I’ve been a bit behind on my posting. So behind that I haven’t even had a chance to recap two recent poetry events I was involved with. One was the Couplet Poetry Festival in Wilmington, NC on 2-4-12 and the other was Poetry Hickory on 2-14-12.

There are many wonderful things I could say about the Couplet Festival, but perhaps this Vend-a-Poem machine says it best: it was eclectic.

I had a chance to read poems along with three other terrific poets in a city I’ve always wanted to visit. I then had a chance to work with a poet one-on-one on their poems before a big group of us had a fantastic lunch at the Copper Penny.

Finally I finished up the afternoon with my Truth vs Fact poetry workshop. I had to head back but the festival also had an Open Mike and a release part for an anthology they put together. That was just the first day. That Sunday they had additional workshops.

The second event I had a chance to be a part of was the February edition of Poetry Hickory. Those of you who have been to my blog for a while know how much I LOVE Poetry Hickory. The open mike was fantastic. Reading with the pictured Tony Abbott was AMAZING and I was given free Jasmine tea and a brownie? Yep. Epic.

I’m still in a bit of a poetry writing slump, but being with these fabulous writers did have me composing a few disconnected stanzas. I need to refuel with my poetry people. I desperately missed it an with two gift cards for my birthday that will allow me to buy books? You can tell what I’ll be doing in just a few moments.

I have some other events coming up. They are linked under the appearance tab. I have at least one a month through June. Need a poet? Let me know!

Monday Shout Outs

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This post will be sort of a Monday Shout Out and a Monday Round Up

 First shout out has to go to multiple people involved with the AQLF which my husband and I drove down for on Saturday.

Which is where I had a chance to FINALLY meet my next publisher in person: Bryan Borland. It really was like we already knew each other though. I also met Dustin Brookshire, Collin Kelley and a host of others! What a great event.

As if making the trip down to Atlanta just to say hey to everyone wasn’t awesome enough then I also read terrific poetry by many of other good friends such as Jenny Billings Beaver and Jim Valvis in the current issue of the gorgeous Handful of Dust (H.O.D) literary magazine.


Oh and I should probably back up and mention that I also had a chance to hang out with featured reader Helen Losse on  Friday night at the monthly Green Rice Art Gallery reading:

In additional shout outs, I also read and enjoyed a lot of great new poetry, essays, art etc in Prick of the Spindle.

In other news, this Thursday come out to Dilworth Coffee near Afton Village in Concord between 5-7 for the writer’s meet up and then stay at 7 for featured reader Richard Allen Taylor who will then be followed by an open mike.

The open mike at Green Rice on Friday was my first in a while and I missed it, but deciding what to read? HARD!

Well that about does it for the pending shout outs on my list.  Well, only for shout outs because the to do list itself is still LONG!

But, as I said on Facebook earlier: I want my fantastic weekend to turn into a fantastic week. That’s how I’m rolling :)

Hello Monday

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I have some bits and pieces to bring up today!

  • First up I want to mention that Helen Losse is one of the featured readers at Green Rice Art Gallery on Friday. 7pm with featured readers and then open mike so come on out!
  • Speaking of Helen: a new issue of The Dead Mule is out and I have poems in it : )
  • And on the realm of publications, an interview I did with Bill Diskin at The Independent Tribune is also now online (busy weekend!)
  • Over the weekend I finished Writing Down the Bones. For those newer writers this will be a great resource. It is a little weird for me to read it now in my career because (as Simon noted) the author was at a similar place in her writing life to where I am now (she even published it at 36 which is how old I am now!)
  • Also this weekend, hubby and I went to see Super 8 which we both really enjoyed although I hesitate to call it the best movie of the year as some people are. It did, however, get me thinking about the first time I saw a video camera, let alone used on. Do you remember that from your own life? Let’s discuss. Think of it as discussion or simply as an early in the week writing prompt.
Let’s get that Monday going!

 

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Tuesday Shout Outs

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Time to shout out anything that you know is going on, that you are reading, watching, listening to etc. Let’s just celebrate what keeps us engaged!

  • Tonight at 7 the Charlotte Writer’s Club is hosting author Andrew Park. Stop by! I am not sure if I can make it yet, but I want to!
  • I’ve watched quite a few of the Nova Science Now documentaries that are on Netflix streaming with my favorite being: How Smart Are Animals?
  • This Saturday the NC Poetry Society is meeting. Not sure if I will make it down for this either. I’ve been a member for a while now and I’ve never been to an event! Saturday get aways are hard for me, but I hear terrific things about these events.
  • On the other side of read/watch there is the tried to read/watch. I have some to mention in this category: the book “God is Great” and the TV show Babylon 5. I really wanted to try an engage with these items so I could see what some people love/hate about hem but, instead, I just found them boring. Sorry!
  • This weekend is also the Queens MFA Alumni Conference. There isn’t a lot (I don’t think) that is open to the public but there will be some book sales going on and a few readings so contact the school for more info. I am an alumni but I’m not sure I can attend much because I have a lot of training going on for work etc
So this is my list for this week. What do you guys have to report on?