Brenda Kay Ledford Featured on "Out on a Limb: Adventures in Storytelling"

 Brenda Kay Ledford's story, "Blue Ridge Mountain Grandma," is featured this week on:  "Out on a Limb:  Adventures in Storytelling."

Sandy Benson is the author of this storytelling site.  Writers are invited to submit and to subscribe to this substack.

https://sgb212739.substack.com/p/out-on-a-limb-adventures-in-storytelling-Od3

This is a great site that Sandy has launched.  I think it will be very successful. I am very grateful to be featured this week.  

Brenda Kay Ledford

http://blueridgepoet.blogspot.com

Celebrated Playwright and Poet Richard Cary to Speak Nov. 12 at Moss Memorial Library

by Joan M. Howard
Guest Writer

Coffee With Poets and Writers is delighted to welcome again distinguished writer Richard Montfort Cary, local playwright, poet and actor, and relative of Dame Olive Campbell. He will speak Wednesday, Nov. 12, at 10:30 a.m. at Moss Memorial Library. Richard is a prolific poet, who has also written plays, including one about the founding of John C. Campbell Folk School. He is also a popular actor at the Peacock Playhouse.

Coffee With Poets And Writers meets monthly at Hayesville’s Moss Memorial Library.

Richard will be reading from his recently published book of autobiographical poems "I Once Was a Man From Nantucket," a collection of autobiographical poems.

Richard Montfort Cary Photo by Lily Ponitz

The 750-page book is arranged in a chronological order covering poems he wrote on his 65-year journey from age 16 in 1959 to age 81 in the spring of 2024.  His wife, artist Cheryl Cary, designed the cover, incorporating a painting dated 1929 by his mother June Coolidge Cary.  The book is his dream come true.

Richard received his BFA in Theater Arts from Carnegie Mellon University in 1964, and spent six years in professional theaters before moving his young family to Nantucket Island, MA, where he became a sought-after designer/carpenter of custom homes.

In 1980, the local community theater asked him to step in as artistic director, which he did for four years.  Then in 1985 he founded Actors Theatre of Nantucket, the island’s own professional theater company, serving as producing artistic director for 20 years until retiring in 2004.

During those years, he was the harmonica-playing tenor of a popular blue grass band, The Fish Handlers, and also spent 12 years on stage in his one-man show "And Now, Mark Twain!"  After 34 magical years on Nantucket, he moved to Asheville, NC, then to West Asheville, and finally in 2017 to a new old home in Hayesville.

Richard’s claim to fame is that Olive Dame Campbell, founder of the John C. Campbell Folk School back in 1925, is his great aunt.  Honoring the Folk School’s 100th anniversary, Richard and his wife Cheryl composed a one-act narrative for four voices "The Birth of the John C. Campbell Folk School," which was recently performed to glowing reviews at the Folk School’s Fall Festival.  It’s slated to be presented again, Dec. 10 at 4:45 p.m.

His first collection of poems will be followed by a companion book "Sonnets & We Are... " sometime in 2026.

Coffee With Poets and Writers is sponsored by North Carolina Writers' Network West and meets every second Wednesday from March to December at 10:30 a.m. at Moss Memorial Library in Hayesville, N.C. The event is free and open to the public.  An open mike will follow the presentation.  If you would like to read, please bring a poem or prose work of about three minutes to participate.  There is no critique.

Photo by Lily Ponitz

Andrew K. Clark is Guest Reader at Oct. 23 Mountain Wordsmiths

Mountain Wordsmiths will have Andrew K. Clark as guest reader at the final gathering of the year Thursday, October 23, at 10:30 a.m.  Wordsmiths is a Zoom meeting.  Contact Carroll Taylor at vibiaperpetua@gmail.com for the Zoom link.

Andrew K. Clark

Andrew is from Western North Carolina. His debut novel, "Where Dark Things Grow," (Cowboy Jamboree Press, September 2024) was shortlisted for the Manly Wade Wellman Award and winner of an IPPY from the Independent Book Publishers Awards. 

The sequel, "Where Dark Things Rise," was published by Quill & Crow Publishing House in September of 2025. 

His poetry collection, Jesus in the Trailer (Main Street Rag Press) was shortlisted for the Able Muse Book Award. His work has appeared in The American Journal of Poetry, UCLA’s Out of Anonymity, Appalachian Review, Rappahannock Review, The Wrath Bearing Tree, and many other journals. He received his MFA from Converse University. Connect with him at andrewkclark.com. 

Please join us! Feel free to bring your coffee or tea—we’re informal. Bring along a poem or short excerpt if you would like to read at Open Mic (3-5 minutes).

Louise Runyon and Rupert Fike to Read at City Lights Books

        North Carolina poet Louise Runyon and Atlanta poet Rupert Fike will be reading on 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17, at City Lights Books.

        Fike will be reading from his new book, "All Things in Common: Poems from The Farm."  The Farm was a 1970s farm commune in Tennessee that was among the first and biggest of the "back to the land" movements of that era.  Rupert and his wife were founding members of The Farm, and lived there for 10 years.

        He is a long-time star of Atlanta’s poetry scene, and Runyon and he have shared readings in the past.  His poems are funny, tender and hopeful, Runyon said. 

        “Fike invites readers into a world where utopia was improvised, lived, and sometimes stumbled over, offering a timely reminder of the enduring power of collective dreaming,” according to poet Cecilia Woloch. 

        Runyon, a local poet with deep roots in Western North Carolina, comes from a long line of visionary activists.  She has published five books of poetry.  Reviewers have said of her work, it has “a gift for connecting generations… and bridging gaps divided by race, language, and culture.”  Along with Rupert Fike, Runyon was part of a vibrant community of poets in Atlanta before moving to Western NC in 2019.  A dancer and choreographer as well as poet, she is the director of Louise Runyon Performance Company.

        "Where Is Our Prague Spring?," Runyon’s most recent book, examines her deep love for the mountains, her childhood experience of love there, and her attempts to reconcile this love with the hatred and division found in the present.

Rupert Fike and Louise Runyon

For more on Fike and Runyon, go to my website, louiserunyonperformance.com.

Louise Runyon and Rupert Fike Poetry Reading

Friday, October 17, 6 p.m.

City Lights Books, 3 E. Jackson St., Sylva

Poet Donna Beal and Novelist David Plunkett to Read at Campbell School

                 Local poet Donna Beal and novelist David Plunkett are the featured readers for the final Literary Hour of the 2025 season at the J.C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC, Thursday, October 16, at 7 p.m. in the Keith House.  Literary Hour is free and open to everyone who enjoys reading and writing poetry and prose.

Donna Beal

                 Donna Beal lives and writes in Hayesville, NC.  Her poetry has appeared in numerous literary journals and anthologies including publications by Jacar Press, Chapel Hill Press, The Bluestone Review, Anuran, The Snapdragon Journal For Art And Healing, and is a frequent contributor to Old Mountain Press anthologies.  An active member of The North Carolina Writer’s Network, The North Carolina Poetry Society and SistaWRITE, she is currently working on a book of stories about her mother and will be sharing several poems tracing her mother’s journey through dementia.

David Plunkett

                 David Plunkett of Young Harris, GA, is a novelist and poet best known for his Chessboard Series thrillers, “Chessboard” and “Poisoned Pawn” which follow the adventures of Kathy and Al Sutton as they face intrigue and danger in the Middle East.  He is currently working on the final novel of the series, “End
Game,” which will complete the trilogy.  His plan for Literary Hour, however, is to read not from his novels but from some of his short stories and flash fiction which take listeners from an evening in the quiet Georgia hills to the depths of outer space.

                 The Literary Hour is hosted by well-known Murphy, NC, author Mary Jo Dyre, whose novel “Springheads” combines elements of historical fiction, romance, mystery, adventure and fantasy to create a story of self-discovery.

                 The Literary Hour at the folk school brings local writers to the campus to share their work with the community.  It is sponsored by the North Carolina Writers’ Network-West on every third Thursday of the month through October.  The public, and students and faculty of the school are welcome to attend the readings.

                 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/.

Picnic cancelled Oct. 5

 We are sorry if you planned to attend the NCWN-West picnic in Hayesville, NC October 5. We cancelled it because of the conflict with the John C. Campbell Folk School 100 year anniversary Fall Festival. Many of our members are working there this weekend.

We plan a 2026 picnic on the second Sunday of September, next year. Hope to see you then.

Local Writers Dyre and Stevenson to Read at Campbell School

The September Literary Hour at the J.C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC, will feature author MaryJo Dyre and poet Eugene Stevenson.  Literary Hour is Thursday, September 18, at 7 p.m. in the Keith House.  Literary Hour is free and open to everyone.

MaryJo Dyre

Murphy’s MaryJo Dyer is the author the well-received novel “Springheads” and the sister of the late novelist Arnold Dyer.  She began writing by finishing her brother’s last novel “Dark Spot” following his death.  Her next novel, currently in the works, will be a sequel to “Springheads.”  An educator by training, she now works as Marketing Director for Steven Aft State Farm Insurance, and is a Community Advocate for Go the Extra Mile Today, Inc.  Dyer also hosts the Literary Hour.

“Mary Jo Dyre is a master of story who weaves truth and tweaks it with what might be, ingrained with vibrant characters set in a world where all returns to two springheads. Take this book to bed with you, but don’t expect to sleep,” says author and poet Mary Ricketson.  The story merges multiple genres of historical fiction, romance, mystery, adventure and fantasy into the intriguing journey of Sarah Baker Bryant.

Eugene Stevenson

Eugene Stevenson is author of “Heart’s Code” and “The Population of Dreams.”  Critics call his work “simultaneously plain and artful,” “draws us into dislocated people finding their way,” and “captures the places of great joy and the places of great pain.”

Stevenson’s poems have appeared in Appalachian Journal, Atlanta Review, The Brussels Review, The Hudson Review, Red Ogre Review, Slipstream Magazine, Washington Square Review, among others, and have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize.  Stevenson lives Brasstown, North Carolina.

The Literary Hour at the folk school is sponsored by the North Carolina Writers’ Network-West on every third Thursday of the month through October.  It brings local writers to the campus to share their work with the community.  The public, and students and faculty of the school are welcome to attend the readings.

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/.

Marcia Barnes and Brenda Kay Ledford Give Book Signings

Marcia Barnes

Brenda Kay Ledford

          Marcia Barnes and Brenda Kay Ledford will give their book signings on Saturday, August 30, 2025; from 12:00-2:30 PM.

         The event will be held at Historic Hayesville, Inc., home of the Barn Quilt Studio, and Small Town Main Street Office location.

        The museum is located beside the Hayesville Post Office, 116 Sanderson Street; Hayesville, NC.

For information:  www.historichayesvilleinc.com

                                         

Brenda Kay Ledford Featured on Moss Memorial Library's Mural

 Brenda Kay Ledford's book, Blanche, Poems of a Blue Ridge Woman, printed by Redhawk Publishing, 

is featured on the Moss Memorial Library's mural in Hayesville, North Carolina.  

The striking art was designed on the back wall of Moss Memorial Library.  The artwork includes more than 100 book spines, each one selected to reflect the power of literature.  

Besides Ledford, other authors include:  Maya Angelou, Shakespeare, Byron Herbert Reece, Joy Harjo, Mary Oliver, Lee Smith, Emily Dickinson, Ron Rash, Lewis Carroll, Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway, Edgar Allan Poe, E.B. White, Louisa M. Alcott, and other remarkable writers.

                                                      Author Brenda Kay Ledford  

Georgia Writers Taylor and Howard to Read at Campbell School

The August Literary Hour at the J.C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC, will feature two Hiawassee writers, author Carroll Taylor and poet Joan Howard.  Literary Hour is Thursday, August 21, at 7 p.m. in the Keith House.  Literary Hour is free and open to everyone.

Taylor is the author of two young adult novels, “Chinaberry Summer” and “Chinaberry Summer: On the Other Side,” as well as two children’s books, “Feannag the Crow” and “Ella’s Quilt.”  She is also a playwright with three of her plays performed at the Peacock Performing Arts Center in Hayesville, NC.  One reviewer of her book “Chinaberry Summer” called it “a sweet story of family life written from the perspective of a child.  The author’s use of words is poetic and touching.”

An educator for over 40 years, Taylor is a member of North Carolina Writers’ Network and the Georgia Poetry Society.  She and her husband live in Hiawassee, GA, where she feeds a crow family whose antics inspire her to write every day.

Howard's recent book of poems, “Radiant Blues,” celebrates years living in Hiawassee, GA, and on the beautiful shores of Lake Chatuge.  She has two other books, also published by Amazon: “Death and Empathy: My Sister Web,” and “Jack, Love and the Daily Grail.”  The poems in each celebrate the beauty of nature, love and friendship.

Her poetry is “pure music: love songs, laments, hymns [demonstrating] an incredible ear for sound, …rhyme and meter. This, coupled with an eye and heart for discovering the sublime in nature, gives her poems a classical feel—a formality that ups the poignancy while keeping sentimentality at bay,” according to Karen Paul Holmes, author of “Untying the Knot.”

Mary Jo Dyre of Murphy is the host of Literary Hour.  She is author of “Springheads” a novel combining elements of historical fiction, romance, mystery, adventure and fantasy to create a story of self-discovery.

The Literary Hour at the folk school is sponsored by the North Carolina Writers’ Network-West on every third Thursday of the month through October.  It brings local writers to the campus to share their work with the community.  The public, and students and faculty of the school are welcome to attend the readings.

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/.

Poet Scott Owens Introducing New Book and Will Lead Poetry Workshop Aug. 15 and 16

Award winning poet Scott Owens will lead two events in Hayesville, NC, and Hiawassee, GA, Friday, Aug. 15, and Saturday, Aug. 16.

        Owens will be at the Corner Coffee and Wine Shop, 66 Church St., Hayesville, NC, on Friday, Aug. 15, at 4 p.m. to present his latest poetry collection Elemental.  The presentation at the Corner Coffee and Wine Shop in Hayesville is free and open to the public. 

        On Saturday, Aug. 16, he will lead a poetry workshop on How Poems Get Written, at 10 a.m. at 355 N. Main St., Suite C, Hiawassee, GA.  The workshop is sponsored by the North Carolina Writers’ Network-West and requires registration and payment of a $40 fee.  Checks should be made out to North Carolina Writers’ Network.  The size of the class is limited, so registering early is recommended.

For registration information, email Glenda Beall at gcbmountaingirl@gmail.com.  For an address to mail checks to, email Sandy Benson at sandybenson28909@gmail.com.

        Owens is Professor of Poetry at Lenoir Rhyne University, and former editor of Wild Goose Poetry Review and Southern Poetry Review and has authored 24 books of poetry.  His most recent, Elemental, is a collection of poems about nature. He is recipient of awards from the Academy of American Poets, the Pushcart Prize Anthology, and the Next Generation/Indie Lit Awards. His articles about writing poetry have been used in Poet’s Market four times. He has twice been nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award and to be NC Poet Laureate.

 What People are Saying About Elemental:

In Elemental, Scott Owens has crafted poems of praise and witness that… where “everyone remembers/what it means to live.”  Pat Riviere-Seel, author of Because I Did Not Drown

[T]he elemental poetry of Scott Owens… shares with us his essentials, those things in life possible to trust and to love.  Bill Griffin, naturalist at Verse & Image

Scott Owens delves deep into the simple but precious things we take for granted and opens our eyes, to see what he sees, what he hears, and feels, to bring into consciousness those elemental parts of life.  Glenda Beall, author of Now Might As Well Be Then

Brenda Kay Ledford Featured at Coffee With the Poets

 Brenda Kay Ledford will be featured at Coffee With the Poets at Moss Memorial Library; Hayesville, North Carolina, on Wednesday, August 13; 10:30 am.  

A seventh-generational native of Clay County, North Carolina, Ledford is an award-winning author, poet, blogger, storyteller and retired educator.  Her work has appeared in many print and online journals including "Anthology of Appalachian Writers," "Good Old Days Magazine," "Chicken Soup for the Soul," "When Love Wags a Tail," 57 Old Mountain Press anthologies and many other publications.

Ledford has received "The Paul Green Multimedia Award" 13 times from North Carolina Society of Historians for her books, blogs, and collecting oral history on Southern Appalachia.  Finishing Line Press released her latest poetry book, The Persistent Trillium.

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

Ricketson Launches New Book with Poetry Reading July 31

    The Cherokee County Arts Council, 33 Valley River Ave, Murphy NC, will host an evening with local poet Mary Ricketson as she reads from her latest collection, Tall Flowers and Living Long.  The date and time for the book launch and reading is Thursday, July 31, at 6 p.m. at the Arts Council.

    "Rooted in the rhythms of her Appalachian home, Tall Flowers and Living Long reveals Ricketson’s lyrical devotion to the world around her—mules, dogs, birds, wildflowers, and creeks—through poetry that is both accessible and profound. The collection will resonate with nature lovers, spiritual seekers, and anyone seeking poetry that transcends the page to connect with the everyday joys and struggles of life," said David Vowell, director of the Arts Council.

    Ricketson’s newest work will appeal not only to poetry enthusiasts but also to readers of memoirs, lovers of the natural world, and those interested in the therapeutic power of storytelling. Her verse captures the movement of life—its grief, its glory, and everything in between.  Her work celebrates resilience, healing, and everyday beauty.

    This free community event offers a chance to hear from one of the region’s most authentic voices. Books will be available for purchase.

Hobkirk and Chaney Featured Readers at Literary Hour

Poet Marjorie Hobkirk and Writer Bethany Chaney are the featured readers for the July Literary Hour at the John C. Campbell Folk School’s Keith House Thursday, July 17, at 7 p.m.  Each month the Literary Hour invites a local poet and writer to the school’s Brasstown campus to read and discuss their work.  The reading is sponsored by the North Carolina Writers’ Network-West and is free and open to everyone.

Marjorie Hobkirk

Marjorie Hobkirk of Hayesville is a life-long journaler who recently began dipping her toes in the waters of verse.  Her mother was an English/creative writing teacher in her home state of New York so language and art were emphasized at an early age.

A nurse by profession, Hobkirk enjoys a diversity of artistic endeavors.  While raising a family in Fountain Hills, Arizona she became active in Telerana Weavers and Spinners Guild and went on to obtain a BFA in Fiber Arts at Arizona State University in1998.  “Textile language, metaphors and the tools of weaving and spinning are right behind nursing as a calling,” she said.

Bethany Chaney

Executive Director of the Campbell Folk School Bethany Chaney is also an award-winning writer and former North Carolina Arts Council Fellow.  She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina and holds an MBA from Northeastern University.  Chaney makes her home in Brasstown, where she says her creative spirit is free to roam and grow.  At the Folk School she helps steward its nearly 100-year tradition of non-competitive, hands-on learning in craft, music, dance, cooking, writing and more.

Mary Jo Dyre of Murphy is the host of Literary Hour.  She is author of “Springheads” a novel combining elements of historical fiction, romance, mystery, adventure and fantasy to create a story of self-discovery.

The Literary Hour at the folk school is offered every third Thursday of the month through October and brings local writers to the campus to share their work with the community.  Students and faculty of the school are welcome to attend the readings.

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/.

Rosemary Royston to lead “Jaw Droppers!” Poetry Workshop

  The North Carolina Writers’ Network-West is offering “Jaw Droppers!”, a poetry workshop led by artist and poet Rosemary Royston Saturday, July 26, from 10 to Noon at 355 Main Street N, Suite C, Hiawassee, GA.

Rosemary Royston

A “Jaw Dropper” is what Emily Dickinson described as the top of her head being taken off.  In this session, Rosemary will share poems that struck her as jaw droppers.  The poems will be discussed and prompts provided for writing opportunities.  All levels are welcome, as are writers of any genre.  The fee for attending is $40.

Rosemary holds a Master of Fine Arts from Spalding University and has taught writing and poetry classes and workshops in North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee.  A former assistant professor of English at Young Harris College, she now teaches a class on Creative Writing Across Genres at the John C. Campbell Folk School.  Her poetry has appeared in journals such as Appalachian Review, POEM, Split Rock Review, Southern Poetry Review, STILL: The Journal, Poetry South, and *82 Review.  Her first collection of poems “Splitting the Soil” (Finishing Line Press) released in 2014 was followed by “Second Sight” (Kelsay Books) in 2021.

The poems in “Second Sight” have been called “honest, timely, and beautiful… a love letter to Appalachia and rural people everywhere who often don’t get their stories told in such a powerful and compassionate manner.”

The size of the class is limited, so registering early is recommended.  The venue for the class is the Towns County Democratic Party headquarters located next to Bacchus on the Lake in Hiawassee.  The class, however, is non-political and focused on improving students’ poetry and appreciation for poetry.

(As an added incentive, Bacchus opens at noon with music starting at 3 p.m.)

For registration information, email Glenda Beall at gcbmountaingirl@gmail.com.  Checks to cover the $40 fee should be made out to North Carolina Writers’ Network.  For an address to mail checks to, email Sandy Benson at sandybenson28909@gmail.com.