Dr. Newton Smith memorialized

I  attended the memorial service of Dr. Newton Smith, the last person who looked like he would have Ph.D. behind his name, the man who was once a professor at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC. The service was at St. David's Episcopal Church, and although we were not late after driving nearly two hours, the church was completely filled. We were told we could sit in the Parish Hall and watch on a TV screen. A fellow writer and member of NCWN-West, Carroll Taylor, author,  accompanied me. The hall was filled and we had some difficulty finding two seats together. Although I knew Newt and had met June, his wife of over fifty years, I did not know his children and grandchildren who took part in the service.

Dr. Newton Smith 1939 - 2018

Newt had a son, Zack,  and Courtney, a daughter, who gave the perfect eulogy for her father. She helped me see the older man I knew as a young father, playing with his baby girl, kissing her toes and smiling down at her. She told us that she knew she was the most special to him, but later she admitted he made everyone feel that way. His grandchildren read poems and Newt's own poems graced the front and back of the bulletin for the service. Newt was a person who had many talents and many interests. It seems to me that he lived life according to his own wishes and needs. He had beside him a lovely and talented helpmate in his wife, June.

Among the many people attending were faculty and students from Western who had their memories of the smiling man I saw on the screen. One young man, an engineer, said Newt was a mentor for him when he was a freshman in college.

Newt's  family was grieving, shedding tears as they heard the words said about this man who was so dear to them. As Newt would have wanted there was also plenty of laughter in the stories of life shared with him by his sister and his daughter.

He became treasurer for NCWN-West in 2009 when he was asked by Kathryn Stripling Byer, who was then program coordinator. Although we had several program coordinators over the past decade, Newt continued to take care of our money, pay our bills and report to NC Writers' Network each month. When he became ill from cancer a few years ago, I asked if he would like me to find someone to take over as treasurer, but he said no. "I like having something to do," he told me.

We held a one day writing conference in 2016 in Sylva, NC. Newt handled all the registrations and  fees paid. I was deeply appreciative of this because I had all I could handle already.

When, a few months later, Kathryn Byer passed away, Newt volunteered to help me again by emceeing the tribute program NCWN-West gave for her. It seemed he could handle whatever was on his plate and he did it with panache.

I am grateful that I knew Dr. Newton Smith and that he was a member of NCWN-West. We all will miss him and never forget him.

Written on Thursday, August 3, in honor of Kay Byer

This week I am honoring my friend, Kathryn Stripling Byer, who died on June 5, by posting some of the photos I've made over the years and some from her blog.  http://kathrynstriplingbyer.blogspot.com/

Her family is honoring her at The Community Table in Sylva, NC on Saturday, August 5, 3:00 p.m. Her husband, Jim Byer has selected some of her poems to be read and her favorite music to be played.

I am sure the place will be filled. Kathryn was absolutely loved and admired by, not only writers and poets, but everyone who knew her. 

On her Facebook page, her admirers have poured out their heart-felt sadness at her passing, and they have told stories of her generosity. I and others were often surprised when she brought us gifts from her travels around the country. She was thoughtful of others even when they were not present. 

She had a heart way bigger than almost anyone I know. When I told her of a person in serious need, she promptly sent a check to help out. But it was her caring and giving of herself that I will always remember. It has been evident in the past couple of years that she was an advocate for those less fortunate and those who did not have a voice. She spoke out for the underdog and demanded her government representatives speak out as well. 

You can find a number of videos of her reading her poetry and talking about poetry on You Tube.  Just search for Kathryn Stripling Byer.

As Poet Laureate of North Carolina, she broke the glass ceiling. No woman had ever held that title before Kathryn. She visited schools, traveled and read poetry and talked to groups from Murphy to Manteo, NC.

Kathryn had a special blog for her laureateship. And she wrote a monthly column as well.

This is one of her columns.
Roots and Bedrock 

By Kathryn Stripling Byer 


Labels can corral us and keep us from thinking outside that enclosure. Most Southerners,

for example, pride themselves on being conservative, yet few seem to remember the root

of the word itself. When people speak of “conservative values,” they are using a catch

phrase that refers hardly at all to what the word really means. When I remember how my

grandmother saved every button, every recipe, every morsel of food left on the table, or

how my grandfather cherished and cared for every square inch of his farm, I know that

this is where real conservative values begin. (read the rest of the article here.)Here Where I Am is a great place to  learn about poetry, about how to  write poetry and what poetry meant to Kay Byer.

http://kathrynstriplingbyer.blogspot.com/2016/05/voice-lessons-craft-tip-and-prompt.html
In Voice Lessons Craft Tip and Prompt she praises Diane Lockwood's book, The Crafty Poet. When the latest edition of it came out, Kay sent me a copy. Just another example of her generous nature. She loved promoting other writers and poets on her blogs or Facebook or wherever she could.  

Kathryn Byer made a difference in the lives of many writers whether poets or novelists, beginning writers who needed encouragement, older writers who needed help with modern publishing, or those of us who needed to reach a writer in North Carolina but didn't know him or her. Kay was my  go-to person for all things literary in our state or in the country. I miss her.

A Post from 2009 by Kathryn Byer

Tonight while searching through the Archives of our Netwest blog, I came across this lovely post by then Poet Laureate of NC, Kathryn Stripling Byer. I want to share it because some of you did not know me then.

http://netwestwriters.blogspot.com/2009/08/barry-and-glenda-beall-celebration.html

So much has changed in my life since July, 2009, and continues to change rapidly. Many losses of family members. 

But I have been lucky to meet and know you, my readers, and I've been fortunate to meet interesting  people through my writing studio and travel for writing events. 

That is life, isn't it? Each day brings something new and we hope for more good days than bad. We hope when the phone rings it will be good news, not bad. We hope we can make and keep our plans for the week. But we never know.

Indies First Day and recommended book list

Indies First Day

Have you heard about Indies First Day? Read the post below.

http://www.ncwriters.org/whitecross/2013/11/25/saturday-is-indies-first-day/

What a great idea. Authors working as booksellers in Indie book stores. Can't wait to see how this turns out.

I hope my readers will visit their Independent Book Stores and pick up a book to give this Christmas. You might even find some books for yourself, and you might meet an author who recommends a book by one of her friends. 

Below is a list of books I recommend, some books by authors you might not know. If your Indie book store doesn't carry these books, they can order them for you.

Serena by Ron Rash - excellent page turner; subject of a movie.

Nightwoods - novel by Charles Frazier - has a mean character who is out to get the kids.
"Offering a closer look at the nature of good and evil and how those forces ebb and flow over time.”
                                     —Atlanta Journal Constitution

I'm a Coal Miner's Daughter, But I Cain't Sang- Memoir by Nadine Justice who grew up in coal camps but became a sought after interior designer

Southern Fried Lies by Susan Snowden - a novel set in Atlanta in the fifties. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

How to Beat Chronic Pain, an Insider's Guide by Maren Mitchell. A book that gives hope to pain sufferers and inspires with poetry as well. 

Twelve Notables in Western North Carolina by Jack Prather is an interesting book of biographies about North Carolinians who have made their mark anywhere in the region, state or nation.

Tender Graces, a novel by Kathryn Magendie is told in the voice of a young girl. "Tender Graces gathers us into its story of family loss, connection and redemption," says Kathryn Stripling Byer, former poet laureate of NC.

a BOOK ON FASHION FROM WOMEN WHO WORE IT

Recently I acquired a copy of Celia Miles and Nancy Dillingham's new anthology, Clothes Lines, a book filled with stories and poems about, what else, clothes.
Among the writers I know in this book are Nancy Sales Cash, author of three novels and she is working on number four. Nancy is a native of Murphy, NC and spends much time in the Cherokee and Clay county areas. We met at the Daily Grind and Curiosity Shop Bookstore, had a cup of coffee and discussed readings of Clothes Lines and my poetry book Now Might As Well Be Then.
Some of the writers in the far southwest area of North Carolina and north Georgia who have work in Clothes Lines are Kathryn Stripling Byer, Joyce Foster, Nancy Sales Cash, Karen Paul Holmes, Carole R. Thompson, Glenda Barrett, Jo Carolyn Beebe, Janice Townley Moore, Blanche Ledford and Brenda Kay Ledford, and Peg Russell.
A number of our Netwest members throughout the region also appear in this interesting book by 75 western North Carolina Women.

Celia and Nancy published Christmas Presence last year through Catawba Press and used the same press for Clothes Lines. The book is made more interesting by the use of a few black and white pictures all done by Mary Alice Ramsey.

 Be on the lookout for readings from this anthology in your town.

THE TIME IS NOW! DO IT!

One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today. Dale Carnegie

Have you known people who were always going to write a book, or always going to take that trip to Europe? Some of us spend so much time planning what we are going to do someday that we never seem to get it done.
I've heard the term "writer wannabe" spoken of people like me. I have that book in my mind, but can't get focused on the actual theme and how I will tell my story.
Do I zone in on the depressed child no one understood?
Should I disclose my anger and feelings about a father I thought didn't know I existed or that I sometimes wanted to disappear? Or begin with the misconceptions I had about my father, and go on to describe my journey down a winding road that ended in the mountains of NC. A place where I discovered something inside myself, something that made all the pieces of my life's puzzle fit on the page.

Shelley Lieber offers a four week teleseminar I'm very tempted to take. Perhaps she can help me find my focus and get me started writing the book. For years I've postponed, procrastinated, made excuses and overscheduled my life so that I just couldn't get this book written. My most recent excuse has been "I'm too old to publish this book," and "my time is better spent taking care of my beloved who needs me."

I will shortly be turning over the leadership of NCWN West to the capable hands of Kathryn Stripling Byer. I have found a wonderful young woman who helps me with much that has taken up my time in the past. Joan Cannon who is 80 has written and published two novels in recent years.
I have no more excuses.
If I can get all my ducks in a row, I hope to have a poetry chapbook published this year. That has encouraged me. Maybe it is not too late.
By George, I think it is time I got on with it.

Fabulous Blog Award

Writing Life Stories has been given the Fabulous Blog Award by Nancy Simpson of Living Above the Frost Line. Thank you, Nancy. Your blog is also Fabulous. Now I can pass this award on to others. I chose four blogs I follow, but there are others who also deserve this honor. Hope to get to them another time.
Here are the ones chosen for the Fabulous Blog Award.
http://www.nancysimpson.blogspot.com/
http://www.georgiafarmwoman.blogspot.com/
http://tapestry13.blogspot.com/
http://tendergraces.blogspot.com/ http://www.http//commagoddess.blogspot.com/


The rules (not mine, they came with the award): You must pass it on to 5 other Fabulous Bloggers in a post. You may find their email addresses on their Profile page or, if not available, post as a "Comment" to their latest post.You must include the person that gave you the award, and link it back to them. You must list 5 of your Fabulous addictions in the post.
You must copy and paste these rules in the post. Right click the award icon (you can go to my blog to do this) & save to your computer then post with your own awards.
This is not only a nice tribute, it widens the reading audience.
Five of my Fabulous Addictions: writing memoir, teaching, poetry, reading, living chemical free.

Coffee with the Poets

Many thanks

to

Kathryn Stripling Byer, poet Laureate of North Carolina for speaking and reading her poetry at Coffee with the Poets in Hayesville, NC recently. The atmosphere was casual and comfortable in Crumpets Dessertery at Phillips and Lloyd Book Store in the historic little mountain town.

Kathryn, who grew up just a short drive from my home in southwest Georgia, answered questions, and then said she wanted to hear from the local poets who had brought poems to read at open mic.

Mary Mike Keller hosted the session and gave each person a chance to share a poem with the Poet Laureate of North Carolina. Elizabeth Rybicki, owner of Phillips and Lloyd Books, served a delicious cake and candies all in Valentine's Day colors.

As the Clay County Representative for NCWN West, I organized this monthly event a couple of years ago, before I became the NCWN West program Coordinator. From the beginning poetry lovers throughout the community put the time and date of CWP on their calendars, and came to enjoy reading or listening to others read poetry.

We plan to gather again March 11, second Wednesday, at 10:30 AM to listen to outstanding poetry by Nancy Simpson and Janice Townley Moore. The theme of the day will be birds and we are asked to bring "bird" poems that day. If you are in the area, be sure to drop by.