New Year's Eve 2024

Glenda

It is New Year's Eve in Roswell, GA and I am having a quiet time at home. 

I will be preparing Lexie for the fireworks that will begin soon. It terrifies her. She usually hides under my bed, but I am going to make her hiding place more comfortable tonight. I will put her bed and her cozy blanket there. I will play quiet music that I hope will drown out some explosions and shrill sounds. 

I am excited about the coming year. As I recover from the past two years, I hope for more interesting things in my "city" life. Over the holidays, I was included with Gay and Stu for a couple of parties where I met women who told great stories about their lives and the lives of their ancestors. Everyone has a story, and a unique story, to tell. I hope to do some readings and programs in this area.

Beginning in February, I plan to schedule writing workshop classes again, on Zoom. This year I want to include my writer friends as instructors for Writers Circle Around the Table. For ten years I had a writing studio, with that title, in my house in Hayesville, NC. Almost every week, we held a workshop in poetry or prose. We had outstanding writers come and teach at my studio. I had a guest room in the studio with a private bathroom. There were some kitchen necessities. The visiting men and women said they enjoyed staying overnight and sitting on my deck in the morning listening to the sounds of nature as they wrote down their thoughts.

Joseph Bathanti, NC Poet Laureate from Boone was a favorite. Robert Lee Brewer of Writers' Digest publications was another welcome instructor. Scott Owens, a good friend, came over from Hickory NC to do a reading and teach a class once or twice each year. 

Poet Scott Owens

I feel sure more writers and poets of their caliber will take part in an online class. I will share a portion of the profit of these classes with the NC Writers Network-West.

Remember, with Zoom, it doesn't matter where you live. You can participate from your own home or school or anywhere you have access to a computer and WiFI. 

If you want to be on my mailing list for announcements of classes, please send an email to me using this info: gcbmountaingirl(AT)gmail.com. Write Classes in the subject line.

Wishing all of you a healthy and happy New Year. Be grateful you have another year in which you can reach out to others, share your time and talents, and maybe change a life for the better.

Podcast with Scott Owens, Poet

You have seen my posts regarding Scott Owens, an excellent poet, from Hickory, NC. I was delighted to receive a link to a podcast in which he was interviewed recently.

Click on these links to learn more.

https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.iheart.com%2Fpodcast%2F269-redpubpod-97407229%2Fepisode%2Fredpubpod-013-scott-owens-103922849%2F&data=05%7C01%7C%7C0a0da2f11dde4192c96708dabc44c0b4%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638029300714760293%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=M0JiNEHz%2BvUIxIRJkIzPui%2FqSa9r3H6bA9E6BDzX67A%3D&reserved=0

https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fopen.spotify.com%2Fshow%2F20DabPshnW2jfiigtgRLQE&data=05%7C01%7C%7C0a0da2f11dde4192c96708dabc44c0b4%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638029300714916511%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=EZNjmslHYC6h3zhfh7Rh4BkwtuoUzkfmXrqYLpM2Pgw%3D&reserved=0
https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dxqu5_HEu_9g%26t%3D9s&data=05%7C01%7C%7C0a0da2f11dde4192c96708dabc44c0b4%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638029300714916511%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=SPizeYd5y02Iuq%2F0KuCGrPLWtQaPmbloVSfiAipLQo0%3D&reserved=0

Take a few minutes to listen to Scott talk about poetry and answer questions about his writing and his work habits.

He has published 18 poetry books, I believe, and all of them are great.

Do you read or write poetry? Want to share one in our comments section?

Friday and Saturday, full of fun for me

This weekend has been full and fun for me. Friday evening I had the great pleasure of being a featured reader at Writers’ Night Out, hostedby Karen Holmes, in Blairsville, GA. We had an enthusiastic crowd of people including some students from Young Harris College.

On the same program with me was Scott Owens, a favorite poetand teacher in our area. He has 12 or 13 books out now and all of them are big hits. His reading last night brought bursts of loud and long applause.

For my reading, I included a couple of poems at the beginning, one of which is in my poetry chapbook, Now Might as Well be Then, published by Finishing Line Press. Steve Harvey, essayist and memoirist, whom I admire, said he particularly like the poem about the tractor. In the book it is titled Clearing New Ground. I changed a few words for the reading, making the poem more powerful, I think.

The surprise of the evening was the short story I read. It is a humorous piece about a young man who came to work at the dairy barn early one morning hung over with a pounding headache. I have not submitted this story for publication, but many people suggested I should. I might send it out and see if it finds a home. The audience found it funny. I don’t think many people expect my writing to be humorous, but several of my short stories are funny.

This morning Scott taught poetry at Writers Studio. He gave us ideas of where we find poetry, how to find poetry and when to write. We had a few short writing exercises that were helpful. I think everyone who knows him loves Scott Owens. At least in my area they do. I hear nothing but compliments for him from those who attend his readings and his classes.

Scott told me he is trying to get his popular online journal, Wild Goose Poetry Review, running again, but he is extremely busy with Taste Full Beans Coffee Shop in Hickory and teaching three classes each day. I expect him and his wife to become even busier now that a post on Facebook about their generosity has been shared hundreds of times and the hits keep coming. We all want Wild Goose to continue to publish the great quality poetry it has in the past.

After the class today, I took a long nap to be ready for my night out with the girls. A dear writer friend treated me to dinner, and another friend joined us at the Copper Door, one of the finest restaurants anywhere. We three went over to the Peacock Playhouse later to see the Songwriters in Concert. I’ll save that for another post.

I could feel Fall in the air today although it was still humid. A crisp breeze swept over my deck and I wanted to sit outside and enjoy it. Sunny and Smokie  like the weather, running in and out.  They can make me smile every time I look at them.

I hope you had a good day wherever you are and thank you for reading this blog. If you aren’t a subscriber, please sign up on the sidebar. It is free, and you will receive in your Inbox each new post I write. I love reading  your comments, so please tell me what you think.

Where Did My Time Go?

Today I made a priority list

I have a busy schedule this month and this long weekend, I thought, would be great to "get my ducks in a row."

Today I would work on my lesson plans for my weekly classes. But first I had to clean up my kitchen. I had left it quite messy after cooking last evening. And I always feel better when my kitchen is clean and neat. 

After all that work, (I make such a mess when I cook). I had to sit down so I sat down to the computer and checked my email. That led me to Facebook. Two hours later I realized it was time for lunch. After lunch I watched a TV show I had recorded with Oprah and Dr. Wayne Dyer. (Gosh he was young then, but she looked even younger, and thin.)

By this time it was late afternoon and rain sounded loud in the trees. I walked outside and took a deep breath. The cool air and the falling rain called me to sit outside for awhile. I've not sat on my lovely deck all summer. I wrote in my journal, read the newspaper and thought about happy times I'd shared there with Barry. Before long, it was getting dark and time to come inside. 

I feel I am in a tree house when I am up on my deck. 

So, my day had slipped away from me and my lesson plans had not been done, my two readings for September had not been planned, and several phone calls I had planned to make did not happen. 

When others were going to bed, I sat down at my computer and completed a blog post for Writers Circle and now for Writing Life Stories. 

Smokie

But I will spend tomorrow printing handouts and outlining my class work. I read something I had written in my journal many years ago. I was wishing for more time in the day, just a few hours tacked on to the 24. Back then I had far more claiming my time than I do now, but I got it done. 

Sunny

This week I will babysit Sunny and Smokie, the cutest little dogs in the world. I will host Coffee with the Poets and Writers on Wednesday. I will host Scott Owens, poet and teacher, Friday night and Saturday morning when he teaches at my studio. I will read with him at Writers' Night Out on Friday evening. 

Saturday night I hope I am not too tired to go to the Songwriters' Concert here in Hayesville. I've been trying to make one of them all summer. 

Now that I think about all this, maybe I should go to bed right now and store up some rest. 

Still time to submit to Kakalak 2014 before April 30

I was honored when my poem Scene from Yellowstone's Valiant Wild  was published in Kakalak 2009. Richard Taylor and Beth Cagle, editors and judges who publish the work of some of the best Carolina poets in their anthology were present at Poetry Day in Hickory NC today. I traveled from the "far west" of the state to take part in the third annual Poetry Day at Catawba Valley College where Scott Owens teaches and holds this event. 

Scott and Pat Riviere-Seel, poet from Asheville, NC, held workshops on Invention and Revision. I'll write more later but want to let all the poets know that Main Street Rag, which will publish the next issue of Kakalak, requests you submit poems now. You will be proud to be among those who are chosen for this anthology. 



Scott Douglas says, "The flood gates for the KAKALAK 2014 contest opened March 1, 2014 and so far only a trickle of North and South Carolina writers and photographers have entered. Everyone at Main Street Rag and the editors of Kakalak 2013 were very pleased with last year's turn out as well as the quality of the work KAKALAK 2013 featured. We want very much to continue offering this opportunity and continue to maintain and increase the quality of the work featured there, but it relies heavily on the support of the poets and photographers in the region. With an April 30 deadline, there is about 5 weeks remaining (as of the time of this posting) to enter. Guidelines and a live entry link can be found on the KAKALAK 2014 page. We hope all of our eligible friends in North and South Carolina will join us this time around."

How Can I Have More Fun?

This past weekend, I found time to work on organizing my office. It is not ready to show, mind you, but it is far better than it was. I learned something through all the tossing and stashing and filing --I need to clean out my closet so I will have a place for those boxes sitting on the floor of the office.

I also heaved a big sigh of relief as I listed my priorities for the coming summer. I am going to do more things for fun! When I had Barry with me, we always found time to play - to go on the lake, take a day trip, go to a new restaurant for lunch, take in a mountain festival such as the Highland Games coming up in Blairsville, GA. I realized how I have become obsessed with my work. I enjoy what I do, but everyone needs time to play, to get away from everyday life. 

Relinquishing responsibilities for Coffee with the Poets, the planning and promoting of the monthly event, has been extremely helpful and now, Robert King, poet, editor and former publisher of FutureCycle Press has set up a new and improved online presence for Netwest. I am excited to see what he has done and will get a tour of the new website tomorrow. Although I will have administrative privileges on the new site, he will do most of the work. I can't thank him enough. 

I have a few more sessions of my Healing Through Writing classes at my studio. This is a great class with some delightful students who are enthusiastic and willing to try new things. I don't plan to teach an ongoing class again until next spring. My schedule for Writers Circle Studio is full for the season. We have some excellent teachers of writing and poetry such as Scott Owens of Hickory, NC, Karen Holmes of Atlanta and Hiawassee, GA, Carol Crawford of Blue Ridge, GA, Robert Lee Brewer, editor for Writers Digest from the Atlanta area, and Will Wright, poet, who was a big hit with our group last year.

I am continuing as Interim Program Coordinator for NCWN West (Netwest) and hope this office will be filled by July. My recommendation for the job is Ellen Schofield. She has a beautiful family history blog, writes well and is willing to take the time needed to lead our organization. I am impressed with all the letters of praise for her past work. 

My students plan a memoir critique group which we hope to get off the ground soon, and I am still very interested in organizing a book club to read only regional writers, those who are published by small independent presses or even those who are self-published. I see the frustration of the writers who can't find a marketplace for their books, as well as the book stores who are afraid of ordering  books from unknown authors and independent presses who can't afford to take returns. Perhaps as a book club we can filter out the best books from those that aren't too good, and recommend them either online or to shops in the area.

Tonight I received word from Scott Owens that Poetry Day at Catawba College in Hickory, NC will be April 26, 2014. I am so happy to be a part of this event, thanks to Scott, and will definitely plan to be there.

I am fortunate that my life is filled to the brim, filled with interesting people, interesting projects, and things to look forward to. I never get bored, just tired. And because of that, I need more time to relax and "smell the roses." Got any ideas for fun days for me? My list is not very long, yet. 

Three Princes of Poetry - all in one place

Carole Thompson, Robert S. King, Mary Ricketson, Scott Owens, Glenda Beall

 It is late and I'm almost asleep, but I wanted to report that we had a great time in Sylva, NC tonight. We read and heard some terrific poetry.
Scott Owens has the most marvelous new poetry book, published by FutureCycle Press. One Who Knows How to Own Land. Isn't that the best title?
Many of us know what a terrific poet Scott is, tonight we had a surprise when Ron Rash dropped in to tell us how much he admires Scott Owens' poetry. Ron Rash was at Western University this week talking about his newest book. 

This is what he says on the back of One Who Knows How to Own Land,
“Landscape and memory are seamlessly merged in this excellent volume. Like all the best writers of place, Scott Owens finds the heart’s universal concerns in his vivid rendering of piedmont Carolina.” —Ron Rash, Parris Distinguished Professor in Appalachian Cultural Studies at Western Carolina University

I felt like I was in the room with royalty - at least the princes of poetry - Ron, Scott and Robert King. I was almost embarrassed to read my poems, but I had the satisfaction of knowing that Robert had chosen two of my poems for his FutureCycle 2011 Anthology and Scott has published a couple of my poems in Wild Goose Poetry Review.

Mary Ricketson is always a pleasure to listen to when she reads her thoughtful verses and Carole Thompson read both humorous and serious poetry. One of her poems won second place in a National DAR contest. We all had a good time tonight.
 

Writers' Conference

I spent the day in Blue Ridge Georgia at the Arts Center where Carol Crawford pulled off yet another flawless writers’ conference. This event was number fourteen sponsored by the Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association and this time it was held at the magnificent old building now used as an Arts Center. My eyes feasted on the paintings and photography on the walls as well as carvings and sculpture displayed. I arrived late and missed Sally McMillan’s opening remarks, but I did not miss Hope Clark’s session. I subscribe to Hope’s free newsletter at http://www.fundsforwriters.com/ Her handout was jam-packed with Internet sites to contact for funding for writers. She had not planned to make her living this way. Her talk about her own life and how she came to be in the business of helping writers find grants, proves you just never know how your plans can change and often for the best. Hope is from South Carolina. Her warm smile and easy manner with an audience comes through on her blog. She enjoys helping her readers. She is the kind of person you know you will like the minute you see her. It was so good to see my good friend, Scott Owens, editor of Wild Goose Poetry Review, and hear the compliments heaped upon him. He was a big hit, and I am happy to say he will be back here in the fall at Writers Circle to teach a workshop. Check this site for the date: http://www.glendacouncilbeall.blogspot.com/ All the presenters talked about online publishing and social media’s importance to a writer. Attendees came away realizing their need to catch up with technology. I recognized that deficiency some time ago. That is why we asked Ronda Birtha to teach us how to best use social media to promote our writing and she will do that at Writers Circle on May . It is not too soon to sign up now. Space is limited. Echoes across the Blue Ridge, the Netwest anthology published last year, sold well as did all the books on the table manned by Melinda of Cowan’s Book Nook in Blue Ridge. http://www.hellonorthgeorgia.com/Shopping/CowansBookNook.html I picked up a couple of books I’ll write about later. Except for the air pollution caused by all the people who wore perfume, it was a perfect day. Tonight I’m nursing a sore throat and headache, and praying I won’t end up with bronchitis or asthma from networking with all the delightful writers there. It would not be difficult to print on the Blue Ridge Writers’ Conference application a little line that says, “Please do not wear perfume or fragrance of any kind. Some of our guests are extremely sensitive to the chemicals.” If you did not go to the conference, I urge you to put it on your calendar for next year.

Reading at Poetry Hickory

Karen Holmes, poet and publisher of the Netwest News, and I had a great time at Taste Full Beans in Hickory, NC Tuesday evening. We arrived around five o’clock and parked our bags and our selves at a table near the back. The delicious aroman of flavored coffees permeated the downtown shop. Both of us commented on the extra-ordinary local paintings that covered many of the walls. A nice man behind the counter served a delicious quiche and told us Scott was treating us to dinner.

While we ate, poets and writers strolled in and took seats at the round tables. We knew no one personally, but many of them are on Facebook and on my friends list. Karen, who was one of the invited open mic readers, had not met Scott Owens but she had heard about him from other poets in our area. He facilitates Poetry Hickory and he had visited Hayesville, Murphy and Hiawassee a few months ago.

It was a pleasure to meet Richard Taylor, editor of Kakalak, 2009, Helen Losse, editor for Dead Mule, Jessie Carty, author of Paper House, Nancy Posey, and Anne Hicks who was a featured reader as I was. Anne is the editor of MoonShine Review.

Anne Hicks

Karen Holmes reading

Scott Owens at the podium

Glenda Beall reading at Poetry Hickory

Owens would nominate me for MVP??

Scott Owens, facilitator of Poetry Hickory and editor of Wild Goose Poetry Review as well as much more, wrote a profile article about me. He was most generous.  Below see the beginning of the article..

BEALL WORTHY OF MVP

If MVP meant “Most Valuable Poet” and some organization deemed to present such a prize, Glenda Beall would be my nominee for the inaugural award.
Click here to see rest of article.