WHITE AFTER MEMORIAL DAY

Karen Paul Holmes will teach a class at Writers Circle on July 20. I am sharing one of her poems with my readers because I know you will love her work and will enjoy her class. Karen has studied with some of the great poets of today, She is sharing what she learned about editing your own work from poet, Thomas Lux.  I am looking forward to having Karen here and I know all of you will like this fun class.

White After Memorial Day

by Karen Paul Holmes

It’s only April 10th, yet I’ve shimmied

into optic white jeans, rejoicing

that they fit from last summer; white

doesn’t forgive. Boiling

for broth on the stove: the chaff

of last night’s chicken

thyme rubbed into its olive-oiled skin

for my dinner party

where a true Belle told me, In the South, you go

by temperature not date.

In michigan this wouldn’t happen

and even here, I don’t wear white shoes

until June first. I just won’t.

An Augusta gentleman, 82, with young man’s glasses

asks me to coffee. He has heard of my divorce.

I refuse, politely. His wife died three years ago.

Twin Cadillacs, circa 1980, sit in his carport

side by side, limo-long and white.

This poem was published in Southern Women's Review. Click on link to read great stories, essays and poetry.

http://www.southernwomensreview.com/issues/SWRIssue6Final.pdf

Critics Abound - But do they matter?

Do what you feel in your heart to be right - for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't.
                                    Eleanor Roosevelt (1884 - 1962)

I understand what Eleanor Roosevelt meant in this quote about criticism. We are all criticised at one time or another, and it can be painful. Unwarranted criticism makes us question ourselves. But if we do what we feel in our heart is right, and we know that we don't deserve what the critics say about us, it is somewhat easier to take. 

Recently I read a post by a well-liked poet who writes the best blog on poetry and was shocked to find that since his new poetry book came out, critics have crawled from under the rocks to defame him. These critics, of course, have the power of the Internet, the anonymity of Facebook and Twitter as a forum to spew hurtful comments upon this fine young man.

We have always had mean-spirited people in the world and the Internet has provided them a platform to vent their anger and jealousy. Jealousy is a major reason that unqualified critics take potshots at others. 

Often we have no idea that others are jealous of us. When we hear their hateful remarks or when they whisper gossip they know will upset us, we are dumbfounded at first. Later as it all sinks in, we have to talk to ourselves and realize that this is just a part of life.

We want to believe in people, we want to think that our friends are happy for our success, not resentful. This reminds me of another quote I have found to be so, so true.

In prosperity our friends know us; in adversity we know our friends.    John Churton Collins

Have you ever been hurt by criticism? How did you respond?

Read the call to action on NCWN blog

Because I care about funding for arts in North Carolina, I suggest that my NC readers go to this site: http://www.ncwriters.org/whitecross/

See how you can help. The NC Arts Council funds NCWN which funds NCWN West (Netwest). 

We need to urge our state senators to meet the budget proposed by the House.

All the information needed is on this site:

http://www.ncwriters.org/whitecross/

Thank you.

We have Carol Crawford to help us with our memoir, essay, short story

Carol Crawford, writer and poet, mother and wife,
Director of the Blue Ridge Writers Conference, will teach at Writers Circle on July 9, 2:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

I hope all of you within driving distance of Writers Circle in Hayesville, NC will take the opportunity to be with us when Carol Crawford teaches a class for prose writers, fiction and non-fiction, that will help us prepare our manuscript for submitting to a journal or anthology, and that will give our work the best chance to be selected for publication.

Big Picture Revision

Never mind the commas – there are often bigger things to think about when you finish a first draft and begin the work of revision.  
In this workshop we will take a piece you have written and look at it with fresh eyes, finding its natural trajectory and structure.  We will clarify what’s confusing and emphasize what’s strong, so that you can write the story you want to write. 
"Please bring a short (1000 word) essay, story or excerpt for us to work on during the class."

 Carol's essays, fiction and poetry have been published in the Concho River Review, the Chattahoochee Review, the Southern Humanities Review, the Journal of Appalachian Studies, and others.  She is director of FLAG Adult Education and volunteer coordinator for the annual Blue Ridge Writers' Conference.  Carol is a graduate of Baylor University, and a native of Texas, but she lives in the north Georgia mountains now.

This is our first time to have Carol teach at Writers Circle, but I hope it won't be the last. While we seem to have a large number of poets as instructors, we want to also hold classes for non-poets or those, like me, who write both poetry and prose.

Register by calling 828-389-4441 to reserve your place, or mail your check for $30.00 to Writers Circle 581 Chatuge Lane, Hayesville, NC 28904

DEANNA KLINGEL  author of several young adult novels will read at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC June 27, at 7:00 p.m. in the library of the Keith House. 

Lessons Learned by writing and selling her own books

Read this post by Deanna Klingel for some of the best advice for authors of fiction, non-fiction and especially self-published books although she her books are published by traditional publishers.

Deanna has written and sold a number of books and shares some important knowledge she learned along the way.

She knows how to market her books and that is the business of writing - the hard part.

http://booksbydeanna.com/6/post/2013/06/1.html

Carole Richard Thompson reads at Writers Night Out Friday, June 14.

My friend and fellow Netwest member, Carole Richard Thompson published a lovely book of poems this year. The title is Enough. Haven't we all said that at times when we can't take anymore. That is not Carole's sentiments, however.

Carole is retired and lives with her retired husband in Blairsville, GA. The cover of her book is a painting by Carol done in 2012. This poet and writer is one of those extra-talented individuals.

Recently Carole and I read our work at the John C. Campbell Folk School. I have always been a fan of Carole's essays, short stories and poetry since I met her years ago. The last poems in her book are particularly poignant as she writes about the simple things shared between a long married couple, over fifty years, and declares them enough.

Here is one of her poems that touches me most:

Sitting on the Side of the Bed

He loves the morning as I do

in our sacred bedroom,

before the phone rings,

before we must dress,

when sleepiness still slows

our movements. We put off

thoughts of the day ahead,

sitting on the side of the bed.

He shuffles off to get coffee;

I raise the blind to the view,

pull sheet and quilt over pillows,

smoothing out the side of the bed.

The room welcomes our waking.

We're rested and happy here,

sharing secrets, facing problems,

sitting close on the side of the bed.

Mama says it ruins the mattress

if you sit on the side of the bed.

I used to feel guilt, but no more.

No, I would not trade this splendid hour

for a perfect mattress, unspoiled,

putting off thoughts of the day ahead,

sitting here on the side of the bed.

Enough by Carole  Richard Thompson, published by FutureCycle Press, www.futurecycle.org

Mineral Bluff, Georgia, USA

ISBN 978-1-938853-28-9