West Virginia Writers, Inc. Blog

Lee Maynard & Pops Walker from WV Writers Summer Conference 2011

2012-05-28T16:05:00.000-04:00

Free eBook by Daleen Berry

2012-05-27T16:01:00.001-04:00

From WV Writers member Daleen Berry:

2:29pm May 26

From midnight last night until 11:59 p.m. Monday (PST) my e-book, "Sister of Silence," is free at Amazon. I'm calling it a Memorial Day Special, in honor of the women who have or are fighting another kind of war.

Even if you have already read it, please download a copy or gift one to someone who needs it.

Please download it in honor of Shannon Stafford, Lori Dodson and Leslie Layman, the three Preston County women who died from DV in just three weeks here. (For more info, see my website, but realize this does not count the murders in the other 54 WV counties.)

We may not eradicate DV, but I really believe we can make a difference, and the fact that Sen. Rockefeller has invited me (and others) to a roundtable meeting to discuss what can be done next week shows that people in positions of power recognize something needs to change.

Out of courtesy for the tons of people I've included in this email, please do NOT reply to it. If you want to contact me, just email me privately at daleen.berry@gmail.com.

Thank you, very much!

PS: If you don't have a Kindle, that's okay. Amazon has a free app you can download, so you can then read any of their e-books on your tablet, phone, or computer.

http://www.facebook.com/l/2AQFaXbEXAQFzbLXwAhZxlCM7IaJG54MUWkAtl0Tfvq_eRg/amzn.to/JK12Vt

Sister of Silence

www.amazon.com

An amazing true-crime story that unfolds faster than you can keep up, and leaves you longing for mor...

Doug & Telisha Williams Sampler from WVW Conference 11

2012-05-25T16:03:00.000-04:00

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Friday Night Entertainment at the 2012 Summer Conference

2012-05-09T10:04:00.002-04:00

On Friday night, comedian and WVW member Steve Goff presents "The West Virginia Writers Rough Draft Radio Show". Sit back a let your fellow WV Writers entertain you as we draw from our membership to put together a rollicking evening of comedy, music and good vibes.

We will close the evening with the triumphant return of Doug and Telisha Williams. D&T made their conference debut last year and were such a smash, we're bringing them back. Lucky us. They will also be teaching songwriting workshops during the day!

If you plan to attend the conference, and would like to be a part of the show please contact Steve Goff at the address below. We've got a limited amount of time and can't insure everyone will get a slot. I'm looking for variety, so tune up the old saw, or dust off that comic monologue you wrote in high school. Steve Goff. WV Writers Rough Draft Radio Show sgoff53@hotmail.com .

Conference First Timers Guidelines 2012

2012-05-07T12:04:00.000-04:00

We recommend that you register in advance by completing the forms on our web site at www.wvwriters.org/conference.html.

If you plan to stay overnight, be sure to fill out the separate Cedar Lakes form, as well. You'll also need to fill it out if you plan to eat meals there, which I recommend, because it's hard to get out and back without missing a workshop or two.

On the weekend of the conference, stop at the Cedar Lakes office when you enter the grounds. The office is the first building on your right as you enter. You'll get your meal tickets (more like a typed sheet of paper) and your room keys. DO NOT LOSE YOUR MEAL TICKET.

Ask the Cedar Lakes staff to point out the Assembly Hall building for you (they'll give you a map, too, but you can see the building from the office). Come there next and register. If you have pre-registered and prepaid in full, there is usually a "quick line" you can jump to and simply check your name off the list, grab your name tag and goody bag (we always have the best goody bags of any writers conference), and head to step three. If you still need to register, that's fine too. We accept cash, checks, and can now accept credit cards via Square Up at the registration desk. (Cedar Lakes can accept credit cards for room and meals).

Stop by the reception table for a cold (or hot) drink and a snack.

The Assembly Hall is also where the Writer's Wall competition is located. For the Writer's Wall, participants can bring in a one page piece of poetry and/or prose to anonymously post to the wall (which means, naturally, that your name must not appear on it). There will be a sign up book and an intern to help with the process, assigning each entry a number which conference attendees will be able to vote for using the ballot slip in their goodie bags. The winners will be announced at the Awards Banquet on Saturday night.

Similarly, there will be five total sessions of People's Choice, with prose and poetry sessions on Friday evening and prose, poetry and youth sessions on Saturday. During People's Choice, attendees are invited to read a piece of their own work that must come in at under 5 minutes in length. After all the pieces are read, ballots will be passed out for fellow readers and other attendees to vote on their favorite pieces. Winners will be announced at the Awards Banquet on Saturday night.

You don't have to register for the individual workshops in advance. Just pick them as you go. Some people find that it's easier to print out the schedule (or use the one given to you at registration, which will be the most accurate) and then highlight two classes each session that you're interested in. Then, when the time arrives, you can pick between the two. Some people like to have a "back up class" in case one is overcrowded, or in case you find yourself enjoying a particular track so much that you want to stick with it (poetry vs. non-fiction, for example). We would recommend that you take at least one class outside of your chosen genre; not just for the broadened experience, but because you might find inspiration or a particular nugget of writing wisdom that you can apply to what you're working on. For example, if you write fiction, take a poetry workshop or a nonfiction editing workshop, which can help with your craft.

Be sure to dress light but bring a sweater and an umbrella. It’s an annual tradition that it rains very hard on at least one of the conference days. The classrooms can also be hot. And wear shoes that are comfortable for walking, not only for walking to and from the dining hall but for taking strolls around the grounds of Cedar Lakes. Oh, and open toed shoes can be sort of iffy, for there is a great deal of goose poo to be found in certain parts near the big lake.

We also hope you're planning to attend the banquet and stick around for entertainment, as we'll have some nice surprises in store!

Manuscript critiques at the WV Writers Summer Conference

2012-05-03T09:45:00.000-04:00

WVW is pleased to announce that manuscript critiques will be available for the 2012 conference. You may have up to 8 pages of your manuscript and a one-page synopsis or up to 8 pages of poetry critiqued for a cost of $25.00. This includes a 15-minute, individual session with the critiquing author
during the conference. The number of critiques is limited, so they will be taken on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Here's a list of the award-winning authors who will be offering critiques:

1) Lee Maynard – Appalachian, memoir, humor, adventure, etc. (wear your thick skin and be ready for Lee's honest, tough, evaluation of your work.);

2) Sandy Tritt – Short story, inspirational, how-to-books, etc. (www.inspirationforwriters.com);

3) Michael Knost – Sci/Fi, horror, supernatural, fantasy, etc. (www.michaelknost.com);

4) Geoff Fuller – Anything - except poetry (www.wvwriters.org, conference presenters' bios)

5) Wilma Acree – Poetry only (www.inspirationforwriters.com);
6) Karin Fuller – Memoir, humor, children's books, inspirational, romance, etc. (www.wvwriters.org, conference presenters' bios)

If you would like a critique, here's what you do:

1) Select a writer from the list that you feel best matches your work;

2) Email Teresa Newsome at wvwcontest@gmail.com) or call her at 304-601-2460 to reserve your slot.

3) Mail your manuscript and $25.00 check or money order (payable to WV Writers, Inc.) to Teresa Newsome, 5245 Pond Fork Road, Madison, WV 25130, no later than May 21. Please do not send a manuscript if you have not reserved a time slot.

Hurry! This is an opportunity too good to miss.

Call for Papers: Appalachian Visions of China

2012-04-26T05:24:00.000-04:00

(This courtesy of Cat Pleska)

Call for Papers

SAMLA Convention
November 9-11, 2012
Durham, North Carolina 27709
http://samla.gsu.edu/index.html

Session: Appalachian Visions of China

Appalachian literature is known for its strong sense of place, emphasizing the local. However, the influence of Chinese poetry and philosophy on contemporary Appalachian writing is surprisingly strong. Chinese images, ideas, and styles appear in numerous poems and stories by contemporary Appalachian authors, for example, in the works of George Scarbrough, Jeff Daniel Marion, and Charles Wright. This session will explore how twentieth- and twenty-first century Appalachian poetry and prose uses images, ideas, and styles associated with ancient and modern China. Also welcome are presentations on how American authors—such as the Nobel-Prize winning author, Pearl Buck, and Beat-generation poets Gary Snyder and Kenneth Rexroth—have influenced Appalachian writers' concepts of China and its culture. In brief, this session seeks papers that discuss and illustrate the "China" of Appalachian imagination, both in terms of theme and technique.

(Session Chair, Rob Merritt; Session Secretary, Eddy Pendarvis)

Please submit a 250-word abstract no later than May 15, 2012 to Rob at the email address below.

Rob Merritt, PhD
Professor of English
Chair, Division of Language, Literature and Communications
Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA 24605
276-326-4270 (office)
304-920-1860 (cell)

robmerritt202@gmail.com

South Atlantic Modern Language Association

samla.gsu.edu

Free Improv/Creativity Workshop!

2012-04-25T05:19:00.003-04:00

West Virginia Writers' own Steve Goff will host a Free Improv/Creativity Workshop!
"Improv Your Creativity, Improv Your Life!"

This will take place at the Bridgeport Public Library - Sat. May 12, 2012 from 1:30 pm - 4 pm.
Utilizing the techniques of comedy improvisation, participants will learn how to jump start and maintain their creativity. Comedy improv requires getting out of your own way, being in the moment, and quieting your inner critic. Recharge your muse. Focus your creative efforts. Challenge that
cranky critic.

Space is limited, pre-registration required. Call 304-842-8248 to register.

Cheryl Denise Poetry Reading in Morgantown

2012-04-24T21:48:00.000-04:00

(This news courtesy Kirk Judd)

On Friday, May 18, 2012 at 7:30pm, Cheryl Denise and Kirk Judd will present a poetry reading at the Blue Moose Cafe, 248 Walnut Street, Morgantown, WV.

This reading will be to celebrate the publication of Cheryl's new collection "What's in the Blood". Please join us to hear this unique blend of two of West Virginia's finest poetic voices.

Morgantown Poets featured writer: Susanna Holstein (aka Granny Sue) is the featured...

2012-04-23T21:45:00.000-04:00

(This news courtesy of Diane Tarantini)

Susanna Holstein (aka Granny Sue) is the featured writer at Morgantown
Poets this Thursday night at the MAC in Morgantown at 7:00 p.m.. If
you're within an hour's drive, I hope you'll come out and make her
(and Larry) feel at home.

Ruby Lioness Press seeks submissions

2012-04-22T05:22:00.000-04:00

Ruby Lioness Press Co-owner, Marissa Dobson, is taking 1-5 line pitches on http://dlindunauthor.blogspot.com/

She is mainly looking for short stories and novellas, but is open to novel-length pitches as well.

The rules are simple:

1. Contest opens at 8:00 A.M. EST and runs through 8:00 P.M EST April 26, 2012

2. Submit a 1-5 line pitch.

3. Please provide the length (finished or expected) and genre of your pitch also.

If you have any questions, or would prefer to email them, you can email me at: marissa@rubylionesspress.com

About Ruby Lioness Press:

Ruby Lioness Press is a semi new publisher, but all of our staff has been in the business for years. We are here to help authors reach their goals. Our release schedule is growing rapidly; be sure to take advantage of this opportunity to be a part of the Ruby Lioness Press family. Ou rstandard royalty percentage is 50% of the sale price of your e-book and 40% for print.

Website – http://rubylionesspress.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ruby-Lioness-Press/279190975451409

We have a multi-author series (which you can pitch for also, just please mention that in the post). For more information on the multi-author series, follow these links:

Website – http://clearwaterrlp.wordpress.com/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ClearwaterSeries

Marissa's bio:

Born and raised in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area, I now reside about an hour from Washington, D.C. I am a lady who likes to keep busy, and am always busy doing something. With two different college degrees, I believe you are never done learning.

Being the first daughter to an avid reader, this gave me the advantage of learning to read at a young age. Since learning to read I have always had my nose in a book. It wasn't until I was a teenager that I started writing down the stories I came up with.

My first experience in publishing was reviewing and then marketing. It wasn't until I was in the business a year or more that I had enough courage to submit something to be published. Now between writing, marketing, and running Ruby Lioness Press my days are full.

West Virginia Writers Inked anthology selections announced

2012-04-11T15:23:00.000-04:00

(From WV Writers President Cat Pleska...)

On behalf of Woodland Press, LLC, Editor Michael Knost, and myself, I am happy to announce the works and their authors selected for the West Virginia Writers Inked (working title) anthology. First, I admit the choices were difficult, but in a way, it was a delightful difficulty. Let me explain: with so many good entries, it was difficult because I could not choose them all, but the ones chosen are representative of the diversity and quality of writing by members of West Virginia Writers. Thanks go to all of you who submitted. Cat Pleska, senior editor

Wilma Acree If You See Buzzards

Belinda Anderson Pee Wees' Playhouse

Laura Treacy Bentley Caving

Beverly Bisbee Holding Memories

Ginger Hamilton Caudill Bringing Home the Bacon

Mary Lucille DeBerry Odd

Ethan Fischer New Choir Choice

Geoff Fuller Splinters

Karin Fuller Puddles

Kathleen Furbee Christmas Cards

Mathilde Hall The Forgetting

Susanna Holstein Sago

Marion Kee On Hearing Bill Withers in the Ninth Grade

Frank Larnerd Garbageman Stan

Llewellyn McKernan Time and Change

Rob Merritt Sky Teacher

John Mugaas Arizona

Patricia Patteson Broken Chain

Edwina Pendarvis Hallowmas

Joshua Robinson Last Letter

Christine Roth Calling Me Home

Jason Roth The Song

Lynne Schwartz-Barker The Climb

Susan Sheppard The Green Children

Barbara Smith Dog Days

Diane Tarantini To Make Her Smile

Frances VanScoy Canning Beans

Geoff and Karin Fuller win Writers Digest contests

2012-04-11T11:56:00.000-04:00

(From WVW Member Diane Tarantini...)

Whoo hoo! If you get Writers' Digest (specifically the May/June issue), turn to pages 46 and 47. Geoff Fuller is on p. 46 with his win in the crime genre. Karin is on 47 with her win in romance. Way to go Fuller family. Way to go West Virginia Writers:)

Romance Writing Conference in Virginia Beach

2012-04-09T10:45:00.000-04:00

Virginia Romance Writers is hosting a romance conference in Virginia Beach (May 4 and 5). Workshops are planned that writers of all genres might find of interest, include a two-part workshop by author Barbara Samuel (Barbara O'Neal) on voice. They're also offering agent/editor appointments and single-day registration options.

Here are details:

2012 For the Love of Writing Conference

May 4 - 5, 2012
Virginia Beach Resort Hotel and Conference Center
Virginia Beach, VA

Now accepting conference registrations.

For more information, visit http://www.virginiaromancewriters.com/Conference/2012conference.html

"Location Location" Play Contest seeking submissions

2012-04-02T12:13:00.000-04:00

Charleston Stage Company & FestivALL announcethe 2012 LOCATION, LOCATION!

-New Play Contest-

The Library Play

This year’s play will take place at Kanawha County Public Library, 123 Capitol Street, in the Children’s Reading Room, June 23, 2012 at 11:00am, 1:00pm, 2:00pm and 3:00pm.

The Rules are as follows:
•Play must have at least one Librarian
•Play may incorporate one or any of the following NOISE making props; BELL, TAMBOURINE, WHISTLE, WIND CHIMES OR A WHOOPEE CUSHION
•The first line of Dialogue must be “Quiet, please.”
•Play may have 4 to 6 characters of any age/gender
•Play must have a run time of no more than 15 and no less than10 minutes
•Play may be comedic or dramatic, but must be appropriate for all ages.
•All playwrights must be West Virginia residents.
•Play may not have been produced previously.
•Playwrights may submit more than one play. Collaborations between writers are also acceptable.
•Playwrights should be able to attend the 11am performance on Saturday, June 23rd
•All plays must be typewritten and mailed to the Charleston Stage Company at 123 Summers St., Charleston, WV 25301 by May 10, 2012 or emailed in Word or PDF format to charlestonstagecompany@yahoo.com

The plays will be read and judged by out-of-state judges who will consider (among other things) creative use of the space.

For more information call 304-766-5721 or visit www.charlestonstagecompany.com.

Made possible by funding through the West Virginia Commission on the Arts and FestivAll Charleston.

This is the Seventh year for LOCATION! LOCATION! Past productions include the Bank Lobby Play, the Trolley Play, the Elvis Play, The Crossing Play, River Play and the Salon Play.

Free writers workshop this weekend in Lewisburg

2012-03-21T18:03:00.000-04:00

There will be a free writers workshop on Saturday, March 24 from 1-5 at Deep River Creative on Washington Street in downtown Lewisburg. The workshop, called New Voices, is one of the programs developed by the High Rocks organization of Hillsboro. Attendees will develop written pieces during the workshop from 1-4 followed by a reading of those pieces from 4-5.

Rarity from the Hollow reprint

2012-03-20T16:50:00.000-04:00

WV Writers member Robert Eggleton's novel Rarity from the Hollow has been reprinted by Dog Horn Publishing in Leeds, England. It is now on Amazon and is supposed to come out as a hardback in June.

Writers' Toolkit 2012

2012-03-15T08:02:00.000-04:00

The West Virginia Division of Culture and History in collaboration with the West Virginia Library Commission will present an intensive creative writing skills workshop on Saturday, March 17, from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex in Charleston.WV Writers members Sandy Tritt, Sarah Sullivan, Karin Fuller, and Danny Boyd will be presenters.

Please see the flyer below for information.

WRITERS' TOOLKIT FLYER

Raleigh County Poetry Reading

2012-03-13T11:56:00.002-04:00

Open mic poetry reading

First come, first heard

Beckley Raleigh County Library

Monday, April 2^nd, 6-8pm

In the Mary Louise Graham Room

Plan to join us.

Read your own, read your favorite, just join us.

Good company, refreshments will be served.

The Best Dog now on sale

2012-02-29T15:10:00.000-05:00

(This news courtesy of WV Writers member Annette Krause)

The Best Dog - a charming childrens book written and illustrated by Benjamin Thomas Brown of Jane Lew in Lewis County is available for $6.60 at Author House online. (ISBN #9781452010106)

This is the perfect gift for any young child. Written in rhyme, the story of many dogs (the best being the one you grew up with) the book lends itself to memorization. Parents should be ready to hear the words, "Please, read it again!"

Ongoing Poetry Workshop

2012-02-29T14:56:00.000-05:00

Ongoing Poetry Workshop/class every Thursday night, 7:00 p.m. at the Dils Center in downtown Parkersburg. There is no charge for this weekly class, but any small donation is appreciated.

Would you like to write a poem a week?

Would you like a friendly and supportive analysis for your poetry? Consider coming to Sacred Way Poets poetry group.

Call Susan Sheppard for more info: (304) 428-7978

Blog Chat with Elizabeth Damewood Gaucher and Karan Ellison Ireland

2012-02-27T14:53:00.000-05:00

Tonight, Elizabeth Damewood Gaucher and Karan Ellison Ireland will both be online starting at 8 PM
EST to talk about writing, blogging, and life. That covers a lot of territory, so they hope you will jump in and have some fun!

To join the chat, simply click on the link for Esse-a-Go-Go under Daily Mail Live
Chat at the blog Esse Diem.

WV Writers Conference Internship

2012-02-26T12:14:00.002-05:00

Do you know, or are you a WV college student who has a passion for writing? Then, why not apply for an internship for the West Virginia Writers Inc. Annual Writing Conference?

Our interns are an invaluable resource, and they are afforded rare opportunities to work one on one with established writers, editors and publishers from all over the state and country.

The conference is held at Cedar Lakes in Ripley WV on the second weekend in June. It is three days of workshops, entertainment, and meeting new people. Don't pass up the opportunity to become involved in a vibrant and friendly community of artists.

To download an application, click on the link below.

Internship Application

Judge bios for the 2012 WV Writers Contest

2012-02-26T11:54:00.002-05:00

(UPDATED 4/10/12)

The following are the bios for the judges of the 2012 WV Writers Annual Writing Contest.

Gerald Lee Ratliff - Stage Plays: the Joe McCabe Memorial Playwriting Award
Gerald Lee Ratliff is the award-winning author of numerous articles, essays, and textbooks in performance studies and literary criticism. He has served as President of the Eastern Communication Association (1991), selected as a Fulbright Scholar to China (1990), and was as a U.S.A. delegate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to Russia (1992). He is also author of the textbook An Introduction to Reader's Theatre and Editor of the popular series Young Women's Monologues From Contemporary Plays (Meriwether Publishing, Ltd.) He currently serves as Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at The State University of New York (Potsdam).

Valerie “Val” Nieman - Nonfiction
Valerie Nieman is the author of a new novel, Blood Clay, as well as two earlier novels, a collection of short stories, Fidelities, and a poetry collection, Wake Wake Wake. Her work has appeared in many journals, including New Letters, Poetry, the North Carolina Literary Review, and the Kenyon Review, and in several anthologies. She has received an NEA creative writing fellowship as well as grants from North Carolina, West Virginia, and Kentucky, and prizes including two Elizabeth Simpson Smith awards in fiction and the Greg Grummer Prize in poetry. She graduated from West Virginia University and Queens University of Charlotte. A long time newspaper reporter and editor, she now teaches creative writing at North Carolina A&T State University, conducts writing workshops throughout the region, and serves as poetry editor of Prime Number magazine.

Linda Hager Pack - Children’s Books

Linda Pack grew up in the small town of Hamlin, West Virginia where she was reared by her parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents to be a proper mountain youngun’. Having determined early on that children are what God does best, Linda decided to become a teacher. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Education and a Master of Arts in Education from Eastern Kentucky University where she graduated with honors; and in 1996 Kentucky’s Governor Paul Patton presented her the prestigious Ashland Oil Teacher Award. During her twenty-two years of teaching young children in West Virginia and Kentucky, Linda realized that the theme she and her students most enjoyed was the one she taught about Appalachia. Following her passion for writing and the advice she often gave her students, she decided to write about what she knows and what she loves: Appalachia. The author has two grown children, Robin and Josh, and a granddaughter, Elleigh. She lives in Richmond, KY with her husband, Jim, and their sad dog, Zoe.

Joe Limer – Long Poetry
Joe Limer, West Virginia native from Clarksburg. Graduated Washington Irving H.S. then went to Fairmont State University and received a B.A. in both English and Political Science. Graduated WVU College of Law with a Juris Doctorate. Also wrote for the Fairmont Times newspaper as a regular sports reporter. After law school moved to San Diego, California. Professor at Palomar College in San Marcos, California teaching political science. Attending San Diego State University and working on a master's degree in public policy. Poetry - Most of my poetry is considered performance poetry or spoken word. received honorable mention in Morgantown Poets poetry contest in 2011. Placed 2nd in Pittsburgh's Poetry slam competition November 2011 and won Pittsburgh poetry slam competition in December 2011. Won Encinitas Poetry Slam competition in Summer 2010. Performed in venues in Morgantown, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Oceanside, Pomona, Irvine, Long Beach, Honolulu, and Hollywood. Currently competing to make National Poetry Slam Competition in Charlotte, NC in August. Also teach poetry workshops at Palomar College and Mira Costa College and several San Diego-area high schools.

Liz Wells – Short Poetry
Liz Wells M.F.A., is former WVW Secretary and a writer who splits her time living in Portland, Oregon and Hagerstown, Maryland. She is the author of a chapbook, Knuckle Deep, and recent collections, Corollaries of Leaving and The Other Nina. Her work has appeared in various journals including Contemporary Haibun Online, Sixers Review, Gloom Cupboard, Pitkin Review, and Love Your Rebellion. She is an online E-structor, teaching essay writing and basic composition.

June Langford Berkley - Short Story
June Langford Berkley has earned a national reputation as teacher, education leader, journalist, and performer. Proud to be "born and landed in West Virginia" she is among the Mountain State authors featured on the Literary Map of West Virginia. In 2010 she was named Distinguished Alumnus of Salem College. She was graduated with double majors --and her writing career already launched in local and national newspapers--at the age of 18. She earned a Master of Arts degree in Creative Writing from Ohio University and beginning in l980 served for over a decade in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences as a teacher of Creative Writing, English and education. She has traveled, lived and worked internationally as an education leader, teacher, platform speaker, creative storyteller-performer, and writer-in-residence. Her fiction, journal articles, professional publications, and education leadership service have been honored nationally and internationally. Her first published story in a series of narratives set in Appalachia --where she traces her family roots through the pre-Revolutionary frontier-- was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in l982.

Tom Donlon - Emerging Writer’s Poetry: the F. ethan Fischer Memorial Poetry Award
Tom Donlon is a project manager for Verizon and lives with his wife and children in Shenandoah Junction, WV. He earned an MFA in Creative Writing from the American University in Washington, DC before moving to West Virginia in 1986. Poems have appeared in, or are forthcoming in, ABZ, America, Blue Collar Review, Christianity and Literature, Commonweal, Folio, Penn State’s International Journal of Humanities and Healthcare, Kestrel, Poet Lore, Sow’s Ear Poetry Review and in other journals, newspapers, and anthologies. Recognition has included Pushcart Prize nominations and a fellowship from the WV Commission on the Arts.

Cindy Gaillard – Emerging Writers’ Prose
Cindy Gaillard is the Executive Producer for Arts and Culture for WOSU Television, the PBS station in Columbus, Ohio. She is an Emmy Award winning writer, producer, director and editor. She is currently an MFA candidate in creative non-fiction writing at The Ohio State University.

Gretchen Moran Laskas – Book Length Prose
Gretchen Moran Laskas, a native of Philippi, is an eighth generation West Virginian, and the author of two award winning novels, THE MIDWIFE'S TALE and THE MINER'S DAUGHTER. She is the 2012 recipient of the Appalachian Heritage Writers Award, and will be the writer-in-residence this year at Shepherd University.

Silas House – Appalachian Writing
Silas House is the author of four novels: Clay’s Quilt (2001), A Parchment of Leaves (2003), The Coal Tattoo (2004), Eli the Good (2009), two plays, The Hurting Part (2005) and Long Time Travelling (2009), and Something’s Rising (2009), a creative nonfiction book about social protest co-authored with Jason Howard. House was selected to edit the posthumous manuscript of acclaimed writer James Still, Chinaberry. House’s young adult novel, Same Sun Here, co-written with Neela Vaswani, will be published by Candlewick Books in early 2012. House serves as the Director of the Loyal Jones Appalachian Center at Berea College and on the fiction faculty at Spalding University’s MFA in Creative Writing program. House is a former contributing editor for No Depression magazine, where he has done long features on such artists as Lucinda Williams, Nickel Creek, and many others. He is also one of Nashville’s most in-demand press kit writers, having written the press kit bios for such artists as Kris Kristofferson, Kathy Mattea, Leann Womack, and others. A former writer-in-residence at Lincoln Memorial University, he is the creator of the Mountain Heritage Literary Festival. House is a two-time finalist for the Southern Book Critics Circle Prize, a two-time winner of the Kentucky Novel of the Year, the Appalachian Writer of the Year, the Lee Smith Award, the Appalachian Book of the Year, the Chaffin Prize for Literature, the Award for Special Achievement from the Fellowship of Southern Writers, and many other honors. In 2009 the Silas House Literary Seminar was given at Emory and Henry College. For his environmental activism House received the Helen Lewis Community Service Award in 2008 from the Appalachian Studies Association. In 2010 he was awarded the Intellectual Freedom Award from the Kentucky Council of English Teachers. House’s work can be found in The New York Times, Newsday, Oxford American, Bayou, The Southeast Review,The Louisville Review, The Beloit Fiction Journal, Wind, Night Train, and others, as well as in the anthologies The Southern Poetry Anthology: Volume 3, New Stories From the South 2004: The Year’s Best, Christmas in the South, A Kentucky Reader, Of Woods and Water, Motif, We All Live Downstream, Missing Mountains, A Kentucky Christmas, Shouts and Whispers, High Horse, The Alumni Grill, Stories From the Blue Moon Café I and II, and many others. House is the father of two daughters. He divides his time between London and Berea, Kentucky.

Dr. Nancy Berk – Humor
Nancy Berk, Ph.D., President of Nancy Berk Media, LLC, is a clinical psychologist, author and award-winning humorist. Her second book, College Bound and Gagged: How to Help Your Kid Get into a Great College Without Losing Your Savings, Your Relationship, or Your Mind, was released October 2011. A blogger for The Huffington Post, USA Today College, MORE Magazine, and HumorOutcasts.com, she is also a frequent contributor to Chicken Soup for the Soul. Nancy has appeared on television and radio, and hosts the popular iTunes podcast Whine At 9.

Laura Benedict- Genre Fiction: SciFi/Fantasy/Horror
Laura Benedict is the author of the dark suspense novels Devil's Oven, Isabella Moon, and Calling Mr. Lonely Hearts. She has also edited the Surreal South: an Anthology of Short Fiction series with her husband, Pinckney Benedict. Her work has appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Thrillers: 100 Must-Reads, Noir at the Bar, and a number of other anthologies. A recipient of a West Virginia Artist Fellowship Grant, she currently lives in the southernmost wilds of a midwestern state, where she is surrounded by coyotes, bobcats, and many other less picturesque predators.

The Pearl Buck Award in Writing for Social Change (JUDGE COMING SOON)

2012 Judges for New Mountain Voices Student Contest

Pam Hanson – NMV High School
Pam Andrews Hanson along with her writing partner/mother (Barbara Andrews) is the author of more than 30 novels, including women’s inspirational fiction for Guideposts Publishing and romances for Harlequin. Several more titles will be released by Guideposts this year. In addition, she and her partner released two indie inspirational romances for Kindle on Amazon and Nook on Barnes & Noble. A former reporter, Pam previously taught beat reporting and was the director of advising for the School of Journalism at West Virginia University. She is a past recipient of the JUG Award. Pam now resides with her family in Nebraska, where she writes fulltime.

Wilma Acree – NMV Middle School
Wilma Acree holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Education. She taught English at Jackson Middle School for 32 years and presented writng workshops for middle grade teachers at National Council of English Teachers Conventions, WV English Teachers' Conventions, and Wood County Teachers' Inservice. She served as editor of Confluence literary magazine 2000-2009. She is the author of two poetry chapbooks, has work published in numerous literary magazines, and has won awards in WVW's Spring Contest.

Terry McNemar’s writing group – NMV Elementary School

New WV Writers Online Forum

2012-02-24T12:16:00.000-05:00

The new WV Writers Writing Forum has been opened. At this time, we are only permitting current or recently current (within 2 years) members to join the forum. This is just a provisional rule and may change in the future. The forum is still being changed and improved upon.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this format of forum, the posts will be viewable by guests (via internet searches or visitors to the site) in all areas except the Members Only section. This provides you with a safe place to post your work for serious critique. You may post your work in the other sections as well.

Guests will be able to view but not comment, unless we decide to open access to any who wishes to register. If you have an opinion on this one way or the other, please let us know, as this has been created to serve our membership, and anything I can do to improve it for you is the objective.

Currently, all new users must be approved by me, so please bear with us, as it may take a little bit of time for us to approve your status.

If you have any questions, you may send messages to the forum admin Craig Snider through the forum itself, or you can email him directly at cuthugas@gmail.com.