North Carolina Christmas!

As promised last week, here is another book about the upcoming holiday season from our list at the North Carolina Literary Map.  Do you know the old song called "The Twelve Days of Christmas"?  Then why not try it North Carolina style?  Take a look at this children's picture book aptly titled, "The Twelve Days of Christmas in North Carolina" by Judy Stead.  Both children and adults can learn more about our state as they count down towards Christmas Day.  Check it out at your local library or bookstore!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1402744676/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687582&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=1565791541&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1V2DPCFSWB2NB33M4WYC

Happy Holiday Reading!

Christmas is coming soon!  The NC Literary Map has several titles pertaining to this holiday season.  One of these books is entitled "A North Carolina Christmas" by Jan Kiefer.  This book contains stories, pictures, and recipes of the Christmas season throughout our state.  Check it out at your local library or bookstore!

Please come back next week for a quick glimpse at another book about Christmas in North Carolina!

http://www.amazon.com/North-Carolina-Christmas-Jan-Kiefer/dp/1565791541

2015 NC Writers' Network Fall Conference

The 2015 North Carolina Writers' Network Fall Conference will be held at The Doubletree by Hilton Hotel near Biltmore Estate in Asheville, November 20-22.  The conference attracts hundreds of writers from across the country.  Among them are New York Times bestselling author Lee Smith, who will give the keynote address.  Former NC Poet Laureate Kathryn Stripling Byer will be a featured guest.  This year also marks the thirtieth anniversary of the NC Writers' Network, so sign up now if you would like to attend!

Please visit here for more information.  Thank you!

http://www.ncwriters.org/

The High Point Furniture Market

Twice a year, the International Home Furnishings Market is showcased in High Point, North Carolina.  People come from across the country and around the world to view and buy furniture in large showrooms throughout downtown High Point.  The last "High Point Furniture Market" for 2015 just ended.

Margaret Maron, author of the Deborah Knott series, wrote a fictional murder mystery set in the middle of this biannual event entitled Killer Market.  Author Barbara Taylor wrote a nonfiction historical account of High Point, including the "Furniture Market", in her book High Point.  You can find these titles at your local library or bookstore.  Check it out!

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/508921.Killer_Market

Adventure and Mystery at the Biltmore Estate!

Asheville author Robert Beatty recently published a fictional children's novel set at the Biltmore Estate in 1899.  In the book, two youths from vastly different economic backgrounds must band together and risk everything in order to solve a frightening puzzle.  Check it out at your local library or bookstore!

For more information about Robert Beatty and his debut novel, please visit this website.  For the NC Literary Map's entry, please follow this link.

http://robert-beatty.com/best-middle-grade-books-2015/

NC Lit Map and friends at the Bookmarks Festival!

Hi all:

The NC Lit Map had a great time handing out tote bags and telling folks about the North Carolina Literary Map at the Bookmarks Festival in Winston-Salem, NC, on September 12th.

We happened to have a table right next to our friends at the NC Writer's Network.  How awesome was that!

NC Poet Laureate to speak at UNCG

Award Winning Author Coming to UNCG!

Kwame Alexander, poet, author, and recipient of the 2015 John Newbery Medal, is coming to the Piedmont Triad area of North Carolina next week.  On September 12, Alexander will appear at the Winston Square Park at 10:15 AM in Winston-Salem during their Bookmarks Festival.  The author will also speak on September 14 at 7 PM in the Elliott University Center Auditorium at the UNC-Greensboro campus in Greensboro.  Both events are free and open to the public.  Do not miss your chance to meet this accomplished, award-winning author!

For more information, please visit the Friends of the UNCG Libraries blog post.

http://uncgfol.blogspot.com/2015/05/award-winning-poet-and-childrens-book.html

Greensboro: "One City One Book" Kickoff

The "One City, One Book" official kickoff is THIS weekend, August 29 and 30!  This year's chosen title is "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson.  The Greensboro Public Library, along with several community partners, will be sponsoring this event.  For more information, please visit the Greensboro Public Library "One City, One Book" webpage.  Hope to see you there!

Plus, starting in September, many lectures, hikes, movies, and more for young and old alike will be held on a regularly scheduled basis until November.  Interested?  Please download the "Calendar of Events" brochure on their website!

http://www.greensboro-nc.gov/index.aspx?page=848

North Carolina Bookwatch on UNC-TV

Want to learn more about North Carolina authors' lives and books on the small screen?  Then please check out the North Carolina Bookwatch website on UNC-TV for upcoming schedules or to search for previous episodes.  The current television airings for this series are Fridays at 9 pm on UNC-MX and Sundays at 12 pm and Thursdays at 5 pm on UNC-TV.  Enjoy!

http://www.unctv.org/content/ncbookwatch

Bookmarks Book Club

Bookmarks has begun a new book club, and it's open to the public!  Please RSVP by emailing jamie@bookmarksnc.org. The club meets on the last Tuesday of each month (with the exception of holidays) at 6:00 p.m. Meetings are held at Coffee Park Arts inside the Milton Rhodes Center at 251 N. Spruce Street, Winston-Salem.

Upcoming schedule:
Tuesday, August 25 - Bookmarks Festival preview and information session
Tuesday, September 29 - Re Jane by Patricia Park
Tuesday, October 27 - The Dream Lover by Elizabeth Berg
Tuesday, December 1 - After Alice by Gregory Maguire

http://bookmarksnc.org/events/talks

The Lost Colony of Manteo North Carolina

In 1587, a small group of English men, women, and children came to what is now known as Manteo, North Carolina, to begin a new colony.  Three years later, when supply ships returned from England, the colonists had vanished without a trace.  The mystery of what happened was never truly solved.

Every summer since 1937, an outdoor play based on these events occurs nightly in Manteo.  For more information or if interested in attending the drama, please visit this website.  In addition, many books have been written about The Lost Colony, some of which are in the NC Literary Map.  Virginia Dare, who was born in this colony, has also been discussed in various titles.

http://thelostcolony.org/

Upcoming Ashe County Writer's Competition

On the Same Page Literary Festival's annual writer's competition in Ashe County

The annual On the Same Page Literary Festival is scheduled for September 15-19, 2015 in West Jefferson, North Carolina.  New and unpublished authors are encouraged to submit their works.  Winners will be recognized at a luncheon on September 19.  All entries must focus on this year's literary festival theme, "Telling Stories."  For further details, please read the information below.  The Ashe County community looks forward to your fresh literary creativity!

Deadline for Submissions: July 20, 2015

Winners notified by: August 31, 2015

Prose entries limited to 1000 words

Poetry entries up to 50 lines

Entries should focus on the 2015 Festival Theme: "Telling Stories"
Non-refundable entry fee of $10.00 (US) per submission

No limit to number of entries per person

Cash prize award for first and second places in Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Poetry

For more in-depth specifications, please visit the Literary Festival's website: http://www.onthesamepagefestival.org/

http://www.onthesamepagefestival.org/

Celebrate July Fourth with the Literary Map!

July Fourth, also known as Independence Day, is the day on which the United States colonists declared freedom from Great Britain in 1776.  To honor "America's Birthday," here are some titles pertaining to the American Revolution, the war surrounding Independence Day, and the United States' fight for freedom:

The Mysterious Rifleman; A Story of the American Revolution

North Carolina in the Revolutionary War

Battles of the Revolutionary War, 1775-1781

The Colonial and Revolutionary Period, 1584-1783

Society in Revolutionary North Carolina

http://www.dohenystatebeach.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/flag-fireworks1.jpg

Ansel Elkins Interviewed by Oxford American

Oxford American just published a new interview with poet and UNCG alumna Ansel Elkins.  In it, Elkins discusses her poetry, her upbringing and family, and what inspires her to write.  You can read the interview here.

http://www.oxfordamerican.org/item/609-singing-from-the-deep-woods

NC Writers Network Fall Conference

Mark your calendars for the NC Writers Network Fall Conference, November 20-22, in Asheville!  The conference rotates annually and is held every year in a major hotel.  The weekend will be packed with writers from around the country and activities such as lunch and dinner banquets with readings, keynotes, tracks in several genres, open mic sessions, and the opportunity for one-on-one manuscript critiques with editors or agents.  When more information is available, you can find it here!

http://www.readlocalnc.org/festival/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/NCwriters-logo.jpg

https://thewritersloop.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/wip.jpg

One City, One Book 2015

The One City, One Book selection for this year is Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods.  The Greensboro Public Library, along with several community partners, leads a city-wide reading of a selected title every other year.  The readings are followed by discussion, films, theatrical productions, and more to engage the community in the themes of the selected title.  For more information about this year's selection, see One City, One Book 2015.  Happy reading!

Gabrielle Freeman of Greenville Wins Randall Jarrell Poetry Competition

Gabrielle Freeman of Greenville, NC, is the winner of the 2015 Randall Jarrell Poetry Competition for her poem, “Failure to Obliterate.”  She will receive $200 and publication in a special supplement of storySouth.  Freeman's poetry has been published or is forthcoming in many journals, including Beecher’s Magazine, Chagrin River Review, Gabby, Hobart, Melancholy Hyperbole, Minetta Review, Shenandoah, and Waxwing.  She has been nominated twice for the Best of the Net, and she was a finalist in 2014. In 2013, she earned her MFA in poetry through Converse College.  

Gabrielle Freeman

http://www.ncwriters.org/2014-01-07-18-35-09/network-news/6647-gabrielle-freeman-of-greenville-wins-randall-jarrell-poetry-competition

The first runner-up was “Testimony,” by Ann Deagon of Greensboro. “Every Field of Paradise,” by Chapel Hill’s Ralph Earle, was second runner-up.  The Randall Jarrell Poetry Competition honors the work and legacy of the poet and critic Randall Jarrell, who taught at what is now the University of North Carolina at Greensboro for nearly eighteen years.  storySouth is an online literary journal dedicated to showcasing the best poetry (and fiction and creative nonfiction) that writers from the "new south" have to offer.

2015 Squire Summer Writing Residency

The 2015 Squire Summer Writing Residency runs from Thursday, July 23 through Sunday, July 26.  This summer's program will be held at East Carolina University and will offer intensive workshops with accomplished instructors, group events such as readings, discussions, and meals, and a chance to share your work and bond with other dedicated writers.  Registrants will select workshop sessions in the genre of their choice—Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, or Poetry.  These sessions will begin on Friday morning and continue until mid-day Sunday, July 26.  For more information about the program and how to register, click here.  

Jan DeBlieu (Creative Nonfiction)

Amber Flora Thomas (Poetry)

Luke Whisnant (Fiction)

Wilmington Native Wins 2015 Doris Betts Fiction Prize

Brad Field, a Wilmington Native and retired English professor, has been named winner of the 2015 Doris Betts Fiction Prize.  His story, "Achmed's Lesson," will appear in the North Carolina Literary Review’s 25th issue in 2016, and he will receive a prize of $250 from the North Carolina Writers' Network.  Read the full story here!  

http://www.nclr.ecu.edu/

http://www.ncwriters.org/2014-01-07-18-35-09/network-news/6603-brad-field-wins-2015-doris-betts-fiction-prize

We had a great time at the NC Writers' Network Spring Conference!  The keynote address was delivered by poet Jaki Shelton Green, and the schedule included exhibits, book sales, open mic readings, faculty readings, lunches with the authors, and two sessions full of writing workshops.  We also got to network with some incredibly talented poets and authors!

April is National Poetry Month!

Did you know that April is National Poetry Month?  You can search the Literary Map by genre.  Just select Poetry to see 167 North Carolina poetry collections!  Selections include:

Among the Believers by Ron Rash

Bloodfire by Fred Chappell

License My Roving Hands by Juanita Brown Tobin

Ode to the Chinaberry Tree and Other Poems by James Applewhite

Rhythm a Little Lumbee by Lewis Barton

You can find out more about National Poetry Month here.

NC Writers' Network Spring Conference -- Saturday, April 18th at UNCG!

Spaces are filling up quickly for the NC Writers' Network Spring Conference 2015!  You can check out the updated schedule here and register here (pre-registration closes on Sunday).  The conference will take place in the MHRA Building on The University of North Carolina at Greensboro campus on Saturday, April 18th.  For more information about this year's conference, check out the NC Writers' Network website.  We hope to see you next Saturday!

http://www.ncwriters.org/2014-01-07-18-05-50/conferences/6372-spring-2015#schedule

Lanier Library Poetry Festival Will Offer Free Workshops

Two free workshops will introduce young writers to the world of poetry and songwriting during this year’s 2nd Annual Lanier Library Poetry Festival on Friday, April 24 and Saturday, April 25.

The writing workshops are for poets at all levels of skill and intent. This year, workshops will be offered for budding poets from elementary school through high school. Workshop topics cover poetry styles, forms, techniques, and the hard tasks of revision and publication.

This is the second year of Lanier Library’s poetry festival, held in celebration of National Poetry Month and of the Library's namesake, Sidney Lanier, whose widow donated two volumes of Lanier’s poetry to begin the library’s collection in 1890.

The keynote speaker will be Richard Blanco, the Presidential Inaugural Poet selected to read at Barack Obama’s swearing in ceremony in 2013.

For a complete schedule of events, locations and registration information for the festival, including luncheon, readings and workshops, visit www.lanierlibrarypoetryfestival.org.                                    

http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/blanco-verse_697835.html

Carolina Writers Conference 2015!

The Carolina Writers Conference is coming up in just a few weeks!  D.G. Martin, host of UNC-TV’s "North Carolina Bookwatch," will deliver the keynote address.  This all-day conference will feature a variety of workshops that cover topics ranging from fiction and marketing to publishing and printing. The conference will take place on Saturday, April 18th, 2015, in Wadesboro, NC.  For more information about registration, please visit the CWC website.  Deadline is April 10!

http://www.carolinaswritersconference.org/

David Joy to Present Debut Novel at City Lights

Webster author David Joy will present his new novel on Friday, March 6th at 6:30 p.m. at City Lights Bookstore.  Where All Light Tends to Go is set in Jackson County and tells the story of Jacob McNeely, a young man who is in a fight against his fate.  Says Ron Rash about the book, “A savage and moving account of a young man’s attempt to transcend his family’s legacy of violence. Where All Light Tends to Go is an outstanding debut and a fine addition to the country-noir vein of southern literature.”  David Joy's stories and creative nonfiction have appeared in Drafthorse Literary Journal, Smoky Mountain Living, Wilderness House Literary Review, Pisgah Review, and Flycatcher, and he is the author of the memoir Growing Gills: A Fly Fisherman's Journey.

www.citylights.com

www.goodreads.com

Film Based on Ron Rash's Novel Debuts in Select Theaters

The World Made Straight opened in select theaters last weekend. The film is set in Western North Carolina and is based on a novel by North Carolina native Ron Rash.  Check out the author's listing in the North Carolina Literary Map here.  The film follows a legacy of violence dating back to the Civil War.  An excerpt of a review from the New York Post follows:  "In the North Carolina Appalachians, where Union sympathizers and Rebels once clashed, 'Time doesn’t pass, it just layers over things'. In The World Made Straight, it’s the early 1970s and some of the blood is seeping up to the topsoil."