West Virginia Writers Podcast

On this episode, I sit down with an old friend from college, playwright and actress Suehyla El Attar. She will be leading two workshops at the 2012 WV Writers Summer Conference which are not only helpful for playwrights, but storytellers, poets, writers and any form of creative endeavor. Suehyla bases her workshops on work she did with movement storyteller Celeste Miller. She explains Celeste's approach.

With the 2012 WV Writers Summer Conference on its way, June 8, 9 and 10, at Cedar Lakes Conference Center in Ripley, WV, it's time to check ack in with our organizational president and conference organizer, Cat Pleska, regarding updates to the conference lineup and schedule.

In honor of April being National Poetry Month, the WV Writers Podcast returns from a long hiatus (explained within) with a recorded live reading captured at the 2011 Literary Tea Poetry Edition at the Greenbrier Valley Theatre in Lewisburg, WV. (In case you'd like a hint as to why the podcast has been gone so long, this episode was recorded atop a hill in a county other than Mercer County. It's a good thing.)

One of the guest presenters at this year's West Virginia Book Festival was author Jaimy Gordon. Her books include "Bogeywoman," "She Drove Without Stopping" and "Shamp of the City-Solo." But it is her most recent novel, Lord of Misrule, that has gained the most acclaim, being the winner of the National Book Award for Fiction in 2010. It’s a novel set in West Virginia, amidst the world of horse-racing. Jaimy was gracious enough to sit down with us for a conversation with fellow WV Writers member Dr. Edwina Pendarvis. Thanks go out to Phyllis Wilson Moore for arranging this interview.

Recorded at the West Virginia Book Festival, A Quest for Humor: WV Style is a panel of four humor writers from our state both reading examples of their work and commenting on the style of our state's sense of humor. Featured on the panel are Diane Tarantini (WVW Podcast #31, #46), Karin Fuller, Terry McNemar (Podcasts #1, #23, #31), and Rick Steelhammer. The panel is moderated by former podcast guest Steve Goff (#23, #25, #49 and Bonus Show #9).

This week we present a recorded live reading from the 2011 WVW Summer Conference featuring Susanna "Granny Sue" Holstein. She’s been a featured storytelling performer at events from Bellingham, Washington to Boston, Massachusetts and points in between. She's especially well known, however, for being a West Virginia storyteller, focusing much of her repertoire on WV history, ghost stories, Appalachian tales and ballads.

Recorded live at the 2011 WV Writers Board of Directors Retreat, we present a conversation with WVW President Cat Pleska regarding the organization's anthology collaboration with Woodland Press, West Virginia Writers Inked. The anthology will be open exclusively for submissions by members of WV Writers, Inc. We also spill a few beans on some upcoming guests for the 2012 Summer Conference as well as give a wrap up to the 2011 Conference.

In our continued effort to whet appetites for the 2011 WV Writers Summer Conference, this week's podcast features an interview with author, conference presenter and banquet keynote speaker, Meredith Sue Willis. Meredith Sue was born and raised in Shinnston, West Virginia. She has degrees from Barnard College and Columbia University, and her fiction has been published by Scribners', HarperCollins, West Virginia University Press, Ohio University Press, and others. Her novels include A Space Apart, Oradell at Sea, Higher Ground, Only Great Changes, and Tresspassers. Her short story collections include Dwight’s House and other Stories, In the Mountains of America, and her latest, Out of the Mountains. Meredith Sue is also devoted to writing about the craft of writing. She’s written nonfiction titles such as Blazing Pencils, Personal Fiction Writing, Deep Revision, and her latest, Ten Strategies to Write Your Novel. Meredith Sue will be leading two workshops at the 2011 Summer Conference, June 10, 11 and 12 at Cedar Lakes Conference Center in Ripley, WV.

In our continued effort to whet appetites for the 2011 WV Writers Summer Conference, this week's podcast features an interview with author, conference presenter and banquet keynote speaker, Meredith Sue Willis. Meredith Sue was born and raised in Shinnston, West Virginia. She has degrees from Barnard College and Columbia University, and her fiction has been published by Scribners', HarperCollins, West Virginia University Press, Ohio University Press, and others. Her novels include A Space Apart, Oradell at Sea, Higher Ground, Only Great Changes, and Tresspassers. Her short story collections include Dwight’s House and other Stories, In the Mountains of America, and her latest, Out of the Mountains. Meredith Sue is also devoted to writing about the craft of writing. She’s written nonfiction titles such as Blazing Pencils, Personal Fiction Writing, Deep Revision, and her latest, Ten Strategies to Write Your Novel. Meredith Sue will be leading two workshops at the 2011 Summer Conference, June 10, 11 and 12 at Cedar Lakes Conference Center in Ripley, WV.

In our continued effort to whet appetites for the 2011 WV Writers Summer Conference, this week we interview Sarah Dooley, author of the young adult novel Livvie Owen Lived Here. The book is a story told from the perspective of an autistic 14-year-old girl whose loving family is frequently thrown into chaos by her actions. In real life Sarah is a teacher of special needs children and can speak to the reality of kids like Livvie. Sarah will be leading two workshops at the 2011 Summer Conference, June 10, 11 and 12 at Cedar Lakes Conference Center in Ripley, WV.

With the 2011 WV Writers Summer Conference a mere 3 weeks from this recording, it's time to check back in with our organizational president and conference organizer, Cat Pleska, regarding updates to the conference lineup and schedule. We also drop a few hints as to who will be interview guests on this very podcast as we go to a weekly schedule through the conference itself.

In honor of April being National Poetry Month, today's podcast is a listener generated one usign poems gathered via our Podcast Poetry Hotline. We asked listeners to voicemail us some poetry and voicemail it they did. Featured on the show today are Debbie Richard, Twyla Vincent, Dreama Frisk, as well as previous podcast guests Tim Armentrout, Pam Hanson and Salvatore Buttaci. We also have a couple of major announcements at the start of the show regarding the 2011 Summer Conference.

In honor of April being National Poetry Month, today's podcast is another recorded live poetry reading, this one captured at the Princeton Public Library in down town Princeton, WV. The poets featured are all members of the Appalachian Penworks writers group. Featured poets in Part 2 include:Beth and Steve Godfrey, and Rob Merritt.

In honor of April being National Poetry Month, today's podcast is another recorded live poetry reading, this one captured at the Princeton Public Library in down town Princeton, WV. The poets featured are all members of the Appalachian Penworks writers group. In honor of April being National Poetry Month, today's podcast is another recorded live poetry reading, this one captured at the Princeton Public Library in down town Princeton, WV. The poets featured are all members of the Appalachian Penworks writers group. Featured poets in Part 1 include: Raymond Neely, Ashleigh Gill and Salvatore Buttaci.

In honor of April being National Poetry Month, today's podcast features a recorded live poetry reading from Raleigh County Library's poetry reading in March. Featured poets include Sammye Lewis, Sue Atkinson, Kitty Mooney, Miles Dean and Rebecca Dean. The evening was also hosted by Rebecca Dean. Apologies must go out to Danny McMillion and Sammye Lewis. Due to technical difficulties, The poem Danny read was not recorded, nor was Sammye's first poem of her set. We'll have them back on future podcasts to rectify this