West Virginia Writers Podcast

Episode 19 of the WVW Podcast in which we air the fourth of our patented recorded live readings. (Q: "But if it's recorded, how can it be live?" A: "One of us is asking too many questions.") This recorded live reading comes from the October 8th session of the Greenbrier Valley Theatre's October Literary Tea series and features Willa Izzo reading from her honorable mention win in the humor category of the 2009 WV Writers Writing Competition. (I'd like to thank Belinda Anderson for recording this session while I was out of state stuffing my face in Austin.) The Literary Tea series for 2009 continues with a special Kids Tea on October 29 and a community poetry Tea on November 5. These take place at 5:30 p at the Greenbrier Valley Theatre in downtown Lewisburg.

Our 4th WVW Podcast Bonus Show features trimmings from our Episode 12 interview with Pops Walker. We also pass along the results of the Shenandoah Valley Acoustic Roots Fest and Songwriting Contest, which we talked to Pops about in Episode 12.

Episode 18 of the West Virginia Writers Podcast in which we air the third of our patented recorded live readings. (Q: "But if it's recorded, how can it be live?" A: "Hey, I don't come to your house and question you about your podcast, so cut me some slack.") This recorded live reading comes from last week's session of the Greenbrier Valley Theatre's October Literary Tea series and features Belinda Anderson reading from her two prize-winning children's book manuscripts, "Fly Away Story" and "Jackson vs. Double W Making Kid Soup." These won second and third place, respectively, in WVW's 2009 Annual Writing Contest. The Literary Tea series for 2009 continues this month on October 15, 22 with a special Kids Tea on October 29 and a community poetry Tea on November 5. These take place at 5:30 p at the Greenbrier Valley Theatre in downtown Lewisburg. If you're a member or extended friend of WV Writers, Inc. we invite you to submit your own live readings to wvwpodcast@gmail.com.

Our third WVW Podcast Bonus Show features trimmings from our Episode 4 interview with Cat Pleska. Naturally, my usual bonus show co-host has something to say about it. We speak about the late Joe McCabe, Cat's work on an upcoming documentary and we also play one of Cat's radio essays that we weren't able to fit into Episode 4.

Episode 17 of the WVW Podcast in which we air the second of our patented recorded live readings. (Q: "But if it's recorded, how can it be live?" A: "Mind your own Ps and Qs.") This recorded live reading comes from a session of the Greenbrier Valley Theatre's October Literary Tea series, from 2007 and features the story "Faux Fangs" from Beverly Pauley's collection Gothic Bedtime Stories. This story is the first appearance of Bev's reoccurring character, elderly West Virginia vampire Rutherford Zucks. The Literary Tea series for 2009 will run October 1, 8, 15, 22 with a special Kids Tea on October 29 and a community poetry Tea on November 5. These take place at 5:30 p at the Greenbrier Valley Theatre in downtown Lewisburg. If you're a member or extended friend of WV Writers, Inc. we invite you to submit your own live readings to wvwpodcast@gmail.com.

Welcome to the second bonus show of the West Virginia Writers Podcast, continuing to serve as a no-frills, bi-weekly clearing house for quality interview trimmings we were unable to fit into previous episodes. This week we play a couple of off-topic clips from last week's Shirley Young Campbell tribute episode, featuring Dolly Withrow and Barbara Smith. We also have a return visit from my dog, who seems to think she's my new co-host.

This week we present a special double-sized podcast episode in tribute to West Virginia Writers founder Shirley Young Campbell, who passed away August 17, 2009. For this special episode, we interview Kirk Judd, Dr. Barbara Smith and Dolly Withrow, each counted among the charter members of WV Writers and longtime friends of Mrs. Campbell. We speak to them about Mrs. Campbell's many accomplishments in promoting the writing and writers of WV, her role as a catalyst in the creation of West Virginia Writers, Inc., her co-founding of Mountain State Press, her own writing and many publications, what she was like as a person, and her role in mentoring many of the finest writers of our state and beyond. Many thanks to Phyllis Wilson Moore for her tremendous help in the research for this podcast.

Welcome to the first bonus show of the WVW Podcast. The bonus shows will serve as a no-frills, bi-weekly clearing house for quality interview trimmings we were unable to fit into previous episodes. Up first is last week's interview subject, Granny Sue Holstein. I talk to her about her ongoing blog "Granny Sue's News & Reviews," about how people interested in storytelling can get their feet wet at it, and how her husband once nearly set my face on fire.

Welcome to Episode 15, in which we talk to storyteller 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. We speak to her about her origins in the art of storytelling, the fluidity of the artform, the skills required to do it correctly and, of course, we'll hear one of her more famous stories. You can see Granny Sue for yourself at: the WV Book Festival (October 10-11); at the Patchwork Storytelling Festival in Beckley (October 23-24); at Tygart Lake State Park in Grafton for a program called Scary Stories after Dark (October 24); in Athens, Alabama, at the Storytelling Festival Ghost Stories Concert as a featured teller (October 30); and at Tellabration! WVU Mountaineer Week, Morgantown, WV, (November 14). And be sure to stick around for the end credits for a special announcement concerning bonus features of this podcast that are in the works and which will debut as soon as next Friday. Plus we'll offer a preview of the next two weeks of podcasts.

Episode 14 of the WVW Podcast in which we air our very first recorded live reading. Q: "But if it's recorded, how can it be live?" A: "It's just born that way." This recorded live reading comes from the opening pages of the 2009 book Jester Knight as performed by its author, Joey Madia. at a book-signing he did at Vittoria & Banks gallery in Fairmont, WV. If you're a member or extended friend of WV Writers, Inc. we invite you to submit your own live readings to wvwpodcast@gmail.com.

Episode 13, in which we speak to poet Mary Lucille DeBerry, author of the new poetry collection Bertha Butcher's Coat. The podcast will feature several readings from that work as well as discussions of the techniques Mary Lucille has used to inspire those poems. We'll also speak to her about her discovery of her own obituary.

After a two week absence, we return with Episode 12 of the WVW Podcast. We at long last speak to singer/songwriter and composer of our podcast's music Mr. Pops Walker. Pops is a friend of WV Writers and has performed at our summer conference on two past occasions. We speak to him about those experiences, his early days and the Shenandoah Valley Acoustic Roots Songwriting Contest, which he is overseeing. Links mentioned in Podcast: Shenandoah Valley Acoustic Roots Songwriting Contest PopsWalker.com Performing Arts Luray.org Lee Maynard Mountain Whispers Audio Books Keith & Joan Pitzer site

Episode 11, in which we speak once again to writer/editor Rhonda Browning White, this time about our memories of THIS year's conference from two weeks back. If you were unable to attend, this will give you some highlights.

Episode 10, in which we speak with poet and WV Writers Charter Member, Kirk Judd. We discuss the early origins of WV Writers as an organization, Kirk's recent work with the West Virginia Words and Music program at the Clay Center in Charleston and Kirk's co-creation of the Allegheny Echoes Workshops. Allegheny Echoes is celebrating its 13th year in 2009 and will run June 21- 27, in Marlinton, West Virginia

Episode 9, the first of our two, count `em, TWO work-week bookending podcasts we're releasing this week. In this episode we talk to Keith Pitzer of the singing duo Keith & Joan Pitzer. Keith is not only leading a workshop on songwriting at the conference this year, he and Joan are returning to the Saturday night entertainment stage. Attendees last year remember them for their concert with our podcast's music provider, Pops Walker.