AAG President - conversation

“The tedious part of the mind, so to speak, is more developed in winter, the fleshy, in summer.  I should say winter had given the bone and sinew to literature, summer the tissues and the blood.”  ~John Burroughs   

If you spent the winter that never seemed to end developing lots of bone and sinew, then it is time to add the tissues and blood. While in the process of editing and re-editing older non-fiction short stories, I was reminded that, like the seasons, a writer’s life is a continuous process. We can always improve that which we have improved. I came across two quotes that are worth sharing.

“Stylebooks are useful – to teach writers how to occasionally break the rules. Raymond Chandler had it right: When I split an infinitive, damn it, I split it so it stays split.”’ James Popkin

Style should be the servant of clarity and understanding – supportive, but unobtrusive, so that the reader doesn’t really know it’s there.’  Susan Dentzer 

We are at the halfway point in the year. Our speakers have been excellent. At our last meeting, we not only had an outstanding speaker, but he also paid for all of our meals! I learned that The Tuscan Italian Grill may have closed. Stay informed as we look for a new place to meet on July 8. The next event on the AAG calendar is the Virginia Highlands Festival, August 1 - 10. Jack Rose is taking reservations. Send your requested date(s) and check to AAG, PO Box 803, Abingdon, VA 24212 The cost is $25.00 for weekends, and $15.00 for weekdays. There are new guidelines that will be posted separately. Please note that if you sign up for two weekends you are required to take a weekday also. Our next business meeting will be September 9 from 1:00 to 3:00 at the Washington County Library in Abingdon, VA

Sincerely,

Claudia Ware, AAG President

Virginia Highlands Festival space

Virginia Highlands Festival Update, we have confirmed that we will have the same

location and setup as last year. Spaces 23 and 24 have been assigned to AAG and

Jan Carol Publishing. This arrangement will accommodate up to 7 authors per day.

Initial applications for space were good - several days are filling up nicely.

The 9th of August is full.

Please send your request for space to 

Appalachian Authors Guild, P. O. Box 803, Abingdon, VA 24212.

Jack (J Russell) Rose

Spring, where art thou?

Of course, March is still March. In previous years we've not been surprised to have cold weather in March. But this past winter has been lonnnngg and cold so we're tired of it. Begging spring to come on, already. She will, and then we'll be scrambling to get the usual spring things done, complaining about the grass growing so fast, no time to write. See, this is writing related!

One event many look forward to is the Appalachian Heritage Writers Symposium, June 13-14, 2014. The Symposium was jointly founded by Appalachian Authors Guild and the Southwest Virginia Community College. It's held on the campus of Southwest Virginia Community College, Richalnds, VA. If you're not familiar with this valuable resource for your writing, click this link to the Symposium information page. Keynote speaker this year is New York Times best selling author, Lisa Alther. She will also conduct a fiction workshop. Other very able presenters are also scheduled for poetry, memoir, characterization. Best of all, the Symposium is very affordable. Try it and see. 

Austin Camacho, 1st Vice President of VWC

presenting the Outstanding Chapter Award to

Darrell Fleming, President, AAG, November 5, 2011

at the Commonwealth Club, Richmond, VA

Appalachian Authors Guild

For exemplifying excellence in leadership and support of writers in the Appalachian region. They offered first year VWC membership to anyone who joined or renewed membership in their Chapter for the year 2011, resulting in over 30 new members for the statewide organization. They hosted numerous "Meet-the-Author" events for their members during the year with their largest venue being the annual Virginia Highlands Festival in Abingdon. Partnering with Southwest Virginia Community College and the Appalachian Arts Center, they co-sponsored the annual Appalachian Heritage Writers Symposium in Richlands which, this year, featured Lee Smith as the keynote speaker. They invited fellow statewide VWC members to participate in their "Meet-the-Author" event and writing contest at the Symposium. Finally, they hosted the September meeting of the Board of Governors and had an excellent afternoon program on promoting and marketing Appalachian culture with guest speakers addressing opportunities for the region's writers and artists.
The Virginia Writers Club, Inc.
November 5, 2011
June Forte, President
Austin Camacho, 1st Vice President

On to the Next Big Thing, Appalachian Authors!
Mark your calendar
AAG Membership Meeting Program

September 10, 2011
1:00pm--2:30pm
Virginia Highlands Community College theatre

Appalachian Culture - On the Page and On the Stage

Special Guests - Virginia Writers Club, Board of Governors

Speakers:

Todd Christensen, Executive Director, SWVA Cultural Heritage Commission will open the program with a presentation of special interest to writers, authors and the general public on Heartwood’s mission and its literary connection with writers and authors.

As a special guest, Richard Rose, Artistic Director, Barter Theatre will be the keynote speaker on the topic of authors and development of resident playwrights at Barter, in particular of Appalachian material, and the impact of Barter’s involvement with promoting Appalachian works into the theatre world at large.

This program will be of great interest to all writers, authors and supporters of Appalachian literary art. So, put the date on your calendar now, invite a friend(s), car pool and come join in the exciting news for Appalachian writers and authors. Arrive in time to get a good seat. It’s open to the public and free for all comers.

Also, make plans to visit Heartwood (http://www.heartwoodvirginia.org/) before or after the program. The facility and displays are truly a treasure for our entire region and the food is outstanding. You will even see books on sale by many of your fellow authors.

In addition, the Board of Governors of the Virginia Writers Club will be attending the program following their quarterly board meeting at Heartwood. You’ll have an opportunity to meet and greet these special guests who represent writers and authors from throughout the State of Virginia as well as neighboring states.

Virginia Highlands Festival - 2011

AAG kicked off the 2011 Va. Highlands Festival with its new banner displayed. Thanks to Jack Rose for having it made and to Darrell Fleming for hanging it!

A Wag's View Of Book Reviews

Slate published this recently on book reviews. Thought you all would be interested. Bob Mustin

Chat with local writers

Chat with many local and regional authors at the Appalachian Authors tent during the Virginia Highlands Festival in Abingdon, Virginia.

Whatever your genre reading preference, you're apt to find it.

 

Anthology stories-
http://www.lldreamspell.com/SylviaNickels.htm
http://mysterylanerambler.wordpress.com
http://www.ramblinscribe.com
http://appalachianauthors.com

http://appalachianauthors.blogspot.com

http://appheritagewritersym.wordpress.com

Sylvia Nickels at the "Pickle"

The Piccadilly Restaurant chain in Tennessee and Virginia has been a good partner for the Appalachian Authors Guild, as this picture of Sylvia Nickels attests.

Appalachian Heritage Writer's Symposium

Lee Smith will be there - and we hope you will, too. For details, check out the AHWS website!