The best kept secret for writers in the Southern Appalachian Mountains is behind this door,

the writing studio at John C. Campbell Folk School.

Sept.13-18, 2009, I spent a week in the writing studio at John C. Campbell Folk School, teaching a writing class.

Cane Weaving Chair Seats and Backs was taught by Raleigh, NC instructor Bud Conner.

I'm reliving memory today. Can't help it. It was one of the best classes I have taught. The class was WHAT'S IN YOUR WRITING FOLDER? and our focus was writing the personal essay, short short and poetry. The students this time were all living in the south, all writing on their own, all having individual projects they hoped to advance, and I am happy to say, they did that.

Writer, Mary Louise Stark from Rabun County Georgia

Class member, Poet Rachel Bronnum is a member of NCWN West and she has two poems forthcoming in Echoes Across the Blue Ridge.

An excerpt from My Journey to Appalachia by Eleanor Lambert Wilson will be included in the forthcoming anthology Echoes Across the Blue Ridge: Stories, Essays and Poems by Writers Living in and Inspired by the Southern Appalachian Mountains edited by Nancy Simpson.

On Monday when I gave a personal essay writing assignment, the students scatterd to find a place to write. I found Lisa sitting outside under what we call "The Poet Tree." When we shared our writing later in the day she said, " I didn't write an essay. I could only write a poem." I said,

"That's because you were sitting under the poet tree. We got a big laugh out of that, and I took her picture under the tree.

Scientist Walter Schrimper from Tennessee, caught writing his essay "Apples and Atoms"

On Thursday afternoon, the class read in a public reading at the school. We had a good audience, all chairs filled. That was encouraging. As the period went on, we learned that many in the audience were from the Recycling Class. I thought that odd, but one of our class members said it is not strange at all that the recycling class came to support us because we both do the same thing. True. On Friday when we went to the student exhibit, I was most taken by the work of the recycling class.

THE ART OF REUSE: WORKING WITH SALVAGE AND FOUND OBJECTS taught by Kimberly Joris at Sept. 13-18, 2009 at John C. Campbell Folk School.

YOUR POETRY - Journey Into the Interior Writing Class will be Taught

Your Poetry - JOURNEY INTO THE INTERIOR is a poetey writing class I teach at John C. Campbell Folk School. The original class was first taught in September 2007 with exciting results. Some of the students from that class are: Bill Queen of Virginia, Lee Limbird of Tennessee, and Georgia poet, Rachel Bronnum. One of the highlights of that week was a field trip to the Nantahala National Forest. (See photo above of poet, Bill Queen.)





A Repeat and new variation of YOUR POETRY: JOURNEY INTO THE INTERIOR will be taught by Nancy Simpson, April 12-17, 2009.

Through teacher-directed assignments you will travel the inner journey, reach home, and find the self whose voice speaks words of life and wisdom. Write new poems in different free verse forms. Learn where to break the line and how to rev up the music. Gain insight through feedback from your instructor and classmates.

Publication will be discussed and a list of markets given. This class is open to all practicing poets.

Classes meet daily. There will be time for poets to work on their poetry collections. $480.00.

Ask about one half cost if you live in the local area.

John C. Campbell Folk School is located in the southern Appalachian Mountains at Brasstown. NC. Pre Register Now at 1 800 FOLK-SCH or 828 8372775 or on the web www.folkschool.org. Call to register.