So not only did you teach me about writing memoir, you also taught me about reading and thinking about how others write memoir. Thank you so much! Rebecca
Showing posts with label Tipper Presley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tipper Presley. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

John Campbell Folk School Festival was Fun

In 1996 I signed up for my first writing class at John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC. If you have never been to this special place nestled in the beautiful mountains between Chattanooga, TN, Asheville, NC, and Atlanta GA, please add taking a class at JCCFS to your bucket list.

This weekend my sister and BIL, Stu, came up and we had the greatest time. Saturday afternoon we drove over to Brasstown and found ourselves caught up in a traffic jam. Who would have thought we'd have a traffic jam on Settawig Road? Cars were bumper to bumper and we had become discouraged by the time we reached the parking area on the campus. Stu dropped off Gay and me at the entrance near the Gift Shop. Thousands of people come from all over the country and I'm sure from other parts of the world to visit JCCFS on festival day.

This is a place where I always see people I know. We made sure we arrived in time to see Butternut Creek and Friends, a great singing group that includes Steve Harvey who plays banjo, ukulele, guitar and he sings.
We have been fans of the group for over sixteen years. Steve is an essayist and will be teaching a class at the Ridgeline Conference this weekend.

We didn't want to miss seeing the lovely twins, The Pressley Girls, who have blossomed into quite a singing group backed by their grandpa, their mother and their uncle. The girls belong to Tipper of Blind Pig and the Acorn.

The folk school holds many good memories for me from my first class there with Nancy Simpson, poet, to my first opportunity to teach a writing class. I was asked to sub for a weekend class. I had taught some classes already, but this was my first time at John C. Campbell Folk School.

I'll never forget the emotion that rolled over me as I turned the key to the door of the room where we would gather. I thought I would burst with gratitude, and I wanted to laugh and to cry at the same time. I felt I'd reached a milestone. I hoped I could give my students the same feeling I had in my first class at this magical place.

Years have passed since that day and many men and women have sat before me in writing classes at the folk school, at classes in church fellowship halls, at Tri-County Community College, at ICL classes held at Young Harris College and in my own studio. But I never forget that my life changed forever the day I took my first writing class at John C. Campbell Folk School. 

Friday, March 8, 2013

Read Robert S. King's post on three good ways to promote yourself

I often hear from writers and poets that they can't promote themselves. How sad. If they don't do it, who is?


Robert S. King wrote an excellent post on three ways to promote yourself.
Click here.

I am listed in the directory of Poets and Writers. It wasn't difficult to meet the qualifications. Robert tells you how in this article.

I have been remiss in not using You Tube for my readings, etc. Many times I've watched videos of Kathryn Stripling Byer because someone in the audience videoed her reading. Robert would like to see all the Netwest readings videoed and I think I'll look into it for myself. Although I wouldn't want to watch myself, I think it could be good publicity.

Tipper Presley did teach me how to upload a video of deer in the snow outside my window. I'll see if I can remember how to put it in this post.

Robert S. King will be teaching a class at Moss Memorial Library on Saturday, April 20,10 - 1 PM. 

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Tipper is Cooking this Week at JCCFS

My friend, Tipper Presley, of Blind Pig and the Acorn fame, is teaching a cooking class at John C. Campbell Folk School this week.

To enjoy her posts on the class, click on this link

I don't know where Tipper gets her energy. She never stops and has made her blog on Appalachian culture one of the most popular on the blogosphere.

Let me know if you like it. I have sent so many of my friends to this site and they all thank me and subscribe to Tipper's interesting blog.