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Writers by the River Donia S. Eley

Writers by the River By Donia S. Eley

Writers by the River by Donia S. Eley


Summary

The Highland Summer Writing Conference (HSC) brings together and inspires writers as they participate in the communal art of creating and sharing. This book, a celebration of the HSC, is a collection of reflective essays, poetry, fiction, and non-fiction contributed by 41 authors who have taken part in the conference.

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Writers by the River Summary

Writers by the River: Reflections on 40+ Years of the Highland Summer Conference by Donia S. Eley

The Highland Summer Writing Conference (HSC), held each summer along the banks of the ancient New River at Radford University's Selu Conservancy, brings together and inspires writers as they participate in the communal art of creating and sharing. Over the years, many prestigious Appalachian authors have taught workshops to like-minded students, many of whom became published authors in their own right. This book, a celebration of the HSC, is a collection of reflective essays, poetry, fiction, and non-fiction contributed by 41 authors and student-authors who have taken part in the conference over a span of 43 years.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments viii
Preface
Grace Toney Edwards 1
Introduction
Donia S. Eley 3
Part I: Inspiration
Grace Toney Edwards 8
In Memoriam: They Came, Left Gifts, and Now Are Gone 8
Parks Lanier, Jr. 19
Highland Summer Conference: The Beginning 19
Jeff Daniel Marion 25
The Chinese Poet Reconsiders Time 25
Late Autumn the Chinese Poet Invites His Old Friend the Brier Out to the River to Sit a Spell 29
Loyal Jones 30
Words from a Legend of Appalachia 30
Tintagel 31
Marilou Awiakta 32
Our Courage Is Our Memory 32
Dawn Birth 33
Out of Ashes Peace Will Rise 36
Parting Thoughts 38
I Offer You a Gift 43
David Huddle 44
How and Why Radford University's Highland Summer Conference Was More Than Just a Teaching Gig for Me 44
Where Do You Come From? 47
What Can You Tell Me About Your Father? 48
What About Your Mother? 48
Art for Money 49
What Are You Up To? 49
Elrica 50
Some Kitchens 50
Inez 51
George Ella Lyon 53
Reflections: Community, Generosity and Magic 53
All to Pieces 55
Bill Brown 56
Gift ... Beyond Measure 56
The Talk in Floyd County 57
Passenger 59
Learning to Be Quiet 60
Otter Dream for Geron 61
Rita Sims Quillen 63
Writing in the Highlands of Virginia 63
A Woman Born to Farming (After Wendell Berry's A Man Born to Farming) 64
Robert Morgan 66
Experience at Radford: Connecting with the Indigenous Roots 66
Lost Lead Mine of the Cherokees 68
Diane Gilliam 77
How I Got to RU, and What I Found There 77
Said the Girl to the Boy 79
Part II: More Inspiration
Ron Rash 82
Words from Ron Rash 82
Reflection on Highland Summer Conference 82
Canning 83
Ricky Cox 84
My First Highland Summer Conference 84
Where Are You Now, Marlos Perkos? 85
Ruth B. Derrick 91
Fun, Terror and Gratification 91
The Sweater 94
Taken 95
Body Language-1918 Family Portrait 95
Life Cycle Four Poems in One 96
George Brosi 97
Appalachian Mountain Books and HSC 97
Pamela Duncan 101
In the Blue Ridge of Virginia 101
Real Life 102
Grace Toney Edwards 105
Yesterday's Voices, Today's Visions: The Power of a Teacher's Influence 105
Robert Gipe 110
Words from Robert Gipe 110
The Hide-Behinds 110
Richard Hague 114
Jesus of the Hills 114
My Week 118
Heidi Hartwiger 119
There Is No Such Thing as Too Much Garlic 119
An Incredible WOW Factor Woman 123
Jeff Mann 129
HSC Memory 129
Country Kitchen-Christiansburg, Virginia 131
Gay Redneck, With Baby Stroller 132
Redneck Food 133
Karen Salyer McElmurray 134
Conferencing 134
Linda Parsons 139
A Grateful Confluence 139
Divine Rods 140
Dana Wildsmith 142
Teaching the Teachers 142
One Light 144
Emergency Room 145
Pitched Past Grief 145
Elegy 145
Frank X Walker 147
Contributions from Frank X Walker, a Kentucky Poet Laureate 147
Sweat Equity 147
Ritual 148 Rock Paper Scissors 149
Hoofers 149
Wheeze 150
Eclipse 151
Rick Van Noy 152
Reading the River 152
Donald Secreast 156
The Highland Summer Conference Could Have Added Ten Years to My Writing Life 156
Part III: The Inspired
B. Chelsea Adams 164
The Truth We Share 164
The Part Gone 166
The Nineteenth Hole 167
Charles A. Swanson 169
You Made Me One of Your Own 169
Fraulein 173
Old Work Shirt: Let Me Praise the Pansies 173
Old Work Shirt, the Hand-Stitched Swans Most Gone 174
Forward: Row-ing for O-hi-O 174
Homeplace 175
Donia S. Eley 178
From Long Dusty Roads and Tobacco Rows to a Selfie with Gurney 178
I Am From 179
The Captain 180
Sputnik 181
Evening Light 182
Kevin Stewart 183
From a Montana Vantage Point 183
Silenced 184
Becky Dellinger Hancock 192
APPALKIDS at HSC 192
Rick Mulkey 195
Homecoming 195
Concerning Whisky 197
Cured 198
An Explanation 199
Matt Prater 201
Looking Back 201
Trieste 202
Sam L. Linkous 204
Remembering Jim Wayne Miller-and More 204
Catching Supper 205
Sacred Ground 205
Reflections 206
Elizabeth McCommon 216
You Asked, and I Came 216
Up On Locust Hill 217
Teresa Stutso Jewell 219
From Hairdresser to Writer 219
The Plea of Brother Mountain 222
Luther Kirk 223
Impacts 223
Opal Jean 224
Ain't Never Went to the Ocean 232
Witching Hour 232
She Left 233
Child of Appalachia 233
My Soul 233
Went to the Ocean 234
Tim Thornton 235
For Those Two Weeks in That One Summer ... I Was a Writer 235
Mom and Dad, 1958 237
Bonnie Roberts Erickson 238
A Journey into the Heart 238
Jim Minick 242
Writing Community: Celebrating the Highland Summer Conference's 40th Anniversary and More 242
When You Realize the Future 244
Afterword
Theresa L. Burriss 245
Appendix: List of HSC Leaders, Readers and Performers 247
About the Contributors 251
Index 258

Additional information

CIN1476684065VG
9781476684062
1476684065
Writers by the River: Reflections on 40+ Years of the Highland Summer Conference by Donia S. Eley
Used - Very Good
Paperback
McFarland & Co Inc
2021-05-05
272
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

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