Monday, October 26, 2009

Winding River Writers Mentioned in NoVa Daily


The writing workshop I've been running for the past 2 years has an official name now: Winding River Writers. We're a group of about eight regulars who meet once a month to read each other's poetry, fiction, plays, and nonfiction. We're all advanced writers intent on publishing.

If you have some experience as a writer and would like to join us, please contact me at hdavis67@gmail.com.

The Northern Virginia daily just mentioned us in an article about local writers' groups:Pen Pals: Writing Clubs Help Members Push Themselves

It's great to see so many groups springing up. There's also now a regular readings series and open mic at The Book of Knowledge on the downtown walking mall in Winchester. It takes place on the first Friday of each month at 7 PM. It's a great store and the audience is very supportive. Check it out!

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Shenandoah Breakdown: The Blog


Check out our new blog Shenandoah Breakdown for observations of local people, culture, cuisine, and varieties of monster truck. We break down the pros and cons, the ups and downs, the funny, the sad, and the scary aspects of living in the Shenandoah Valley and, specifically, of life in the confounding little town of Front Royal, VA.


Monday, August 3, 2009

Hint Fiction Anthology: Call for Submissions

This sounds like a great exercise to try. I imagine many of these turn out to be quite poetic. Check out the guidelines here:
http://www.robertswartwood.com/?page_id=8
Tentatively scheduled for the fall of 2010, W.W. Norton will publish an anthology of Hint Fiction. What is Hint Fiction? It’s a story of 25 words or less that suggests a larger, more complex story. The thesis of the anthology is to prove that a story 25 words or less can have as much impact as a story 2,500 words or longer. The anthology will include between 100 and 150 stories. We want your best work.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

For a Good Time, Call...


The Bathroom Poetry Project Progressive Reading was a hoot! About 25 brave poetry fans walked with us to 15 downtown shops in Front Royal, VA on May 21 to hear great bathroom poetry. Actually, the poems had nothing to do with bathrooms--we just hung some of them in bathrooms where patrons' cannot help but see and read them.

Thanks to all who came out! We'll have another reading in a few months with a second round of poems by local adult and teen writers!

A Poem by Maggie


Here is a poem by Maggie, who is 5. Watch out, Mary Oliver!


The Butterfly Wind


I was playing outside in the grass

and my mother called me for dinner.

The berry blossoms sprang open.

It was a late night.

The dazzle blossoms sprung closed.

I walked into the house.

They were having flower dazzles.

The bluebirds burst out of their eggs

and flew over the fields of grain.

It was morning.

The bluebirds turned into giant eagles.


Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Bathroom Poetry Project Comes to Front Royal, VA

CALL for POEMS!

The Front Royal Women’s Resource Center and the Blue Ridge Arts Council (BRAC) invite teen and adult poets from Warren County, Virginia to submit poems to the Front Royal Bathroom Poetry Project.

The Bathroom Poetry Project is an exploration of poetry in non-traditional spaces that will—
--allow the public to experience the arts in an unexpected way
--bring visitors to downtown businesses
--encourage writing by local authors.

At least 20 winning poems will be framed and displayed in the bathrooms or other spaces of restaurants and shops in downtown Front Royal, VA for a period of three months.

The winners will also be invited to participate in a “progressive reading” of the poems at each venue and an opening reception at BRAC to be held Thursday, May 21 as part of the Third Thursday Art Walk.

DEADLINE for Submissions: Friday May 1, 2009

Submission Guidelines:

  • Poems will be accepted from poets who live in Warren County, Virginia.
  • Poems can be on any topic and in any form but should be appropriate for a wide audience.
  • Poems must be typed in 12-point font and be no longer than one page single-spaced.
  • Poets may submit up to 3 poems.
  • The name of the poet must not appear anywhere on the poem itself but should be included on a separate cover sheet.
  • Separate cover sheet should include name, address, phone and email and the title of the poems submitted. Teens should note their age on this sheet.
  • Adult and teen contests will be judged separately. Each venue downtown will display one poem by an adult and one poem by a teen. Teens aged 13-18 are invited to submit to the contest.
  • Contest entries must be mailed by regular mail to: Bathroom Poetry Project, FRWRC, P.O. Box 1748, Front Royal, VA 22630.
  • Contest is free—no entry fee required.

    For more information—
    Contact project coordinator Heather Davis at heatheredit@cs.com.
    Go to http://bathroompoet.net/index.html.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Winchester Poetry Reading and Open Mic on April 3, 2009

Come on out on Friday, April 3 to a poetry reading and open mic at The Book of Knowledge in the Winchester downtown walking mall. Wine and hors d'oeuvres will be served. Six local poets will be featured.

Details are below:

POETRY READING AND OPEN MIC NIGHT IN WINCHESTER

Date: Friday, April 3, 2009
Time: 6:30 pm-9:30 pm (acoustic duo and refreshments at 5:30)
Location: The Book of Knowledge, 7 North Loudoun Street, Winchester, VA

Featured Poets:

Carolyn Wolfe-Carolyn Wolfe’s book, When The Moon Speaks, is a compilation of poems written over a thirty year period. They range from her college days in the 70’s to the New Millennium. Her poetry emphasizes topics ranging from her strong belief in animal rights to lighter fair including love, life and laughing at ourselves. She lives in Winchester, VA with her husband Scott and her animal companions.

Joshua Legg– Joshua Legg frequently develops his poetry into material for performance in dance and theatre works. In 2006-2007, Joshua participated in the poetry workshop in Harvard University’s Creative Writing Program, and is currently crafting a novel in verse.

Maggie Stetler-Maggie Stetler, a post 9/11 refugee from New York City, has read her work at The Donnell Library, Tompkins Square Library, Provincetown Playhouse, and Queens College in NYC. She has two Chapbooks, The Naming of The Soul and The Chain. Her poems have appeared in The Small Pond Magazine of Literature, Telephone, Woman child, Kosmos, West Wind Review, among others. For her first poetry collection, In The Belly of the Whale, she was named a finalist in the Pearl Poetry Contest. Also a Reiki practitioner, Maggie now lives in Old Town Winchester with her artist husband and five cats.

Heather Davis-Heather Davis earned a B.A. in English from Hollins University and a M.A. in creative writing from Syracuse University. She is the author of The Lost Tribe of Us, winner of the 2007 Main Street Rag Poetry Award. Her poems have appeared in Beltway Poetry Quarterly, Cream City Review, Poet Lore, Puerto del Sol, and Sonora Review, among others. She lives in Front Royal, VA with her husband, the poet Jose Padua, and their daughter. She also serves on the coordinating committee of the Split This Rock Poetry Festival and is an active member of D.C. Poets Against War.

Jose Padua-Jose Padua’s poetry and fiction have appeared in Bomb, Salon.com, Exquisite Corpse, Another Chicago Magazine, Unbearables, Crimes of the Beats, and many other journals and anthologies. He has read his work at the Lollapalooza Festival, CBGB’s, the Knitting Factory, the Black Cat Club, the Public Theater, the Washington Project for the Arts, and many other venues. His chapbook, The Complete Failure of Everything , was published by Apathy Press.

Laura Levesque Madagan– Laura grew up in Baltimore, MD. She earned her Bachelor’s in Creative Writing and English Literature from the University of New Mexico at Albuquerque in 1996. She is an active member of several online poetry boards and has been published in The Montage, Ensemble, and others. She currently lives with her three children in Winchester and works for the Loudoun County government in Leesburg, VA.

Everyone is encouraged to share their poetry. Open to everyone.

Free event sponsored by The Book Of Knowledge.

Call 540-545-8878 for more info or email to thebookofknowledge@verizon.net

Front Royal Reading and Open Mic a Huge Success

In the beautiful and cozy setting of Changes Antique Gallery, 3 featured poets and 16 open mic readers performed in celebration of Women's History Month last Saturday, March 14. The creative vibe was palpable as local poets from teens to seniors got up an shared their work. The house was packed!

Thanks go out to Catherine Wolnievicz for her hard work to coordinate the event, JoEllen McNeal for her enthusiasm and support, Tory, Pat, Christian, and Melissa for hosting the event and providing refreshments, and guest featured readers Mattie Quesenberry Smith and Julia Campbell Johnson.

Here is the article in the Warren Sentinel: http://www.shenandoah.com/stories/?headlineID=17427&sourceID=68

Stop by Changes Antiques Gallery sometime to see the current art show on their walls and shop for something unique then head next door for excellent wine and cheese at Vino y Formaggio then to the neighboring D & B Chocolates for handmade chocolates, fudge, and gelato!

Monday, February 2, 2009

Review of Hagerstown Reading

Wow, someone was really listening! Check out this write-up by reporter Lauren LaRocca. You'll have to scroll down a bit to find the story.

"...the reading was a bright spot — sometimes piercing lemon yellow — on an otherwise cold and dreary Saturday afternoon in Hagerstown...I was most inspired by Heather Davis and Jose Padua, who are poets and happen to be married — or maybe it’s the other way around."

And visit the Washington County Museum of Fine Art--it is a gorgeous place.

https://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/blogs/blog.htm?bid=7&headerTitle=the%20art%20chakra