Appalachian Writers Read at Malaprops

(This information sent in by Kird Judd)



Asheville, NC—On Sunday, July 15, 2007, at 3:00 p.m., seven writers from the Southern



Appalachian Writer’s Cooperative (SAWC) —Hilda Downer, Frankie Finley, David Wayne Hampton, Jane Hicks, Jim Minick, Jim Webb, and Dana Wildsmith—will read at the Malaprops Book Store/Café at 55 Haywood Street. The reading is free and open to the public; a reception follows. For more information, call (828) 254-6734.

In 1974, SAWC was born when a group of writers and activists gathered at the Highlander Center in New Market, Tennessee. The gathering has been an annual event (more or less) ever since. Recently, SAWC has added an annual summer gathering at Wiley's Last Resort atop Pine Mountain in Whitesburg, Kentucky. Through these gatherings, the sponsorship of local readings around the region, and the support of the literary magazine Pine Mountain Sand and Gravel, SAWC continues its original mission to foster community among and encourage publication of Appalachia's writers. For information on attending a gathering, visit http://www.sawc.us.

About the Readers
Hilda Downer teaches English at Appalachian State University. She has been published in journals and anthologies, including Bloodroot.

Frankie Finley works as a writer in Lexington, KY, where she lives with her partner, daughter, and two dogs. She enjoys kayaking and cloud-watching.

David Wayne Hampton teaches high school English and currently lives in Morganton, North Carolina, with his wife, daughter, and newborn son. Though he calls the
North Carolina mountains home, he grew up in Carroll County and Galax, Virginia.

Jane Hicks quilts, writes, and teaches in northeast Tennessee. Her book, Blood and Bone Remember, was the Appalachian Writers Association Poetry Book of the Year in 2006.

Jim Minick lives in southwest Virginia and teaches at Radford University. His poems and essays have appeared in Orion, Shenandoah, Rivendell, the San Francisco Chronicle, and others. His essay collection Finding a Clear Path was published by WVU Press; currently, he's working on a memoir about an organic blueberry farm.

Jim Webb—poet, playwright, and swarper from Pine Mountain in Letcher County, KY—wrote “Get in Jesus,” a poem heard by thousands, read by untold multitudes, and worn by nearly 600 people.

Dana Wildsmith is the author of four collections of poetry; the most recent of which—One Good Hand (Iris Press, 2005)—was a SIBA poetry award nominee.