The
Lewisburg Literary Festival welcomes Lee Maynard and Pops Walker to The Lewis
Theatre on Saturday, August 4th from 5pm to 6pm. Lee Maynard, author, educator and
humanitarian, will be reading from his works to the music accompaniment of
Pops Walker, a veteran, a musician and a writer. This event is free to the public and seating
is offered on a first come, first served basis.
Brutal,
poignant, honest, vivid and breathtaking.
These are the words that describe the works of Lee Maynard. From the
"hollers" of West Virginia to the jungles of Central America, Lee's
novels take his readers on a series of incredible journeys that not only
capture the imagination, but also touch the soul.
Lee
Maynard was born and raised in the hardscrabble ridges and hard-packed
mountains of West Virginia, an upbringing that darkens and shapes much of his
writing. He has received the National Endowment for the Arts Literary
Fellowship. As a journalist, Maynard was an assignment writer for Reader's
Digest for more than two decades. His journalism and non-fiction work has
appeared more than 100 times in publications as diverse as The Saturday
Review, Rider Magazine, Washington Post, Country America, Dual Sport News
and Christian Science Monitor. His latest novel, The Scummers,
the final novel in the trilogy that includes the oft-banned Crum and Screaming
with the Cannibals, was published in April by Vandalia Press.
Pops Walker retired from the US Army in 2003
and entered into to his second career as a performing singer/songwriter.
On the day of his retirement, he packed his guitars into his car and drove to
Charlestown, WV, where he was the opening act for the Mountain Stage New Song
Festival. Since then, he’s enjoyed a
reputation as one of the most passionate solo performers in his field, playing
at festivals, acoustic listening rooms, theaters, and his favorite venues:
house concerts. Listening to any of his
seven CDs, one can hear dashes of folk, jazz, country, and a tidy little genre
called Southern Fried Zen Mojo, a phrase coined just for him.
Later
that evening at 9pm, enjoy the free music performance by Pops Walker, with
special guest, Kipyn Martin at Del Sol Cantina & Grille. Pops
and Kipyn will entertain their audience with blues, folk and jazz.
Composer Kipyn Martin
comes from the Shenandoah Valley—an area well-known for Appalachian folk music.
Often compared to Joni Mitchell, Dar Williams, and Joan Baez, Kipyn sings from the core. She was a
semi-finalist in the 2007 New Song Academy Songwriting Competition, and a
finalist in the 2009 Shenandoah Valley Acoustic Roots Songwriting Competition. Also, Kipyn has
shared stages with such artists as Chuck E. Costa, Trina Hamlin, Beaucoup Blue,
and as on this night, Pops Walker. Kipyn is
a versatile performer, mostly operating within blues and folk genres. Listeners
can expect no frills, just soul.
The
Lewisburg Literary Festival is a vibrant two day event, featuring authors,
outdoor art installations, musical entertainment and performance art, all
inspired by literature. The festival
takes place annually on the first Friday and Saturday in August. This year, 2012, the event will be held on
August 3rd & 4th.
For
updates on the festival, log onto the Festival website at www.lewisburgliteraryfestival.com.
Information is also available at 800-833-2068 or follow us on Facebook
as a friend of the Lewisburg Literary Festival.