West Virginia Writers Podcast

Welcome to the second bonus show of the WVW Podcast, continuing to serve as a no-frills, bi-weekly clearing house for quality interview trimmings we were unable to fit into previous episodes. This week we play a couple of off-topic clips from last week's Shirley Young Campbell tribute episode, featuring Dolly Withrow and Barbara Smith.  We also have a return visit from  my dog, who seems to think she's my new co-host.

This week we present a special double-sized podcast episode in tribute to WV Writers founder Shirley Young Campbell, who passed away August 17, 2009. For this special episode, we interview Kirk Judd, Dr. Barbara Smith and Dolly Withrow, each counted among the charter members of WV Writers and longtime friends of Mrs. Campbell. We speak to them about Mrs. Campbell's many accomplishments in promoting the writing and writers of WV, her role as the driving force in the creation of West Virginia Writers, Inc., her co-founding of Mountain State Press, her own writing career and many publications, what she was like as a person, and her role in mentoring many of the finest writers of our state and beyond. Many thanks to Phyllis Wilson Moore for her tremendous help in the research for this podcast. DOWNLOAD (Right click and Save Link Target As) West Virginia Writers Podcast Episode 16 Links mentioned in Podcast: Shirley Young Campbell’s books in the World Catalog search Fairmont State's Literary Map of West Vir

Welcome to our first bonus show of the WVW Podcast. The bonus shows will serve as a no-frills, bi-weekly clearing house for quality interview trimmings we were unable to fit into previous episodes. Up first is last week's interview subject, Granny Sue Holstein. I talk to her about her ongoing blog "Granny Sue's News & Reviews," about how people interested in storytelling can get their feet wet at it, and how her husband once nearly set my face on fire.

Welcome to Episode 15, in which we talk to storyteller Susanna "Granny Sue" Holstein. She’s been a featured storytelling performer at events from Bellingham, Washington to Boston, Massachusetts and points in between. She's especially well known, however, for being a West Virginia storyteller, focusing much of her repertoire on WV history, ghost stories, Appalachian tales and ballads. We speak to her about her origins in the art of storytelling, the fluidity of the artform, the skills required to do it correctly and, of course, we'll hear one of her more famous stories. You can see Granny Sue for yourself at: the WV Book Festival (October 10-11); at the Patchwork Storytelling Festival in Beckley (October 23-24); at Tygart Lake State Park in Grafton for a program called Scary Stories after Dark (October 24); in Athens, Alabama, at the Storytelling Festival Ghost Stories Concert as a featured teller (October 30); and at Tellabration! WVU Mountaineer Week, Morgantown, WV, (November 14). And be sure to stick ar

Episode 14 of the WVW Podcast in which we air our very first recorded live reading. Q: "But if it's recorded, how can it be live?" A: "It's just born that way." This recorded live reading comes from the opening pages of the 2009 book Jester Knight as performed by its author, Joey Madia. at a book-signing he did at Vittoria & Banks gallery in Fairmont, WV. If you're a member or extended friend of WV Writers, Inc. we invite you to submit your own live readings to wvwpodcast@gmail.com.

Episode 13, in which we speak to poet Mary Lucille DeBerry, author of the new poetry collection Bertha Butcher's Coat. The podcast will feature several readings from that work as well as discussions of the techniques Mary Lucille has used to inspire those poems. We'll also speak to her about her discovery of her own obituary.

After a two week absence, we return with Episode 12 of the WVW Podcast. We at long last speak to singer/songwriter and composer of our podcast's music Mr. Pops Walker. Pops is a friend of WV Writers and has performed at our summer conference on two past occasions. We speak to him about those experiences, his early days and the Shenandoah Valley Acoustic Roots Songwriting Contest, which he is overseeing.

Episode 11, in which we speak once again to writer/editor Rhonda Browning White, this time about our memories of THIS year's conference from two weeks back. If you were unable to attend, this will give you some highlights.

Episode 10, in which we speak with poet and WV Writers Charter Member, Kirk Judd. We discuss the early origins of WV Writers as an organization, Kirk's recent work with the West Virginia Words and Music program at the Clay Center in Charleston and Kirk's co-creation of the Allegheny Echoes Workshops. Allegheny Echoes is celebrating its 13th year in 2009 and will run June 21- 27, in Marlinton, West Virginia

Episode 8, in which we speak with William Bitner and Daniel Boyd, authors, film-makers, educators, professional wrestlers, and creators of the WV-set pulp-style illustrated novel Death Falcon Zero Vs. the Zombie Slug Lords. We talk to them about how they became the wrestlers Death Falcon Zero and Professor Danger and how that ultimately led to their book starring their in-ring alter-egos. Both William Bitner and Daniel Boyd will be leading workshops at next week's WV Writers Summer Conference, June 12-14, 2009, Cedar Lakes Conference Center, Ripley, WV.

Episode 7, in which we speak with artist, poet, essayist, philosopher and official WV Writers Conference Artist in Residence Boyd Carr. We speak with Boyd about his origins as an artist, how it led him to a long association with WV Writers and about his foray into philosophy and the origins of storytelling, which he calls My.Th. Because this conversation could not be confined within the confines of our usual 20 minute episode length, this will mark our first double-sized episode. If you'd like to join Boyd's email mailing list, send him a note at Croboyca2r@aol.com.

Episode 6, in which we speak with romance novelist Pam Hanson, who is 1/2 of the team behind the pen names Jennifer Drew, Pam Rock and Pam Andrews (the other half being her mother, novelist Barbara Andrews). They write , romance novels, supernatural/sci-fi/romance novels, women's inspirational fiction and inspirational romance novels. We speak with Pam about her path to becoming a romance writer, the world of Inspirational Romance, her friend author Mary Furbee and about her three workshops at the upcoming WV Writers Summer Conference, June 12-14, 2009, Cedar Lakes Conference Center, Ripley, WV.

Episode 5, in which we talk to Georgia-based poet Dana Wildsmith, presenter at the upcoming WV Writers Summer Conference, June 12-14, 2009, Cedar Lakes Conference Center, Ripley, WV. Dana speaks about her journey to becoming a poet, her time spent as a Writer in Residence around the country, her love of music and Garrison Keillor's reading voice, and what her workshops will bring at this year's conference. She was also kind enough to read one of her poems for us. DOWNLOAD (Right click and Save Link Target As) West Virginia Writers Podcast Episode 5 Links mentioned in Podcast: Dana Wildsmith.com Dana Wildsmith books from Amazon Dana's poem "Making a Living" on the Writers Almanac Appalachian Writers Workshop at the Hindman Settlement School

WV Writers Podcast Episode 4, in which we speak to Cat Pleska, once and future officer of WV Writers. Cat talks about her work as a teacher and memoirist, her essays for WV Public Radio, her views on the current state of the literary world of Appalachia and her time spent portraying both a famous photographer from 1910 and the mother of mother's day. DOWNLOAD (Right click and Save Link Target As) West Virginia Writers Podcast Episode 4 Links mentioned in Podcast: CatPleska.com Cat Pleska's WV Public Radio Essays Cat's "Mouth of the Holler" blog Pearl S. Buck International Writers Workshop

Episode 3, in which we speak of the memories of WV Writers summer conferences past with writer/editor Rhonda Browning White and think ahead to the coming good memories of this year's Summer Conference, June 12-14, 2009, Cedar Lakes Conference Center, Ripley, WV . DOWNLOAD (Right click and Save Link Target As) West Virginia Writers Podcast Episode 3 Links mentioned in Podcast: Rhonda Browning White Inspiration for Writers

Episode 2 of the podcast in which we speak to humorist Susan Reinhardt on topics as diverse as golf tournament survival techniques, percocet-fueled phone calls from her fans, imaginary gorillas, the Redneck Riviera, the sometimes dark origins of humor, the perils of vidcasting and what she's going to talk about at this year's Summer Conference. DOWNLOAD (Right click and Save Link Target As) West Virginia Writers Podcast Episode 2 Links mentioned in Podcast: Susan Reinhardt.com Susan Uncensored Podcast SouthernHumorists.com Mister Herman's Recipes

Episode 1 of the podcast in which we introduce ourselves and speak of "conferency" things to come with WV Writers President T.W. McNemar. DOWNLOAD (Right click and Save Link Target As) West Virginia Writers Podcast Episode 1