A Student Reading at Malaprop's

Yesterday members of my Advanced Prose class read at Malaprop's, Asheville's gem of a bookstore that recently made national news with a New York Times op-ed by its manager. Malaprop's hosts this monthly event called Writers at Home for the Great Smokies Writing Program-- as well as any number of other author events. (My class was followed later by Robert Morgan, introduced by Ron Rash.)

Reading to an audience is part of an author's  life -- if you're lucky enough to have a bookstore host you. And though these particular writers haven't published yet, this was an invaluable experience -- picking something good to read that would entertain a listener and make him want to know more -- and picking something that fits the allotted time -- six minutes, in this case. 

In some cases, this involve editing -- leaving out bits that are obscure, leaving out bits that aren't necessary. Such pruning usually results in a stronger piece.

And then there's the experience of standing up in front of strangers and presenting them with a little piece of your heart. It can be daunting.

I'm happy to say there was a good crowd and the readers acquitted themselves well. That's Tommy Hays, the director of the Great Smokies Writing Program, at the mic; the nine who read are in the front row.

May there be many, many more readings at bookstores for all of them!

The Tomato Biscuit Class

The ten-week writing classes (that's ten once-a-week meetings) that I teach through the Great Smokies Writing Program are always fun. (What, always? Well, almost always.) But occasionally a group comes together that just clicks with a special synergy -- synergy being the interaction of  elements that when combined produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements. And there they are, less two who had to miss the final class. 

This was a class for beginners -- and though most of them arrived with some ideas and some of them had already made a good start on a novel,  they were all eager to improve on what they had. And very quickly they caught on to the class structure -- read the pages presented and suggest what you think needs improvement.

In order to give and receive critique, it really helps to feel comfortable with the group and this group quickly took on the general demeanor of a bunch of rowdy old friends at the pub. Even though there was no drinking.

There was a fair amount of food -- mostly in the writing, alas. One of the works in progress is about a caterer and sumptuous party food was described (ceviche martini, anyone?) Another story dealt with a restaurant -- again, more great food. And there was a mystery about a woman trying to lose weight -- while eating in the LSU cafeteria which, the writer assured me, really does serve amazing Cajun food. I think I gained weight just reading about the gumbo and the etouffe and the pirogues (stuffed squash.)

And about those tomato biscuits -- they cropped up in yet another story and several of the class members had never heard of such a thing.  So the writer (at the suggestion of her husband who really deserves a lot of credit) brought tomato biscuits to our last class. That's what we're holding in these three class pictures -- a big fat biscuit with mayonnaise and a slice of an amazingly delicious tomato.

There was a lot of food but the writing was varied in subject matter -- women's lit, a coming of age story, a time travel story, a detective story, relationship stories, kinda chick lit, stories with woo woo (supernatural elements,) and without. And one very steamy scene on a golf course that had our two guys thinking there might be more to women's fiction than they'd thought.

The group wrote settings and dialogues and action scenes and character sketches and query letters and elevator speeches and, by the last class, almost everyone was pretty sure they had a novel underway. They hope to continue meeting as a group now and then -- and I really hope they do-- to take advantage of the synergy thing.

A really great bunch of folks -- and I'd have said it even if they hadn't brought me the pretty rose in the other pictures.

Happy May Day -- and remember to get wet when/if it rains!

Great Smokies Writing Program Celebration

The Great Smokies Writing Program, in which I've taught for almost four years now, is celebrating its tenth year of offering classes through the UNCA (University of North Carolina /Asheville) extension program. It's also celebrating the second year of its online literary magazine: The Great Smokies Review.


Yesterday, at Malaprop's Books in downtown Asheville, Tommy Hays, the director of the program, kicked off the celebration by reminding us of the many and diverse students who have been part of the writing program. 

Then we heard reading from some of these students whose work had been selected for inclusion in The Great Smokies Review.  Two of the students who read had taken my classes and I felt like a proud mama as they stood up and read their pieces.  (You can read them too  -- just click on the hot links!)

Joy Boothe, who was a member of my most recent class, read her essay "Jesse"-a powerful  piece with a voice as authentic as the southern Alabama from which it springs. 

And Linda McCracken read an excerpt titled "Elephantizer Grows 'Em Big" from her haunting Young Adult novel String Weavers which she worked on in one of my classes. 

I saw more of my students at this gathering and was so happy to learn that they were still working away at their writing. Though I'm not always confident that I know enough to teach anyone anything, I certainly enjoy trying! It's a rewarding facet of the writing life!


And tomorrow I get to experience yet another -- also fun and rewarding. I'm off to speak to/with a book club in Morganton about Signs in the Blood -- and the writing life. I'm looking forward to it -- they meet at a restaurant on a lake.  I'll take my camera and post about it on Wednesday.

And then I'll get into the garden!

Research . . . Somebody Has To Do It

I got up early yesterday with research on my mind. A few days ago I was writing a scene where Gloria has fixed beignets for breakfast (the show off!)

It's been a very long time since I've tasted these New Orleans delicacies and I was floundering around for a description. So I did what Gloria did -- bought a box of beignet mix.




It's so easy, even a non-cook like Gloria can shine.

Add water. Stir.

Roll out thin, using lots of flour.

Cut into squares and fry in canola oil.

Dust with powdered sugar; serve with cafe au lait.

I would like to acknowledge my husband's work as research assistant. He selflessly put aside his yogurt and granola to aid in my quest for authenticity in my writing.


!!!!!NOTICE!!!!

For any of you interested in my writing classes, registration is now open. See the sidebar for updated information.