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History of the Valley Writers
Chapter of the Virginia Writers Club
Through the years,
members of Valley Writers have participated in area bookfests and writing
conferences, conducted educational presentations (such as the 2005 "Advice
for Aspiring Authors" series at Roanoke County Library headquarters), and
presented readings at libraries, schools, retirement homes, and even a
winery. A recent appearance was at the 2010 Roanoke Regional Writers
Conference when members Jim Morrison, Rodney Franklin, and Becky Mushko
appeared on a self-publishing panel.

Valley
Writers began in May 3, 1982, a writers’ club was formed by Helen Barranger,
Rodney Franklin, James Moore, Nancy Rock, Ed Sandhaus and Mary Jo Shannon.
Having just completed David Barudin’s creative writing course in Roanoke
College’s Continuing Education Program, they recognized a need for a Roanoke
area group that included all types of writers. The six founders called
themselves the Valley Writers and appointed Ed Sanhaus as coordinator for
their group. May 13, 1982, the Monday they first met at the Roanoke County
Library headquarters, became their official day of origin.
In 1984, Helen
Barranger presented the idea for an area Writers Conference to the Valley
Writers, Artemis, Hollins College, and the local chapter of American
Association of University Women. Within days, representatives from these
organizations planned a conference. The first Blue Ridge Writers Conference
was held at Roanoke College that fall. From 1984 until the BRWC moved to VA
Tech, Valley Writers underwrote or sponsored the conference.
Ed Sandhaus
served as coordinator of the club (1982–83), followed by Rodney Franklin
(1983–89) and Ernie Reynolds (1989–91). Bud Feuer was the first elected
president (1991–97). The current president is Betsy Ashton.
The most recent
Bylaws of the Valley Writers Chapter was adopted 9/15/2005.
Since
becoming a chapter of the Virginia Writers Club in 1991, the Valley Writers
Chapter has hosted six quarterly meetings of the Virginia Writers Club.
Newspaper reporter Rex Bowman was the guest speaker at the May 2009 regional
meeting.

In 1989, Valley
Writers published its first anthology, the Best Short Stories and Poetry
by Valley Writers. A second anthology, Fit to Print, appeared in
1998, followed by Fit to Print II in 2002. In recent years, many
members have published books, contributed articles to numerous publications
or anthologies, blogged, posted work online, written newspaper commentaries,
recorded public radio essays, and generally gotten their words out.
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