Valley Writers Chapter

News

Two Valley Writers received awards in the 2010 Wytheville Creative Writing Contest, conducted in conjunction with the 26th Annual Chautauqua-in-the-Park. At the Literary Awards Day, Connie Moore (right) presented Betsy Ashton her certificate for honorable mention in the Adult Essay contest. Wayne White (not pictured) placed second in the Adult Essay contest.

Ferradiddledumday, Becky Mushko's Appalachian version of the Rumpelstiltskin tale, debuted at the Franklin County Library on January 26, 2010. The book is available from Cedar Creek Publishing. Becky is making many appearances related to this book, such as at the Roanoke Valley Reading Council, the Virginia Festival of the Book, and the Galax Book Festival. Read more about her appearances at http://wwwbeckymushko.com.

Becky Mushko (L) at the Cedar Creek Publishing table at 2010 Virginia Festival of the Book

Betsy Ashton's Laker Weekly article "Linked at the Lake," about social networking sites and other aspects of writing and communicating online, is on the SmithMountainLake website. Betsy's public radio essay, "You're Never Too Old," can be heard on the WVTF website.

Jim Morrison's article about the history of Moneta, which appeared in the September 2009 issue of Cooperative Living, is online; the full article with pictures can be downloaded. Jim's article "The Virginia Writers Club: A Resource for and User of Libraries," was published in the Virginia Library Association's journal, Virginia Libraries, Vol. 54, No. 3 and 4, Jul-Dec 2008. His book review of The Men Who Loved Trains by Rush Loving, Jr., appeared in the Valley Business Front, Vol. 1, Issue 1, October 2008.

Rodney Franklin published the third edition of his memoir, Tyler's Shop, in March 2009. His new book is available from Infinity Publishing's online bookshop website, BuyBooksOnTheWeb. It is also available from Amazon.com.

Peggy Ann Shifflett published her third book in March 2010. This new title, The Living Room Bed: Birthing, Healing, and Dying in Traditional Appalachia, chronicles the important stages of the Appalachian family life cycle.

Frederick Fuller recently self-published his novel, For the Heart’s Treasure. It’s available in both print and e-book forms from Amazon or from his website.

Becky Mushko's short story, "Rat-Killing," that won second place in the 2009 Wytheville Chautauqua Fiction contest, appears in Anthology of Appalachian Writers, Volume 2, edited by Silas House and published by Shepherd University.  

Contest News

Betsy Ashton won the $1,000 first prize in the Smith Mountain Arts Council Novel Contest for unpublished novels. Becky Mushko was runner-up. Betsy and Becky also won awards in the 2009 Wytheville Chautauqua Literary Contest. At the 2010 CNU Writers Conference, Becky won the adult fiction division.

In the Big Read Roanoke Valley writing contest, Edna Whittier won first place and Jim Morrison was second for providing alternate endings to Ernest Gaines’ A Lesson Before Dying.

Dick Raymond, the unofficial poet laureate of Valley Writers, won again in the 2010 Poetry of Society of Virginia annual poetry contest. (In 2009, he won the VPS’s Anne Spencer Memorial Award with "Death Comes to the Archbishop.”) Through the years, Dick has won numerous poetry contests and has published a book of Civil War poems, Blue and Gray Ballads.

John Koelsch won three local awards in the 2009 National Veterans Creative Arts Competition: His “Forever In Black” won the Poem category, “Harvest” won the Poem Collection category, and “The Interview” won the duologue category. “The Interview” also won at the 2009 national level. In 2010, at the local level, John has also won three categories: “Ghosts” won the Monologue category, “The General—Keith Lincoln Ware—Panel 44W Line 55” won Short Story category, and “Andraste” won the Poem category. Judging for the 2010 national level is not yet complete.

Members with publication announcements, contest wins, or other writing-related achievements should e-mail info to web editor, Becky Mushko.