Morgantown Poets features
06/09/09 Filed in: Announcements
Poet Mary Lucille DeBerry will be the featured reader during Morgantown Poets 7 p.m. literary event Thursday, Sept. 17, at Monongalia Arts Center (MAC).
The reading is free and open to anyone interested in the arts. The MAC is at 107 High St., Morgantown. The event will be in Studio II upstairs.
DeBerry, a longtime resident of Morgantown, worked many years for West Virginia Public Television where she produced historical, cultural and public affairs series, segments and programs.
Her poems have appeared in Appalachian Heritage, Appalachian Journal, Hamilton Stone Review (Fall 2008: West Virginia Issue of the online journal), Now & Then, and Traditions. Her writing has also been published in the 2009 "Anthology of Appalachian Writers" and "Wild Sweet Notes - Fifty Years of West Virginia Poetry."
DeBerry is the author of the recently released poetry book, "Bertha Butcher's Coat," based mostly on experiences she had while growing up and later visiting in Ritchie County. The following, from the cover of her book, is about the world her poems describe: "Bertha Butcher's coat, stray buttons, an elegant pen, scraps of fabric: all might be found in an attic. Add an ancestral farm, a big city and a small town where a child associated as much with grown ups as with other children. These grown ups recounted family stories, made quilts, grew gardens, farmed, quarried stone, drilled oil wells. The poet observed and remembers."
Following the public reading, Morgantown Poets co-organizer Tamara Woods will conduct a raffle of books generously donated by West Virginia authors to help support the non-profit monthly literary arts event at the MAC. Raffle tickets will be $5 each. Morgantown Poets is grateful to all authors who donated books for the raffle, as follows: “Lake Effect” by Laura Bentley, “Bertha Butcher's Coat” by Mary Lucille DeBerry, “After West” by James Harms, “Witness at Hawks Nest” by Dwight Harshbarger, “Jester-Knight” by Joey Madia, “Going” by Kevin Oderman, “Lately” by Sara Pritchard,” “Captivity Narrative” by Mary Ann Samyn, “Father's Troubles” by Carter Seaton and "House Where a Woman" by Lori Wilson.
Public parking is available near the MAC in the parking garage at the corner of Pleasant and Chestnut streets and at the city lot behind 142 High Street (enter off Spruce). The MAC is accessible to individuals with mobility impairments; please schedule ahead at least two days prior to the event by calling 304-906-7268, or write to info@monartscenter.com for more information.
Morgantown Poets is an informal community group that meets from 7-9 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at the MAC, providing literary enthusiasts the opportunity to express themselves, share their work, network and to connect up-and-coming writers with more established authors. New writers are welcome. Meetings usually begin with a spoken reading by a featured author that is followed by readings from attendees. Join Morgantown Poets’ mailing list by writing to morgantownpoets@yahoo.com or join the group on Facebook by entering “Morgantown Poets” in Facebook’s search.
NOTE: If you know of any upcoming literary arts events, programs, publications, collaborations and/or publishing opportunities and would like Morgantown Poets to announce it, feel free to e-mail us back at morgantownpoets@yahoo.com with the date, time and location of the event, as well as all other details such as deadlines. One of our goals is to support authors, artists and the literary arts throughout the community. While we are very busy and cannot make any promises or 100 percent guarantee we will be able to announce every single event or opportunity, we will do our best to share these opportunities during our scheduled events, and will make an effort to help get the word out online as well. Our deadline for announcements is no later than 5 p.m. on the