Write Local, Read Local highlights creativity of Appalachia

Annual fair brings 20 area authors to the Black Mountain Library

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
November 8, 2023

Black Mountain-Tyson Public Library Branch Manager Melisa Pressley promotes the work of local writers, Nov. 11, with the return of the Write Local, Read Local Author Fair. Photo by Fred McCormick

The inspirational qualities of the Appalachian Mountains have long beckoned those in pursuit of creative endeavors, as artists, writers and scholars seek quiet contemplation along the winding creek banks, nurturing their imaginations in the shadows of lush vegetation.

That rich literary tradition endures to this day in the Swannanoa Valley, which will celebrate local writers from 9 a.m.- 12 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 11, with the return of the Write Local, Read Local Author Fair, hosted by the Black Mountain-Tyson Public Library.

The free event, sponsored by the Friends of the Black Mountain Library, will feature more than 20 authors from Black Mountain, Swannanoa and Asheville, and present live readings by nine area authors. In its second year, the fair is expanding to accommodate a growing number of requests from area writers, according to Black Mountain Library Branch Manager Melisa Pressley.

“We get a lot of queries from local authors throughout the year, asking to add their books to our collection,” she said. “Our collection development policy prevents us from adding self-published authors, because it’s hard to review them through the sources we use for collection development. So, this event is a great way to host a lot of local authors and highlight their work, while giving them an opportunity to sell their books.”

Write Local, Read Local highlights the diverse local writing scene, Pressley added.

“We have a lot of creative people in Black Mountain, and a rich literary history,” she said. “The mountains of Western N.C. have a longstanding culture of storytelling, and we have a lot of retirees and writers who move here. So there’s this confluence of writers, readers, creators, academic and artists here, and the fair brings them all together in one place.”

Clint Bowman, co-founder of the Dark City Poets Society and author of Pretty Shit, a chapbook of poetry he released earlier this year, is one of them. He will be among the writers sharing their work in the library computer room.

“This event really serves as an opportunity to bring the writing community and the larger community together,” said Bowman, one of the organizers of the fair. “It can be an isolating experience, as a writer, to put your work out there and hope people read it. But, it can be a very fulfilling to see readers, face-to-face, and connect with other writers and bounce ideas around. It’s important to build those relationships and have everyone together in one place.”

The Write Local, Read Local Author Fair will return to the Black Mountain-Tyson Public Library, Nov. 11, for its second year. Photo by Fred McCormick

Bowman is one of two Dark City Poets Society participants set to join the author fair. Michael Conner, who published TOTAL ANNIHILATION through Bottlecap Press earlier this year, will be one of several area writers with a table in the Community Room.

“The library will be closed for services that day, due to Veterans Day, so we’ll have the run of the entire building for this event,” Pressley said. “So, we’ll have authors tabling in the Community Room, and readers can walk through, meet those authors, look at their work and read it if they’d like. It will be an opportunity to interact with the writers, and we’ll have refreshments in that area.”

Throughout the library, Jacqui Castle of Lit Local will host a local bookstore.

“That’s a new element this year, and it will include work from local authors who, for whatever reasons, were unable to participate in the tabling,” Pressley said. “Jacqui will also be moderating our readings.”

Each of the nine authors, including Alice Lentz, David Madden and Meta Commerse, will read for 20 minutes, beginning at 9:10 a.m.

“That will be held in the reading area of the library, and we’ll have a stage with a microphone and a seating area,” Pressley said. “With the exception of Alice Lentz, who is commemorating the 25th anniversary of the release of her book, all of these authors have released new work within the last year. So, this is an opportunity to hear the latest from these talented local writers.”

The fair is intended to evolve into a larger event in the future, according to organizers.

“A long-term goal is for this to become a proper literary festival in Black Mountain, much like the Carolina Mountains Literary Festival in Burnsville,” Pressley said. “We would like to see this involve readings at other venues around town, as attendees walk from place to place. We live in such a creative community, with a beautiful and walkable downtown, and this could become an annual gathering for people who are passionate about literature.”

While Write Local, Read Local is free and open to the public, attendees are advised to bring cash or credit cards to purchase books.

“This is the library’s last big event of the year, before the holiday season,” Pressley said. “It gives folks to buy a local gift for the upcoming holidays.”