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Monthly Archives: October 2020

Verse & Vino Goes Virtual

October 26, 2020 by Mark West
Categories: Storied Charlotte

In November 2014, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation held its first Verse & Vino event.  Bestselling authors from around the country came and interacted with library supporters from around the Charlotte area, and the wine flowed freely.  A great time was had by all, and the event raised much needed funds for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.  In the years since then, Verse & Vino has become more than an annual fundraising event.  For many book lovers, including me, it is the most-anticipated literary event in Charlotte.  As a regular attendee, I have enjoyed hearing the authors’ presentations, and I have taken satisfaction in contributing to the continued success of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.   

At least in terms of its name, Verse & Vino reminds me of a line from Sesame Street. I sort of expect Elmo to say, “This event is brought to you by the letter V.”  There is one word that starts with V, however, that nobody wants anywhere near Verse & Vino, and that’s the word virus.   To its credit, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation responded quickly to the dangers posed by the coronavirus. They decided not to have an in-person event this year, but they did not cancel Verse & Vino.  Instead, they organized a virtual event that will take place during the evening of November 5, 2020.  Just as in years past, this year’s Verse & Vino will feature five popular authors and will be hosted by radio personality and author Sheri Lynch.  And just as in years past, the event will raise funds for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

All of the authors featured at this year’s event have the distinction of being New York Times best-selling authors, and all have new books that they will discuss during their presentations.  India Hicks, a writer known for her amusing books about style and design, will talk about her latest release, An Entertaining Story, in which she combines advice and stories related to the art of throwing parties.  Megan Miranda, a North Carolina author, will talk about her new thriller, The Girl from Widow Hills.  Christopher Paolini, the author of Eragon and several other novels for young adults, will discuss To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, his first science fiction novel for adult readers.  Alice Randall will talk about her novel Black Bottom Saints, which captures the feel and spirit of Detroit’s legendary Black Bottom neighborhood, a community that is sometimes described as a midwestern rival to New York City’s Harlem.  The fifth author, Christina Baker Kline, will focus her presentation on The Exiles, a historical novel set in Australia during the mid-nineteenth century.  All of the books featured at this year’s Verse & Vino will be available for purchase at Park Road Books.

One of the people who has played a critical role in organizing this year’s Verse & Vino is Jenni Gaisbauer, the Executive Director of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation.  In discussing the preparations for this year’s virtual event, she recently said, “We’ve worked with a team of experts in streaming media to reimagine the event’s format. We’ve retained the elements that make Verse & Vino what it is – the authors, the festive atmosphere, the community – and added interactivity and bonus features only possible on a digital platform.  Verse & Vino is both an important fundraiser for our library and a joyous celebration of libraries, of literacy, and of investing together in our shared future. I can’t think of a better moment to look ahead with a community of friends and supporters.”

Anyone who is interested in participating in this year’s Verse & Vino event has several options available.  For those who want to turn the event into their own party or date night, they can order packages, but the deadline for placing these orders is October 27.  For those who just want to purchase a ticket to this event, the deadline is November 3.  For more information about participating in this year’s event, please click on the following link:  https://foundation.cmlibrary.org/verse-vino/ 

While I will miss the in-person event, I will be sure not to pass up the opportunity to participate in in this year’s virtual Verse & Vino.  After all, participating in Verse & Vino is a wonderful way to engage in our Storied Charlotte community and support our storied public library.

Tags: book loversliterary eventVerse & Vino

Learning about Poetry from Cathy Smith Bowers

October 18, 2020 by Mark West
Categories: Storied Charlotte

The poet Cathy Smith Bowers and I were next-door neighbors during the mid-1990s.  At the time, I knew that she served as the poet-in-residence at Queens University, and she occasionally mentioned news about her latest publications.  She regularly published poems in literary journals and reviews, but she aimed higher.  In 1998, she submitted a poem titled “Crepe Myrtles” to The Atlantic Monthly, and they accepted it.  This exciting news swept through the neighborhood, and we all felt a sense of pride in her success.  Not long thereafter, Cathy moved out of my neighborhood, but I continued to follow her career.  I still remember feeling impressed and pleased when I learned that Governor Bev Perdue named Cathy as the sixth North Carolina Poet Laureate, a position that Cathy held from 2010 to 2012.  In keeping with Cathy’s status as one of North Carolina’s most celebrated poets, the North Carolina publisher Press 53 brought out The Collected Poems of Cathy Smith Bowers in 2013.  This book brings together in one volume all of Cathy’s previously published collections along with an introduction by Fred Chappell. 

Back when Cathy and I were neighbors, we sometimes talked about teaching.  During these conversations, I came to realize the she took a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction in helping her students write their own poems.  I remember her talking about sharing a favorite poem with her students in an effort to inspire them to write a poem about a particular image or emotion.  After one of these conversations, I thought to myself how lucky her students were to have Cathy there to guide them as they tried their hands at writing poetry.  Well, now everyone can benefit from Cathy’s gifts as a teacher thanks to the publication of her newest book, The Abiding Image:  Inspiration and Guidance for Beginning Writers, Readers, and Teachers of Poetry, which Press 53 released in September 2020.  I recently contacted Cathy and asked her about how she came to write this book.  Here is what she sent to me:

This book has been in the making for fifty years. My work at Queens in both undergraduate and graduate programs has been crucial in the making of this book. It was also in Charlotte where I first became connected with the Haden Institute, where I still teach in both Spiritual Direction and Dream Leadership Programs.

The book began with an attempt to finally gather in one place all the lectures, seminars, and workshops I have done through the years. I just got tired of hunting down all those folders. When I did realize I might have a book in the making, I decided it must be the book I wish I had had when I was a beginning reader, writer, and teacher of poetry.

I believe there has always been and continues to be great misunderstandings of what a poem is, how poems come to be written, and how one might experience a poem after it has come into being.  Each poem included in this book illustrates a significant point about a poetic element such as sound and syllabics, tension and metaphor, needed to explore and illuminate the power of what I call an abiding image. These are the images that might register with us through sight, sound, smell, touch, or taste—images that hook us and refuse to let go. I believe these images are asking something of us—Look closer. Here is where the poem begins—not with some profound idea, but with a single abiding image that contains, at some deeper level, much more than what has registered with us on the surface level. 

I wanted to let people know you do not have to be a prophet, have advanced (or un-advanced) degrees in literature, or be some kind of prodigy upon whom brilliant ideas and knowledge have been bestowed. I, myself, could have been the poster child for the one least likely to succeed at anything, much less the art and craft of poetry. Writing and reading and teaching poetry saved and continues to save my life. I wanted to share with others the miracle-making gift of poetry–in understandable, readable, inspiring, and applicable prose.

My vision for this book is part handbook, part memoir, part stand-up-comedy routine for any writer, reader, and teacher of poetry. From those who have no idea where to begin to those in need of practical and innovative ways to reboot, revive, and begin again.

Here’s to the language that saves us.

Cathy no longer lives in Charlotte.  She now calls Tryon, North Carolina, home.  However, she still teaches in the low-residency MFA Program in Creative Writing at Queens University, and she still participates in Charlotte’s poetry community.  Through her ongoing work with creative writing students at Queens University and through the publication of The Abiding Image and her various poetry collections, Cathy continues to play a role in the development of Storied Charlotte.  

Tags: poet laureatepoetic elements

In Memory of Tony Abbott (1935-2020)

October 12, 2020 by Mark West
Categories: Storied Charlotte

When I heard the sad news that Dr. Anthony S. “Tony” Abbott died on October 3, 2020, I flashed back to the first time I heard Tony read his poems aloud.  His first poetry collection, The Girl in the Yellow Raincoat, had just been published, and he read a number of the poems from this collection at an event sponsored by Poplar Street Books, a charming used bookstore that was located in a historic home in the heart of Charlotte’s Fourth Ward.  Rosemary Latimore, the owner of the store, was a great lover of poetry, and she often held poetry readings at her bookstore.  I went to Tony’s reading, and I remember being moved by the deep emotions that run through his poetry.  For example, in his poem about the girl in the yellow raincoat, Tony helped those of us in attendance better understand the continuing sense of loss that a parent experiences following the death of a child.  I also remember the sound of his voice as he read aloud.  There was a warmth to his voice that helped him establish a rapport with those of us in the audience.  Although that poetry reading took place more than thirty years ago, I remember it very well.  I can still see Tony reading his poems, surrounded by stacks of old books.  I recall that at the end of his reading, he repeatedly thanked Rosemary for organizing the event, and he thanked those of us in the audience for coming out to hear him.  As I see it, Tony didn’t just share his poems with us that afternoon.  He shared part of his essence.  His passion for poetry, his desire to connect with readers, his graciousness, and his commitment to the larger literary community all came through during his reading.

I am just one of many people whose lives are richer because they knew Tony or read his work.  During his thirty-seven years as an English professor at Davidson College, he taught countless students about literature and drama.  Even after he retired in 2001, he continued to teach occasional courses.  As one of the founders of the Davidson Community Players, he helped bring the joy of theater to the lives of many residents of Davidson and beyond.  Through his many books, he reached readers, most of whom never met him in person.  Over the course of his long career, he wrote seven books of poetry, two novels, and several works of literary criticism.  He participated in various writers’ groups and organizations in the Charlotte area, and he could always be counted on to lead writing workshops.  

For the purposes of this blog post, I contacted three people who knew Tony well and asked them to provide me with more information about Tony’s many and varied contributions to Charlotte’s community of readers and writers.  One of these people is Ann Wicker, who was one of Tony’s students at Davidson College in the 1970s and who went on to become one of his friends.  Another is Amy Rogers, who was the publisher of Tony’s first novel, Leaving Maggie Hope.  The third is Leslie Rindoks, who Tony sought out as his designer many times, over several decades.

Here is what Ann Wicker sent to me:

Through his service in so many organizations and in his personal life, Dr. Tony Abbott was a bridge builder and one of his many gifts was bringing writers and readers together. His readings were entertaining and his classes inspirational. Further, he had a gift for bringing individuals together—if you were a friend of Tony, you had a vast network of friends you just hadn’t met yet.

While Tony was active in literary endeavors across the state and beyond, he spent a lot of time both before and after his 2001 retirement from Davidson College teaching classes for the Charlotte community. His classes through Queens University were always full, and he taught many classes and workshops for various groups in Charlotte and the region.

For many years he was active in the Charlotte Writers Club, serving as the organization’s president as well as several terms on their board. The Charlotte Center for Literary Arts wrote in their newsletter that Tony was “a supporter, faculty member, and friend of Charlotte Lit from our inception” in 2015. 

Beyond Charlotte, Tony served as president of the North Carolina Writers’ network from 1990-1992. He received the North Carolina Award for Literature in 2015 and in 2020 entered the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame. He served multiple terms on the boards of the North Carolina Writers’ Network and the North Carolina Poetry Society.

In 2008, Tony received the Irene Blair Honeycutt Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Literary Arts from Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte. He was twice honored by the NC Poetry Society in the Brockman-Campbell Competition: in 2012 as co-winner for If Words Could Save Us and in 2014, an honorable mention for The Angel Dialogues.

Here is what Amy Rogers sent to me:

One of the best things about being a publisher is saying yes to writers who most often hear the word no when they submit their work. Saying yes to Tony Abbott’s novel was easy.

So when I heard the sad news that Tony had died, I did what book-lovers do: I went seeking solace from my bookshelf and pulled down my copy of Leaving Maggie Hope. It’s an elegant, coming-of-age story of a boy who struggles to develop self-reliance in a world that often defies understanding.

I remembered back to when I first sat down with Tony’s manuscript; before then, I’d only been familiar with Tony’s work as a masterful poet.

As part of the publishing team at Novello Press, I evaluated hundreds of submissions each year. We’d all seen the sad truth: Even skilled wordsmiths often lack the ability to sustain a long-form narrative over the hundreds of pages that comprise a novel.

But this, this: Expansive and somehow tight, lyrical and yet muscular, Leaving Maggie Hope was a treasure. We not only added it to our roster of published books, we named it a Novello Literary Award winner.

That was back in 2003 and so much has changed since then. I didn’t get to know Tony as a beloved professor who shaped the creative minds of so many students. I can’t imagine the loss to his beloved Davidson community. But I have a keepsake of his legacy on my shelf, along with the memory of the joy of saying yes.

Here is what Leslie Rindoks sent to me:

Thirty years ago, Tony Abbott was directing Davidson Community Players’ production of Inherit the Wind and needed a set designer. New to North Carolina, I was a freelance designer with a theatre degree and little else. That play was the first of our collaborations, some theatre-based, but many more book-related, all of which enriched my life—as his neighbor, a designer, an editor, and ultimately as a writer myself.

I designed the cover of his first book, The Girl in the Yellow Raincoat (St. Andrews Press, 1989). Later, I designed the first edition of his autobiographical novel, Leaving Maggie Hope (Novello Festival Press, 2003), and as the book became a perennial favorite, I published, with Lorimer Press, the subsequent second edition and many reprints thereafter. Lorimer went on to publish collections of Tony’s poetry: New and Selected, If Words Could Save Us, and Angel Dialogues, all to great acclaim.

Tony delighted in collaboration, especially when sharing poetry with new audiences. He read poems accompanied by Baroque cello; he stepped into the recording studio so a cd could accompany If Words Could Save Us; he enlisted an artist to depict Gracie, the bridge-playing, Girl Scout cookie-selling, chandelier-swinging angel in Angel Dialogues; then, while promoting the book, he paired with various readers across the state to give Gracie a voice.

In “Blood Talk” he wrote, “I got nothing but goddam words working for me,” but goddam, what he did with them! As N.C. poet laureate Joseph Bathanti said, Tony refused “to flinch or shy away from his spiritual preoccupation intrigues” and he mined with “profundity and lyric intensity that sacred vein—with an imaginative finesse and sense of humor that is at once mystical and accessible.”

Tony’s belief in the power of words—if words could save us (and they can, my darling)—was in full force when he served as volume editor for What Writers Do, a retrospective of Lenoir-Rhyne’s Visiting Writers Series (Lorimer Press, 2011). When he reached out to writers such as Seamus Heaney, Billy Collins, and Ron Rash, they delivered: poems, essays, stories, all which, as Tony said, “celebrate life and language and hope … making us want to be the human beings we were intended to be.” The very definition of Tony’s lifelong mission.

How fitting Tony should leave us now. The leaves on his favorite trees, those sugar maples, demand our attention before they loosen their hold and drift away.

            Blood red of late October in the South,

            and from the cemetery to the college campus

            on the hill, the leaves bathe my eyes. I

            turn each corner into dazzling surprise.

As Ann, Amy, and Leslie make clear in their statements, Tony was more than a gifted writer.  He always valued friendship and community, and he took seriously his role as a teacher and mentor to the many writers he nurtured and supported over the course of his long and productive life.  He will be missed, but through his books, he will continue to play a role in Storied Charlotte for years to come.

Tags: poetry collection

David Boyd’s Translations of Japanese Picture Books

October 05, 2020 by Mark West
Categories: Storied Charlotte

I remember when Piedmont Airlines debuted its nonstop service between Charlotte and London in 1987.  Even before the first flight to London took off, the city installed new signs for the airport with the word “international” proudly added to the name of the airport.  Our international airport is just one of many examples of Charlotte’s international connections.  Another example is UNC Charlotte’s Department of Languages and Culture Studies.  This department offers a diverse smorgasbord of language courses and programs, including one of the nation’s top-ranked programs in Japanese Studies. 

David Boyd is one of the professors in UNC Charlotte’s Japanese Studies Program.  He specializes in teaching courses on Japanese-English translation.  He also works as a professional translator, and he is winning high praise for his English translations of Japanese picture books.   His translation of Hiroshi Osada’s Every Color of Light: A Book about the Sky recently came out with Enchanted Lion Books, and already it is receiving excellent reviews.  Publishers Weekly praised his translation in a starred review.  Publishers Weekly also featured him in an article titled “Building Bridges:  The Art of Children’s Book Translation.”   I recently contacted David and asked him about his work as a translator of Japanese picture books.  Here is what he sent to me:

I came to UNC Charlotte in 2018, where I’m fortunate enough to teach what I love: Japanese-English translation. Most of my courses have been workshops, in which the students and I have had detailed discussions about a wide variety of texts and translation strategies. Ultimately, my goal is to help them become more sensitive to the structures and nuances of both Japanese and English.

In 2017, I published my first translation of a children’s book: What What What, illustrated by Ryoji Arai and written by Arata Tendo. This was also my first time working with Enchanted Lion Books, a Brooklyn-based publisher with a discerning eye for great stories and art from around the world. What What What tells the story of a young boy who can’t keep himself from asking questions. As the book begins, the boy’s constant questions irritate and exasperate everyone around him. But, in the end, the boy’s inquisitive nature saves the day. Sometimes you really do need to keep on asking. What What What is both haunting and touching as it affirms the power of a child’s boundless curiosity.

This month, Enchanted Lion is publishing my translation of another book illustrated by Arai, with text by the late poet Hiroshi Osada. What What What is a very human tale, but Every Color of Light: A Book About the Sky is focused on the natural world. In the book’s opening pages, it starts to rain, and over time what begins as a light rain builds into a full-fledged storm. With every turn of the page, the weather grows more and more fierce—until the storm finally subsides and the sky returns to blue. In this stunning work, Osada’s words evoke nature’s moving lullaby while Arai’s art brings those words to life.

Through his work as a translator, David is helping American children make connections with Japanese children’s literature, but he is also contributing to Charlotte’s connections with the wider world.   His English translations of What What What and Every Color of Light add an international dimension to the ever-expanding library of books that make up Storied Charlotte. 

Tags: Charlotte international connectionsEnglish translations of Japanese picture books
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