Calendar of Events
Upcoming events and things to do in Asheville, NC. Below is a list of events for festivals, concerts, art exhibitions, group meetups and more.
Interested in adding an event to our calendar? Please click the green “Post Your Event” button below.
Come join us for a fun afternoon sampling some wine(s) and talking about books. As always, the book can be fiction or non-fiction ….. whatever……just so that it somehow involves whatever topic we’ve chosen for the month. For December we will be sharing about books that interest us enough to give them or get them for the holidays.. And if you just want to join us to hear about the books we’ve read but haven’t read any yet yourself, come along anyhow. You’ll have a chance then to suggest a topic for us to read books on next time.
The Friends of the Weaverville Library (FOWL) are excited to announce the opening of their used bookstore in Weaverville on Thursday, July 8. Located in the lower level of the Weaverville Library at 41 N. Main St., the store will be open Thursdays 1-5 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays 11 a.m.-2 p.m., with expanded hours beginning in September. The store is stocked with thousands of books, audiobooks, CDs, DVDs, and more. All adult books are priced at $1.50-$3.00, children and teen books at $1.00-$1.50, audio and video at $2.00.
There is also a bargain-priced area and a collection of special finds that are priced individually. Please feel free to contact us at 828-641-1812 or [email protected]. All proceeds from the store will benefit the Weaverville Library.
The Friends of the Weaverville Library (FOWL) are excited to announce the opening of their used bookstore in Weaverville on Thursday, July 8. Located in the lower level of the Weaverville Library at 41 N. Main St., the store will be open Thursdays 1-5 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays 11 a.m.-2 p.m., with expanded hours beginning in September. The store is stocked with thousands of books, audiobooks, CDs, DVDs, and more. All adult books are priced at $1.50-$3.00, children and teen books at $1.00-$1.50, audio and video at $2.00.
There is also a bargain-priced area and a collection of special finds that are priced individually. Please feel free to contact us at 828-641-1812 or [email protected]. All proceeds from the store will benefit the Weaverville Library.
The Friends of the Weaverville Library (FOWL) are excited to announce the opening of their used bookstore in Weaverville on Thursday, July 8. Located in the lower level of the Weaverville Library at 41 N. Main St., the store will be open Thursdays 1-5 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays 11 a.m.-2 p.m., with expanded hours beginning in September. The store is stocked with thousands of books, audiobooks, CDs, DVDs, and more. All adult books are priced at $1.50-$3.00, children and teen books at $1.00-$1.50, audio and video at $2.00.
There is also a bargain-priced area and a collection of special finds that are priced individually. Please feel free to contact us at 828-641-1812 or [email protected]. All proceeds from the store will benefit the Weaverville Library.
Come join us even if you don’t read/finish the novel!
The Friends of the Weaverville Library (FOWL) are excited to announce the opening of their used bookstore in Weaverville on Thursday, July 8. Located in the lower level of the Weaverville Library at 41 N. Main St., the store will be open Thursdays 1-5 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays 11 a.m.-2 p.m., with expanded hours beginning in September. The store is stocked with thousands of books, audiobooks, CDs, DVDs, and more. All adult books are priced at $1.50-$3.00, children and teen books at $1.00-$1.50, audio and video at $2.00.
There is also a bargain-priced area and a collection of special finds that are priced individually. Please feel free to contact us at 828-641-1812 or [email protected]. All proceeds from the store will benefit the Weaverville Library.
Looking for a good read? Buncombe County Public Libraries have virtual and in-person book clubs every month and all readers are welcome. Book clubs are free and open to everyone, but you do need to register to get the zoom password for an online meeting. Locate any of these book clubs on the library calendar to sign up and join the discussion.
Weaverville Library Evening Book Club – The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
Tuesday, Jan. 4 at 6 p.m.
Weaverville Library Afternoon Book Club – All You Can Ever Know: A Memoir by Nicole Chung
Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 3 p.m.
Swannanoa Book Club – Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Thursday, Jan. 6 at 4 p.m.
East Asheville Book Club – The 100 Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin
Thursday, Jan. 6 at 6:30 p.m.
Leicester Book Club – The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi
Tuesday, Jan. 11 at 1 p.m. (in person at the library)
Tuesday, Jan. 18 at 1 p.m. (online)
Pack Library Book Club – Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
Wednesday, Jan. 13 at 10:30 a.m.
Black Experience Book Club – Quicksand by Nella Larsen
Thursday, Jan. 13 at 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 27 at 6:30 p.m.
Fairview Evening Book Club – Cousins: Connected Through Slavery, a Black Woman and a White Woman Discover Their Past by Betty Kilby
Tuesday, Jan. 18 at 7 p.m.
New year, new adventures! Buncombe County Public Libraries’ 2022 Winter Reading Challenge encourages young readers to explore diversity, empathy, and action through reading.
This year, we are exploring what animals do during the winter months with two distinct challenges for children and teens. Children will complete fun activities while learning fascinating facts about local Western North Carolina animals. Teens will navigate winter reading quests and take home a collectible postcard. Both challenges will encourage youth to enjoy the winter season together in a screen-free, socially distanced way. These free activity sheets are designed with kids and teens in mind, but everyone is invited to participate.
Beginning Jan. 4, pick up a Winter Reading Activity Sheet from any Buncombe County Public Library. Warm up your winter with our reading challenge, and we’ll see you at the library.
Chat with other book lovers about this month’s book selection.
Interested in reading ahead? Here’s what we have coming up in the next few months!
– November- “Once Upon A River” Diane Setterfield
– December- “Dutch House” Ann Patchett
– January- “Mexican Gothic” Silvia Moreno-Garcia
– February- “The Rose Code” Kate Quinn
To reserve your copy of the book, visit buncombe.nccardinal.org or swing by the library to pick one up from the book clubs holds shelf.
To join the book club email [email protected] or call us at 250-4758.
New year, new adventures! Buncombe County Public Libraries’ 2022 Winter Reading Challenge encourages young readers to explore diversity, empathy, and action through reading.
This year, we are exploring what animals do during the winter months with two distinct challenges for children and teens. Children will complete fun activities while learning fascinating facts about local Western North Carolina animals. Teens will navigate winter reading quests and take home a collectible postcard. Both challenges will encourage youth to enjoy the winter season together in a screen-free, socially distanced way. These free activity sheets are designed with kids and teens in mind, but everyone is invited to participate.
Beginning Jan. 4, pick up a Winter Reading Activity Sheet from any Buncombe County Public Library. Warm up your winter with our reading challenge, and we’ll see you at the library.
This series will be held the first Wednesday of the Month at 10:30 a.m. – begins Jan. 5 on Zoom.
Flash fiction is a prose narrative that takes the form of very short, self-contained stories. Flash fiction is a dynamic genre, and though it is not new, it has become popular in contemporary literary culture. With the rise of social media and short attention span readers, as well as the form’s unique ability to double as prose poetry, publishing opportunities for flash fiction abound.
In this free workshop series, we will focus on the intensity of the short prose form as “illuminated moment.” Through prompts and exercises, we will practice writing and revising a variety of flash stories. Participants will have the opportunity to share their own flash stories for feedback, as well as read and discuss selected works as models.
The classes may be taken individually or as a series. The schedule is:
- Intro to Flash Fiction: Wednesday, January 5 at 10:30 AM
- Finding the Illuminated Moment: Wednesday, February 2 at 10:30 AM
- Revising for the Iceberg Effect: Wednesday, March 2 at 10:30 AM
Beth Keefauver earned her Ph.D. in English and Creative Writing at the University of Tennessee. She has taught creative writing for the Great Smokies Writing Program as well as several colleges and universities in the region. In 2015, Beth joined the University of South Carolina Upstate Department of Languages, Literature, and Composition. Beth lives in Fairview, NC with her sons Boone & Rowan, their cat, and a flock of chickens.
This class is sponsored by Buncombe County and the Fairview Friends of the Library. Class size is limited so register early! Call 828-250-6496 or email to register.
January through April
Actors portray characters from Carl Sandburg’s Rootabaga Story “Three Boys with Jugs of Molasses and Secret Ambitions.”
NPS Photo
Educators in grades 3-12 are invited to submit original poems written by their students in February. The poems will be judged and winners announced in April. Find the 2022 Poetry Contest Information and submission guidelines here. The theme “Ambition” is from one of Carl Sandburg’s Rootabaga Stories, to celebrate it’s 100th year of being published. “An ambition…creeps in your heart night and day, singing a little song, ‘Come and find me, come and find me.”
Students are invited to submit a poem to Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site’s annual Student Poetry Contest. The contest encourages youth to explore writing their own poetry, and is open to students nationwide!
Submissions are accepted from grades 3-12 and must be postmarked by March 1, 2022. See below for submission rules.
Winners will be notified by April 8, 2022, and will be invited to participate in a special virtual program on April 22.
2022 Contest Rules
Theme – “Ambition”
Carl Sandburg wrote millions of words reflecting on the American experience of the 20th century. Though his words often focused on war, labor, and social injustice, as a father of three, he also wrote imaginative, zany, and fantastical children’s stories, called “Rootabaga Stories.” Carl Sandburg’s “Rootabaga Stories” were first published in 1922 and celebrate 100 years of entertaining readers of all ages this year. The theme “Ambition” is from one of these stories. “An ambition…creeps in your heart night and day, singing a little song, ‘Come and find me, come and find me.” Read the story here.
Poems submitted for the 2022 contest should reflect the theme of “Ambition.” By definition, a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work. Or setting goals to achieve success.
Submission Rules
- Poetry accepted from 3-12th grades only. Poems will be grouped for judging by 3-5th, 6-8th, and 9-12th.
- Poems must be submitted by a teacher (traditional classroom or homeschool teacher).
- No more than three poems per class. Teachers with multiple classes, can submit up to three poems per class period.
- Poem will be judged on its ability to communicate the theme.
- Poem can be written in any style, but must not exceed one-page in length. No illustrations.
- Poems must be typed, no handwritten entries, using standard computer fonts, like Times, Arial, etc…
- Do not place any identifying information (name, school, grade, etc…) on poem sheet, that will go on the accompanying submission form.
- Submission form must be complete to be accepted:
- Paperclipped to poem, no staples
- Must be signed by parent, student and teacher
- Submissions must be postmarked, faxed, or e-mailed to [email protected], by March 1, 2022. Emailed submissions must be docs, .pdfs or scans. Low resolution pictures of the submission will not be accepted.
Judging
Judges from the literary community will make the decision for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place within each grade category (3-5th, 6-8th, 9-12th).
Poetry Partners
The 2022 Poetry Contest is a result of tremendous community support including the Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara, and literary volunteers who serve as judges. Thank you.
Poetry Resources
You may also find curriculum resources to use in the classroom at the park’s website: www.nps.gov/carl/learn/education/index.htm.
Send Submissions to:
Carl Sandburg Home NHS
Attn: Poetry Contest
81 Carl Sandburg Lane
Flat Rock, North Carolina 28731
Fax 828-693-4179
Email: [email protected]
Looking for a good read? Buncombe County Public Libraries have virtual and in-person book clubs every month and all readers are welcome. Book clubs are free and open to everyone, but you do need to register to get the zoom password for an online meeting. Locate any of these book clubs on the library calendar to sign up and join the discussion.
Weaverville Library Evening Book Club – The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
Tuesday, Jan. 4 at 6 p.m.
Weaverville Library Afternoon Book Club – All You Can Ever Know: A Memoir by Nicole Chung
Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 3 p.m.
Swannanoa Book Club – Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Thursday, Jan. 6 at 4 p.m.
East Asheville Book Club – The 100 Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin
Thursday, Jan. 6 at 6:30 p.m.
Leicester Book Club – The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi
Tuesday, Jan. 11 at 1 p.m. (in person at the library)
Tuesday, Jan. 18 at 1 p.m. (online)
Pack Library Book Club – Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
Wednesday, Jan. 13 at 10:30 a.m.
Black Experience Book Club – Quicksand by Nella Larsen
Thursday, Jan. 13 at 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 27 at 6:30 p.m.
Fairview Evening Book Club – Cousins: Connected Through Slavery, a Black Woman and a White Woman Discover Their Past by Betty Kilby
Tuesday, Jan. 18 at 7 p.m.
New year, new adventures! Buncombe County Public Libraries’ 2022 Winter Reading Challenge encourages young readers to explore diversity, empathy, and action through reading.
This year, we are exploring what animals do during the winter months with two distinct challenges for children and teens. Children will complete fun activities while learning fascinating facts about local Western North Carolina animals. Teens will navigate winter reading quests and take home a collectible postcard. Both challenges will encourage youth to enjoy the winter season together in a screen-free, socially distanced way. These free activity sheets are designed with kids and teens in mind, but everyone is invited to participate.
Beginning Jan. 4, pick up a Winter Reading Activity Sheet from any Buncombe County Public Library. Warm up your winter with our reading challenge, and we’ll see you at the library.
Join us as we discuss All You Can Ever Know: A Memoir by Nicole Chung.
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Join us as we discuss All You Can Ever Know: A Memoir by Nicole Chung. We will meet on Thursday, January 6th at 3 PM via ZOOM. Registration is necessary. Newcomers are welcome! |
Registration is necessary. Newcomers are welcome!
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Smart, warm, uplifting, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine is the story of an out-of-the-ordinary heroine whose deadpan weirdness and unconscious wit make for an irresistible journey as she realizes. . . the only way to survive is to open your heart. –Good Reads review Join us for a ZOOM book club event. Snuggle up with a hot drink, warm cozy slippers and a lovely book…then we’ll talk about it. You will receive the Zoom link through an email after you register for the event. |
Join other literature lovers to discuss your favorite books over Zoom. This month’s pick is The 100 Years of Lenni and Margot, by Marianne Cronin.
January through April
Actors portray characters from Carl Sandburg’s Rootabaga Story “Three Boys with Jugs of Molasses and Secret Ambitions.”
NPS Photo
Educators in grades 3-12 are invited to submit original poems written by their students in February. The poems will be judged and winners announced in April. Find the 2022 Poetry Contest Information and submission guidelines here. The theme “Ambition” is from one of Carl Sandburg’s Rootabaga Stories, to celebrate it’s 100th year of being published. “An ambition…creeps in your heart night and day, singing a little song, ‘Come and find me, come and find me.”
Students are invited to submit a poem to Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site’s annual Student Poetry Contest. The contest encourages youth to explore writing their own poetry, and is open to students nationwide!
Submissions are accepted from grades 3-12 and must be postmarked by March 1, 2022. See below for submission rules.
Winners will be notified by April 8, 2022, and will be invited to participate in a special virtual program on April 22.
2022 Contest Rules
Theme – “Ambition”
Carl Sandburg wrote millions of words reflecting on the American experience of the 20th century. Though his words often focused on war, labor, and social injustice, as a father of three, he also wrote imaginative, zany, and fantastical children’s stories, called “Rootabaga Stories.” Carl Sandburg’s “Rootabaga Stories” were first published in 1922 and celebrate 100 years of entertaining readers of all ages this year. The theme “Ambition” is from one of these stories. “An ambition…creeps in your heart night and day, singing a little song, ‘Come and find me, come and find me.” Read the story here.
Poems submitted for the 2022 contest should reflect the theme of “Ambition.” By definition, a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work. Or setting goals to achieve success.
Submission Rules
- Poetry accepted from 3-12th grades only. Poems will be grouped for judging by 3-5th, 6-8th, and 9-12th.
- Poems must be submitted by a teacher (traditional classroom or homeschool teacher).
- No more than three poems per class. Teachers with multiple classes, can submit up to three poems per class period.
- Poem will be judged on its ability to communicate the theme.
- Poem can be written in any style, but must not exceed one-page in length. No illustrations.
- Poems must be typed, no handwritten entries, using standard computer fonts, like Times, Arial, etc…
- Do not place any identifying information (name, school, grade, etc…) on poem sheet, that will go on the accompanying submission form.
- Submission form must be complete to be accepted:
- Paperclipped to poem, no staples
- Must be signed by parent, student and teacher
- Submissions must be postmarked, faxed, or e-mailed to [email protected], by March 1, 2022. Emailed submissions must be docs, .pdfs or scans. Low resolution pictures of the submission will not be accepted.
Judging
Judges from the literary community will make the decision for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place within each grade category (3-5th, 6-8th, 9-12th).
Poetry Partners
The 2022 Poetry Contest is a result of tremendous community support including the Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara, and literary volunteers who serve as judges. Thank you.
Poetry Resources
You may also find curriculum resources to use in the classroom at the park’s website: www.nps.gov/carl/learn/education/index.htm.
Send Submissions to:
Carl Sandburg Home NHS
Attn: Poetry Contest
81 Carl Sandburg Lane
Flat Rock, North Carolina 28731
Fax 828-693-4179
Email: [email protected]
New year, new adventures! Buncombe County Public Libraries’ 2022 Winter Reading Challenge encourages young readers to explore diversity, empathy, and action through reading.
This year, we are exploring what animals do during the winter months with two distinct challenges for children and teens. Children will complete fun activities while learning fascinating facts about local Western North Carolina animals. Teens will navigate winter reading quests and take home a collectible postcard. Both challenges will encourage youth to enjoy the winter season together in a screen-free, socially distanced way. These free activity sheets are designed with kids and teens in mind, but everyone is invited to participate.
Beginning Jan. 4, pick up a Winter Reading Activity Sheet from any Buncombe County Public Library. Warm up your winter with our reading challenge, and we’ll see you at the library.
January through April
Actors portray characters from Carl Sandburg’s Rootabaga Story “Three Boys with Jugs of Molasses and Secret Ambitions.”
NPS Photo
Educators in grades 3-12 are invited to submit original poems written by their students in February. The poems will be judged and winners announced in April. Find the 2022 Poetry Contest Information and submission guidelines here. The theme “Ambition” is from one of Carl Sandburg’s Rootabaga Stories, to celebrate it’s 100th year of being published. “An ambition…creeps in your heart night and day, singing a little song, ‘Come and find me, come and find me.”
Students are invited to submit a poem to Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site’s annual Student Poetry Contest. The contest encourages youth to explore writing their own poetry, and is open to students nationwide!
Submissions are accepted from grades 3-12 and must be postmarked by March 1, 2022. See below for submission rules.
Winners will be notified by April 8, 2022, and will be invited to participate in a special virtual program on April 22.
2022 Contest Rules
Theme – “Ambition”
Carl Sandburg wrote millions of words reflecting on the American experience of the 20th century. Though his words often focused on war, labor, and social injustice, as a father of three, he also wrote imaginative, zany, and fantastical children’s stories, called “Rootabaga Stories.” Carl Sandburg’s “Rootabaga Stories” were first published in 1922 and celebrate 100 years of entertaining readers of all ages this year. The theme “Ambition” is from one of these stories. “An ambition…creeps in your heart night and day, singing a little song, ‘Come and find me, come and find me.” Read the story here.
Poems submitted for the 2022 contest should reflect the theme of “Ambition.” By definition, a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work. Or setting goals to achieve success.
Submission Rules
- Poetry accepted from 3-12th grades only. Poems will be grouped for judging by 3-5th, 6-8th, and 9-12th.
- Poems must be submitted by a teacher (traditional classroom or homeschool teacher).
- No more than three poems per class. Teachers with multiple classes, can submit up to three poems per class period.
- Poem will be judged on its ability to communicate the theme.
- Poem can be written in any style, but must not exceed one-page in length. No illustrations.
- Poems must be typed, no handwritten entries, using standard computer fonts, like Times, Arial, etc…
- Do not place any identifying information (name, school, grade, etc…) on poem sheet, that will go on the accompanying submission form.
- Submission form must be complete to be accepted:
- Paperclipped to poem, no staples
- Must be signed by parent, student and teacher
- Submissions must be postmarked, faxed, or e-mailed to [email protected], by March 1, 2022. Emailed submissions must be docs, .pdfs or scans. Low resolution pictures of the submission will not be accepted.
Judging
Judges from the literary community will make the decision for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place within each grade category (3-5th, 6-8th, 9-12th).
Poetry Partners
The 2022 Poetry Contest is a result of tremendous community support including the Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara, and literary volunteers who serve as judges. Thank you.
Poetry Resources
You may also find curriculum resources to use in the classroom at the park’s website: www.nps.gov/carl/learn/education/index.htm.
Send Submissions to:
Carl Sandburg Home NHS
Attn: Poetry Contest
81 Carl Sandburg Lane
Flat Rock, North Carolina 28731
Fax 828-693-4179
Email: [email protected]
New year, new adventures! Buncombe County Public Libraries’ 2022 Winter Reading Challenge encourages young readers to explore diversity, empathy, and action through reading.
This year, we are exploring what animals do during the winter months with two distinct challenges for children and teens. Children will complete fun activities while learning fascinating facts about local Western North Carolina animals. Teens will navigate winter reading quests and take home a collectible postcard. Both challenges will encourage youth to enjoy the winter season together in a screen-free, socially distanced way. These free activity sheets are designed with kids and teens in mind, but everyone is invited to participate.
Beginning Jan. 4, pick up a Winter Reading Activity Sheet from any Buncombe County Public Library. Warm up your winter with our reading challenge, and we’ll see you at the library.
What we’re about
Open to all creative writers who wish to meet and rant and rave about their W.I.P., writers block, the business of authorship, agents, the industry, genres, getting published, you name it. We are a group of Asheville area writers who get together periodically at local venues to support each other, chat about the industry, and share writing experiences. It doesn’t matter if you are agented, self published, writing for pleasure, or thinking about a memoir or family story to share only with friends, we are all challenged by the same obstacles and elated by the same accomplishments. If you feel intimidated by “critique” groups and just want to enjoy the writing process and share it with the camaraderie of fellow scribes, this is the place for you. If you are interested in meeting with other writers and authors in a no-pressure setting to talk about the ins and outs of the writing business, this is your group. We will meet in local Coffee Shops and Cafes. All are welcome!
January through April
Actors portray characters from Carl Sandburg’s Rootabaga Story “Three Boys with Jugs of Molasses and Secret Ambitions.”
NPS Photo
Educators in grades 3-12 are invited to submit original poems written by their students in February. The poems will be judged and winners announced in April. Find the 2022 Poetry Contest Information and submission guidelines here. The theme “Ambition” is from one of Carl Sandburg’s Rootabaga Stories, to celebrate it’s 100th year of being published. “An ambition…creeps in your heart night and day, singing a little song, ‘Come and find me, come and find me.”
Students are invited to submit a poem to Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site’s annual Student Poetry Contest. The contest encourages youth to explore writing their own poetry, and is open to students nationwide!
Submissions are accepted from grades 3-12 and must be postmarked by March 1, 2022. See below for submission rules.
Winners will be notified by April 8, 2022, and will be invited to participate in a special virtual program on April 22.
2022 Contest Rules
Theme – “Ambition”
Carl Sandburg wrote millions of words reflecting on the American experience of the 20th century. Though his words often focused on war, labor, and social injustice, as a father of three, he also wrote imaginative, zany, and fantastical children’s stories, called “Rootabaga Stories.” Carl Sandburg’s “Rootabaga Stories” were first published in 1922 and celebrate 100 years of entertaining readers of all ages this year. The theme “Ambition” is from one of these stories. “An ambition…creeps in your heart night and day, singing a little song, ‘Come and find me, come and find me.” Read the story here.
Poems submitted for the 2022 contest should reflect the theme of “Ambition.” By definition, a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work. Or setting goals to achieve success.
Submission Rules
- Poetry accepted from 3-12th grades only. Poems will be grouped for judging by 3-5th, 6-8th, and 9-12th.
- Poems must be submitted by a teacher (traditional classroom or homeschool teacher).
- No more than three poems per class. Teachers with multiple classes, can submit up to three poems per class period.
- Poem will be judged on its ability to communicate the theme.
- Poem can be written in any style, but must not exceed one-page in length. No illustrations.
- Poems must be typed, no handwritten entries, using standard computer fonts, like Times, Arial, etc…
- Do not place any identifying information (name, school, grade, etc…) on poem sheet, that will go on the accompanying submission form.
- Submission form must be complete to be accepted:
- Paperclipped to poem, no staples
- Must be signed by parent, student and teacher
- Submissions must be postmarked, faxed, or e-mailed to [email protected], by March 1, 2022. Emailed submissions must be docs, .pdfs or scans. Low resolution pictures of the submission will not be accepted.
Judging
Judges from the literary community will make the decision for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place within each grade category (3-5th, 6-8th, 9-12th).
Poetry Partners
The 2022 Poetry Contest is a result of tremendous community support including the Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara, and literary volunteers who serve as judges. Thank you.
Poetry Resources
You may also find curriculum resources to use in the classroom at the park’s website: www.nps.gov/carl/learn/education/index.htm.
Send Submissions to:
Carl Sandburg Home NHS
Attn: Poetry Contest
81 Carl Sandburg Lane
Flat Rock, North Carolina 28731
Fax 828-693-4179
Email: [email protected]
Join us for our monthly poetry event featuring three poets. This month, we welcome Paul Jones, Aruni Kashyap, Pat Riviere-Seel!
Click here to RSVP. Prior to the event, will send a reminder email with the link required to attend.
Like most of our events, this event is free. If you decide to attend and purchase the authors’ books, we ask that you purchase from Malaprop’s. When you do this you make it possible for us to continue hosting author events and you keep more dollars in our community. You may also support our work by purchasing a gift card or making a donation of any amount below. Thank you!
Pat Riviere-Seel is the author of three poetry collections, including Nothing Below but Air (2014), The Serial Killer’s Daughter (2009), which won the Roanoke-Chowan Award, and No Turning Back Now (2004). She taught poetry classes for UNC Asheville’s Great Smokies Writing Program for 15 years before moving to Yancey County in 2019. She served as the North Carolina Poetry Society’s Distinguished Poet in the Western Region from 2016-2018. In 2017 she received the “Charlie Award” from the Carolina Mountains Literary Festival. Before earning her MFA from Queens University of Charlotte, she worked as a newspaper journalist, editor, publicist, and lobbyist for nonprofit organizations in the Maryland State House. For more, visit https://patriviereseel.com
“I choose this earth that breaks / my heart again and again”, Pat Riviere-Seel writes. When There Were Horses addresses the ways in which we can do that, while acknowledging that, “it cannot last, of course”. Circling around “what to tell” and “the truth we didn’t dare” in quiet, beautifully-honed lines, Riviere-Seel brings readers with her through loss after loss to the knowledge that “further out is the only way back.” These poems come from a poet at the height of her powers, able to swim into deep pools of the senses and the deeper pools of understanding, subtle and complex as multiple ripples spreading and rebounding on the surface of a pond. These are poems to come for the pure pleasure in words and rhythms and play, then return again and again, for the intimate whisperings of a truer life under the surfaces of things.
Order When There Were Horses from Malaprop’s below.
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Aruni Kashyap is a writer and translator. He is the author of His Father’s Disease (Context/ Westland Books India, 2019; Flipped Eye Books, UK) and the novel The House with a Thousand Stories (Viking/ Penguin Random House, 2013). He has also translated from Assamese and introduced celebrated Indian writer Indira Goswami’s last work of fiction, The Bronze Sword of Thengphakhri Tehsildar (Zubaan Books, 2013). He won the Charles Wallace India Trust Scholarship for Creative Writing to the University of Edinburgh, and his poetry collection, There is No Good Time for Bad News (Future Cycle Press, 2021) was a finalist for the 2018 Marsh Hawk Press Poetry Prize and 2018 Four Way Books Levis Award in Poetry. His short stories, poems, and essays have appeared in Catapult, Bitch Media, The Boston Review, Electric Literature, The Oxford Anthology of Writings from Northeast, The Kenyon Review, The New York Times, The Guardian UK, and others. He is an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Georgia, Athens. He also writes in Assamese, and his first Assamese novel is Noikhon Etia Duroit (Panchajanya Books, 2019). For more, visit https://www.arunikashyap.com
There is No Good Time for Bad News opens in a country ravaged by prolonged political conflict. Told in the voices of survivors, it introduces the reader to a wide array of characters: the local police precinct summons a woman after three decades to identify the body of her insurgent son among recovered bodies; a soldier lives through nightmares about the war he fought forty years ago; a woman writes a letter to her insurgent lover; and an ordinary citizen, through an open letter, challenges the child-killing insurgents to kill her. At once vignettes and urgent pleas, these are stories as much as they are poems. Zooming through wars, protest marches, and conflicts, they show what it means to live under the duress of prolonged violence.
Order There is No Good Time for Bad News from Malaprop’s below.
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Paul Jones has published poetry in many journals including the Southern Poetry Review, Ohio Review, Georgia Review, Ironwood, River Heron Review, Broadkill Review, as well as in cookbooks, travel anthologies, collections about passion, love, and The Best American Erotic Poems: 1800 – Present (from Scribner). Recently, he was nominated for two Pushcart Prizes and two Best of the Web Awards. His chapbook is What the Welsh and Chinese Have in Common. A manuscript of his poems crashed on the moon’s surface in 2019. Jones is Vice President of the Board of Trustees of the North Carolina Writers Network, a Board Member of the North Carolina Poetry Society, and a member of the Carrboro Poets Council. In November 2021, he was inducted into the NC State Computer Science Hall of Fame. For more, visit http://smalljones.com
Something Wonderful embodies a vast, intimate terrain. These poems listen back through lenses of nature, variations of joy, sorrow, mischief, surrender, death, and a few constellations of mystery in between. Paul Jones perches the reader in limbs that were empty choir lofts. From this vantage point of his lyrical universe we experience the space between dreams, new worlds created by old words spoken, odes to tubers, donuts, and the magical everydayness of where poetry lives and is sustained. Something Wonderful offers poetics that are accessible, language that stirs memory, and imagery that overflows cups meant to constrain. This new collection by Paul Jones makes us swoon to a song about “a world where nothing that is cut bleeds.”
January through April
Actors portray characters from Carl Sandburg’s Rootabaga Story “Three Boys with Jugs of Molasses and Secret Ambitions.”
NPS Photo
Educators in grades 3-12 are invited to submit original poems written by their students in February. The poems will be judged and winners announced in April. Find the 2022 Poetry Contest Information and submission guidelines here. The theme “Ambition” is from one of Carl Sandburg’s Rootabaga Stories, to celebrate it’s 100th year of being published. “An ambition…creeps in your heart night and day, singing a little song, ‘Come and find me, come and find me.”
Students are invited to submit a poem to Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site’s annual Student Poetry Contest. The contest encourages youth to explore writing their own poetry, and is open to students nationwide!
Submissions are accepted from grades 3-12 and must be postmarked by March 1, 2022. See below for submission rules.
Winners will be notified by April 8, 2022, and will be invited to participate in a special virtual program on April 22.
2022 Contest Rules
Theme – “Ambition”
Carl Sandburg wrote millions of words reflecting on the American experience of the 20th century. Though his words often focused on war, labor, and social injustice, as a father of three, he also wrote imaginative, zany, and fantastical children’s stories, called “Rootabaga Stories.” Carl Sandburg’s “Rootabaga Stories” were first published in 1922 and celebrate 100 years of entertaining readers of all ages this year. The theme “Ambition” is from one of these stories. “An ambition…creeps in your heart night and day, singing a little song, ‘Come and find me, come and find me.” Read the story here.
Poems submitted for the 2022 contest should reflect the theme of “Ambition.” By definition, a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work. Or setting goals to achieve success.
Submission Rules
- Poetry accepted from 3-12th grades only. Poems will be grouped for judging by 3-5th, 6-8th, and 9-12th.
- Poems must be submitted by a teacher (traditional classroom or homeschool teacher).
- No more than three poems per class. Teachers with multiple classes, can submit up to three poems per class period.
- Poem will be judged on its ability to communicate the theme.
- Poem can be written in any style, but must not exceed one-page in length. No illustrations.
- Poems must be typed, no handwritten entries, using standard computer fonts, like Times, Arial, etc…
- Do not place any identifying information (name, school, grade, etc…) on poem sheet, that will go on the accompanying submission form.
- Submission form must be complete to be accepted:
- Paperclipped to poem, no staples
- Must be signed by parent, student and teacher
- Submissions must be postmarked, faxed, or e-mailed to [email protected], by March 1, 2022. Emailed submissions must be docs, .pdfs or scans. Low resolution pictures of the submission will not be accepted.
Judging
Judges from the literary community will make the decision for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place within each grade category (3-5th, 6-8th, 9-12th).
Poetry Partners
The 2022 Poetry Contest is a result of tremendous community support including the Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara, and literary volunteers who serve as judges. Thank you.
Poetry Resources
You may also find curriculum resources to use in the classroom at the park’s website: www.nps.gov/carl/learn/education/index.htm.
Send Submissions to:
Carl Sandburg Home NHS
Attn: Poetry Contest
81 Carl Sandburg Lane
Flat Rock, North Carolina 28731
Fax 828-693-4179
Email: [email protected]
New year, new adventures! Buncombe County Public Libraries’ 2022 Winter Reading Challenge encourages young readers to explore diversity, empathy, and action through reading.
This year, we are exploring what animals do during the winter months with two distinct challenges for children and teens. Children will complete fun activities while learning fascinating facts about local Western North Carolina animals. Teens will navigate winter reading quests and take home a collectible postcard. Both challenges will encourage youth to enjoy the winter season together in a screen-free, socially distanced way. These free activity sheets are designed with kids and teens in mind, but everyone is invited to participate.
Beginning Jan. 4, pick up a Winter Reading Activity Sheet from any Buncombe County Public Library. Warm up your winter with our reading challenge, and we’ll see you at the library.
The club will meet virtually during the Covid-19 pandemic. If you are interested in attending, please email [email protected] for instructions about how to attend the club event.
Join host Tena Frank for Malaprop’s Mystery Book Club! Click here to see a full schedule of what the club is reading. Club attendees get 10% off the book at Malaprop’s!
The club meets at Malaprop’s on the second Monday of every month at 7:00 pm.
January through April
Actors portray characters from Carl Sandburg’s Rootabaga Story “Three Boys with Jugs of Molasses and Secret Ambitions.”
NPS Photo
Educators in grades 3-12 are invited to submit original poems written by their students in February. The poems will be judged and winners announced in April. Find the 2022 Poetry Contest Information and submission guidelines here. The theme “Ambition” is from one of Carl Sandburg’s Rootabaga Stories, to celebrate it’s 100th year of being published. “An ambition…creeps in your heart night and day, singing a little song, ‘Come and find me, come and find me.”
Students are invited to submit a poem to Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site’s annual Student Poetry Contest. The contest encourages youth to explore writing their own poetry, and is open to students nationwide!
Submissions are accepted from grades 3-12 and must be postmarked by March 1, 2022. See below for submission rules.
Winners will be notified by April 8, 2022, and will be invited to participate in a special virtual program on April 22.
2022 Contest Rules
Theme – “Ambition”
Carl Sandburg wrote millions of words reflecting on the American experience of the 20th century. Though his words often focused on war, labor, and social injustice, as a father of three, he also wrote imaginative, zany, and fantastical children’s stories, called “Rootabaga Stories.” Carl Sandburg’s “Rootabaga Stories” were first published in 1922 and celebrate 100 years of entertaining readers of all ages this year. The theme “Ambition” is from one of these stories. “An ambition…creeps in your heart night and day, singing a little song, ‘Come and find me, come and find me.” Read the story here.
Poems submitted for the 2022 contest should reflect the theme of “Ambition.” By definition, a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work. Or setting goals to achieve success.
Submission Rules
- Poetry accepted from 3-12th grades only. Poems will be grouped for judging by 3-5th, 6-8th, and 9-12th.
- Poems must be submitted by a teacher (traditional classroom or homeschool teacher).
- No more than three poems per class. Teachers with multiple classes, can submit up to three poems per class period.
- Poem will be judged on its ability to communicate the theme.
- Poem can be written in any style, but must not exceed one-page in length. No illustrations.
- Poems must be typed, no handwritten entries, using standard computer fonts, like Times, Arial, etc…
- Do not place any identifying information (name, school, grade, etc…) on poem sheet, that will go on the accompanying submission form.
- Submission form must be complete to be accepted:
- Paperclipped to poem, no staples
- Must be signed by parent, student and teacher
- Submissions must be postmarked, faxed, or e-mailed to [email protected], by March 1, 2022. Emailed submissions must be docs, .pdfs or scans. Low resolution pictures of the submission will not be accepted.
Judging
Judges from the literary community will make the decision for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place within each grade category (3-5th, 6-8th, 9-12th).
Poetry Partners
The 2022 Poetry Contest is a result of tremendous community support including the Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara, and literary volunteers who serve as judges. Thank you.
Poetry Resources
You may also find curriculum resources to use in the classroom at the park’s website: www.nps.gov/carl/learn/education/index.htm.
Send Submissions to:
Carl Sandburg Home NHS
Attn: Poetry Contest
81 Carl Sandburg Lane
Flat Rock, North Carolina 28731
Fax 828-693-4179
Email: [email protected]
Looking for a good read? Buncombe County Public Libraries have virtual and in-person book clubs every month and all readers are welcome. Book clubs are free and open to everyone, but you do need to register to get the zoom password for an online meeting. Locate any of these book clubs on the library calendar to sign up and join the discussion.
Weaverville Library Evening Book Club – The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
Tuesday, Jan. 4 at 6 p.m.
Weaverville Library Afternoon Book Club – All You Can Ever Know: A Memoir by Nicole Chung
Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 3 p.m.
Swannanoa Book Club – Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Thursday, Jan. 6 at 4 p.m.
East Asheville Book Club – The 100 Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin
Thursday, Jan. 6 at 6:30 p.m.
Leicester Book Club – The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi
Tuesday, Jan. 11 at 1 p.m. (in person at the library)
Tuesday, Jan. 18 at 1 p.m. (online)
Pack Library Book Club – Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
Wednesday, Jan. 13 at 10:30 a.m.
Black Experience Book Club – Quicksand by Nella Larsen
Thursday, Jan. 13 at 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 27 at 6:30 p.m.
Fairview Evening Book Club – Cousins: Connected Through Slavery, a Black Woman and a White Woman Discover Their Past by Betty Kilby
Tuesday, Jan. 18 at 7 p.m.
New year, new adventures! Buncombe County Public Libraries’ 2022 Winter Reading Challenge encourages young readers to explore diversity, empathy, and action through reading.
This year, we are exploring what animals do during the winter months with two distinct challenges for children and teens. Children will complete fun activities while learning fascinating facts about local Western North Carolina animals. Teens will navigate winter reading quests and take home a collectible postcard. Both challenges will encourage youth to enjoy the winter season together in a screen-free, socially distanced way. These free activity sheets are designed with kids and teens in mind, but everyone is invited to participate.
Beginning Jan. 4, pick up a Winter Reading Activity Sheet from any Buncombe County Public Library. Warm up your winter with our reading challenge, and we’ll see you at the library.