BURNSVILLE – The Carolina Mountains Literary Festival, which encompasses
more than 50 open and ticketed events, takes place Sept. 10-12 in downtown
Burnsville.
This
year’s theme is “Our Earth … Our Time … Our Space.” All authors and presenters
relate in some way to this earth-based focus. About 25 writers will
participate, representing a variety of genres, such as fiction, nonfiction,
memoir, art and poetry.
The festival began
in 2006 and celebrates its 10th year by releasing a special anthology of
authors who have appeared at the event. The book, titled Carolina Mountains
Literary Festival Anthology: A Celebration of Ten Festivals, is $15 and will be sold exclusively
at the festival.
The
festivities begin Thursday, Sept. 10, at 7 p.m. with the world premiere
screening of First in Forestry: Carl
Schenck and The Biltmore Forest School. The documentary, produced by Paul
Bonesteel of Bonesteel Films in Asheville, examines the impact that America’s
first forestry school had on our nation.
On
Friday, workshops, readings, discussions and signings begin at 9 a.m. and
continue until 5:30 p.m. A ticketed banquet follows at 7 p.m. with keynote speaker
Jay Erskine Leutze, author of Stand Up
That Mountain. Leutze wrote the book about his experience working with a
community to protect land along the Appalachian Trail from a mining company.
Workshops and
sessions continue Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Author Marci Spencer leads
a midday hike to Green Knob Fire Tower to discuss her book, Pisgah National Forest: A History. The
closing event, “In Conversation with Barbara Kingsolver and Ann Patchett,” is 6:30
p.m. Saturday. Kingsolver received the National Humanities Medal in 2000.
Patchett is an award-winning author of six novels and three books of
nonfiction.
“The
diversity of the authors who come makes the festival special,” says Kathy
Weisfeld, program chair. “Authors say it is the friendliest festival they
attend. They read, go to other sessions and mingle with the attendees.”
Carolina
Mountains Literary Festival is headquartered at Burnsville Town Center, but events
take place throughout town. For the complete list of participating authors and
schedule of events, visit www.cmlitfest.org. For lodging info, go to www.ExploreBurnsville.com.
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- a press release
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