Published to promote the literary arts in Kentucky, compliments of Wind Publications www.windpub.com/books. 

Kentucky Literary News

Now in its 7th year and with more than 1,800 subscribers.

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Fri May 16-17 -- BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL OF BOOKS  
www.bluegrassfestivalofbooks.com  This year's festival will be held at Joseph Beth Booksellers and the adjacent Hilton Suites located at Lexington Green. Friday May 16th, from 5:00 to 9:00pm and on Saturday May 17th from 9:00am to 5:00pm. 
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Sat May 17 -- Mason County Pub Library -- Sam Bevard, author and newspaper columnist, will read and sign books, Beginning Again: Opening Day and Other Tales, Through the Back Gate, at 900 a.m.
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Sat May 17-- Berea -- Steven Hammond will take part in the Madison County Authorfest at the new Madison County Public Library, 319 Chestnut Street from 2:00-5:00pm, followed by an authors' reception at 5:00pm. Hammond will read from his book Looking Beyond the Mountains.
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Sat May 17 -- Lexington -- The Carnegie Center offers a seminar, "Paths to Publication."  Noon until 2:00pm, $25 fee. 

Sun May 25 -- Join host Bill Goodman on KET's "ONE TO ONE" as he interviews Steve Flairty, author of Kentucky's Everyday Heroes: Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things, a compilation of essays about Kentuckians who have overcome great challenges in their daily lives. 2:00pm (1:00pm CT), KET1. For more information about the book, see www.windpub.com/books/.  
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Fri May 30 - Jun 1 -- New Haven -- Retreat at Bethany Spring (located one mile from the Abbey of Gethsemani).  Way-Marks: Writing and Contemplative Living.  Participants will reflect on ways in which they can creatively communicate their inner experiences to others as a means of continuing their personal search for truth and beauty. Story-telling, ritual and quiet are among the elements of this retreat with Rusty C. Moe, psychotherapist and author of Our Presence Together in Chaos, Where God Learns and Way-Marks: New Poems. Contact The Merton Institute For Contemplative Living for more information,  502-899-1991, 800-886-7275, vhurst@mertoninstitute.org.
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Sat May 31 -- Lexington -- The Carnegie Center presents a seminar "Writing as a Vocation."  10:30am until noon, $25.00.  251 West Second Street.  Hear the experiences and advice of a panel of writers who have answered that calling. Author and Murray State MFA Instructor Lynn Pruett, Herald-Leader Editorial Page Editor Vanessa J. Gallman, Director of Spalding¹s BFA program in Creative Writing Merle Bachman, and Carnegie Center Writer-in-Residence Neil Chethik will field questions and share insights about the life, tools, and options of writing as a vocation. To register or to learn more about this and other Saturday Seminars at the Carnegie Center, call (859) 254-4175 or visit www.carnegieliteracy.org
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Sat May 31 -- Lexington -- The Carnegie Center presents Sybil Baker Stern as she reads and signs her new novel, Skeeter’s Gold.  Reception 12:30pm. Public reading 1:00pm.  251 West Second Street, (859) 254-4175
www.carnegieliteracy.org  
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Sun Jun 1 -- Louisville -- Carmichael's Bookstore hosts Alison Weir, on tour with her newest novel, The Lady Elizabeth. Weir has penned numerous award-winning biographies of British monarchs -- including Henry VIII, Mary Queen of Scots and Eleanor of Aquitaine -- that succeed on both literary and intellectual levels. The Chicago Tribune says, “Alison Weir has perfected the art of bringing history to life.”  4:00pm, 2720 Frankfort Avenue, 502-896-6950
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Jun 12-22 -- International Mystery Writers Festival -- Owensboro  http://newmysteries.org
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Jul 25-28 -- Owensboro -- Kentucky's Retreat for Women Writers at Kentucky Wesleyan College.  www.kwc.edu
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Sat Sep 13 -- Franklin, TN -- Lee Gutkind, author, editor and professor, will teach the 5 R's of Creative Non-Fiction at an all-day workshop in Franklin, Tennessee, just outside Nashville. In 1997, Vanity Fair proclaimed Gutkind "the godfather" behind the creative non-fiction movement -- an indisputable force whose efforts have helped make the genre the fastest growing in the publishing industry. For more information see www.cww-writers.org or call 615-591-2947.
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Join the Pikeville Public Library for “Book Talks” on alternating Mondays at 5:00pm. The next meeting is scheduled for Monday May 12th. Authors interested in making a presentation are invited to schedule a presentation or review of your book during “Book Talks.”  Contact Charlene Hopkins at 606-432-1285 or email Charlene@pikelibrary.org   
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Acclaimed travel writer Pico Iyer is set to headline Spalding University’s Festival of Contemporary Writing, May 24-30. Iyer, author of a new book chronicling his decades-long dialogue with the Dalai Lama, will speak at 5:30 p.m. May 30 at the Brown Hotel. Iyer’s talk, “Making Sense of the Global Neighborhood,” draws on his experiences traveling the world to address the questions How can we make good on the promise of a “global family”? How much do we share, in the middle of what so obviously divides us? And how can we craft a new kind of prose that can cross borders easily and draw on many inheritances all at once? A book signing follows the presentation. The event is free and open to the public.
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Kate Buckley is winner of the 2008 James Hearst Poetry Prize from the North American Review.  Buckley, a ninth generation Kentucky native, currently lives in Laguna Beach, California. She was educated at Transylvania University and the University of Kentucky.  Molly Peacock, who selected Buckley's book, A Wild Region: Poems & Paintings, for the Hearst prize, said,  "A ribbon of Appalachia winds through Kate Buckley’s vigorous voice in her debut collection of poems...." adding that it is a "pleasure to welcome this book of poems."
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Join host Bill Goodman on KET's "ONE TO ONE" as he interviews Steve Flairty, author of Kentucky's Everyday Heroes: Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things, a compilation of essays about Kentuckians who have overcome great challenges in their daily lives. For more information about the
book, see www.windpub.com/books/. The interview airs twice in May: Sun May 25, 2/1 pm CT, KET1;
Tue May 27, 7:30/6:30 pm CT, KET2
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A Room Of Her Own Foundation is dedicated to helping women artists achieve the privacy and financial support necessary to pursue their art. Toward this end, the foundation annually provides an award of $50,000 to a woman writer. The foundation's 2009 Literary Gift of Freedom Award will be given to an American woman writer who is a U.S. citizen and will be living in the U.S. during the  grant period. Acceptable genres for this grant are poetry, playwriting, creative nonfiction, and fiction. The program requires a $35.00 application fee. Visit the foundation's Web site for complete program guidelines. www.aroomofherown.org
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International Mystery Writers Festival -- Owensboro, June 12-22  http://newmysteries.org 
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Kentucky State Poetry Society annual contests
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Access To The Arts -- Something we ought to consider --  http://www.accesstothearts.org/ 
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Lexington's Carnegie Center is accepting entries for their "Next Great Writers" competition.  For details see www.carnegieliteracy.org
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The Midway Writer's Workshop facilitated by Crystal Wilkinson will be held May 24, June 6 and 7, and July 19 from 10am to 4pm at 105 S. Winter Street in Midway. Classes include Ready to Write. May 24. $75; Two-Day Master Fiction. June 6,7. $200; and Short Story Saturday: The Art of the Story. July 19. $150. All workshops will be limited to 6-10 participants per day. For more information or to register, email MIDWAYWORKSHOP@aol.com
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Bernheim Forest Writers Workshop -- Dianne Aprile and Jeff Fearnside will lead a weekend contemplative writing workshop in the intimate setting of a rustic house in Bernheim Forest, May 17-18.  Participants will stay overnight at The Bean House, a private two-story home in a wooded area near streams and walking paths. The tranquil nature of Bernheim will allow writers time and space for solitude in order to create their own reflective writing on nature, spirituality and other topics. The focus will be on producing short pieces, either finished or ready to be incorporated into longer works. Poets and prose writers, alike, may apply. Sleeping spots (bunk beds) in the house are limited. However, commuters are welcome, and other accommodations are available in nearby Bardstown. The workshop, which will include four meals, costs $250. For more information, or to apply by email with attached samples of your work: dian@sheaf.win.net
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A prize of $1,000 and publication will be awarded by Finishing Line Press for a chapbook-length poetry collection.  www.finishinglinepress.com 
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Coming Up Green is a series of programs at the Carroll County Public Library focusing on our relationship to the natural world.  
May 21 --  "Burley Coulter's Fortunate Fall" read by Wendell Berry.  All programs begin at 6:30 p.m.  Contact Jarrett Boyd (502-732-7020 or jarrett@carrollcountylibrary.org) for info
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Registration is now open for the Kentucky Retreat for Women Writers, July 25-28, 2008, at Kentucky Wesleyan College.  www.kwc.edu
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The Mountain Heritage Literary Festival, June 13-15, directed by Silas House at Lincoln Memorial University, is currently accepting registrations. Staff members include Kate Larken, George Ella Lyon, Maurice Manning, Mark Powell, Julia Watts, and others.  Keynote speaker is Lee Smith.  Special musical guest is Sheila Kay Adams. To find out more and to download the registration page please visit www.lmunet.edu/mhlf
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The Clay County Reading Celebration -- This year’s Celebration will be held on Friday, May 9 from 5-8pm at Goose Rock Elementary School outside Manchester. The Reading Celebration draws over 3,000 people each year. This year’s theme is "A Decade of Success." They will have an Authors’ Row for authors who would like the opportunity to sign and sell their books and help promote the literary arts. Participants will receive a Reading Celebration T-shirt, a wonderful supper and all the free popcorn you can eat. Information from Judy Sizemore circuit@prtcnet.org
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Bookclub@KET is a discussion of books by Kentucky authors, hosted by Bill Goodman on Kentucky Educational Television.  Transcripts and streaming videos of selected past broadcasts are available on the KET website, as well as the Bookclub broadcast schedule -- ket.org/bookclub/schedule.htm. 
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A story by Wendell Berry in Harper's. 
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A conversation with poet Stephen Dunn. Interview by Aaron Rench.  Books&Culture
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White Cargo  by Don Jordan and Michael Walsh. Reviewed by Joyce Hor-chung Lau.  Were America’s first slaves white? This book says they were. 
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NEW BOOK -- Elizabeth Madox Roberts: Essays of Reassessment and Reclamation (Wind), the first book-length collection of critical essays to deal with the life and work of Roberts. In her time, Roberts' books received outstanding literary and popular acclaim. This book attempts to redress the neglect of a writer whom many believe to be one of the most important Kentucky--and Southern and American--writers. http://emrsociety.blogspot.com/ 
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Poet Gary Snyder is the winner of the 2008 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize. Established in 1986 and presented annually by the Poetry Foundation, the award is one of the most prestigious given to American poets, and at $100,000 it is one of the nation's largest literary awards. Christian Wiman, editor of Poetry magazine and chair of the selection committee, made the announcement today. The prize will be presented at an evening ceremony at the Arts Club of Chicago on Thursday, May 29.
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The Southern Appalachian Writers Cooperative (SAWC) has published a collection of Rita Riddle's poetry, All There Is to Keep.  Since Rita’s death in the fall of 2006, colleagues, fellow writers, former students, and family have worked together to revise and edit Rita’s last collection of over 60 poems. SAWC, a group of writers to which Rita belonged, has contributed funds toward publication of the book in cooperation with Iris Press. Even if you never knew Rita, you'll appreciate this book that Jack Higgs describes as "utterly astonishing" and Diane Gilliam calls "a refusal to everyday amnesia."  All proceeds from the sale of All There Is to Keep will be donated to an Radford University creative writing student in honor of Rita. http://www.sawc.us 
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The Kentucky Literary Awards were presented April 19th at the Southern Kentucky Bookfest. The poetry winner was Davis McCombs for Dismal Rock. Poetry finalist was Maurice Manning for Bucolics. The fiction winner was Garry Barker for Kentucky Waltz. Fiction finalists were Billy C. Clark for To Find a Birdsong and Normandi Ellis for Fresh-fleshed Sisters. The non-fiction winner was Robert Morgan for Boone: A Biography. Non-fiction finalist was Frederick Smock for Pax Intrantibus. Herald-Dispatch
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Cora Seaman's new book about Appalachia (Sandy Hook, Ky) is entitled Emily's Quest. 
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Ellen Birkett Morris is a recipient of a 2008 grant from the Elizabeth George Foundation to develop a book of poetry based on her family history.  Morris will lead a seminar “Paths to Publication” at the Carnegie Center in Lexington on May 17. For more details see www.carnegieliteracy.org.
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REVIEW -- Wild Nights! Stories About the Last Days of Poe, Dickinson, Twain, James, and Hemingway  by Joyce Carol Oates. 238 pp. Ecco/HarperCollins Publishers. $24.95.  NYTimes 
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NEW SOUTH BOOKS -- A former shoe factory on South Court Street in Montgomery, Ala., is the 8-year-old company's headquarters. Its second home is the neat, book-filled home office of Suzanne La Rosa in the St. Matthews area of Louisville. Courier-Journal
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Happenings at the Tates Creek Branch, Lexington Public Library -- 
Men’s Book Group -- Light refreshments, good conversation, and great books. Group meets the fourth Wednesday of every month 7:30-8:30pm to discuss both fiction and nonfiction books on a wide range of topics. Call Chuck Pratt at 859-231-5580. For Adults.
Book Brunch: Book Discussion Group -- April 17, 2008; 9:30-11:00am. Meets the third Thursday of each month. Call Heather Prichard at 231-5580 for more information. For Adults, reservations required -- 859-231-5580. 
My Memoirs: writing your personal history -- Meets 2nd Thursday each month from 1:30-2:30pm.
For Adults, reservations required - (859) 231-5580. 
Write Here, Write Now: Teen Creative Writing Workshop Series -- Mondays June 2nd to July 28th 3:00-4:00pm. A writing workshop series for teens and tweens ages 11-15 years old. Contact Heather Prichard for more information 859-231-5580.
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Friday Writers Group is accepting new members, serious writers who want to share their work and assistance with other writers. They meet weekly at 5pm in the St. Matthews area.  502-896-2612 or 502-454-7218.
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Unsung Patriot: How the Stars and Stripes Began by Virginia Vassallo is a biography of Guy T. Vikniskki, founder of Stars and Stripes newspaper. The book was awarded second place in the best biography category in the Reader Views Annual Literary Awards 2007.
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When writing his acclaimed book, Lost Mountain: A Year in the Vanishing Wilderness, Erik Reece spent a year studying strip mining and its effect on the environment and surrounding communities. His experiences compelled him to produce a second work that celebrates the vanishing landscape, and the result is Field Work: Modern Poems from Eastern Forests, an anthology of nature writing. Field Work is an impressive collection of verse from a diverse array of writers who have always shared their love of nature with readers, such as Denise Levertov, Hayden Carruth, James Wright, A.R. Ammons, and Mary Oliver, as well as Kentuckians James Still, Jim Wayne Miller, James Baker Hall, Richard Taylor, Davis McCombs, and Wendell Berry.
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The Sporran (Butler Books, 275 pp., $17.95), a
children's fantasy-adventure by Louisville author G.L.
Gregg, has recently received high praise from The
University Bookman. According to Bookman's associate editor, "Gregg masterfully weaves suspense, drama, and mystery through an ancient setting peppered with modern reminders and the typical exploits of middle school students." 
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In her new novel, Calling Home, Janna McMahan reminds us that a "bad judgment call when you're just a kid shouldn't ruin the rest of your life."  Review in the Courier-Journal.
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Sat Sep 13 -- Franklin, TN --  Lee Gutkind, author, editor and professor, will teach the 5 R's of Creative Non-Fiction at an all-day workshop in Franklin, TN, just outside Nashville. In 1997, Vanity Fair proclaimed Gutkind "the godfather" behind the creative non-fiction movement -- an indisputable force whose efforts have helped make the genre the fastest growing in the publishing industry.  An early registration discount is available.  For more information see www.cww-writers.org or call 615- 591-2947.
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Hindman -- 31st Appalachian Writers Workshop (July 27-Aug 1) at Hindman Settlement School. This year the Workshop will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Harriette Simpson Arnow’s birth. For further info visit www.HindmanSettlement.org or call 606-785-5475. Applications must be postmarked no later than May 16, 2008. Participation limited to 75-80 people.
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Opportunity for students to be published -- MotesBooks announces an extended submissions deadline for its upcoming anthology We All Live Downstream: Young Americans Reflect on Mountaintop Removal.  Submissions will be accepted until May 1.  Before submitting, young writers should read complete guidelines at www.MotesBooks.com
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Here's a children's book I'd like to read.  Ain’t Nothing but a Man is the tale of a detective chasing the ultimate cold case -- a missing person who may or may not be fictional. The book is a children’s version of  Steel Drivin’ Man: John Henry: The Untold Story of an American Legend, Nelson’s prizewinning 2006 book for grown-ups.  NYTimes
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Call for Manuscripts -- Lexington's Carnegie Center's Next Great Writers Competition -- Writers may submit manuscripts of fiction or nonfiction prose (up to 12 double-spaced pages) or poetry (up to 5 poems). See www.carnegieliteracy.org/writers.htm for further information.
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Kentucky author Blaine Staat's new novel is What So Proudly We Hailed, from Linear Wave Publishing.
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New book by Charles Upton -- Folk Metaphysics: Mystical Meanings in Traditional Folk Songs and Spirituals
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Spring Writers Workshop for Seniors hosted by j.camille cultural academy, Saturday April 5th, from 9:00am until noon at the Holiday Inn Downtown, 120 West Broadway, Louisville. There is a $30 fee for the coffee mixter, full breakfast, handouts, and gratuity. You can submit an optional manuscript up to 500 words before the workshop.  For guidelines or to RSVP call Charlet Johnson at (502) 937-2776 or log on to www.judithcamille.com
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The 29th Kentucky Women Writers Conference is scheduled for Sept. 11-13, 2008 in Lexington and will feature Joyce Carol Oates delivering the keynote address and poet Natasha Trethewey. Trethewey is the winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for her third book of poetry, Native Guard. A native of Gulfport, Miss. Trethewey also has roots in Kentucky, her parents having met at Kentucky State University. A complete schedule of the 2008 Kentucky Women Writers Conference and related events will be made available at www.thewomenwritersconference.org as the information becomes available. Contact Julie Wrinn, conference director, at (859) 257-2874
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Free Press Action Alert -- click here to help override the FCC's consolidation of the media. Only 60 days until congress votes to approve or reject the FCC's gift to Big Media. If you've been following this, you'll know that the FCC has been holding public hearings all across the US during the last year, in which they have completely ignored the US citizens' overwhelming opposition to this rule proposed by Bush's pro-big-business FCC appointees. 
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Night Singer: The Collected Poems of Frank D. Moore has just been published by Little Miami Press in Cincinnati.  Moore, from Traveller's Rest in Owsley County, about which he often wrote, died in Santa Fe in 2005. For copies contact rainey531@fuse.net.
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Billy Edwards, featured in Kentucky's Everyday Heroes, is cited in the Henderson Gleaner.
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An interesting article about Wikipedia, the on-line encyclopedia to which anyone may contribute.  NY Review of Books
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A Walk in Search of Meaning: Discovering God's Pathway Through Nature, by Dick Watkins, is a collection of narratives on the theme of discerning God’s presence while communing with nature. The 115-page book is based on the author’s experiences of hiking, backpacking, trout fishing, and observing wildflowers in southern Appalachia. It is available at your local bookstore, Amazon.com, or Serenity Mountain Press (PO Box 5722, Frankfort, KY 40602; $10.00 plus $2.00 shipping
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New from David Robert Books -- Second Opinion, a collection of poems by Leatha Kendrick.
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New from Wind Publications -- Persistence of Vision, a collection of poems by Lynn Shaffer, winner of the Morehead State University New Writers Award.
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Spalding MFA Faculty Asks Kentucky Writers to Donate Books for Cancer Patients.  In an effort to make literature by Kentucky writers readily available to cancer patients, Spalding University's brief-residency MFA program is asking for donations for the Kentucky Books for Patients Project. With support from the James Graham Brown Cancer Center and Louisville's University Hospital, this project will establish book collections in cancer centers of hospitals and clinics throughout the state. Writers are encouraged to donate their own work or the work of Kentucky writers they admire. Publishers are also encouraged to donate. Books may be sent or brought to the MFA office at Spalding University, 851 S. Fourth Street, Louisville, KY 40203 or Quills Coffee & Books, 1220 East Kentucky Street, Louisville, KY 40204. There is no deadline. For more information, contact Clint Morehead at kybooksforpatients@gmail.com or visit http://kybooksforpatients.blogspot.com.
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REVIEW -- Coal River: How a Few Brave Americans Took on a Powerful Company -- and the Federal Government -- to Save the Land They Love.  A narrative including "action such as standoffs between miner families and out-of-state demonstrators, courtroom arguments in which the very existences of waterways are at stake, bought judicial elections; grass-roots organizing, and brief character sketches of the principal and minor players. If the tale being told were not so tragic, it would be an invigorating, edge-of-your-seat story."   Herald-Leader
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NEW from Wind Publications --- Kentucky's Everyday Heroes: Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things by Steve Flairty, foreword by David Dick.  Stories of your neighbors and mine, ordinary people doing heroic deeds for family, community, and the nation.
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Vienna, 1814: How the Conquerors of Napoleon Made Love, War, and Peace at the Congress of Vienna, a new book by David King, has been selected by the History Book Club and the Military Book Club, and it will be an audiobook as well. 
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Call for submissions to OldCityCool.com -- 10th issue due out in Spring 2008 -- Deadline March 15.  Founded in Louisville, KY over four years ago, has grown to include submissions from all over the world!  Now accepting submissions from emerging writers and emerging visual artists.  For details, visit the web site at www.oldcitycool.com.
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MotesBooks of Louisville announces the release of The Well String, a collection of poems by Noel Smith. The book is set in Appalachia, a place Smith calls "this soft country of tough harvests," and spans more than 100 years with the fictional Caton family. For more information, visit www.MotesBooks.com.
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Literary Grants and Awards Submission Calendar from Poets & Writers magazine.  
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More Heroes Wanted -- Steve Flairty, author of Wind Publication's newly-released Kentucky's Everyday Heroes: Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things, is seeking hero nominations for a follow-up book. Heroes should be living Kentuckians, each having courageously overcome extreme personal challenges and/or who have modeled noble, daily sacrifice for the welfare of others. Nominees should not be generally well-known, except to people in their own locales.  Contact Steve Flairty, 2170 Ft. Harrods Dr. #42, Lexington, KY 40513 or email him at steve.flairty@gmail.com
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New Voices Winners -- John Gage, host of Kentucky Homefront, and Michael Jackman, lecturer in writing at Indiana University Southeast, are pleased to announce the winners of the New Voices Contest: Jana Morgan, "Tessellations," poetry collection; Christie Baugher, "The Light," essay; Tina Leas, "Santa Stop Here," essay; and Lori Richie, "Spelling the Unwritten Language," essay. The winners will be featured on a Kentucky Homefront taping in front of a live audience. Kentucky Homefront airs each Wednesday at 8 p.m. on WFPK-FM Louisville.
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Big Bone Lick: The Cradle of American Paleontology, by Stanley Hedeen, recounts the history of the famous northern Kentucky fossil site that gave the world the first evidence of the extinction of several mammalian species -- a text that details both the significance of the fossil site and the development of the scientific study of paleontology.
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MotesBooks has issued a call for submissions for an anthology of student work to be published in 2008 on the topic of mountaintop removal mining (MTR). Submissions may be pro or con. The working title for this book is We All Live Downstream: Young Americans Reflect on Mountaintop Removal Mining. Submission deadline is May 1, 2008.  Students up to age 24 -- elementary, middle, high school, college -- are encouraged to submit. Various genres will be considered. Homeschoolers are also welcome to participate.  Before submitting anything, read complete guidelines at www.MotesBooks.com.
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Check out the Carnegie Center's new blog.
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Kathy Skaggs has a new chapbook of poetry out. The Poet Laureate of People Who Hate Poetry is available at: www.thetimegarden.com
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Beverle Graves Myers, author of the Baroque Mystery series that mixes murder and music in 18th-century Venice, announces the March 15 release of her latest novel, The Iron Tongue of Midnight. More information available at http://www.beverlegravesmyers.com
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Judith Hensley's Terrible Tina is a new children's book about friendship and the power of kindness.   www.judithhensley.com 
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Many newspapers have created sections of their Web sites that solicit and display readers' photographs. Such sections help increase Web traffic on the sites. The Independent in Ashland, Ky., has seen its photo section start to become an artistic showcase. Rural Blog
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Lexington's Carnegie Center has begun to plan the upcoming New Books by Great Writers series, and they want your input!  Do you know of a Kentucky author with a new book (less than a year old or forthcoming publication)?  Send your suggestion to jmattox@carnegieliteracy.org.
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New Book -- The Parrot Reckonings: A Humorous Look at Real Life with Birds  by Marguerite Floyd.
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Bohannon's Books in Georgetown hosts several book discussion groups.  For information phone 502-863-3003.
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Full Moon: The Melessa Moon Poems by Gary Walton (Finishing Line Press ISBN: 978-1-59924; $12.00) has been nominated for a 2008 Kentucky Literary Award. It is available on line at www.finishinglinepress.com. The poet X. J. Kennedy has said "In Full Moon, arch satirist Gary Walton creates a delectable character likely to stick around indefinitely: the beautiful, pretentious scribbler Melissa Moon" and the poet Harry Brown has said that "'the beautiful playwright' is a delightful mixture of philosopher, aged seductress, sibyl, and wit."
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New Women's Voices Chapbook Competition -- A prize of $1,000 and publication will be awarded by Finishing Line Press for a chapbook-length poetry collection. Open to women who have never before published a full-length poetry collection. Previous chapbook publication does not disqualify. All entries will be considered for publication. The top-ten finalists will be offered publication and will be included in the New Women's Voices Series. Submit up to 26 pages of poetry, plus bio, acknowledgments, SASE and cover letter with a $15 entry fee by deadline: Feb. 15, 2008 postmark.  www.finishinglinepress.com
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And All the Layered Light: Last Poems  by Charles Semones, NewSouth Books, Montgomery and Louisville, 143 pages, $14.95. Available from the publisher at Post Office Box 1588, Montgomery, AL 36102, from Amazon.com, and from area bookstores.
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Jan Watson's second novel, Willow Springs, has been selected as one of the "Best Books of 2007" by the Library Journal. Willow Springs is listed in the Inspirational Fiction category and is a sequel to Troublesome Creek.
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University Press of Kentucky plans to publish a biography of Elizabeth Hardwick.  Dr. Sonya Jones, Honors Program Faculty, the University of Kentucky, would like to hear from writers who knew or had contact with Elizabeth Hardwick.  Information pertaining to other writers in Hardwick's generation would be appreciated.  Please contact Dr. Jones at drjones@jonesfoundation.net or cellular 606-875-2967. 
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Inside Iraq is a blog updated by Iraqi journalists working for McClatchy Newspapers. They are based in Baghdad and outlying provinces. These are firsthand accounts of their experiences.
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Spalding University accepts applications year-round for its new BFA program in Creative Writing. The only creative writing BFA in the state, Spalding’s program is also unique in its interdisciplinary focus. In addition to a core of writing and literature courses, students take courses across disciplines, be they in liberal studies, psychology, or business (to name a few) – whatever their areas of interest.  For more information, contact Merle Bachman: mbachman@spalding.edu; 502-585-9911 x 2408; or Admissions at 502-585-7111.
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Attention Book Clubs -- MotesBooks, a Louisville publisher, continues to seek ways to connect with bookclubs everywhere as the MotesBooks discount pricing program (established in 2006) continues!  For all bookclubs who select a MotesBooks title for discussion, multiple-copies can be purchased at deep discount pricing when ordering the books directly from the publisher.  For more information on this program, contact MotesBooks at ask@MotesBooks.com
Wind Publications offers a similar discount policy for bookclubs. http://windpub.com/books. E-mail info@windpub.com for pricing.
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Bruce Hopkins writes a regular column for Blue Ridge Traditions.  His current column discusses The Big Sandy River and factors such as mountaintop removal mining which are rapidly leading to the death of the waterway. www.brtraditions.com/bruce_hopkins.htm 
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Book Sales in Kentucky
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The ArtCroft Foundation, a non-profit organization benefiting creative individuals and the community, is located on 400 acres of rolling hills near Carlisle, Kentucky. ArtCroft’s Residency Program hosts artists, writers, musicians, and other creative people for one to four weeks, working at their chosen craft in the inspiring and welcoming wilderness. ArtCroft’s Kentucky Writers Collection, an extensive library housed on the farm, is available for use by local ArtCroft members. For more information on ArtCroft, to apply for a residency, become a member, or to make your tax-deductible donation to support their programs, visit www.ArtCroft.org.
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Novelist and poet Elizabeth Madox Roberts  made Springfield, Kentucky, her home until her death in 1941. Springfield's renovated Opera House houses a collection of Roberts memorabilia. Some critics insist that Roberts' two best-known novels, The Time of Man and The Great Meadow,  invite comparison with the work of our country's greatest writers. Learn about the Elizabeth Madox Roberts Society at http://www.emrsociety.com/  
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Amazon.com's semi-secret customer service phone number is revealed (800-201-7575) thanks to Brad Grimes of PC World. But now that we know it, they'll probably change it.   PC World  
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The Poetic Bandit -- One of the US's most interesting stagecoach robbers was Black Bart, the Gentleman Bandit, C.E. Bolton or Boles, a resident of San Francisco in the 1870s. His usual practice was to leave the bay city on the evening boat for Stockton. Arriving in the river town the following morning, he'd walk forty miles into the mountains by night time. The next day he'd rob a stagecoach, leaving a “poem” containing some humor and an occasional vulgar line. He became known as the poetic robber and signed his poems "Po8." 
 
     I've labored long and hard for bread
     For honor and for riches
     But on my corns too long you've tread
     You fine-haired sons of bitches.
               -- Black Bart, the Po8 
  
Finally captured, he was sentenced to San Quentin Prison for six years, but he was released after four years for good behavior. Reporters swarmed around him when he was released. They asked if he was going to rob any more stagecoaches. "No gentlemen," he replied, "I'm all through with crime." Another reporter asked if he would write more poetry. He laughed, "Didn't you hear me say that I'm through with crime?" 
www.sptddog.com/sotp/bbpo8.html