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Written by Administrator
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Tuesday, 25 March 2008 20:51 |
North Carolina’s Michael Chitwood will share the voices of mill villages at 3 p.m. April 13, at St. Stephens Branch Library, 3225 Springs Rd. NE. His appearance is made possible by Friends of Catawba County Library. Copies of his books will be available from Waldenbooks, and light refreshments will be served.
A product of the Virginia Piedmont, Chitwood is no stranger to textile mills. For 30 years, his father worked for the J. P. Stevens Company and the poet himself spent two summers in the mill, too. The large brick buildings take him back to his youth where he can still conjure up the noise of Draper looms thrashing. It is only natural that he would write about mill life.
Today Chitwood is a full-time visiting lecturer at UNC Chapel Hill, freelance writer and commentator on National Public Radio. Born and raised in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, he is a graduate of Emory & Henry College and the University of Virginia. Ohio Review Books has published two books of his poetry—Salt Works (1992) and Whet (1995). His third book, The Weave Room, was published by The University of Chicago Press in 1998. His collection of essays, Hitting Below the Bible Belt, was also published that year.
Chitwood’s book reviews and articles have appeared in newspapers and magazines including the Greensboro News & Record, Charlotte Observer and the Raleigh News & Observer magazine
The reading supports the BIG Read literacy project for 2008: The Bridge by Doug Marlette, a novel that focuses on the General Textile Strike of 1934 in North Carolina. More information about The BIG Read project is available on-line at www.thebigread.net
Friends of Catawba County Library is a support resource and community liaison for the library system and sponsors author readings and other events. Proceeds from the annual book sale and other fundraisers have been used for programming and to enhance the collection system-wide. The group welcomes interested members of the community. For more information call 465-8292.
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Hat's Off!
| . . .whose new book Family Bible, (University of Iowa Press) was just released this month. Poets & Writers Magazine is running an interview with her in the upcoming May/June issue in their "Firsts" feature. The Durham newspaper is running a review on April 20. |
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