Author Sandy Benson will be the featured reader for the June gathering of Mountain Wordsmiths. The group will meet Thursday morning, June 22, at 10:30 via Zoom. The event is sponsored by North Carolina Writers’ Network-West.
Benson is a retired forester with a solid background in journalism. Her education includes a Bachelor of Science in Forestry from Northern Arizona University; post graduate work in English, business, and journalism; a Master’s Degree in Organizational Management (Natural Resources) from Chadron State College in Nebraska; and an honorary degree from the School of Hard Knocks on campuses across the American west and high plains.
Since the mid-1970s she has worked as a forester in Arizona, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, and Nebraska, while moonlighting as a reporter, editor, publisher, and freelance non-fiction writer. Numerous newspapers and magazines have published her articles, and she received several awards from the Nebraska Press Women’s organization.
In 2018 she and her husband, Barry, relocated to Warne, North Carolina, where they live with their two bossy dachshunds. Recently, she’s begun “branching out”—sharing tales at local storyteller gatherings and writing publicity releases for the Peacock Performing Arts Center in Hayesville.
In 2021, she published her first book: My Mother’s Keeper: One Family’s Journey Through Dementia, available on Amazon and through her web page, sandygbenson.com.
She is currently working on her next book, Girls Can’t Do That, a collection of mostly humorous short stories about her life as one of America’s first female foresters.
NCWN-West is continuing to stay in touch by using technology to share our writing. We offer writing events and writing classes both online and in person. Many writers are enjoying the convenience and flexibility of Zoom meetings because of the ability to join our gatherings from other locations across America.
Those wishing to attend Mountain Wordsmiths may contact Carroll Taylor at vibiaperpetua[at]gmail.com to receive the Zoom link. Our group is informal, and we welcome those who would simply like to listen to the beauty of wordsmithing. All who attend are encouraged to enjoy their morning cup of coffee or tea as we share our thoughts about writing.