June 4, 2010
Larry Yates has been writing poetry since 1962 when he lived in Bangkok, Thailand. His poetry has been published in several small magazines, including Sow’s Ear, Chidiock Amorphous, and Clerestory. He has read his poetry at the Fifth Fret Coffeehouse, a Gathering of the National Organizers Alliance, the Richmond (VA) Public Library, the Appalantic Federation of Cooperatives, the Richmond Artists Workshop, and elsewhere. Two of his poems, augmented by additional audio and video, are on YouTube.
Larry’s political writing has been published extensively, and includes a chapter on the history of housing organizing is in A Right to Housing: Foundation for a New Social Agenda, and his response to David Horowitz's attacks on reparations for slavery is in The Debtors, published by Caucasians United for Emancipation and Reparations. He has edited numerous nonprofit periodicals. He plans to self-publish his first novel Bloodroot: First Flowering in 2010. He and his wife Carol moved to Winchester in 2009; Larry previously lived in Arlington, Shenandoah County, Richmond and Fairfax in Virginia, and lived in Vietnam and Thailand as a child. Larry belongs to the National Writers Union. His personal website is www.user.shentel.net/llyates.
The Cranberry Ensemble is a group of seven women musicians who get together once a week to play mainly Baroque music, exploring lesser-known composers. They perform at various occasions. The members include Laverne Sargent on flute and recorder; Dottie Eddis on cello; Heather Butler, Trudy Pearman and Amy Fielder on violin; Sally Seabright on viola; and Claudia Martin on piano.
May 7, 2010 Tonja Dudley Bagwell is the poet/author of two poetry collections, Sunrise of Revelations and Grace in a Garland, published by Jafansta, Inc. Tonja felt “Sunrise of Revelations” was a great title as she considered revealing her deep emotions was like opening the door to a new day with a beautiful sunrise. This collection offered a path to Intuitive Grief Healing as Tonja examined life, death, illness, and spirituality. The title “Grace in a Garland” was inspired by a biblical scripture “She will place on your head a garland of grace; She will present you with a crown of beauty.” [Proverbs 4:9]. This collection is an inspirational, spiritual and cultural adventure that will tap into your essence and allow you to explore your thoughts about significant people and events, as well as universal matters.
Tonja is the founder and host of Poetic Travelers, a poetry series that meets at Lawrence Street Gallery in Michigan and Poetic Travelers II. She has a B.A. in English/Journalism and graduated Summa Cum Laude with an M.A. in Professional Counseling. She truly appreciates the value of expressive arts such as poetry and writing, which are helpful in the therapeutic healing process. Look for other books by Tonja in the near future. To order a copy of either book, visit www.jafansta.com/SunriseofRevelations.aspx or www.jafansta.com/GraceinaGarland.aspx
The Wise Maids plus the Milkman consists of Deirdre Cochran of Middletown, Sandy Lore of Winchester, and Mary Mayhew of Winchester. They will be accompanied by David Bicking, guitar virtuoso. The group has been seen and heard at venues throughout the Shenandoah Valley and Northern Virginia after meeting s
everal years ago in the Winchester Celtic Circle. They mainly play music from Ireland, Scotland, the Shetland Islands, England, and Wales, and in addition to their instrumentals, they all enjoy singing harmony.
Deirdre has been performing with classical and folk groups for over 30 years in Northern Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley. A fiddle dropout, she teaches hammered dulcimer and concertina, plays pennywhistle, bouzouki , spoons, and bodhran, and has played in the Wayside Theater's production of "Quilters," and Shenandoah University's Summer Music Theater's production of "The Secret Garden." Some of the groups she plays with currently are Winchester Celtic Circle and Chicks with Attitude, and the Troisiemme Age group as well as the Wise Maids.
Sandy Lore played classical violin as a child. After 32 years in the Foreign Service enjoying other peoples’ music on several continents, she and her husband moved to Winchester to retire. At that time, she rediscovered her fiddle and fell in love with Celtic dance music. She has played bluegrass as well as Celtic music for the past few years with several area groups. Currently, she plays with the Chicks with Attitude, the Troissieme Age Group, the Winchester Celtic Circle and Fiddle Sisters in addition to the Wise Maids.
Mary loves to sing and has sung lead in Sweet Adelines Barbershop quartets. She has also sung with the Academy of the Arts Chorale in Winchester. When her daughters became involved with the Suzuki Violin Program at very young ages, Mary, as their mentor, also began playing their classical violin repertoire. She soon joined a local contradance band and is currently a fiddling member of the Winchester Celtic Circle, where she met Deirdre, Sandy, and David, and has become one of the Wise Maids.
David Bicking has played guitar and a dozen other instruments for over 50 years , most of the time American folk and bluegrass, but a few years ago discovered a love of Irish music (with other Celtic music thrown in) and started playing fiddle and flute/whistle. Being retired now gives him plenty of time to practice (when he chooses to), and he enjoys playing with any size group of like minded players whenever he can.
April 2, 2010
Mattie Quesenberry Smith is a cum laude graduate of Hollins University with a BA in biology and English literature, 1985, and a MA in creative writing, 1986. After a brief career as a legislative assistant handling Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee work for a United States congressman, she went home to raise her children. Throughout the course of her motherhood she has published poetry and book reviews, served as the poetry editor for Conservative Review, and co-authored several screenplays with her husband, Douglas N. Smith.
Smith has published poems and reviews in magazines such as Hollins Critic, Floyd Moonshine, Diagram, and Ruminate. In addition, she and her husband have won several awards for their documentary film, Between Two Fires, and screenplay, Once to Every Man, to include finalist in the Virginia Governor’s Screenplay Competition, a CINE Golden Eagle Award, a Bronze Medal from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences 27th Annual Student Academy Awards, Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary in the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival, and First Place in both the Zoe and Spindletop Film festivals.
Smith is the director of Fine Arts in Rockbridge Writers’ Roundtable as well as adjunct instructor for Dabney S. Lancaster Community College. Her chapbook of poems, Mother Chaos: Under Electric Light, was recently nominated for a 12th Library of Virginia Literary Award by Finishing Line Press, and her poem, “To a Fishing Father” was recently nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Her short story, “Catawba Cut,” is forthcoming in Avatar Review. She lives at the foot of Little House Mountain in Lexington, Virginia, with her husband and children.
FUzen began as the snowmen/snowpeople during the winter of 09-10 because every time they got together to play, it snowed. It happened so many times that it went from standing joke to defacto name. Well, they finally put their heads together (along with an interesting dictionary of mythology) and changed the name. FUzen is a work in progress featuring four outstanding musicians: Bruce on Drums, Eric on bass, Steve on Guitar, and Jen on Keys. Everybody sings. Their repertoire is quickly growing, and they are happy to see more and more fans coming out to see them play.