Museum in the Park at Chief Logan State Park
to present Writers’ Forum May 7
April 28, 2011
The Museum in the Park at Chief Logan State Park in conjunction with the Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College (SWVCATC) Foundation will host a Writers’ Forum on Saturday, May 7, from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Budding authors, avid readers and interested participants are invited to meet West Virginia writers, hear about their work, explore their careers and ask questions. The writers will have copies of their work available for sale. The forum is free and will take place at the Museum in the Park.
Dr. Ken Sullivan, executive director of the West Virginia Humanities Council, will present opening remarks at 10 a.m. Sullivan is the author or editor of several books, including the West Virginia Encyclopedia.
The Writers’ Forum will feature seven additional authors who specialize in fiction or science fiction, editing and publishing, historical characters, horror, romance, psychology and personal memoir genres.
At 10:15 a.m., Karen Vuranch of Fayetteville will discuss her DVD, Coal Camp Memories, which chronicles the life of a woman in the West Virginia coal fields of the 1920s and 1930s. She also will talk about her research techniques, scriptwriting and public performances.
Vuranch is a storyteller, actress, and writer. She weaves together a love of history, a passion for stories and a sense of community. She is known for her traditional storytelling, plays based on oral history, and living history presentations of famous American women.
At 11 a.m., author Michael Knost of Logan and author/publisher Keith Davis of Chapmanville will speak. Knost is an award-winning author, editor and columnist in the science fiction, fantasy, horror and supernatural thriller genres. His Writers Workshop of Horror recently won the Black Quill and Bram Stoker awards for superior achievement in nonfiction. Knost is writing a Mothman novel slated for release in 2011. Davis has more than 30 years experience in the newspaper industry in various capacities, including longtime general manager of The Logan Banner. He is the founder of Woodland Press, LLC, an independent book publishing company focusing on Appalachian-based books with more than 30 titles in the marketplace. He is the author of several books including The Secret Life and Brutal Death of Mamie Thurman and West Virginia Tough Boys.
At noon, Vuranch will return in a Chautauqua-style, first-person performance as West Virginia native and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, Pearl Buck.
Dr. Charles Wood of Logan will talk about his research on the psychology of addiction at 1 p.m. Wood started his teaching career at SWVCATC as an adjunct professor in 1990 and became full-time in 1997. He is division chair for social science and criminal justice. Wood writes regularly as a guest columnist for The Logan Banner and is the author of Living the Good Life.
At 2 p.m., Rebecca Brock of rural Logan County will discuss her fascination with horror stories and her forays into writing romance novels. Her first collection of horror stories, Abominations was self-published and her first romance novel, The Giving Season was published by Pearlsong Press in 2009. Brock has contributed to several horror anthologies including History is Dead (Permuted Press); Cold Flesh (Hellbound Books); and The Book of More Flesh (Eden Studios).
Ellen Thompson McCloud of Logan County will speak at 3 p.m. She has been fascinated by the classic works of Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe and Mary Shelley since her youth. McCloud published her first story, Fleshman #6, last year. It is set in the dark woods of Cabwaylingo State Forest. The story was included in the popular anthology, Dark Tales of Terror, a collection of stories by West Virginia writers. Currently she is studying with fellow Writers’ Forum participant, Michael Knost.
At 4 p.m., Dreama Denver of Bluefield, will present “Gilligan, Maynard and Me.” Her discussion features insights and stories from her personal memoir Gilligan’s Dream which will be released later this year to coincide with the upcoming film, Gilligan’s Island. For almost 30 years, Denver was married to television personality Bob Denver, known for his roles of Maynard G. Krebs in The Many Lives of Dobie Gillis and Gilligan from Gilligan’s Island. Today, she carries on the Denver name as the head of the non-profit Little Buddy Radio and The Denver Foundation, helping disadvantaged children.
For more information about Museum in the Park and the Writers’ Forum, contact Elizabeth Williams, site manager for the facility, at (304) 792-7229.
Museum in the Park is a regional cultural center showcasing the best in West Virginia history and the arts. It features changing exhibits and displays of artwork and historical items from the collections of the West Virginia State Museum and the State Archives. One area of the museum is dedicated to local and regional history. It is operated and maintained by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History and is located four miles north of Logan on West Virginia Route 10 at Chief Logan State Park. The regular museum operating hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., and Sunday from 1 - 6 p.m.
The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is an agency within the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts with Kay Goodwin, Cabinet Secretary. The Division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the Division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
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