Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Poetry Reading with Rupert Fike October 17 !

Louise Runyon will give a poetry reading with Atlanta poet Rupert Fike at City Lights Books on Friday, October 17th at 6:00pm. Rupert will read from his latest collection, All Things in Common: POEMS FROM THE FARM.  Louise will read both new and published works.

Poetry Reading: Louise Runyon and Rupert Fike

Friday, October 17, 6:00 pm

City Lights Bookstore, 3 E. Jackson St., Sylva, NC 28779

The alternative text

All Things in Common: POEMS FROM THE FARM by Georgia poet Rupert Fike is a vibrant, multi-voiced poetry collection chronicling the rise of The Farm—a 1970s commune in rural Tennessee founded by hippies and activists seeking to redefine the American Dream. Through poems that blend social and personal history, Fike captures the idealism, absurdity, and raw humanity of a countercultural movement that pushed boundaries, questioned norms, and embraced community. With his signature blend of dark humor, tenderness, and hopeful vision, Fike invites readers into a world where utopia was improvised, lived, and sometimes stumbled over, offering a timely reminder of the enduring power of collective dreaming.

Rupert Fike left the University of Georgia in his junior year to work in the Peace and Civil Rights movements of the late 1960s. He and his wife, Kathy, moved to San Francisco, where they helped found The Farm, a spiritual community in middle Tennessee. They have two daughters and three grandchildren and currently reside in Clarkston, Georgia. Rupert Fike’s second collection of poems, Hello the House (Snake Nation Press) was named as one of the “Books All Georgians Should Read, 2018” by The Georgia Center for the Book. He was the finalist as Georgia Author of the Year after his first collection, Lotus Buffet (Brick Road Poetry Press, 2011). 

His stories and poems have appeared in The Southern Poetry Review, The Sun, The Main Street Rag, Kestrel, Scalawag Magazine, The Georgetown Review, A&U America’s AIDS Magazine, The Flannery O’Connor Review, Duende, The Buddhist Poetry Review, Natural Bridge and others. He was the editor of Voices From The Farm, a non-fiction title from The Book Publishing Company, 1997. He also has a poem inscribed in a downtown Atlanta plaza.

Louise Runyon, a local poet with deep roots in Western North Carolina, comes from a long line of visionary activists.  She has published five books of poetry, and has “a gift for connecting generations… and bridging gaps divided by race, language, and culture.”  Along with Rupert Fike, Runyon was part of a vibrant community of poets in Atlanta, moving to Western NC in 2019.  A dancer and choreographer as well as poet, she is the director of Louise Runyon Performance Company.

Where Is Our Prague Spring?, Runyon’s most recent book, examines her deep love for the mountains, her childhood experience of love there, and her attempts to reconcile this love with the hatred and division found in the present.  A great-niece of Lucy Morgan, founder of the renowned Penland School of Crafts, Runyon honors her visionary and activist family in these poems.

Says poet Catherine Carter of Western Carolina University, “…Runyon interrogates the place and her family’s long history there to illuminate a complicated tradition of Appalachian progressivism dating both back to and forward from the Trail of Tears.  These thoughtful poems evoke an Appalachia that few outsiders know: simultaneously progressive and conservative, woven into the wider world in unexpected ways, and rooted deeply in the labor and vision of women.”   All of her books are available at City Lights Books in Sylva, NC.


All Things in Common: Poems from The Farm
Current price

Friday, July 18, 2025

Poetry Reading August 16 !

 

Mountain Word Writers Group,  facilitated by Louise Runyon, will give a reading of their work oAugust 16 at City Lights Books in Sylva, NC. This year their writings explore the history of violence and peace in one family, the merging of art and science, a different outlook from hospice, a woman with a master’s degree who wants to be a plumber, and children running unknowingly towards war.  See writers' bios below.

Saturday, August 16, 11 a.m.

City Lights Books / 3 E. Jackson St. / Sylva, NC 28779



 Scott Cornwell of Franklin is a veterinarian, with a long career as an army veterinarian.  In a deployment to Bosnia in the 90s, he developed a strong affinity for that country and its people, and has made numerous return trips.  He is writing a memoir about his times there.  Scott has also delved into a deep exploration of poetry that studies the relationship of art and science.

 Jim Howe worked as a community organizer, social justice worker and human relations specialist in Miami before retiring to mountain life in 2007.  He is working on a book about his family's history as pioneers in South Florida and how it shaped him, moving from a family of boxers toward a life of peacemaking.

 Mae Miner spent 56 years as a nurse and has been writing for many years; her work in hospice care has been a particular influence.  Mae writes poetry, non-fiction and fiction, and is the author of Pastor Beloved: Finding the Spiritual in Religion, available at City Lights.

 Louise Runyon, facilitator, is a poet with deep roots in Western North Carolina.  Also a dancer and choreographer, she has published five books of poems and has “a gift for connecting generations… and bridging gaps divided by race, language, and culture.”  All of her books are available at City Lights.  

Erin Smith writes fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry. Her short play Poor Man’s Supper was presented by Calliope Stage in 2024, and her work has appeared in The Sun MagazineThe New York Times and North Carolina Literary Review.  Her writing is inspired in part by teaching on the Qualla Boundary, and her novel-in-progress explores mother/daughter relationships and the role of the military spouse.

Friday, February 28, 2025

Poetry & Art ~ Spring Celebration ~ March 16 !

Louise Runyon will give a poetry reading on Sunday, March 16, at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Cullowhee, NC.  After a hard winter and in anticipation of spring, she will read her poetry against a backdrop of Melba Cooper’s artwork from her series of paintings, Pollination.  Melba will also give an artist talk, and Lillian Pearson will play piano.

In Anticipation of Spring!

    A Pollination Conversation

~ through poetry, music and art ~ 

Sunday, March 16, 2025, 12:15 p.m., St. David’s Episcopal Church

385 Forest Hills Rd, Cullowhee, NC 28723

~ Light refreshments will be served ~

 Melba Cooper, Artist

Louise Morgan Runyon, Poet

Lillian Pearson, Piano

Surrounded by Melba Cooper’s glorious paintings of pollination, Louise and Lillian will present poetry and music, and Melba will give an artist talk.  Poetry books (cash or check only) and art work will be available for purchase.

Melba Cooper invites you to follow her “Path of the Pollen” as interpreted in her cold wax/oil paintings. There she longs for the hum of healing, and a sacred regard for Mother Earth.  melbacooper.com

 Louise Morgan Runyon is a poet with deep roots in Western North Carolina.  She has published five books of poems and has “a gift for connecting generations… and bridging gaps divided by race, language, and culture.”  Her poems are steeped in the natural world of the Appalachians.  louiserunyonperformance.com

 




Thursday, October 17, 2024

Poetry Reading November 22 with Cecilia Woloch

Louise Morgan Runyon and Cecilia Woloch will give readings of their poetry highlighting labor and social justice issues on Friday, November 22, at 6 p.m. at City Lights Books, 3 E. Jackson St., Sylva, NC.  This reading celebrates the release of Woloch’s new chapbook, Labor: The Testimony of Ted Gall.  

Ted Gall was a coal miner and union organizer in Western Pennsylvania in the first half of the 20th century.  Woloch’s new book traces Gall’s experiences in the mines and the union, and the confluence of the labor movement with the ongoing, developing movement for black liberation.  Says poet Joy Priest, “This poem, composed almost entirely in words written by Gall himself, gives a first-hand account of what it was like in the mines, in the unions, and in the spirits of the working poor, ‘lifting their voices like trumpets’…an important contribution to Appalachian ‘docupoetics’ and cross-racial labor solidarity.”

 Cecilia Woloch is the granddaughter of a coal miner and grew up in rural Kentucky.  She is an award-winning poet with fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Fulbright Foundation, and is the author of seven books of poetry.  Former U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Tretheway describes Woloch as "...a poet who is passionately alive in this world.”    She has traveled the world extensively as a teacher and writer.  Her book Tsigan: The Gypsy Poem has had multi-lingual, multi-media performances in Los Angeles, Paris, Warsaw, Athens and elsewhere. ceciliawoloch.squarespace.com.

 Louise Morgan Runyon is a poet with deep roots in Western North Carolina.  A former steelworker and labor activist, she is also a dancer, choreographer, and Artistic Director of Louise Runyon Performance Company.  She has published five books of poems and has “a gift for connecting generations… and bridging gaps divided by race, language, and culture,” per writer Kendall Klym.  Runyon facilitates Mountain Word Writers’ Group at City Lights, and all of her books are available there.  louiserunyonperformance.com.

 Woloch will offer a workshop for local writers called Our Lives Which Can Never Run Dry: Workshop for Writers in Short-Form Prose & Poetry.  The workshop will be held on Thursday, November 21 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., St. David's Episcopal Church, Cullowhee.   Contact sylvawriters@gmail.com for more information, or if interested in joining Mountain Word Writers’ Group.


Thursday, July 4, 2024

Writers Group Reading August 10

 

The Mountain Word Writers Group, facilitated by Louise Runyon, will give a reading of their work on Saturday, August 10 at 11 a.m. at City Lights Bookstore, 3 East Jackson St., Sylva.  This diverse group of local writers has been meeting weekly at City Lights since January, 2023.  Each of the seven members of the group will read two short pieces, including creative non-fiction, memoir, poetry and/or fiction.

MOUNTAIN WORD WRITERS’ GROUP 
 READING AT CITY LIGHTS BOOKS
 Saturday, August 10, 11 a.m. 
City Lights Bookstore
3 East Jackson St., Sylva 28788
Featuring:
Erin Carpenter, Scott Cornwell, Jim Howe, Anne Jenkins
Mae Miner, Louise Morgan Runyon, Toni True-Wills



Erin Carpenter writes fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry, and will have a short play presented by Calliope Stage this season.  Her work has appeared in The Sun Magazine (Readers Write), The New York Times (Tiny Love Stories) and North Carolina Literary Review.  Her writing is inspired in part by teaching on the Qualla Boundary, and her novel-in-progress explores mother/daughter relationships and the role of the military spouse.

Scott Cornwell of Franklin is a veterinarian, with a long career as an army veterinarian.  In his deployment to Bosnia he developed a strong affinity for the country and its people, and has made numerous return trips.  He is writing a memoir about his times there, and also explores poetry. 

Jim Howe worked as a community organizer, social justice worker and human relations specialist in Miami before moving to Cullowhee 15 years ago.  He is working on a book about his family's history as pioneers in South Florida, and how it shaped his life.

Anne Jenkins is a British/South African award-winning artist and writer.  She has spent her life traveling, including delivering sailboats from the U.K. to the Mediterranean, and driving 18-wheelers across the U.S.  She was named Fellow of the Arts in Delaware in 2013 and has just published a book, Women of Courage, detailing her three major art projects.  Her book is available at City Lights.

Mae Miner spent 56 years as a nurse and has been writing for many years; her work in hospice care has been a particular influence.  Mae writes poetry and fiction, and is the author of Pastor Beloved: Finding the Spiritual in Religion.

Louise Morgan Runyon, group facilitator, is a poet with deep roots in Western North Carolina.  Also a dancer and choreographer, she is Artistic Director of Louise Runyon Performance Company.  She has published five books of poems and has “a gift for connecting generations… and bridging gaps divided by race, language, and culture.”  All of her books are available at City Lights.  www.louiserunyonperformance.com.

            Toni True-Wills is a retired Western North Carolina psychotherapist who directed three mental health clinics in this area over a period of ten years.  Her writing has been deeply inspired by this field of work.  She has published a book titled Feeling the Love, also available at City Lights.

            Mountain Word Writers’ Group is currently full, but open by invitation when space becomes available.  Interested writers may contact sylvawritersgroup@gmail.com.

Thursday, April 11, 2024

Poetry Reading April 19, Hayesville NC

 Friday, April 19,  2024,10:45 a.m.

2024 Multicultural Women's Development Conference 

Hinton Life Center 
Hayesville NC

More Info:  https://onedozenwhocare.org/multicultural-womens-development-conference/

Thursday, September 14, 2023

Poetry Reading September 24 !

Runyon will read from her recent book of poems, Where Is Our Prague Spring?, at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Cullowhee, NC on Sunday, September 24. The heart of this book, written during Black Lives Matter events, puts forward a history of progressivism in Appalachia.  It challenges the common stereotype of the region as backwards and racist and presents an alternative view of both past and present without whitewashing either. The reading will be followed by a discussion of “Love, Race, and Hate in Appalachia.”  Scroll all the way down for a sample poem.

Louise Morgan Runyon Poetry Reading
“Love, Race, and Hate in Appalachia"
St. David's Episcopal Church
Sunday, September 24, 5:30 p.m.
385 Forest Hills Rd, Cullowhee, NC 28723
(on the Western Carolina University campus)

There is also a "Sunday Soup Supper" at the church at 5 p.m. before the reading, to which the community is invited.  

Ordering Information

Where Is Our Prague Spring?:  $20 + $4 shipping


To order, go to http://louiserunyonperformance.com/ and click on "Order Books" on the menu at the left.  You must click directly on the words "order books."

Says poet Catherine Carter of Western Carolina University, “…Runyon interrogates the place and her family’s long history there to illuminate a complicated tradition of Appalachian progressivism dating both back to and forward from the Trail of Tears.  These thoughtful poems evoke an Appalachia that few outsiders know: simultaneously progressive and conservative, woven into the wider world in unexpected ways, and rooted deeply in the labor and vision of women.”  

Kami Ahrens of Foxfire Museum notes, “Runyon's manner of writing engages the reader in conversations about contemporary themes that reflect stories of the past while providing lessons for the future.  A must-read for any lover of Appalachian literature.”

Sample Poem

Cherokee-Scottish Festival

 at the Cherokee-Scottish Festival in Franklin, North Carolina

not far from the “Qualla Boundary,” which is still home

to the Cherokee who escaped

the Trail of Tears

 

my cousin and I stand

at the table of Cherokee artisans

viewing the exquisite two-color baskets

the sleek carved panthers and bears

the roughly chiseled stone

 

from the crowd at the table an elderly white gentleman

in a crisp red tartan kilt with all the trimmings

turns out of nowhere to say to my cousin and me:

 

in Sylva, they are trying to tear down

the Confederate monument, of all things

 

and he proceeds to say this bad thing about the Blacks

and that bad thing about the Blacks –

 

            they should tear it down!

I interrupt, throwing caution to the winds

who does he think we are, my cousin and me – tourists?

 

the racists here love to talk

about being in these mountains eight generations –

that’s as long as any white man could be

 

our own family has been here for eight generations

we marched to tear down the statue in Sylva, for lord’s sake –

we weren’t raised to be racist

 

my ancestor, among the first Europeans in Franklin

     deeded land to a Cherokee chief

          to save him and his family

     from the Trail of Tears

 

     but we are not innocent –

            this same ancestor owned slaves

 

has promotion of Scottish heritage

become codeword for white supremacy?

my cousin and I go and listen to the bagpipes

before leaving the festival

 

I love the bagpipes

they remind me of my Scottish ancestry, McIntosh

the bagpipe band played traditional tunes

including “Amazing Grace”

 

do those tartan-clad players know

that song was written by a former slave ship captain

who became an abolitionist?

 

the week after the festival the Franklin newspaper

featured a centerfold spread of the “Cherokee/Scottish” event

full color photos of all the tartans and kilts

not one photo of a Cherokee artisan

****

later I go to get my car inspected

at an auto repair shop I’d heard about

owned by a family of old-time musicians –

good people, I’m told

 

I’m curious – are these the kind of people

I grew up knowing here – heart-solid

kind, honest-as-the-day-is-long

mountain folk?

 

the young brothers working there are all pale-skinned

with ginger hair and reddish beards

they are incredibly nice, fast and cheap

 

when I enter the gas station cafè to pay

there is no sign of music or old-time musicians

just a poster for a Christian singer

who will appear soon in Franklin

 

the patrons, all older white men

look suspiciously at me in my pink mask

“not from around here”

          they must be thinking