Home-Grown Authors

Home-Grown Authors

Behind the Stacks 2By Kathy Stevens

Living in the Ozarks we are blessed with many talented people, from musicians to authors to photographers.

Here, at the Fayetteville Library, we want to salute our local authors by offering a venue to express their words to the public.

The Library has hosted several local authors in the past few years and would love to reach out and have more authors grace the stage of our Walker Room.

We have been fortunate to host many local, notable Fayetteville talents. Most recently local musician and author Alison Moore read from her new novel Riders on the Orphan Train and presented a multi-media program. We were tickled to have Kimberly Cook read from her classic vampire tale with a twist, “Her Blood’s Warning,” for a thrilling October read. Robert Laurence a retired professor of law at the University of Arkansas presented his newest novel, “Departure Lounge,” with a reading on a cold and damp Sunday afternoon that was enjoyed by many. A collective author event presented the Umoja Soul Writer’s Group with local authors, Michael Lafears Jr., Ms. F.L. Jones and Rhonda Bell Holmes. Geoffrey Oelsner, a local poet, writer and musician led a less traditional interactive author event. After reading from his latest work, “A Country Where All Colors Are Sacred and Alive,” he invited the audience to relate stories of their personal experiences of the paranormal and communion with nature. One of our first events was with two wonderful local authors Velda Brotherton and Linda Apple, which was a huge success and actually inspired the ongoing local author events.

For local authors or poets who have published a title, the Walker Community Room is free of charge with the standard set up. All authors have the opportunity to sell their books and will be responsible for their own cash box and change. The Library will provide advertising on our digital monitors and list the event on the library monthly calendars. Authors are encouraged to develop posters and place them on the community bulletin board and market through their own venues.

Something new in 2014 is Second Sunday. The second Sunday of each month (excluding June and July) will be available for a local author to read from his or her works and host a book signing. The library will begin accepting submissions Oct. 1.

If you’re a locally published author and would like to stand on our stage, please contact me, Kathy Stevens, at 479-856-7250 to discuss bringing your material to the library. www.faylib.org

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