Activist, author Silas House gives keynote at NC Writers Network conference Friday, Nov. 18

The North Carolina Writers Network brings its fall conference to the Doubletree Hotel in Biltmore, November 18 – 20, attracting hundreds of writers from around the country and providing a rich slate activities. Attendees can engage in lunch and dinner banquets with readings, session tracks in several genres, open-mike sessions, a bookstore, and the opportunity for one-on-one manuscript critiques at a cocktail party with New York editors and agents. Conference faculty include professional writers from North Carolina and beyond.

The conference keynote presentation, set for 8 pm Friday evening, Nov. 18, features award-winning author Silas House, who’s been active in the fight against mountaintop removal mining in Appalachia — the process of dynamiting the tops off mountains to reach a seam of coal. The practice is ecologically destructive, releasing tons of soil along with toxins such as heavy metals.

House is the award-winning author of four novels: Clay’s Quilt (2001), A Parchment of Leaves (2003), The Coal Tattoo (2004), and Eli the Good (2009); two plays, The Hurting Part (2005) and Long Time Travelling (2009); and Something’s Rising (2009), a creative nonfiction book about social protest co-authored with Jason Howard. He is a two-time winner of the Kentucky Novel of the Year, and an Appalachian Writer of the Year, among many other honors. He serves as Chair of Appalachian Studies at Berea College and on the fiction faculty at Spalding University’s MFA in Creative Writing program.

The North Carolina Writers’ Network offers programs to serve writers at every stage of development. The Network builds audiences for literature, advocates for the literary arts and for literacy, and provides information and support services. For more about the Writers’ Network and this year’s conference, point your web browser to http://avl.mx/proo. To view Silas House’s website, featuring his regular blogs, tour schedule and more, see http://avl.mx/prop .

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

2 thoughts on “Activist, author Silas House gives keynote at NC Writers Network conference Friday, Nov. 18

  1. ashvegas

    Here’s the Saturday afternoon panel discussion (3-4:30 pm) featuring several Asheville folks – me, Jason Sandford, as well as Xpress writer Glenn and Citizen-Times contributor Neufeld.

    Panel Discussion:

  2. Sarah Martin Byrd

    How do I sign up for this conference next year. I am a recently published North Carolina author and am just finding out about these gatherings.
    Thank you,
    Sarah Martin Byrd

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.