April Meeting

The April 20th meeting of the Point Pleasant Writers Guild found the members discussing the history of words and how the meaning of some words have changed over the years and the merits of free-verse poetry vs. prose. Max Price has been trying his hand at writing sonnets and shared his sonnet, “The List”. Sue Underwood read an excerpt from her book of childhood memories (still in the draft stages) “The Little Cabin on the Hill”. This section contained her first kiss and the death of a childhood friend. Marilyn Clarke treated us to a passage from her book in progress, working title, “Standing Between Good and Evil”. A mystery writers group is helping the handsome detective solve a murder, or maybe, one of the members of the group has committed one. Marilyn also read a short essay on Mothers. Patrecia Gray read her poems, “Resurrection Egg” and “Motherhood”. The May and June meetings will include guest speakers. May 18, will bring John Patrick Grace, the executive director of Huntington-based Publishers Place, Inc. The not-for-profit company has an 18-year history of publishing anthologies, narrative nonfiction (mostly memoirs) and fiction based on true events or characters. He also teaches the Life Writing Class. On June 1 we welcome author and teacher, Brent Eliot Parker. Born in Charleston, West Virginia, Eliot Parker graduated from Marshall University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism in 2003 and a Master’s Degree in English from Marshall University in 2005. He also attended the Bluegrass Writers Studio at Eastern Kentucky University, where he earned his M.F.A. in Creative Writing in May 2012. His short fiction has appeared in Speck Literary Journal, Apex Books, Crack the Spine Literary Journal, and others. His novel, the sports murder-mystery Breakdown at Clear River was published in 2012 and was a nominee for the Weatherford Award in Outstanding Fiction in 2012 by the Appalachian Studies Association. His second novel, Making Arrangements, was released in February 2014 by Sunstone Press and named a “Best Book of 2014” by USA BookNews. His third novel, the mystery/thriller novel Fragile Brilliance was a 2016 Finalist for the Lords of Discipline Thriller Prize, which is affiliated with the Pat Conroy Southern Book Prize and SIBA. He also received the Bronze Award from the National Literary Habitat organization for mystery/thriller writing. He currently teaches writing and literature at Mountwest Community and Technical College in Huntington, West Virginia. Eliot has been a featured speaker and panelist at the Ohioana Book Festival, the Dayton Book Festival, The Killer Nashville Book Festival, among others. He also hosts the television show “Chapters” which focuses on authors, editors, and publishers from West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky and it can be viewed on Armstrong Cable and also on youtube. Mr. Parker will also hold a book signing, in the Library, before and after the meeting.