Blue Ridge Mountain Books

Some of the books at the Mountain Spirits Arts Festival deal with life in the Blue Ridge Mountains. One is this Pleasant Land: A Blue Ridge History, written by the late Max S. Thomas. His daughter, Jean Thomas Schaeffer, will have it available in the authors' tent.

Last year, I blogged about Thomas's history of the Walnut Knob area of Franklin and Floyd Counties here: http://peevishpen.blogspot.com/2010/03/this-pleasant-land.html.

Fred First, a wonderful writer and blogger from Floyd County, will also have his books at the Festival:

Fred's books deal with life today in the Blue Ridge Mountains. His essays have been broadcast on WVTF. You can listen to one of them, "This Old House," here: http://www.wvtf.org/news_and_notes/audio/200912210719210.house.mp3

In the next few months, I'll blog about more of the books you can expect to see at the Mountain Spirits Arts Festival.

Edited to add update: It looks like Jean Thomas Schaeffer won't be able to attend the festival. However, her father's books should be available from the Franklin County Historical Society's table.

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Posted by Becky Mushko

Art in Rocky Mount

I am Ibby Greer, the art coordinator for the Mountain Spirits Arts Festival.

The artists and craftspeople coming to the Mountain Spirits Festival on October 1 are among those who already display their art at The Artisan Center Along the Crooked Road on Franklin Street. Mary Wray, owner of The Artisan Center, will be doing marketing for Mountain Spirits Arts Festival.

Mary Wray, owner of The Artisan Center Along the Crooked Road

Becky Mushko, literary coordinator, blogged about the opening of The Artisan Center on her Peevish Pen blog: http://peevishpen.blogspot.com/2011/02/artisan-center-is-official.html.

Becky Mushko, literary coordinator for the Mountain Spirits Arts Festival

More photos will be posted here soon of the interior of the gallery and the wonderful art it contains.

—Posted by Ibby Greer

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