Down Home Cook Books 2012

Visitors to the 2012 authors' tent will find some interesting down-home cookbooks available. Two cookbook authors returning from last year will be Libby Bondurant and Peggy Shifflett.

Libby will have copies of her popular Grazing Along the Crooked Road, a collection of recipes and the stories behind them from along the 253-mile long SW Virginia's music heritage trail, the Crooked Road. A sample recipe is here. UPDATE: Libby will be unable to attend because of another commitment.

Peggy will have copies of Mom's Family Pie: Memories of Food Traditions and Family in Appalachia (as well as her other two books). Peggy's book is a collection of family recipes and the stories behind them. This year, Peggy's sister-in-law Hilda will join her. Hilda will be selling some of her baked goods featured in the book.

Even though Charles Lytton's memoir, The New River: bonnets, apple butter, and moonshine, isn't exactly a cookbook, it has plenty of down-home recipes. Plus, he'll have his new book, The Cool Side of the Pillow, with him.

Charles Lytton at the 2012 Galax festival

Another book with both stories and recipes is Franklin County True Stories, Letters, and Recipes from the Grapevine, by Edith Sigmon and Beverly Merritt. Folks who enjoy local history should find this book interesting.

New to this year's festival will be the Sweet Potatoes ladies from Winston-Salem, NC, with their cookbook, Well, Shut My Mouth! UPDATE: The Sweet Potatoes will be unable to attend because of family illness.

These authors of the cookbook, who have a restaurant in Winston-Salem, were also at Galax.

They were a big hit at Galax, where did a cooking demo and had samples of their sweet potato biscuits. 

A few more cookbooks might also be available at the festival. Y'all stop by on September 29 and have a taste of what's available.

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Authors Tent: Appalachian fiction

The authors' tent at Mountain Spirits is filling up. Many authors will have books about regional history or memoirs about growing up in the region.  Michael Abraham—who was at the 2011 festival with his books Harmonic Highways; Union, WV; and The Spine of the Virginias—will have his novel, Providence, VA, with him this year.

Set in a tiny town not far from Fries, Providence, VA might be classified as  Appalachian dystopian fiction with an element of magical realism. When an electromagnetic pulse wipes out all electronic gizmos all along the East coast, chaos reigns.

Seventeen-year-old Samantha Reisinger, a classical violinist who recently expanded her repertoire to include traditional Appalachian music, finishes her set on the stage at the Galax Fiddlers Convention, just as the lights and sound go out. Soon folks find that their cars won't start, cellphones won't work, and anything else electronic is dead. Sammmy's ride back to New Jersey has already gone and her parents are in Paris, so she is stuck. However, Quint's old truck has no electronic parts and it still runs. He invites Sammy and several others—including Jamaal, a black professor/banjo player—to ride with him home to the small rural town of Providence. He drops several locals off along the way and arranges for Jamaal to stay with Emily, a midwife. Sammy stays with Quint and his reclusive wife, who spends most of her time away from the house and rarely speaks.

Sammy, used to a wealthy lifestyle, learns to adapt to living in an old farmhouse, which at least has an outdoor pump, a woodstove, and an outhouse.  Many in the area do not fare as well. There are many deaths—including some murders and suicides. There is little available food, except what folks have grown themselves. Except for midwife Emily and a local herbalist, there is no medical care. There is also little protection from thieves and murderers. And therein lies the story

Providence, VA—because of its adult themes, language, violence, and sexual content—isn't for young people. However, Abraham's premise is intriguing, and those who've wondered what would happen if our way of life suddenly ended will find his ideas compelling. You can read some sample chapters here.

While Michael will not be able to attend this year's festival, his books—including this one—will be for sale in the Authors Tent.

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Plans Underway for 2012

The 2012 Mountain Spirits Festival will be held in downtown Rocky Mount on September 29 from 10 AM until 3 PM.

Windy Mountain Spirits

Despite the cool temperatures and the wind, Mountain Spirits Festival was a hit. A lot of folks said how much they enjoyed it, and a lot of participants want to come back next year. Here are some photos of the action:

In the author tent, Lake Writers, Valley Writers, and Piedmont Writers had group tables. Plus the Virginia Writers Club was represented, two small presses who published Virginia books had books for sale, and a bunch of individual authors.   At least two authors' dogs—Gary Noestner's and Bruce Bytner's—mingled with the crowd. 

Here are a few pictures from the author tent:

Lake Writers make some sales.

Lynn Dudley and Margaret Adkins set up the Piedmont Writers table table.

Karen J. Hall and Valley Writer John Koelsch

Folks browse among the tables

Amanda Cockrell had an impressive table display

Peggy Shifflett's down-home books were popular.

Ferrum resident Shea LeMone's novel is based on his youth in Philadelphia.

Valley Writer Barbara Stout displays her poetry books

Ralph Berrier's book was another popular one.

Southern Breeze opened the music part of the festival. 

Up Franklin Street, in the vicinity of the Artisan Center and Grainery were the artists. I don't know all of them, just a few:

Ibby Greer's gourdfriends. 

Nell Fredericksen's jewelry. . .  

. . . and her pottery.

Carol Yopp's paintings.

Meanwhile, there was a lot of activity at Farmer Appreciation Day on the market a few blocks away.

And a horse danced while its rider—Aspen Black—sang:

A lot more things were happening than I could photograph, but Mountain Spirits Festival had something for everyone. 

Think we should do it again next year?

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Small Presses

Two publishers will have tables in the Author Tent: Cedar Creek Publishing and Pocahontas Press.

Cedar Creek, headquartered in Bremo Bluff, Virginia, publishes Virginia books by Virginia authors—poetry, memoir, fiction, and books for children. Cedar Creek also publishes an anthology by the Blue Ridge Chapter of the Virginia Writers Club.

Cedar Creek display at VA Festival of the Book

Cedar Creek books

Pocahontas Press, headquartered in Blacksburg, was founded over 25 years ago by Mary Holliman. When Mary died in 2011, Jane and Michael Abraham purchased rights to the name. Michael, who is also an author, ran the family priniting business for 17 years and knows the technical side of printing. Jane, who has a degree in English, shares Mary Holliman's vision that "everyone, no matter how ordinary, has a story that needs to be told."

At the Pocahontas Press table, many of the press's older books will be for sale at a special discount price. Here are a few of the Pocahontas Press books:

  

  

Come visit Cedar Creek Publishing and Pocahontas Press. They just might have the book you've been looking for.

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Artists

Lots of artists will have work displayed and for sale at Mountain Spirits. The artists will set up near The Artisan Center Along the Crooked Road and The Grainery on Franklin Street. Plus there'll be art for sale inside the Artisan Center and Grainery, too.

Among the many artists and craftspeople who were invited to participate in this year's Mountain Spirits Festival are the following: wildlife artist Carol Yopp, potters Susan Tyree and Kent Walton, glass craftsmen Nancy Erikson and Diane Brzesky, painters Barbara and Bob Stout, birdhouse maker Richard Yopp, carved walking stick craftsman Melvin Simmons, landscape artist Penny Simmons, quilted wall hanging crafter and painter Katy Sulzman, crochet genius and printmaker Diana C. Quick, painter Philip Sheridan,  candlemaker Malissa Quintanilla, photo-mandala printmaker Paula Caldwell, sculptress Page Turner, author and artist Ibby Greer, and others.

Green Pitcher by Ibby Greer

 Fine art jewelry will also be available: Moondancers will be there with fabric art, pens, jewelry, art.  Nell Frederickson, who is also a potter, will have her custom design fine gold jewelry, and Kitty Kat will have her wire-wrapped jewelry.

Pendant by Nell Fredericksen

If you want to see some excellent art or maybe do some early Christmas shopping, visit the artists at the festival.

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Story-tellers and Music

During the Mountain Spirits Festival, several story-tellers will spin their yarns upstairs in the Franklin County Public Library. Among the story-tellers are these folks:  Linda Goodman (at 10:30), Linda Hartman at 11:30, Charles Lytton at 12:30, and David Bass (1:30).

Linda Goodman's Book

Musical groups performing outside at the festival include Southern Breeze (10:00), Upriver (11:00 & 3:00), Ladies of the Lake (noon & 2:00), and Aspen Black & Foxie (1:00).

Upriver

 Upriver plays Appalachian mountain music, Ladies of the Lake is a traditional folk music group, and Aspen Black plays country and western.

           

Southern Breeze is Samantha and Alex Young. They played at the Franklin County Library's book launch for Stuck and they were terrific!

Sam and Alex Young

Besides authors, and story-tellers, and musicians, Mountain Spirits also offers some activities just for kids. Between 10 and 2, Franklin County Parks and Recreation will provide kids a chance to find candy in the straw, play cornhole, and design their own photo frames. Look for the big white tent behind Edible Vibe (and in front of the authors' big white tent). 

You're sure to find something entertaining at Mountain Spirits. There's something for everyone!

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Mountain Spirits Festival is brought to you by the Franklin County Public Library, The Artisan Center on the Crooked Road, the Rocky Mount Center for the Arts, the Grainery, the Town of Rocky Mount, and Franklin County Parks & Recreation. For more information please contact Debra Weir at 540 -420-8501, or you can email her at debraweir@franklincountyva.org.