Pellissippi State Community College’s 9th annual Young Creative Writer’s Workshop features sessions on “Haints, Haunts and Horrors in the Holler” and “Appalachian Myths, Monsters and Mysteries” as well as other witchy workshops.
The free event will be held 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, on Pellissippi State’s Strawberry Plains Campus, 7201 Strawberry Plains Pike, Knoxville, and includes a free lunch. Register here.
Although the workshop was designed for area high school and college students, the event is open to the community. This year’s agenda includes sessions on fiction, poetry and publishing as well as a writer’s room where participants can have their questions answered one-on-one by professional writers. Neema Avashia, author of “Another Appalachia: Coming Up Queer and Indian in a Mountain Place,” will provide the keynote workshop and address, while Knoxville’s poet laureate, Black Atticus, will be on hand to lead sessions on songwriting and performance poetry.
“The Young Creative Writer’s Workshop is designed to encourage and uplift writers to pursue their talents while honing their craft,” said Associate Professor Patty Ireland, who serves as director of the annual event.
Participants will have the opportunity to visit stations that will help them explore Appalachian tradition. The “Quilting Bee” station will give participants the opportunity to create their own quilt squares. Students can also make salves and tinctures in the tradition of “granny witches,” spin their own spooky stories and share why they are proud to be Appalachian. Prizes will be awarded for the top three Appalachian monster costumes as well.
A showcase at the end of the day will give participants a chance to share their work with an audience of their peers, workshop leaders and writing instructors. Families of participants are invited to attend the showcase as well.
For a full agenda, visit www.pstcc.edu/ycww. To request accommodations for any campus event, call 865.694.6411 or email accommodations@pstcc.edu.
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