To celebrate Rowan Public Library’s 10th annual Stories by the Millstream Festival, storyteller and performer Jim Weiss will be at the library for a family storytelling program sponsored by the Friends of the Library on Thursday, Sept. 17, at 7 p.m. at Stanback Auditorium.
Literature comes alive with Weiss, who has been telling stories for more than 25 years, performing throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and the Middle East.
In 1989 he formed a production company, Greathall Productions, with his wife, and has since produced more than 42 storytelling recordings that include “American Tall Tales,” “Heroes in Mythology,” “The Prince and the Pauper” and “Treasure Island.”
Weiss and Greathall Productions have received more than 80 major national awards including the Parents’ Guide to Children Media Award, the American Library Association Notable Award and the Storytelling World Award.
On Friday, Sept. 18, Weiss will be the featured storyteller, joining 24 others, as part of the Stories by the Millstream Festival held at Sloan Park for Rowan-Salisbury Schools’ second-graders. The festival is also sponsored by the Friends of Rowan Public Library.
For more information, call 704-216-7728.
Dot Jackson at workshop
Author and former Charlotte Observer writer Dot Jackson will lead the September workshop during the Weathers Creek Writers’ Series at The Farm at Weathers Creek just outside Mooresville.
Whether you are an aspiring writer, an experienced freelancer or a published author, time is valuable; time to expand career horizons may be especially scarce. These one-day workshops offer a chance to recharge creative batteries.
The Farm at Weathers Creek has scenic views from almost every window of the log home on the property. Owned by the Campbell family, the house was built from logs salvaged from their mother’s homeplace in Mount Ulla.
Jackson has the distinctive voice of a Southern storyteller. Her novel, “Refuge,” is set mostly in the hills of the Carolinas, and the story captures the intricacies of family life without being judgmental or maudlin.
Her Sept. 12 workshop, “Front Porch Fiction: Telling Tales That Turn Pages,” will help beginning and experienced writers focus on the stories that just have to be written, whether they come from the writer’s imagination or are based on family history.
Additional workshops will be offered on the second Saturdays of October and November. Cathy Pickens, author of the Southern Fried mystery series, will be on hand Oct. 10 to talk about “Polishing and Promoting Your Prose.” For the Nov. 14 session, former newspaper and magazine editor Ann Wicker will talk about nonfiction, including memoir, and how to get those family stories preserved, in her session, “A Hard Day’s Write.”
The Weathers Creek Writers’ Series grew out of talks between Wicker, Susan Campbell, a photographer and writer, and Cindy Campbell, a marketing and sales specialist.Sessions are $75 each, which includes lunch. Deadline for registration for “Front Porch Stories” is Sept. 2. A $30 deposit is required to hold a spot in the workshop, as registration for each is limited to 15 people.
Discounts are offered for registration for two or more sessions, and gift certificates are available. All sessions start at 10 a.m. and end at approximately 3 p.m. For a registration form, directions and other information, go to our Web site, www.weatherscreek.net.